This month the Social Skills Training Program focuses on summer fun with friends.
Friends can bring happiness and mental well being into our lives. Good friends relieve stress, provide comfort and joy, and prevent loneliness and isolation. Developing close friendships can also have a powerful impact on our physical health. Although the school year has come to an end, it’s important to maintain friendships during summer vacation. The goal is to stay connected to old friends and put ourselves out there to meet new people.
Targeted Skills: Friendships, initiation, reciprocation, conversation and perspective taking.
Here are a few of the Friendship Activities we will be conducting with our clients this month:
The Good Friend List
This is a simple, straightforward activity in which children are asked to list what qualities make a good friend. For example, someone who shares toys, someone who does not yell, etc.
People “Pictionary”
People “Pictionary” works best with a group of teens who are friends or acquaintances. Create two groups. Try to keep best friends on opposite teams to create more excitement during the game. Give everyone a 3-by-5-inch index card and ask them to write down three fun facts about themselves. These facts can include such things as a favorite food, activity or vacation spot, or most prized possession. One at a time, a team member selects a card then draws a picture to represent each fun fact. Their team tries to guess who it is. Set a time limit for guessing, such as one minute. Repeat the process until all cards have been drawn. The team with the most correct answers wins.
In Common
This game is a great activity for breaking down barriers. Kids are put in small groups, ideally with a mix of kids they aren’t already friends with. That group then has to find seven (or whatever number is chosen) things that they all have in common. Kids not only learn a lot about each other, but also find out that they have more in common with kids from different social groups than they thought.
These are just a sample of the many activities we will be conducting with our clients this month. We also love to highlight various “national” and “international” days of the month with activities. Below are a few examples of days you may not have heard of before.
Cheer Up the Lonely Day – July 11th
Let’s spread social cheer! Whether it’s a close friend, family member, old neighbor, new classmate, parent, child, or anybody else in your life, organize a get-together today to help get the word out and spread the spirit of friendliness!
Activities: Bring people together, drop off a gift, etc.
World Emoji Day – July 17th
World Emoji Day is a holiday that validates our obsession over these ubiquitous graphic icons. While sometimes they may seem silly, according to various psychologists and researchers, they may play a vital role in the way we communicate today.
Activities: Have an emoji only conversation, create your own emoji
National Aunt and Uncle Day – July 26th
Our aunts and uncles are unique parts of our family; they can be like a second set of parents, or great friends you happen to be related to. Often, they’ve watched us grow up, and are full of stories about things we did. Call up your aunts and uncles and ask them to come out and celebrate their special place in your life.
Activities: Spend quality time with your aunts and uncles, go through a family photo album together
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Our Floortime Program will focus on themes surrounding the Fourth of July and Summer Break. The staff will teach the clients the meaning of the Fourth of July through various activities such as arts and crafts and facilitating conversations. Through these activities, clients will work on strengthening their ability to reciprocate interactions.
