Buddy Bench Activity #1:
Tell a friend how to use the Buddy Bench.
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Ages: 7 - 9
Buddy Bench Activity #2:
Create your own Buddy Bench. Use as many colours as you would like.
Ages: 7 - 9
Buddy Bench Activity #3:
For teachers: when you see a student properly using the Buddy Bench
and/or you see a student approaching another student sitting on the
Buddy Bench, please give them a Buddy Bench card to positively
reinforce the behaviour of using the Buddy Bench. After a student
collects 5 Buddy Bench cards, reward them with a sticker or other age
appropriate reward that you are using in your school system.
Ages: 7 - 9
Buddy Bench Activity #4:
Please place in order the following five sentences by numbering from 1
to 5 on how to use the buddy bench.
Be a buddy bench watcher. Look around to see if someone is sitting
alone on the buddy bench.
If you can’t find anyone to play with, have a seat on the buddy bench.
When you go out at recess look for a friend to play with.
The buddy bench is a place where everyone is included.
If someone is sitting alone on the buddy bench, smile, introduce
yourself, and ask them if they want to come and play or walk and talk.
Ages: 7 - 9
For teachers, correct order is as follows:
1. When you go out at recess look for a friend to play with.
2. If you can’t find anyone to play with, have a seat on the buddy
bench.
3. Be a buddy bench watcher. Look around to see if someone is
sitting alone on the buddy bench.
4. If someone is sitting alone on the buddy bench, smile, introduce
yourself, and ask them if they want to come and play or walk and
talk.
5. The buddy bench is a place where everyone is included.
Ages: 7 - 9
Buddy Bench Activity #5:
For teachers, do a role-play with students on how to use the Buddy Bench.
Intended effects are to decrease feelings of loneliness and isolation and increase
feelings of friendship, critical thinking skills, and prosocial behaviors such as
inclusion, empathy, sharing, and compassion. Have students act out different
ways to use the Buddy Bench.
1. Have a child sit on the Buddy Bench.
2. Have second child approach child on Buddy Bench and practice different
things they could say to the child on the Buddy Bench. Ex. Asking if the
child wants to come and play or walk and talk.
3. Have children learn to agree to do something together and leave the Buddy
Bench to engage in that activity.
Ages: 7 - 9
Buddy Bench Activity #6:
For teachers: have announcements made on the PA system on Mondays
reminding students about the buddy bench. You can be as creative as you would
like. Ex. Have students remind others about the buddy bench. If you feel lonely at
recess, you can have a seat on the buddy bench and look for someone and/or
group you would like to play with. Remember, if you see someone sitting alone on
the buddy bench, be a buddy and invite them to play with you or to walk and talk.
Ages: 7 - 9
Buddy Bench Activity #7
Think of 3 things you could say to someone sitting alone on the Buddy Bench.
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Ages: 7 - 9
Buddy Bench Activity #8
For teachers: an empathy activity (definition: to place oneself in another’s shoes).
Draw what loneliness looks like to you on one side of the page and on the other
side of the page, draw what it looks like to feel included.
Ages: 7 - 9
Buddy Bench Activity #9
Awareness Activity: How do you feel when you invite someone to join you from
the Buddy Bench? If you have not approached someone sitting on the Buddy
Bench yet, try to imagine how you would feel if you invited someone from the
Buddy Bench to hang out with you.
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Ages: 7 - 9
Buddy Bench Activity # 10
Create your own comic strip showing students how to use the Buddy Bench. Be as
creative as you want and use as many colours as you would like. Share and
explain your comic strip to others.
Ages: 7 - 9