by Nan Keltie

Created on: November 10, 2009   Last Updated: December 17, 2009

The following songs and activities that teach friendship are easy to learn and fun to do! They also help preschool teachers establish and maintain a cooperative environment in the classroom.

Whether you sit in a circle or dance, jump and clap, the following songs teach friendship and are worth their weight in giggles!

CHORUS #1 - (Tune: Alphabet song - or Turkey in the Straw)

I have lots of friends you know,
Let me count them, here I go!
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 - that's not all, I've got some more!
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 - I have lots and lots of friends!

CHORUS #2 - (Tune: She'll be Comin' Around the Mountain)
We have lots of friends at preschool, yes we do! (clap, clap)
We have lots of friends at preschool, yes we do! (clap, clap)
We have lots of friends at preschool , we have lots of friends at preschool,
We have lots of friends at preschool, yes we do! (clap, clap).

For other fun songs you can hear and adapt to your particular classroom, click here. Now, let's take a look at four fun-to-do activities that teach friendship:

Pass the basket, please -
Have children stand in a circle, which gives them a chance to see one another. A circle also represents unity. For this activity, you need a small basket or box in which to place identical trinkets like cute erasers, foam shapes, stickers, etc. Having identical objects means children don't need to pick through or choose, because everyone is going to get the same thing.

Start this activity by handing the basket to the first child next to you and saying, "Would you like a sticker, Emmy?" Once she takes a sticker, she passes the basket to the next student and asks them the same thing, using their name at the end of the question. The basket goes all around the circle this way, giving each child an opportunity to acknowledge his/her classmates in a pleasant setting.

Shake my hand -
This is also a circle activity, and standing up is easier than sitting down. Explain to students that when they meet someone new, they should introduce themselves by saying their name. You can also demonstrate how to properly shake hands before doing this activity.

Start by approaching the first student and extending your hand while saying, "Hi, my name is _____ ." That child then turns to the next and introduces him/herself. This continues around the circle until every child has a turn. Learning to shake hands and introduce oneself is a good social skill. You can also vary this activity with other hand-shake comments like, "Welcome to our classroom," and "I'm

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