“If friends were like flowers, I’d pick you.”
The Friendship Seed
My 3.5 year old son took to the concept of “planting a friendship seed” immediately. He has referenced it in conversation again and again. Even when I mentioned that I missed my grandmother who passed away years ago, he said, we can plant a Nana seed, mom, and grow you a new Nana. I made sure he understood that we truly cannot grow people from placing seeds in the ground yet I was pleased that he understood the deeper concept.What is Friendship
The Friendship Seed is part of the Young Masters Little Wisdom Series. The whole series is great in teaching kids the skills they need to succeed in life but this particular book caught my eye. Butaan and Phylos are friends who discuss and discover how to plant a seed and how to make it grow. Phylos wonders if a flower can grow from a tiny seed than why not grow a friend? But where would you plant it? How would you care for it? The book comes with an audio version with lovely accompanying music. My whole family was immediately drawn to the story:“Where do you plant a friendship seed?” asked Phylos, “In someone’s heart,” said Bhutan touching his hand to his chest. “What would you do after that?” asked Phylos. “You do something to make sure your friendship had everything it needed,” said Bhutan, “you do something special.”
Book Inspired Activities
Here are a few ideas from the author of The Friendship Seed to bring these ideas into your home and classroom:
- Gather several flowers and talk to the children about what it takes to care for a flower. Then ask the children to notice what is similar and what is different about the flowers. Point out how humans are like flowers in that we are not all alike. We comes in different shapes, sizes and colors.
- Create your own “Friendship Tree” where each student or family member writes down on a slip (or a few slips of paper) “I Am” statements such as “I am funny.” or “I am kind.” These statements are powerful in a child’s growing sense of self. Then have each person attach these statement to a potted plant or a tree in a nearby yard.
- Use a template of a flower (or drawn one yourself) and ask the children for attributes of a good friendship, what makes a friendship grow? Either have the child or you write that quality on a petal of the Friendship Flower. Display.
- Write a poem about friendship. Depending on the children, have them tell you words to describe friendship or have them write it, draw it or color it on their own.
More Kids Activities
Have you and your child read The Friendship Seed
? Did it help you child understand the answer to “what is friendship?” For more kids activities about friendship, please take a look at these ideas:
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