Mix It Up at Lunch is a time to make new friends by sitting at a different lunch table in the cafeteria. The friends you sit with at lunch may be pretty awesome, but your other classmates are fun and special in their own ways, too! Mix It Up is an activity to help us break out of our “comfort zones”—our familiar, daily routines—and explore new ways of relating to and getting to know the people around us.
Besides the excitement of Mix, there is another important reason to participate in this special day. The reason many kids get teased, bullied or picked on is because they are somehow seen as different—in the way they look, dress or talk, or even the family they come from, for example. Sometimes it may feel scary to get to know a classmate who is different from you. But once you take the first step, you’ll see that there’s a lot to learn from making friends with people who may be different from you in some way.
By making a new friend, you may find out some cool things you would never be able to if you always stuck with people who are just like you. You may learn that you have many things in common with your new friend, too. Their family may come from a different country than yours, or their parents might not have the same genders as yours, for instance. But they may love all the same movies, books or TV shows that you do. And you’ll never find out unless you ask!
Including others and making new friends can be scary, but taking that big leap to talk to a new person may help them feel included, accepted, welcome and safe at school. And that is always worth a little bit of extra effort!
Finally, there are lots of games you can play and conversations you can start to make Mix It Up at Lunch tons of fun. Ask your teacher about how you can get ready for the big day, and good luck “mixing it up”!
Besides the excitement of Mix, there is another important reason to participate in this special day. The reason many kids get teased, bullied or picked on is because they are somehow seen as different—in the way they look, dress or talk, or even the family they come from, for example. Sometimes it may feel scary to get to know a classmate who is different from you. But once you take the first step, you’ll see that there’s a lot to learn from making friends with people who may be different from you in some way.
By making a new friend, you may find out some cool things you would never be able to if you always stuck with people who are just like you. You may learn that you have many things in common with your new friend, too. Their family may come from a different country than yours, or their parents might not have the same genders as yours, for instance. But they may love all the same movies, books or TV shows that you do. And you’ll never find out unless you ask!
Including others and making new friends can be scary, but taking that big leap to talk to a new person may help them feel included, accepted, welcome and safe at school. And that is always worth a little bit of extra effort!
Finally, there are lots of games you can play and conversations you can start to make Mix It Up at Lunch tons of fun. Ask your teacher about how you can get ready for the big day, and good luck “mixing it up”!