Noah and Gem

If we are talking about how friendships enhance every aspect of a child's day then Noah and Gem are a perfect example. Their friendship is strong and full of fun. They look for each other in the mornings, waiting in anticipation for their favorite buddy to arrive. Once they meet in the morning their faces light up and they exchange pats on the shoulder or chest bumps (very masculine way of greeting). Together they take in the playground and choose their place of play. On this day it was the sandpit and an experiment with sand began. They took turns at being buried and trusted each other not to pour sand onto their head area.
Friendships are only successful when they are reciprocal and trusting relationships - Noah and Gem are clearly capable of such a relationship.



Although every friendship has it's ups and downs and Noah and Gem can often be seen having a rough and tumble tiff. There has been some occasional biting but all is short lived and reconciled with a pat or bump to the chest. The friends eat together, sleep together and play together. They are open to new members joining the group and value how other's enhance their play.



When the duo is together they are noticeably more confident, able to persist when faced with challenges, more likely to take considered risks in their play and very open to new challenges. This friendship we can see is having a positive effect on the two boys learning and development. When one child is absent it is clear just how much this relationship contributes to their day. LO1.2