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Source: Borba, M. & Borba, C. (1992). Leisure education II: More activities and resources (pp.
345-346) (N. Stumbo, Comp. Ed.). State College, Pa.: Venture Pub.
Equipment: 4x6 index cards (one per participant), pens or pencils (one per participant)
Description of Activity:
The objective of the activity is to increase participants awareness about the reciprocity of social
relationships by identifying the characteristics they value in a friend and conducting a selfevaluation on whether or not they possess these characteristics themselves. Participants are
asked to sit in a circle. The therapist then begins by discussing why friendship is important to
quality of life. Participants are asked to think about the differences that friendships have made in
their lives and what qualities they look for in a friend. Index cards and writing materials are then
distributed and participants are asked to write down a recipe for their ideal friend by indicating
which characteristics their friend should have and in which quantities or proportions. Participants
should think about which qualities are essential and which are there to simply add a little spice.
After they finish, participants may be asked to share their recipes with the group to identify
common characteristics. At the end of the activity, participants should be asked to consider how
they measure up compared to their recipes. Finally, the therapist instructs participants to ask
themselves what changes they might make in themselves in order to be considered a better
friend to others.
Leadership considerations:
This activity is ideal for small groups in a classroom or activity room setting. Throughout the
activity, the therapist(s) should respect individual differences in the definitions of an ideal friend.
Emphasis should also be put on how friendships influence the quality of individuals leisure
lifestyle.
Adaptations:
Participants with Developmental Disabilities: Participants with developmental disabilities might
require additional help developing or writing down their recipes. A higher therapist to participant
ratio might be appropriate for this population in order for each participant to have access to help
within the allotted time for the activity.
understanding communication, and social interaction (Silver, 2005). Sessions might focus
exclusively on sending or receiving messages as part of a broader communication skills training
program. For this population, it might be beneficial to modify the activity to progress from 1 on 1
to a 3-person team, and later to a multiple team group. Progressing group size is important
because a large group environment might make some participants uncomfortable at first,
especially when learning new skills (Silver, 2005).
Copley, A., Smith, K., Savill, K., Finch, E. (2015) Does metacognitive strategy instruction
improve impaired receptive cognitive communication
skills following acquired brain injury?, Brain Injury, 29(11), 1309-1316, DOI:
10.3109/02699052.2015.1043343
Silver, K. (2005). Assessing and developing communication and thinking skills in people with
autism and communication difficulties a toolkit for parents and professionals.
London: Jessica Kingsley.