Information about Zippy's Friends
Programme Information
Zippy’s Friends is based on the coping theory and has been evaluated and found to improve children’s coping skills, social skills, emotional literacy, improve the class climate and reduce bullying. Read about the evidence behind Zippy’s Friends and the impact the programme has had on children and teachers.
Zippy’s Friends is based around a series of stories and the programme has 24 sessions of 45 minutes. The activities and stories are suitable for children of all abilities. The Additional Activities Booklet can be used as a follow-on programme to run Zippy’s Friends for a second year or to reinforce and consolidate the learning of the programme. There are also Home Activities to reinforce learning at home with parents and carers.
The six modules cover:
- Feelings
- Communication
- Friendship
- Conflict
- Change and Loss
- Moving forward
Children develop their own positive strategies to deal with problems through engaging activities: listening to stories, discussion, games, role-play and drawing. Zippy’s Friends was revised and updated in 2022 based on teacher feedback to include new activities enabling schools to run the programme over two years. There are also updated story illustrations created by illustrator Lisa Williams to give the programme a fresh, new modern look.
There are Home Activities to reinforce learning at home with parents or carers.
Become a Zippy’s Friends Teacher
Staff who would like to deliver the Zippy’s Friends programme need to complete an online training session and purchase a subscription to the Zippy’s Friends resources on the Skills for Life online teaching platform. After purchasing a subscription, staff can choose to buy printed resources and pupil workbooks to enhance learning.
A whole school approach to emotional and mental wellbeing
As children spend so much of their time in school, schools play a key role in helping children develop resilience and coping skills. A whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing is a co-ordinated multi-component approach that is used across an educational setting to give schools a framework for supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of all staff and pupils.
The Skills for Life programmes are a proven way to promote good mental health and help all children develop skills which will enhance their present and future emotional wellbeing.