As parents, we aim to guide our children in learning about love, empathy, and friendship. On July 30, we celebrate the International Day of Friendship — a day dedicated to fostering friendships and understanding between people, cultures, and countries. In honor of this special day, let’s explore some fun and engaging ways to introduce your child to the concept of friendship and its role in creating a peaceful world.
What is International Day of Friendship?
On this day, we cherish and honor the friendships that transcend national boundaries and cultural differences. The United Nations established International Day of Friendship with a belief that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures, and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.
Teaching Friendship to Your Little Ones
It’s never too early to start teaching your children about the value of friendship. Friendship is a life skill, an emotion that needs nurturing from a young age. It plays a critical role in developing social skills, empathy, and emotional intelligence.
Understanding Friendship at Different Ages
The perception of friendship evolves as your child grows. While toddlers view friends as playmates, preschoolers start understanding the emotional aspects of friendship. Tailor your approach based on their developmental stage.
- Toddlers (1-2 years): At this age, children are learning to play alongside others. Encourage them to share and take turns with toys.
- Preschoolers (3-4 years): Preschoolers begin to form more complex friendships and start to understand others’ feelings. Help them express their feelings and understand their friends’ emotions.
But how does one teach the concept of friendship to a toddler or a preschooler?
Here are some ways you can instill this concept:
- Storytelling: Share children’s books that highlight friendship’s power. Books like “The Rainbow Fish” or “Winnie the Pooh” can spark conversations about sharing, empathy, and companionship. Books like “Frog and Toad Are Friends” and “The Sneetches and Other Stories” by Dr. Seuss are also great choices.
- Role-playing games: Encourage games that require cooperation, rather than competition. This can help children understand the importance of working together and respecting each other. Pretend-play can be an effective way to teach empathy and sharing. You can use their favorite toys to play out different scenarios.
- Using toys to teach about friendship: Use their favorite dolls or action figures to demonstrate acts of kindness, sharing, and understanding.
- Model Behavior: Children learn a lot from observing their parents. Show them what it means to be a good friend by maintaining healthy friendships yourself.
- Encourage Social Interaction: Arrange playdates or enroll them in activity groups where they can meet and interact with other kids their age.
Babywearing, Empathy, and Modeling Behavior
One of the many benefits of babywearing is that it helps promote the physical and emotional development of your babies. Babies learn by watching faces, and babywearing puts your little one at conversational height. That means they are seeing how you respond to the world around you, how you talk to people, how you engage with someone who is happy, sad, or angry.
Nurturing Empathy 
A key aspect of friendship is empathy – understanding and sharing the feelings of others. Here are some ways you can cultivate empathy:
Encourage them to talk about their feelings: When children can identify their feelings, they’re more likely to recognize those feelings in others.
Validate their emotions: Whether they’re feeling angry, sad, or excited, let them know their feelings are important. This will teach them to respect others’ feelings too.
Discuss other people’s perspectives: This can be done during play, while reading a story, or discussing a situation they encountered. Ask questions like, “How do you think it made them feel when…?”
Teaching friendship to your little ones is not a one-time lesson; it’s an ongoing process that will evolve with them. By fostering these skills and values early, we can help children form fulfilling friendships that will enrich their lives and prepare them for future social interactions.
Incorporating Cultural Awareness
International Day of Friendship is also about appreciating diverse cultures. Here’s how you can teach cultural awareness:
Explore world cuisine: Cooking together can be a fun and educational activity. Try simple recipes from different cultures and discuss their origins.
Virtual world tour: With online resources, show your child pictures, music, or dance from different parts of the world. Talk about the people, their way of life, and their traditions.
Language learning: Teach your child simple words like “Hello,” “Thank You,” and “Friend” in different languages.
One of our favorite books in our house is Lily Huckleberry. Each book explores different countries and cultures through the eyes of Lily Huckleberry and the Worldwide Adventure Society. My kids love this book and it’s great for both boys and girls as it fosters a sense of wonder and adventure. You learn words in other languages and fun facts about their cultures.
Another great way to incorporate cultural awareness is to sponsor children across the globe through organizations like World Vision, Compassion International or Save the Children. When you partner with these organizations your child and the child you sponsor can write letters back and forth to each other and learn about each other, your cultures, and develop a friendship that could span a lifetime.
International Day of Friendship Activities for Kids
Here are some fun activities for your child on International Day of Friendship:
- Friendship bracelets: This activity is a fun way for your child to create something for their friends while honing their fine motor skills.
- International Potluck: If you’re in a playgroup or have neighboring families with kids, organize a potluck where each family brings a dish from a different culture.
- Video calls with friends: Technology has made it easier to maintain friendships despite distance. Arrange video calls with your child’s friends and encourage them to wish each other a “Happy Friendship Day.”
- Draw a picture / write a letter to a friend!
By celebrating International Day of Friendship, we can teach our children about the values of friendship and cultural respect. Friendships are a universal phenomenon, one that has the power to transcend boundaries and create peace. As we encourage our little ones to reach out in friendship, we take a small but significant step towards a more harmonious world.
