Friendship Island

game Description

Social skills needed for positive peer relations are some of the most important skills to be learned during elementary school years.

This educational game is specifically designed to teach these skills to students. The game focuses on the three vital areas of friendship:

• making friends
• being a good friend.
• resolving disagreements in a win-win way.

The play of the game has been designed so that the players cooperate and help each other as well as answer questions about friendship to win points for themselves. The game also helps shy and socially delayed students explore friendship issues that they would be hesitant to verbalize without the special supportive environment of the game.

There is one game for grades 1 and 2, and another for grades 3 and 4. The game for older students involves more strategy, harder questions, more advanced vocabulary, and more opportunities for negotiation.

The principles of friendship emphasized in both versions of the game include:

• sharing
• being a good listener
• taking into account the needs of a friend
• the importance of talking out problems, etc.

will continue to be valid into adulthood.

A “Teachers Guide” with complete lesson plans for both versions of the game is included. Students are challenged to use critical thinking in answering questions and in forming their strategies for playing the game. During the post-game discussion students link their experience in the game with real life.