In the Moshi Story Breezy and Honey’s Twilight Kite Flight, two friends learn about trust, friendship and knowing when to try things alone. This exchange between Honey and Breezy says it all:

Eventually the two friends land and Honey says to Breezy
“The thing I’ve learned this evening is that letting go is not easy”
It’s good to have a friend who’s always there to keep an eye
But sometimes you have just have to let them go to truly fly”

As the school year ends, it’s important to teach kids to celebrate friendships and say goodbyes. This is part of the SEL competency of building positive relationships through practicing skills such as cultivating friendships, managing and communicating feelings and problem-solving.  This Moshi Story is about 28 minutes long and can be listened to all at once or in a few installments.

Here are some conversation starters to help kids talk about trust and celebrate friendship:

• Why does Honey think it’s important to hold Breezy’s string when he flies?
• How does Breezy feel about being tethered down by strings? 
• How does Honey feel when she lets go of Breezy’s strings? 
• What are important things that you learned about having a friend after listening to this story?

A fun extension activity to reinforce these messages and build a strong community based on trust and friendship is to make two-sided kites to “fly” in the classroom:

Step 1 – Pre-cut or have students cut a large diamond shape out of paper.

Step 2 – Have students randomly select another student’s name, who will be the focus of their kite. 

Step 3 – On one side of the kite, the students write what they appreciate about the student they chose. On the reverse side, the students write what they will miss about the student they chose. 

Step 4 – Staple, glue, or tape a long string to each kite. 

Step 5 – Display the kites by hanging them from the ceiling. Ask kids to notice how they fly free but are all part of the classroom community.

Allison Henry