It doesn’t usually take much for kids to make friends and start playing together, but sometimes, a prop will go a long way towards helping your children make new friends. If you walk outside with the notion of sharing, there is almost no end to the number of kids you can meet on a sunny afternoon in a community space inside an apartment compound or in a public space.

The other day, without even giving it much thought, I retrieved a box of chalk for my daughter and two of her friends to draw with. They had been using the white stones that decorate our compound garden, but they were not making much headway in creating their imagined pictures. Armed with colored chalk, the three got busy on the sidewalk and started transforming the brick path into a multi-colored wall. Before long, other kids joined in. Some continued on the wall, others did their own thing nearby, but every kid that passed, even children much older, wanted in on the chalk action. This experience taught my daughter and I what a simple catalyst chalk can be for forming new bonds of friendship within the community. We have now added sidewalk chalk (the big pieces) to our online shopping list.

Another great suggestion is bubbles. Buy a few extra bottles and watch the kids (and adults) light up with smiles.

photo courtesy of Christopher Lay