Bouncer’s little kindness club

Make a pretend friend feel welcome

Draw a simple puppy face on a whole sheet of paper, or choose a familiar soft toy. This is your pretend visitor, ready for a little story. Set the friend near a cushion and say that they are looking for a place to sit. Wonder aloud what might help. Your child could move a light cushion, point to an open spot or offer a friendly hello. Keep the problem small enough to solve together.

Ask before helping

Model a short question to the pretend friend: “Would you like me to make room?” Give the friend a simple yes or no in your own voice. If the answer is no, try “Okay, I’m here if you need me.” Let your child choose what happens next. This keeps helping connected to listening instead of taking over. You can swap roles so your child supplies the friend’s answer while you offer help.

Ages 2–3: try one shared action

Make room for the soft toy together, wave hello and settle beside it. Offer two clear choices, such as moving a cushion or putting a large toy in its basket. Your child can point and you can do the action. Describe what happened: “We made a little space for our friend.” A short round is complete even if your child does not want to share a favorite toy or act out a conversation.

Ages 4–6: tell both sides of the story

Invent a tiny problem with two possible ideas: one friend wants to build and another wants to draw. Ask what each friend might say. Could they take turns choosing, play beside one another or find a new shared plan? Let your child try a solution, then change roles. You do not need to decide which friend is right. Listen for what each one wants and explore how the story could continue.

Notice kindness in an ordinary job

Choose a real, manageable job together, such as returning crayons to a container or setting out two paper napkins. Ask whether your child would like a part. Do your own part alongside them and notice their action specifically: “You put the crayons where we can find them.” Avoid making help a competition or comparing siblings. They can also watch, choose the next item or say when they would like to stop.

Watch friendly helpers together

The Friendly Halloween Helpers follows Edmund and Bouncer through a cheerful Halloween story about helping and teamwork. Watch on YouTube with a grown-up, then make up your own year-round helping story. You can visit the existing Halloween activity page for its pumpkin-and-paper-ghost ideas. This kindness club works with any pretend friend and does not require a holiday. Finish with a wave or a comfortable high paw in the air, and thank each other for playing.

Grown-up questions