Celebrating Friendship and Kindness!

The first Sunday in August marks National Friendship Day. On the 7^th, we celebrate our bond with those who are closest to us and show appreciation for our closest friends. PBS Kids’ Daniel Tiger teaches children to show empathy, feeling, and grow friendships. Daniel Tiger shows us how to be a good friend!

Two young girls hugging each other and smiling in a hammock — -

FOR KIDS: BEING A GOOD FRIEND

Daniel Tiger teaches us all about how children express feelings and ideas, listen to each other, and work together to support each other. Sing along with him to the Friends Help Each Other Song! Watch this clip to learn about how friends can be different and the same!

FOR PARENTS: TEACHING CHILDREN EMPATHY

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Children can learn to show empathy through understanding how to be caring, being a “helper” and an “includer”. Try playing kindness bingo or practice showing empathy through acting.

FOR EDUCATORS: FRIENDSHIP IN THE CLASSROOM

True friends come in all shapes and sizes! Explicitly teaching stories about friendship can be a great way for students to learn about healthy relationships. This story of the lion and the mouse teaches students to re-tell stories and story components, as well as an important lesson about friendship.

PBS Learning Media’s collection on Personal, Mental, and Emotional Health and Daniel Tiger’s Life’s Little Lessons collection offer additional lessons on friendship and healthy relationships.