Relationship Skills Teaching Resources
Help students build their relationship skills this school year with activities, games and more resources designed to support the CASEL framework and your lesson plans.
This collection of elementary and middle school teaching resources was created by the expert teachers of Teach Starter for teachers like you to help students build the skills they need to manage relationships with classmates and school staff, as well as those important friendships, family bonds and more out in the real world.
Set your students up for success with team-building activities that promote collaboration and provide opportunities for your students to work together, communicate effectively and solve problems as a team. Explore friendship activities that explore how to be a good friend. Browse printable games that teach students how to resolve conflicts with friends and teammates and a whole lot more.
Are you new to teaching relationship skills, or maybe you're just looking for fresh ideas to help your students manage relationships in your classroom and their lives? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!
What Are Relationship Skills?
We're going to start simple here, but bear with us! When it comes to teaching anything, it helps to step back and look at what's at the heart of the topic.
Relationship skills are the abilities and behaviors that enable our students (and ourselves!) to interact effectively with others, build and maintain positive relationships and navigate social situations successfully.
Simple enough, right? Like much of the SEL curriculum, there are a variety of "skills" that are intertwined here, but these are the core concepts our teacher team considers part of relationship skills:
- Communication
- Friendship
- Empathy
- Cooperation
- Conflict resolution
- Problem-solving
Of course, these will tie back to other topics within SEL. For example, it takes social awareness to show empathy, and it takes decision-making skills to resolve conflict.
- Plus Plan
Friendship Fun! Board Game
Disucss characteristics of healthy friendships as well as how to repair relationships with a fun and engaging board game.
- Free Plan
What is Cooperation?- Tessellation Art Project
Engage your students in practicing the art of cooperation by having them create a collaborative tessellation project.
- Plus Plan
What is Cooperation? Anchor Charts
Teach your students what cooperation looks, feels, and sounds like with a set of printable posters.
- Plus Plan
Cooperation Station — SEL and Character Education Craft
Make your classroom a better “space” with cooperative learning and a fun Cooperation Station craft!
- Plus Plan
Ways to Show Cooperation Poster and Worksheet
Learn ways to show cooperation with a printable poster and accompanying worksheet pack.
- Plus Plan
G.R.O.U.P.S - Group Work Expectations Poster
Encourage cooperative behavior during group work activities with a printable group work mnemonic poster.
- Plus Plan
Five Finger Forgiveness – Poster and Writing Activity
Teach your students how to forgive others in order to keep and maintain relationships with this poster and writing prompt.
- Plus Plan
Cooperation Word Splash and Acrostic Poem
Discuss cooperation with your students and write an acrostic poem with a printable word splash worksheet and poem template.
- Plus Plan
What is Cooperation? - Social Emotional Writing Prompts
Teach your students about cooperative and non-cooperative behaviors with a set of ten writing prompts.
- Plus Plan
Cooperation Certificate - Good Character Award
Celebrate your students’ cooperative behavior by awarding them with a personalized Cooperation Award.
- Plus Plan
Cooperation Word Search
Review vocabulary and boost your students’ cooperative interaction skills with a word search worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Making Mistakes – Sorting Activity
Help your students recognize different types of mistakes and discuss ways to learn from them with this SEL activity.
- Plus Plan
Forgiving Friends – Character Education Activities
Use these character education activities to encourage students to maintain and repair friendships by forgiving others.
- Plus Plan
My Forgiveness Journal – SEL Worksheets
Teach students about the importance of forgiving others with this printable forgiveness journal.
- Plus Plan
Grow a Friendship Garden – Friendship Activities
Encourage students to make a friendship garden grow with this activity bundle that includes friendship worksheets, writing templates, craft templates, and scenario cards.
- Plus Plan
Friendship Writing Prompts
Encourage positive relationships by using our friendship writing prompts in your classroom.
- Plus Plan
How to Be a Good Friend – Mini-Book
Encourage students to build relationships by learning how to be a good friend with this printable mini-book.
- Plus Plan
Find a Friend Who…Worksheet
Encourage students to engage with different classmates and learn about others with this whole-class activity.
- Plus Plan
Saying Sorry Mini-Book
Learn how to develop strategies and skills for saying sorry to others with this printable mini-book.
- Plus Plan
Asking My Friends to Play Mini-Book
Learn about appropriate social skills when asking friends to play with this printable mini-book.
- Plus Plan
Sharing with My Friends – Mini-Book
Develop skills and strategies for sharing with others with this printable mini-book.
- Plus Plan
Being a Good Listener – Mini-Book
Develop and reinforce appropriate listening skills with this printable social skills mini-book.
- Plus Plan
Being a Good Friend – Mini-Book
Learn how to be a good friend and maintain relationships with this printable social skills book.
- Plus Plan
Friendship Flower Template
Reflect on how a good friend acts with this charming friendship writing exercise.
- Plus Plan
How to Be a Good Friend - Poster
Display this colorful poster in your classroom when teaching your students how to be a friend.
- Plus Plan
Friendship Coloring Pages
Bring your students together for Friendship Day with a fun pair of friendship coloring pages.
- Plus Plan
Happy Friendship Day! - Printable Paper Hat Templates
Bring your students together and say Happy Friendship Day with a fun crown template!
- Plus Plan
Playdough Tasks - Teambuilding Activities for Kids
Use this set of Playdough challenge cards to foster team building in your classroom.
- Plus Plan
Conflict Resolution Template
Manage classroom and playground conflicts positively and proactively with this conflict resolution template.
- Plus Plan
Waiting for My Turn To Talk Mini-Book
Help students develop efficient strategies when waiting for their turn to talk with this social story mini-book.
- Plus Plan
I Can't Always Win Mini-Book
Teach your students to cope when they are not the winner with this social story mini-book.
- Plus Plan
"Recipe for Friendship" Activity
Describe how to build a beautiful friendship with this worksheet.