A Guide to Crafts: Making friends, making crafts: fashion friendships and classroom fun with these interactive craft ideas

Friendship Mice

After sharing Do You Want to Be My Friend? by Eric Carle (HarperCollins, 1976), help children to break the ice with these cute friend-maker critters.

For this project, you'll need felt, wiggle eyes, yarn, pom-poms, pipe-cleaners, scissors, glue, a single hole punch, tagboard, and the mouse Reproducible on page 12. Distribute the mouse pattern, then guide students through these steps:

1. Trace the pattern parts onto tagboard and cut out.

2. Using the tagboard mouse patterns, trace and cut out felt pieces.

3. Glue both halves of the mouse shape together as shown, leaving the curved edge open to create a pocket. Insert a few yam whiskers between the pointed end of the cutouts as you glue.

4. Cut felt ears and glue to each side of the mouse. Add wiggle eyes and a pom-pom nose.

5. Punch a hole in the wide end of the mouse and string the pipe-cleaner tail through.

6. Wrap the loose end of the tail around a special note for your friend-to-be. Then, tuck a treat such as stickers, a small toy, or a sweet snack into the center of the mouse. Invite your friend to read the note and remove the secret surprise hidden inside.

Turtle Tales

Franklin and Moose become fast friends in Franklin's New Friend by Paulette Burgeois (Kids Can Press, 1997). After sharing the story, invite students to make turtle mailboxes for storing friendly classroom notes.

For this project, you'll need Styrofoam bowls, scissors, crayons, glue, and the turtle Reproducible on page 13. Distribute the patterns, then guide students through these steps:

(1) Color and cut out the turtle, then cut slits as shown.

(2) Turn the bowl upside down. Color it to resemble a turtle shell.

(3) Cut out a semi-circle on one edge of the lip of the bowl to create an opening. Glue the bowl to the colored turtle pattern, lining up the opening in the bowl at the head and neck.

(4) Write and illustrate stories about your classmates' acts of friendship. Fold and insert each note into the appropriate classmate's turtle. Your classmates will put stories about your kind acts into your turtle. Hang your turtles on a bulletin board, or keep in place on your desk. Don't forget to share your "turtle tales" with family members!

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered

In Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel (HarperCollins, 1970), Frog writes a letter to Toad. After sharing the book, have children hand-craft their own stationery and stamps to use for letters to their friends.

For this project, you'll need 9" construction-paper squares; 6" white paper squares; sticky dots; rubber stamps and stickers; 1" squares of adhesive label paper; and markers. Distribute materials, then guide students through these steps:

(1) Write a short letter to a friend on the 6" paper square, sign your name, and decorate however you wish.

(2) Next, fold the corners of the 9" paper square so they meet at the center. Place the letter in the center of the folds as shown. Seal the corners together with the sticky dot and write your initials on the seal.

(3) Stick the 1" adhesive square to the top right corner of the front of the envelope. Draw a postage-stamp design on the square and address the envelope.

--Adapted from an idea by Christy Hale, Palo Alto, California

Recess Crowns

After reading The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill (Scholastic Press, 2002), invite kids to make and wear these regal recess crowns as they enjoy rompity-romping with friends.

For this project, you'll need construction paper, scissors, markers, tagboard, craft items" (such as wiggle eyes, yam, and glitter), glue, and the recess crown Reproducible on page 12. Distribute the pattern for the mini "friend," then guide students through these steps:

1. Trace the pattern onto tagboard and cut it out.

2. Cut the construction paper in half lengthwise. Fold each paper strip in half twice.

3. Place the tagboard friend on each folded paper strip, lining the arms up with the folded edges. Trace and cut out the pattern through all layers, keeping folds intact.

4. Unfold the resulting chain of friends and glue onto a long paper strip. Then use markers and craft items to decorate one friend to represent yourself. Invite your friends to decorate the rest of the friends on the chain.

5. Glue the chains together to create a festive friendship crown. Wear the crown during recess.

--Adapted from an idea by Amy Talbot, Medina Valley Elementary School, Castroville, Texas

Peas in a Pod

Chester and Wilson are like two peas in a pod in Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow Books, 1988). After sharing the book, use this project to help children see how much they may have in common with their classmates!

For this project, you'll need 9" paper plates, scissors, green paint, 1" paper or wood circles, glue, markers, and craft items. Distribute materials, then guide students through these steps:

1. Paint the back of the plate green. Let dry.

2. Fold the plate in half. Cutting through both layers, cut a "pod" from the rim.

3. Glue the pods together along the outside edges and ends, leaving the inside edges open to form a pocket.

4. Use craft items to decorate circles to represent yourself.

During group time, invite students to take turns naming a favorite activity or topic of interest, then have them drop their circles into their pods and the pods of classmates who enjoy the same activity or interest.

Name-Tag Friends

In The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi (Knopf, 2001), Unhei's classmates suggest new names before she decides to embrace her own. After sharing the book, let students learn all about one another's unique qualities with these name tags.

For this project, you'll need ID-card sized pieces of tagboard, rubber stamps and stickers, craft materials, and markers. Distribute materials, then guide students through these steps:

1. Write your name on the front of the card.

2. Use stamps, stickers, and craft materials to decorate around your name however you wish.

3. On the back of the card, write down three facts that you think your class might not know about you.

4. Collect the cards into a "name jar," then take turns reading the facts aloud. Can your classmates guess who is who? Later, use the cards for grouping and turns.

Read-Aloud Links

Do You Want to Be My Friend? (Use with Friendship Mice)

Franklin's New Friend (Use with Turtle Tales)

The Recess Queen (Use with Recess Crowns)

The Name Jar (Use with Name-Tag Friends)

Frog and Toad Are Friends (Use with Signed, Sealed, and Delivered)

Chester's Way (Use with Peas in a Pod)