Parties and friendship

Friends and Robots

Main idea

Friendship, can you be friends with animals/objects?

Resources

Puppets or pictures of 2 boys, 2 girls a robot and an animal. I sometimes draw them on whitboards

Starter

Place a picture of a boy (let’s call him Oliver) in the centre. Oliver is having a birthday party and he has sent invitations out to all of his friends. The party day has arrived and Oliver is waiting, surrounded by balloons, for his friends to arrive. The is a ring at the door bell ding dong! You got to open the door.

• Do you think it is going to be one of Jacks friends?

Main activity

You open the door and standing on the doorstep is a girl. Show the children your picture or drawing of the girl.

Task Questions

• Is he/she Jacks friend?
• Can girls and boys be friends?
• What makes someone your friend?

Once they have discussed whether the girl is a friend or not you can get other characters to knock on the door and ask the same questions as above. Try, a dog, a spider, a robot, a plant.

Nested questions

• If they played together would they be friends?
• Are they friends if they don’t play together?
• Do you need to talk to be friends?
• If you come to someone’s party, does that mean you are their friend?
• Are the robot and dog be friends?

Extension activity

Once children have identified things that they consider impotant to the issue of friendship (speaking, playing, liking eachother, being human) you can ask them to show you if they are friends. For example if they say you need to talk to be friends ask:

• Can anyone show me being friends without talking?
• Can you be friends with a plant? Show me.

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