Ingredients:
- Minimum of 6-8 kids to play
- Balls of yarn
Recipe for Fun!
Aside from encouraging active play, this play idea gives kids the chance to use their social and emotional skills with their friends in a larger group setting.
STEP 1: Have children stand in a circle and provide each child with a ball of yarn.
STEP 2: Choose the child that goes first. The first child starts by holding the loose end of their yarn and tossing the ball of yarn across the circle to someone they want to be friends with.
STEP 3: The recipient of the yarn holds on to a piece and then passes the rest of the ball of yarn on to someone else in the circle.
STEP 4: As the yarn gets passed around, it will create a “friendship web”, symbolizing the connections between children.
STEP 5: Once all the children have had the opportunity to hold onto the yarn, start a second round to create a more complex friendship web!
CREATIVE TIP: For successive rounds, use a different colored ball of yarn each time to create a more colorful web.
MODIFICATION: Depending upon the age of the children, you can add a self-esteem twist to the game. When each child tosses the ball of yarn to a different child - ask each child to compliment the child they are throwing the ball of yarn to.
- Compliment examples: “You’re good at sports,” “You draw really nice pictures,” “You’re a kind person,” “You make me laugh.”
This play activity was submitted by Happy Camper Live.