Friendship Building 101

Developing a relationship and getting to know someone else takes time This blog page for TeenWorks mentors is intended to provide you with ways of building your friendship with you mentee through creative and interactive activities and be a resource for creating long-term memories.

Some of the best times you can have together may be doing simple things. Just talking and being together is important in developing a good relationship. Not every activity needs to be a great adventure or expensive entertainment. Simply hang out or try one of the following 101 suggestions.

[See also Activity Ideas, the Mentor Nest and Mentoring Resources]

ANYWHERE

  1. Share a silly story from you past.

  2. Describe something about your culture and heritage with one another.

  3. Tell each other funny jokes.

  4. Find out about each other’s favorite things — food, movies, music, cartoon character, etc.

AT HOME

  1. Rent a movie, borrow one from the library, or use you favorite steaming service — a make popcorn.

  2. Wash a car together and have a water/suds fight.

  3. Look through a photo album.

  4. Work in a garden.

  5. Make a tape of your favorite music together.

  6. Learn how to balance a checkbook.

  7. Work on a car or lawn mower that needs repair or servicing.

  8. Watch a favorite television show.

  9. Read through these ideas together and plan your next few activities.

  10. Try drawing on a computer.

  11. Work on homework or a school project.

  12. Read the same book and talk about it.

  13. Write thank-you letters to important people in your lives.

  14. Explore the internet on some curious subject, such as the rules of Cricket or how to change a bike tire.

FOOD

  1. Fix ice cream sundaes and pig out.

  2. Bake homemade cookies and make sure to sample the dough.

  3. Cook dinner together.

  4. Roast marshmallows and make s’mores.

  5. Make fondue (cheese, chocolate, or hot oil for meat).

  6. Plan a dinner where you choose a different country for each course.

  7. Meet early in the morning and have a big breakfast.

  8. Make candy such as fudge or toffee.

  9. Bake French-bread pizza.

  10. Buy parts of your meal at different fast food places until you are full.

  11. Barbeque shish kabobs.

  12. Create a new kind of homemade ice cream.

  13. Bake a cake or cupcakes.

  14. Make treats for your family or a friend.

GAMES

  1. Play a card game.

  2. Blow bubbles.

  3. Enjoy a board game together or with friends.

  4. Do magic tricks for each other.

  5. Play rochambeau (rock-paper-scissors) for candy prizes

HOBBIES, ARTS & CRAFTS

  1. Paint, draw, or do crafts

  2. Pick wildflowers and press or dry them or make potpourri.

  3. Make friendship bracelets for each other.

  4. Design some stationery with paints or colored pencils.

  5. Take and print pictures of each other and make cardboard frames or mounts.

  6. Try woodworking.

  7. Work on creating a friendship journal.

  8. Find something to make (model airplane or beads) at a hobby shop.

  9. Play the guitar and sing.

  10. Draw or paint portraits of each other.

  11. Tie-dye shirts.

  12. Sew, cross-stitch or knit.

  13. Paint T-shirts.

NATURE

  1. Take a picnic lunch to the park or beach.

  2. Find a rope swing by a creek and try it.

  3. Go on a walk or hike.

  4. Race snails.

  5. Fee ducks at a park.

  6. Fly a kite on a windy day.

  7. Build a sandcastle at the beach or lakeshore.

  8. Watch a sunset.

  9. Go to a park and see who can swing the highest.

  10. Watch the stars.

  11. Make planter boxes for each of your homes.

OUTINGS

  1. Go to a free play or concert in the park.

  2. Visit a shopping center or mall.

  3. Hang out by the water (pool, lake, river or ocean).

  4. See a movie.

  5. Go to a farmer’s market.

  6. Explore a county fair.

  7. Take a tour of you local fire station.

  8. Go to a bookstore or library.

  9. Attend a church service or youth activity.

  10. Visit with an elderly person.

  11. Together with another mentor pair, plan and do something fun.

  12. Attend a life-skills workshop.

  13. Play video games.

  14. Give each other a walking tour of your neighborhoods.

  15. Experience a school or community theatrical production together.

  16. Tour the control tower of a small local airport.

  17. Visit your local community center.

  18. Go to a flea market.

  19. Walk a dog.

  20. Take a guided tour of a local community college or four-year college.

  21. Go to a local art festival or parade.

  22. Take a class together (cooking, karate, pottery, welding, etc.).

SPORTS

  1. Play frisbee at a park or frisbee golf course.

  2. Hit a few golf balls at a driving range.

  3. Ride a bike to your favorite ice cream store or other fund destination.

  4. Go swimming.

  5. Watch a sports game on TV.

  6. Life weights or do aerobics at a gym.

  7. Jump on a trampoline.

  8. Try in-line skating or regular roller-skating together.

  9. Play tennis.

  10. Rent boogie boards and ride the waves.

  11. Go skateboarding.

  12. Shoot some pool.

  13. Watch a Little League baseball game.

  14. Go miniature golfing.

  15. Rent a bicycle for tow.

  16. Go jogging.

  17. Teach each other your favorite sport.

    (Adapted from Mentoring Journal, Friends for Youth)