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From playmates to friends for life

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Published March 1, 2024

A little smile can be the start of a beautiful friendship. Friendship is something beautiful and valuable and that should be celebrated. That's why Kibeo celebrated 'Boyfriends Week'. During Friendship Week, your child was in for a week full of great activities with the theme of 'friendship'. In addition to having a lot of fun, your child also develops social-emotional skills. And who knows, your child may have made lifelong friends during Friendship Week! 

Activities are aimed at making friends

During the friends week, your child was offered activities that were appropriate for his or her age. From peek-a-boo to painting together and playing hide and seek. All activities are aimed at making friends. Peekaboo is a very familiar game to most people and teaches the very youngest to have fun with each other. In addition, research has shown that the game can contribute to developing a sense of humor at a young age. Something that is often used later in life to make friendships. Children also have fun together while painting together, but also learn to work together. A skill that also comes back when playing hide and seek. During this game it is important that you help each other so that you are not found.

During the activities, the children are chatting with each other, which also helps them develop their language as a bonus!

Friendships help children develop social skills

Friendships play a big role in children's lives. They help your child learn social skills and develop their own identity. In addition, a friendship provides emotional and cognitive support and is good practice for later relationships.

Your child naturally has a need for contact with other children. Babies look and laugh at each other and discover that their smile is often answered by a laugh from the other. When your child is a little older, they will start repeating each other's sounds and imitating facial expressions. As children get older, this continues. Your child is looking for connections with other children who enjoy the same things. If your child likes football, he or she is more likely to have a friend who also likes football than a friend with another hobby. At the age when your child starts school, your child also starts to show more compassion towards friends. Like comforting and cheering each other up.

In this way, your child lays the foundation for future relationships and practices making friends. A great skill that your child will enjoy for the rest of his or her life. And sometimes a playmate you know from childcare will still be your best friend 30 years from now.

Would you like to know more about friendships and your child's social development? Also read our blog about this.