10 Empowering Activities to Build Healthy Friendships in Girls

Practical, Positive Ways to Teach Trust, Boundaries, and Kindness

Friendships in girlhood can be beautiful, supportive, and confidence-boosting—but they can also be tricky, emotional, and confusing. That’s why teaching girls how to build healthy friendships matters so much. When girls learn how to communicate clearly, set boundaries, and celebrate one another, they create relationships that lift them up instead of tear them down.

If you lead a girls’ group, mentor tween or teen girls, or teach SEL in schools, these 10 activities will help you guide meaningful conversations and create moments of growth, reflection, and real connection. They’re fun, empowering, and perfect for helping girls become the kind of friend they’d want to have.

💡 Key Takeaways

• Healthy friendships are rooted in respect, empathy, trust, and shared values

• Activities that mix reflection, creativity, and real talk help girls build stronger relationship skills

• You don’t need to fix their friendships—you just need to create space for learning, self-awareness, and growth

• When girls understand themselves better, they naturally build healthier, more authentic friendships

1. Friendship Values Brainstorm

Ask: What really matters in a friendship? Girls write down values like honesty, loyalty, kindness, humor, or respect on sticky notes or cards. Then group similar ones together and talk about what makes each value important. This helps girls name what they truly need and want in their relationships.

2. Boundaries Roleplay Practice

Many girls struggle to say no or speak up when they feel uncomfortable. Give them sentence starters to try out, like:
“I’m not okay with that.”
“I need some space.”
“That doesn’t feel kind.”
Practice roleplaying common situations like peer pressure, being left out, or unwanted teasing to build confidence and courage.

3. My Friendship Circle Reflection

Have girls draw a circle with themselves in the middle. Then add layers showing who’s closest (best friends), who they trust, who they enjoy, and who they may need space from. This helps them recognize healthy and unhealthy patterns in their current friendships and reflect on how each relationship makes them feel.

4. Compliment Circle with a Twist

In a seated circle, each girl gives a genuine compliment to the person on her right—but it must be about character, not appearance. Things like “You’re really inclusive,” or “You make people feel safe.” This builds emotional depth and shows girls how to see each other clearly and kindly.

5. What Makes a Real Friend? Poster Project

In small groups, have girls create posters or collages answering the question: What makes someone a real friend?Encourage them to think about actions, attitudes, and how they want to feel in friendships. Hang them up as reminders of what healthy friendship looks like.

6. Conflict & Repair Scenario Cards

Create cards with realistic friendship conflicts and ask: What’s one healthy way to respond to this? Let girls work in pairs or small groups to come up with kind, assertive ways to repair or reset the relationship. This gives them tools they can use in real life without freezing or reacting.

7. Trust Tower Team Challenge

Using blocks, paper cups, or craft supplies, challenge girls to build the tallest tower—but only if they work together without speaking. Afterward, reflect on what helped and what made it hard. This builds nonverbal communication and shows how trust and teamwork go hand in hand.

8. Inside-Out Portraits

Each girl draws herself twice: once how others might see her, and once how she really feels inside. Then reflect or journal on how friends can support the real version of ourselves—not just the one we show on the outside. This helps deepen friendship and self-understanding.

9. Kindness Challenge Cards

Hand out mini cards with kindness challenges like:
“Invite someone new to join you.”
“Write a note to a friend telling them why they matter.”
“Compliment someone’s courage.”
These small acts help girls practice creating a healthy friendship culture—one choice at a time.

10. Real Friend Journaling Prompts

Give girls time to reflect on their friendships with prompts like:
What kind of friend do I want to be?
What’s something I’ve learned from a hard friendship moment?
What makes me feel safe and seen in a relationship?
This builds emotional clarity and helps girls connect their experiences to what they truly value.

Ready to help girls build healthier, kinder, and more confident friendships? The Real Friends, Real You Workshop Kit gives you everything you need to run powerful group sessions, journaling circles, and conversation-based activities that support friendship, self-awareness, and social-emotional growth. It’s perfect for group leaders, coaches, educators, and mentors who want to create real change with ease and heart.

Which activity are you most excited to try? I’d love to hear how your group connects, grows, and supports one another—you’re doing amazing work!

-Kate