Have you ever thought about starting a Big Buddy and Little Buddy program at your school? Maybe you teach kindergarten and would love for your students to connect with an older class. Or perhaps you teach an upper elementary grade and think your students would enjoy having younger buddies to help, encourage, and learn alongside.

Here’s the good news: starting a Big Buddy and Little Buddy program can be as simple as finding another teacher who wants to bring their class together with yours!

You don’t need a complicated program, elaborate projects, or hours of planning. You just need two classes, a little time together, and a willingness to let students build relationships.

My favorite part about buddy programs is that the activities don’t have to be fancy. Sometimes the simplest moments—reading a book, sharing a story, helping with a craft, or playing together outside—are the ones students remember most.

You might choose to meet once a week for 30 minutes, get together for special activities, or combine both approaches. Over time, students can develop friendships and connections that make school feel like an even more welcoming place.

If you’re looking for ideas for your Big Buddy and Little Buddy program, here are 12 ways to bring your classrooms together throughout the school year!

1. Read Books Together

Buddy reading is one of the easiest ways to get started.

Choose a regular time for your classes to meet, find a comfortable spot, and let older and younger students enjoy books together.

Older students can read aloud to their younger buddies, look at picture books together, or take turns reading pages depending on their reading abilities.

You don’t need a special activity or a complicated set of directions. Just bringing the two classes together with books can create an enjoyable routine that students look forward to.

Buddy reading is also a wonderful opportunity for older students to practice patience and encouragement while younger students get to spend time with a reading partner.

2. Practice Reading Aloud and Building Fluency

Buddy time can also give students extra opportunities to practice reading aloud.

Students who are developing their reading fluency benefit from opportunities to read, reread, and become more comfortable sharing text with another person.

Depending on the ages and abilities of your students, buddies can:

• Read a short book together.
• Take turns reading pages aloud.
• Practice a familiar poem or passage.
• Read a favorite story more than once.
• Talk about the characters and what happened in the story.

Older buddies can offer encouragement and model fluent reading, while younger buddies get a friendly audience.

The goal isn’t to turn every buddy meeting into a formal lesson. It’s to give students a comfortable opportunity to enjoy reading together.

3. Share Writing With a Buddy

Some students love writing, but they don’t always get many opportunities to share what they’ve written with someone else.

A buddy gives them a real audience!

Students can write a story, describe something interesting, respond to a prompt, or create a piece of writing about a topic they enjoy. Then they can read their work aloud to their buddy.

Older and younger students can also talk about their ideas before writing. They might ask each other questions, share suggestions, or celebrate something they particularly liked about each other’s work.

You can adjust the writing task to suit each grade level. Younger students might draw a picture and write a sentence, while older students might write a longer story or description.

Sharing writing makes the activity feel more personal because students aren’t just completing an assignment. They’re sharing a piece of themselves with another student.

4. Make Holiday Crafts Together

Holiday and seasonal crafts are a natural fit for Big Buddy and Little Buddy meetings.

Students can work together to make decorations, complete a themed craft, or create something to take home.

Older buddies can help younger students understand the directions, cut out pieces when appropriate, organize materials, or assemble their projects. Younger buddies can contribute their own ideas, make choices, color, and complete the parts they can do independently.

Some ideas include:

• Halloween crafts, such as Disguise a Pumpkin or Disguise a Ghost.
• Thanksgiving crafts, such as Disguise a Turkey.
• Winter-themed coloring and craft projects.
• Spring crafts featuring flowers, animals, or other seasonal themes.
• Holiday cards or small gifts for family members.

The best part is that the craft doesn’t have to be perfect. The real value comes from students spending time together, talking, helping one another, and creating something they can feel proud of.

5. Work on Crafts and Activities That Require Helping Hands

Sometimes a task that seems simple to an older student can be surprisingly tricky for a younger child.

I saw this firsthand when the kindergarten class my students were buddies with was preparing for the 100th day of school.

The kindergarten students were making necklaces by counting out 100 Froot Loops and putting them on a string. Counting out all 100 pieces and threading them onto the string was quite a challenge for some of the younger students!

My older students were happy to help.

They could assist with counting, managing the string, and working through the task alongside their younger buddies. The kindergarten students still participated, but they had an extra set of helping hands when they needed them.

And the best part? When everyone finished, the students got to celebrate by eating some Froot Loops!

It was a simple activity, but it gave both classes a chance to work toward a shared goal.

That’s one of the wonderful things about buddy programs. Older students can use their skills to support younger students, and younger students get to experience the satisfaction of accomplishing something together.

6. Go Outside for Recess Together

Buddy time doesn’t always need a worksheet, craft, or planned lesson.

Sometimes, going outside for recess together is enough.

Older and younger students can play games, walk around the playground, talk, and help one another navigate playground activities.

Depending on the students’ ages and school rules, older buddies might show younger students how to play a game, help them understand the rules, or simply invite them to join in.

Recess also gives students opportunities to interact in a more relaxed setting. They can learn about each other’s interests, discover shared favorite games, and build connections that might not happen during a structured classroom activity.

Of course, teachers should establish clear expectations and supervise buddy recess so that everyone stays safe and included.

But if you’re looking for a simple way to bring your classes together, shared recess can be a wonderful option.

7. Teach Practical Skills, Like Tying Shoes

One of the sweetest parts of a buddy relationship is that older students often enjoy helping younger students learn something new.

Sometimes that means helping with a classroom task. Other times, it means practicing an everyday skill.

For example, a younger student who is learning to tie their shoes might appreciate having an older buddy demonstrate the steps and practice alongside them.

You can also look for opportunities for buddies to practice other age-appropriate skills, such as organizing materials, following a set of directions, or preparing supplies for an activity.

The important thing is to let the younger student try independently while the older buddy encourages and supports them.

Not every buddy meeting needs to focus on learning a new skill. But when a natural opportunity comes along, it can be a meaningful way for older students to practice leadership and for younger students to gain confidence.

8. Let Little Buddies Share Show-and-Tell Items

Younger students often have so much they want to tell someone!

They might bring a favorite book, a special toy, a picture, a collection, or something they made at home.

A Big Buddy can be a wonderful audience.

Give younger students an opportunity to share an item and explain why it’s special. Their older buddies can ask questions, listen, and respond with interest.

You can keep the activity simple by allowing a few students to share during each meeting, or you can organize a short show-and-tell session for the whole group.

This gives younger students practice speaking in front of someone, organizing their thoughts, and answering questions.

It also helps older students practice being attentive listeners.

Sometimes, what a younger student needs most isn’t a new activity. It’s someone who is genuinely interested in what they have to say.

9. Make Time for Weekend Sharing and Conversation

Have you ever had a student who just can’t wait to tell you about something exciting that happened over the weekend?

Maybe they visited a family member, went somewhere new, learned something interesting, or had a wonderful experience they want to share.

Buddy time gives them another opportunity to tell their story.

Students can take turns sharing something interesting that happened outside school. Older buddies can ask questions and encourage younger students to keep talking.

You can also use simple conversation prompts to get things started:

• What was something fun you did recently?
• What is something you enjoy doing with your family?
• What is your favorite game to play?
• What is something new you’d like to learn?
• What is something that always makes you smile?

These questions can be especially helpful when students are still getting to know one another.

Over time, buddies may become more comfortable sharing their experiences and asking each other questions.

And for students who don’t always feel comfortable speaking in front of a whole class, talking with one older buddy can feel much more manageable.

10. Play Would You Rather Games

Would You Rather games are another easy way to encourage conversation between Big Buddies and Little Buddies.

Students choose between two options and explain which one they would pick.

For example, you might ask:

• Would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet unicorn?
• Would you rather spend the day at the beach or in the mountains?
• Would you rather be able to fly or become invisible?
• Would you rather eat your favorite food every day or try something new every day?

The questions give students something specific to talk about, and the answers often lead to even more conversation.

You can use question cards, dice games, or questions displayed on a screen. Choose prompts that suit the ages of your students and give both partners a chance to share their answers.

Would You Rather games work well when you need an activity that is easy to explain, requires little preparation, and can be adapted for different seasons or holidays.

They are also a great option when you want students to spend more time talking and getting to know each other.

11. Create Coloring Books and Activity Books Together

Coloring is a simple activity that can work well for students of different ages.

Give buddy pairs a selection of coloring pages and let them choose which ones they would like to complete.

You can make the activity even more engaging by having students create their own coloring books or activity books.

Buddies can:

• Choose their favorite coloring pages.
• Put the pages in an order they like.
• Decorate a cover.
• Add simple activities or writing pages.
• Assemble their booklets together.

You can create different books for different seasons and holidays, or let students build a collection of favorite pages throughout the year.

Older students can help younger students organize and assemble the pages, while younger students can make choices and contribute their own ideas.

The finished book gives students something they created together and can continue to enjoy after the meeting ends.

12. Simply Spend Time Together

This last idea might be the most important one.

You don’t always need a planned craft, reading assignment, game, or writing prompt.

Sometimes, the most valuable part of a Big Buddy and Little Buddy program is simply giving two students time to connect.

They might sit together and talk. They might share something that happened in class. They might draw pictures, look at a book, or tell each other about something they enjoy.

These moments might seem small to adults, but they can matter a great deal to children.

Some students need an additional connection at school—a person who recognizes them, remembers something they shared, and makes time to listen.

For younger students, an older buddy can become someone they look forward to seeing. For older students, being a Big Buddy can provide a meaningful opportunity to show kindness, patience, and leadership.

Sometimes, being seen and heard by one other person is the most important part of the whole meeting.

That’s why I love the idea of bringing classrooms together. The activities provide a reason to meet, but the relationships are what make the program special.

How Often Should Big Buddies and Little Buddies Meet?

There’s no single schedule that every school needs to follow.

Some classes meet once a week for about 30 minutes. Others get together less frequently or plan special activities around holidays and school events.

If you’re just starting a buddy program, try choosing a schedule that feels manageable for both teachers.

You might begin with one short meeting each week and rotate between a few familiar activities, such as buddy reading, coloring, conversation games, and writing.

You can also plan occasional special meetings for crafts, seasonal activities, shared recess, or classroom celebrations.

The goal is to create a routine that works for your school and gives students regular opportunities to build relationships.

You don’t need to make every meeting elaborate. A simple, consistent opportunity to spend time together can go a long way.

Ready to Start a Big Buddy and Little Buddy Program?

If you’ve been thinking about bringing your classroom together with another grade, I hope you’ll consider giving it a try.

Start by finding another teacher who would like to partner with your class. Talk about your students’ ages, choose a manageable meeting schedule, and decide on a few simple activities to try.

You can begin with buddy reading, conversation questions, coloring, or a small craft. As students become more comfortable with one another, you can introduce writing activities, games, shared projects, and other ideas.

And remember, you don’t have to create a brand-new activity for every meeting!

If you need ideas for crafts, games, writing prompts, coloring pages, and seasonal activities, my Big Buddy and Little Buddy resources can help you spend less time planning and more time bringing your students together.

There are so many ways for older and younger students to help one another, share their interests, and enjoy being part of a school community.

You might be surprised by how much a simple buddy program can mean to your students.

Sometimes all it takes is one teacher, another willing teacher, two classrooms, and a little time together to start building connections that make school feel more welcoming for everyone.