Friendship Problem-Solving Collection

Our Friendship Problem-Solving unit contains a series of videos about Casey and his friends and their experiences problem-solving with each other and other peers, along with complementary printables and activities.

What videos are included? 

Casey Juggles Friends

Chapter 6 of our full 30-Chapter series
Casey accidentally makes promises to two friends: a new friend he made at Isaac’s birthday party, and his best friend Bridget. When he can only fulfill one of them, the other friend feels hurt. Casey has to problem-solve his way through this predicament!
  • Building awareness of our friendship goals
  • Imagining what kind of friend we want to be
  • Understanding the qualities of being a friend

Timmy the Tiger and Other Broken Toys

Chapter 7 of our full 30-Chapter series
Isaac comes over for a playdate. Casey’s excitement soon turns into frustration when Isaac’s  energy gets out of control and leads to Casey’s room and toys becoming a mess.
  • Choosing the right energy for the situation
  • Adjusting expectations
  • Problem-solving through arguments with friends

The Unfriending

Chapter 11 of our full 30-Chapter series
During their imaginary game at recess, Casey makes a joke while Bridget is trying to direct the story. Bridget gets upset thinking Casey isn’t taking the game seriously. To Casey’s surprise, Bridget “unfriends’ Casey during the next recess.
  • Navigating friendship conflicts or arguments
  • Understanding pros and cons of trying at friendship
  • Developing determination: the energy behind achieving goals 

The Box of Tissue

Chapter 12 of our full 30-Chapter series
Casey talks to his dad about what he can do to fix his friendship with Bridget. They talk about what makes a healthy friendship and how compliments can make your friends feel important and heard. Casey puts his new skills to the test at school when his teacher Mrs. Morrison facilitates a conversation between him and Bridget.
  • Navigating friendship conflicts or arguments
  • Understanding the give and take of friendship
  • Giving meaningful compliments

Casey Reads Faces

Chapter 13 of our full 30-Chapter series
Casey and his little sister Mallory get into an argument. Casey’s mom helps facilitate a healthy discussion of feelings between the two siblings, teaching Casey how to use verbal and facial cues as hints.
  • Reading verbal and facial cues
  • Empathizing: seeing other's emotions
  • Navigating sibling arguments

VAPorize!

Chapter 14 of our full 30-Chapter series
Bridget and her friend Isabel teach Casey a skill called VAPorize to validate, assess, and problem-solve some feelings he’s having about his friends Joe and Samay.
  • Validate: Validating your feelings
  • Assess: Assessing what's realistic and unrealistic about our thought
  • Problem-Solve: Brainstorm solutions for the situation prompting the thought

Elephant-Snake Venom

Chapter 17 of our full 30-Chapter series
Casey and Bridget have a disagreement during their imaginary play game. The friends use their skills to calm their frustration and problem-solve together. 
  • Navigating friendship conflicts or arguments
  • Problem-solving with friends
  • Understanding Frustration Energy: Acting In vs. Acting Out
  • Adjusting expectations

It's Monkey!

Chapter 19 of our full 30-Chapter series
Casey imagines the day’s momentous events in Bridget’s perspective, and how she used the phrase “It’s Monkey!” to know when a situation with Daniel got too big for their friend group to handle on their own.
  • Advocating for others who need help
  • Perspective-based problem-solving
  • Recognizing bullying behavior
  • Knowing when to get adult help

Friendship Rights

Chapter 21 of our full 30-Chapter series
Casey has agreed to have a “friendship chat” with Daniel and the school counselor. He practices advocating for himself and discussing friendship rights and responsibilities with Daniel.
  • Advocating for friendship rights
  • Recognizing friendship responsibilities
  • Practicing open communication with peers

The Accounting of Friendship

Chapter 22 of our full 30-Chapter series
Casey experiences the positive and negative “transactions” of friendship as Joe and Samay have an argument at the lunch table. He imagines their friendship as a bank account with positive deposits–compliments and apologies–and negative withdrawals–teasing and arguing.
  • Understanding Friendship Reciprocity
  • Practicing give and take in friendship
  • Catching negative friendship loops

Printables and Activities

Our printables and activities correlate with our chapter videos. Facilitators can watch the video of their choosing with their group or client, then lead the corresponding activity. Included in this unit are facilitator activity instructions, student worksheets, and take-home activities to reinforce learning. 

Lesson Activities

  • Friendship Book Cover Activity
  • Compliment Boxes
  • Action! Role Playing Game
  • Blown Away! VAPorize Activity
  • Make Your Own Energy Stick
  • Make Your Own Sock Monkey
  • Make Your Own Friendship Bill of Rights
  • Friendship Bank Account Activity 

Take-Home Activities

  • Friend Wanted (Home Activity 6)
  • Playwriting (Home Activity 7)
  • Pros vs. Cons (Home Activity 11)
  • Giving and Receiving (Home Activity 12)
  • I Hear You, I See You (Home Activity 13)
  • VAPorize Thoughts (Home Activity 14)
  • Frustration Energy (Home Activity 17)
  • Perspective (Home Activity 19)
  • My Rights, Your Rights (Home Activity 21)
  • Friendship Accounting (Home Activity 22)

Coloring Pages and Posters (8x11 or 11x14 downloads available)

  • Corresponding coloring page for every video
  • Authoring Poster
  • Two Sides of the Same Coin Poster
  • Friendship Bill of Rights Poster
  • Energy Bill of Rights Poster