Did you know that there is another special holiday during the month of February? It’s not Presidents’ Day or Valentine’s Day…but it’s just as important! February 11th is National Make a Friend Day, and it’s the perfect time to grab some new social-emotional learning materials and get your students together for some friendship-building exercises.

National Make a Friend Day is an important opportunity to promote and encourage the development of positive social connections among students. This day serves as a reminder of the importance of forming meaningful relationships, which can significantly impact a child’s well-being and overall academic success. Creating a friendly and inclusive classroom environment is essential for students to feel valued, respected, and supported. Here are ten ways to boost social skills and encourage friendship in the classroom:

• Model positive social behavior by displaying kindness, respect, and empathy towards others.
• Encourage students to share their interests and experiences with their classmates and encourage them to find their similarities.
• Provide opportunities for students to work together on group projects and activities.
• Foster a positive and inclusive classroom culture by celebrating the students’ diversity and unique backgrounds and experiences.
• Teach social skills and conflict resolution strategies to help students understand and resolve conflicts.
• Use team-building activities to help students form bonds and create a positive learning environment.
• Encourage students to reach out to someone new and invite them to participate in a class activity.

This fun resource download consists of a pair of Friendship Day coloring pages for your students to color and share. We’ve included one version that reads “Happy Friendship Day” and another version with students answering the question “Everyone Belongs”

Easily Prepare This Resource for Your Students

⬇️ Use the Download button to download your copy of the black and white PDF file.

🖍️ Make copies of the crown template for your students and let them go wild with crayons, markers, or if you are brave enough, glitter!