Kind and Friendly

Curriculum Area

Learning Area: Health and Physical Education – Hauora
Strand: Mental health
Level: Te Whāriki (Early Childhood Curriculum) – Wellbeing | Mana Atua and Contribution | Mana Tangata

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WALT

WALT: We are learning to use kind words and actions to make friends.

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Success Criteria

By the end of the lesson, ākonga (learners) will be able to:
✔ Say simple, friendly phrases like “Can I play with you?”
✔ Show kind body language—smile, wave or nod
✔ Identify one way to be a good friend (e.g. helping, sharing, listening)

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Lesson Duration

10 minutes total – short and intentional micro-lesson suitable for 3–4-year-olds
Number of learners: 10 preschool students

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Materials Needed

• Emotion face cards (happy, sad, shy, friendly) – printed clearly on coloured card
• A soft pūrerehua (butterfly) puppet mascot – named Kiri the Kind Kūmara
• Floor space for a friendship circle
• Simple sentence strips in large, dyslexia-friendly font (Comic Sans or OpenDyslexic) e.g.
  • “Hi, can I play with you?”
  • “Can I sit here?”
  • “Do you want to play?”
• Sticky stars or heart stickers for positive participation

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Lesson Outline

1. Whakawhanaungatanga / Connection activity – 2 minutes

Activity: Greet each child personally by name with a gentle wave or elbow bump.
Gather ākonga into a circle on the mat with calming music playing softly.
Introduce Kiri the Kind Kūmara puppet.
Say:

"Kiri loves making new friends! Today Kiri is wondering: how do we make a friend? What do we say? What do we do?"

Differentiation Tip: Use visuals of ‘small group time’ so tamariki with diverse needs know what to expect. Encourage those with communication challenges to wave or smile as an equivalent communication cue.

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2. Discussion and Modelling – 3 minutes

Present one emotion face card at a time and ask:

"What face is this?" 😃😟😐 (Pause for ideas.)
"Do we feel like playing when we are sad or shy? What might help us feel better?"

Model a simple conversation using large sentence strip cards with Kiri and a child:

🧸 Kiri: “Hi, I’m Kiri. What’s your name?”
👦 Child: “Hi. I’m Tāne.”
🧸 Kiri: “Do you want to play with the blocks?”

Ask:

“What did Kiri say to be friendly?”
“Did Kiri act kind?”

Differentiation Tip: Use repeated and predictable language. Use Makaton signs or NZSL if available for “friend”, “play”, “yes”, “no”.

Extensions: Advanced learners invite their buddy to role play with puppets or improvise new kind phrases.

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3. Friendship Game – 4 minutes

Activity: Choose a card from the sentence strips. Walk around the circle and say it to a classmate. Sit down next to that person.
Repeat until everyone has had a turn.

Encourage variation and interaction:

“Can I build with you?”
“Do you want to draw?”

Celebrate with stickers when tamariki use kind words or help someone else.

Support: A kaiako or support aide helps any reluctant speakers by whispering phrases or modelling beside them.

Dyslexia-Friendly Strategy: All phrases on coloured cards with visual cues—speech bubble icon for something to say, smiley face for kind action.

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4. Reflection Circle – 1 minute

End with praise and positive affirmations:

“I saw Kaia smile at her friend!”
“Luka asked to play and shared so nicely.”

Ask:

“What is one way you can be a good friend today?”

Repeat the WALT with everyone:

“We are learning to use kind words and actions to make friends!”

Extension Idea (for later session): Create a 'Friendship Wall' with drawings or photos of tamariki showing friendly actions.

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Differentiation for Diverse Learners

Diverse Learning Need	Support Strategy
Language delay	Use gestures, visuals, puppets, and simplified language
Dyslexia	Use dyslexia-friendly fonts and large print visuals
Neurodiverse tamariki	Visual schedule, buddy systems, low-sensory environment
Gifted learners	Role-play multiple scenarios, create new role-play lines and friend ideas

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Teacher Reflection (Post-Lesson Prompt)

• Which tamariki showed growth in confidence when using kind words?
• How can I build on this learning tomorrow in free play spaces?

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Ka pai tō mahi! Let the magic of social skills flourish through play, words, and intentional kindness.