Welcome everyone! Today we’re talking about friendship. Our objective is to identify qualities of a good friend, practice giving compliments, and build stronger classroom connections. Let’s have fun and learn how to be even better friends!

Gather students into a circle. Say: “What is a friend? Think of someone you like to play with or talk to.” Call on 3–4 volunteers to share one idea each. As they share, write their responses on the whiteboard.

Point to the Friend Qualities Poster. Read each quality, then ask for examples: “How has someone been kind to you?” Add any new qualities or examples students suggest to the poster.

Hand out the Compliment Card Template and an index card or sticky note to each student. Model writing: “I like how kind you are when you help me.” Then invite students to quietly write a sincere compliment for a classmate. After 2–3 minutes, allow volunteers to read theirs or pass the cards directly.

Invite 2–3 students to share how giving or receiving a compliment made them feel. Then ask: “How can we keep using these friendship qualities every day?” Reinforce that small acts of kindness and honesty make our classroom a happier place.

Thank students for their openness and participation. Encourage them to practice these friendship skills all week and notice how it feels to be both a great friend and to receive kindness.