Making & Keeping Friends
Activate your Friendship Superpower.
Complete teacher lesson plans ready to use today.
The Challenge & The Superpower Solution
Many students struggle to initiate, maintain, or repair friendships. We treat this as an opportunity to activate the kindness superpower already inside every student using the simple Kindness Cycle (Kind Act + Thumbs Up + Smile).
Notice
See someone who might need a friend or a connection boost.
Kind Act
Choose a welcoming action — invite, include, listen, or help.
Thumbs Up + Smile
Acknowledge the moment and let the positive feeling ripple.
Full Teacher Lesson Plans – Ready to Use
Open any age band below for the complete turn-key lesson (15–25 minutes). These plans are fully usable right now. Clean printable PDFs are coming soon.
JK – Grade 1 (Ages 4–7)
Learning Objectives
- Recognize that kindness helps us make friends
- Practice noticing someone who might need a friend
- Use a smile + thumbs-up as a friendly action
1. Hook / Opening (3 min)
Gather in a circle. Show Kindness Monkey or HeroKindness image.
Teacher: “Today we use our kindness superpower to make friends! Who has ever felt a little lonely or wanted someone to play with?” (show of hands).
“Kindness is like a superpower that helps us make and keep friends.”
2. Teach the Kindness Cycle for Friendship (3–4 min)
Draw or show a big simple cycle:
Notice someone alone → Kind Act (smile and say “Want to play?”) → Thumbs Up + Smile.
Practice the gestures together as a class with big movements.
3. Main Activity (8–10 min)
Role-play with characters. Teacher models: “I notice someone sitting alone… I walk over, smile, and say ‘Want to play with me?’ Then we both give a big thumbs-up!”
Students practice in pairs or small groups with movement.
Then students draw their “Friendship Super Move” on paper (one kind way to make a friend).
4. Challenge & Closing (2–3 min)
Class challenge: “This week, notice one person who might need a friend and give them a smile and thumbs-up.” Everyone stands and does a big group thumbs-up together. Optional: Sing one verse of the Kindness Song.
Grades 2 – 4 (Ages 7–10)
Learning Objectives
- Identify kindness as the way we make and keep friends
- Apply the Kindness Cycle to everyday situations
- Commit to one concrete friendship action today
1. Hook / Opening (3 min)
Teacher: “Remember our kindness superpower from Lesson 1? Today we use it to make and keep friends. Who has ever felt left out or wanted to make a new friend?” (normalize with show of hands).
2. Teach the Kindness Cycle (3–4 min)
Review or draw the cycle focused on friendship:
Notice → Kind Act (invite, include, help, listen, smile first) → Thumbs Up + Smile.
Call it “Thumbs Up for Friendship.”
3. Main Activity (8–12 min)
Teacher reads short scenarios (e.g., “A new student is standing by the wall at recess” or “Someone is sitting alone at lunch”). Students practice the full Cycle out loud with a partner. Then each student writes or draws one friendship action they will try today on a sticky note or paper.
4. Challenge & Closing (2–3 min)
Class challenge: “This week, catch at least one chance to use your Friendship Superpower.” Optional simple class tracker. Group thumbs-up together. Take-home: “Teach someone at home the Thumbs Up for Friendship.”
Grades 5 – 8 (Ages 10–14)
Learning Objectives
- Apply the Kindness Cycle to real middle-school friendship situations
- Practice initiating and repairing connections
- Create a personal Friendship Superpower plan
1. Hook / Opening (3 min)
Teacher: “Most people feel left out or unsure how to start or fix a friendship at some point. Today we learn how kindness turns those moments into real connection.”
2. Teach / Review the Cycle (3 min)
Quick review of Kind Act + Thumbs Up + Smile focused on friendship and belonging. Introduce “What would HeroKindness do?” as a helpful question.
3. Main Activity (10–12 min)
Silent reflection → pair or small-group share. Students identify a recent friendship moment (or a time they wished for a stronger connection), apply the full Kindness Cycle, and discuss practical next steps. Each student writes a short personal Friendship Superpower plan (one action they can take this week).
4. Challenge & Closing (3 min)
Class challenge: “This week, notice one person and use the Cycle. Track it if your class uses K-Sparks.” Group thumbs-up. Optional link back to the class or school kindness pledge.
High School (Grades 9–12)
Learning Objectives
- Examine real peer dynamics (in-person and digital)
- Apply the Kindness Cycle to initiate, maintain, or repair friendships
- Create a personal Friendship Superpower script usable under pressure
1. Hook / Opening (3 min)
Teacher: “Friendship skills matter more than ever — both face-to-face and online. Kindness remains one of the most powerful tools for real connection.”
2. Teach / Frame the Cycle (3–4 min)
Apply the Kindness Cycle (Kind Act + Thumbs Up + Smile) to initiating genuine connection, maintaining friendships, and repairing after conflict or exclusion (including digital situations).
3. Main Activity (10–12 min)
Personal reflection or small-group discussion. Students examine a real peer dynamic, apply the Cycle, and write a personal “Friendship Superpower script” they can use in social or digital situations. Optional leadership extension: How can we support others who feel left out?
4. Challenge & Closing (3 min)
Commit to one real action this week. Optional: Peer-mentoring or class leadership idea. Close with a collective thumbs-up.
Clean Printable PDF Versions Coming Soon
Designed 1–2 page teacher PDFs for every age band are in final production. Each will include the full script, Kindness Cycle visual, sample scenarios, a simple tracker, and take-home challenge.
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