Navigating friendships during the early years can be both rewarding and challenging for young learners. Children in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten are at a critical stage of developing key interpersonal skills, including how to handle conflicts and repair relationships. One foundational tool for fostering positive interactions is learning how and when to say sorry.

Related resources: See our full list of social skills activities for preschoolers.

The “Saying Sorry” worksheet from Everyday Speech is designed as a no-prep resource for clinicians and educators to help children build essential friendship skills in a developmentally appropriate way.

What Are Friendship Skills?

Friendship skills refer to the set of abilities that support positive social interactions and relationship formation among peers. For young children, these skills involve sharing, taking turns, understanding others’ feelings, resolving disagreements, and learning how to repair hurt feelings with appropriate actions. One important aspect of friendship skills is recognizing when a friend has been upset by something said or done and knowing how to make amends. Saying sorry is not just a social convention—it is a meaningful step in showing empathy and restoring trust. This foundational competence sets the tone for future social growth and healthy peer relationships.

Why Teach Friendship Skills?

Friendship skills provide a framework for healthy interactions and are valuable across the lifespan. For children just beginning school, explicit teaching of these skills can prevent recurring conflicts and create a climate where positive relationships are the norm. The benefits of teaching these abilities include:

• Promoting empathy by helping children tune into the feelings of others.
• Reducing classroom conflicts and interruptions.
• Encouraging inclusion and cooperation among young learners.
• Building self-confidence in social situations.
• Preparing students for group learning and play environments.
• Improving emotional regulation through modeled and supported practice.
• Fostering improved communication and language skills as children learn the words to express remorse and seek reconciliation.
• Laying the groundwork for self-advocacy and problem-solving.

Lesson Plan: Using “Saying Sorry” Worksheet

The “Saying Sorry” worksheet offers a simple and engaging way for students to learn about apologizing within the context of friendship challenges.

It uses developmentally familiar formats such as simple illustrations and basic language to guide young learners through scenarios involving conflict and repair.

Step 1: Prepare the Environment

Begin by reviewing the physical and emotional setting. Gather students together in a calm and welcoming space, such as the reading corner or circle time area. Have a few art supplies handy if you wish to extend the activity with drawing or coloring. If using the worksheet digitally, ensure access to tablets or a projector, but many will find printing it most effective for group or one-on-one settings.

Encourage students to think about times when they have felt upset by a peer or might have accidentally hurt someone’s feelings. Emphasize that everyone makes mistakes and that learning to apologize is an important part of making and keeping friends.

Step 2: Introduce the Concept of Apologizing

Use concrete examples and accessible language to introduce the purpose of saying sorry. Explain that apologizing means using words and actions to show that one understands a mistake was made and wants to make things better. Read a short story or role-play a simple scenario where a character bumps into a friend or says something hurtful by mistake. Model a genuine apology: “I am sorry I hurt your feelings. I did not mean to. Can I give you a hug?”

Highlight the difference between saying sorry just to get out of trouble and apologizing because one cares about making the other person feel better. Encourage children to describe what it feels like when someone says sorry and how it helps them feel better.

Step 3: Complete the Worksheet

Distribute the “Saying Sorry” worksheet. Walk students through each section. The worksheet includes simple fill-in-the-blank prompts and visual cues to support students at various language levels. It may ask students to circle or draw faces showing how someone feels before and after an apology, or to match pictures of actions to demonstrate making amends.

Guide students to think about and discuss the feelings of both the person who made the mistake and the friend who was hurt. For example, “How does your friend feel before you say sorry? What might help them feel better?” Point to the corresponding images on the worksheet and read the prompts aloud if needed.

Encourage students to practice the words for apologizing, such as, “I am sorry,” and brainstorm other ways to make up with a friend, like offering to play a favorite game or helping them rebuild a block tower.

Step 4: Practice and Role-Play

After completing the worksheet, reinforce learning through active practice. Divide students into pairs or groups for role-play. Provide each pair with a simple conflict scenario, such as “accidentally knocking over a friend’s art project” or “raising a voice during playtime.”

Have students practice saying sorry using the phrases and ideas from the worksheet. Provide coaching and positive feedback as needed. Praise specific efforts, such as using gentle words or offering to help fix a problem.

If working with a small group, consider expanding the role-play so each child practices both apologizing and receiving an apology. Discuss how it feels to be on both sides of the situation.

Step 5: Reinforce and Extend

Wrap up the lesson by asking students to share how they might use what they learned during playtime or at home. Invite reflections: “When was a time you said sorry? How did it help?” Students can draw pictures of themselves saying sorry or act out scenarios as a whole group.

Place the completed worksheets in students’ folders for review with families, or post them on a classroom bulletin board to reinforce the skill.

For further practice, keep short scripts or social stories about apologizing available in your classroom. Use visual reminders of apology steps to support students who may need extra guidance throughout the day.

Supporting Friendship Skills After the Activity

Generalization and ongoing support are critical for young children as they build new social competencies. Friendship skills flourish when adults consistently model and reinforce them throughout the day. After using the “Saying Sorry” worksheet, consider the following strategies:

• Praise students when you observe them using apology language and repairing relationships.
• Reference the visuals and steps from the worksheet during real-life conflicts.
• Incorporate stories or books that focus on making amends, such as “David Gets in Trouble” by David Shannon or “I’m Sorry” by Sam McBratney.
• Create a classroom “Peace Table” or calm-down spot with visual supports for steps to apologize.
• Encourage peer mentoring by pairing children who are comfortable with apologizing with those who need more practice.
• Communicate with families about the language and practices being reinforced, and suggest carryover at home.
• Collaborate with other educators and related service providers to ensure consistency in expectations and interventions.

Children benefit from frequent check-ins, gentle reminders, and opportunities to practice in low-stress settings. By integrating these supports across daily routines, friendship skills are strengthened well beyond the worksheet activity.

Wrapping Up: Fostering Friendship Foundations for Life

Learning how to say sorry is a cornerstone of early friendship skills. With the “Saying Sorry” worksheet from Everyday Speech, educators and clinicians have an accessible tool for guiding young children through the nuances of apologizing and repairing peer relationships. This structured teaching not only addresses immediate social challenges but also builds a framework for kindness, empathy, and resilience that will serve students throughout their educational journey.

By integrating these practices into daily classroom life and reinforcing them across settings, children are empowered to become caring, confident friends. Supporting the continued growth of these skills ensures a warm, inclusive environment where every child has the opportunity to connect, make amends, and experience the joy of healthy friendships.