The Friendship Journal is an exciting feature of the Friendship Club experience. Each child receives their own three ring binder Friendship Journal. It appears empty but it is full of potential!! At each meeting, the interventionist takes pictures of the children playing one intervention activity. These targeted activities could be a play scheme such as "construction trucks and rocks" or a game such as "Mr. Potato Head". The activity is presented in story format and placed in the Journal at the end of the meeting. The stories emphasize the play sequence, social language and social behaviors that were targeted in that activity. At home, children review their stories with parents and family members. Their pride and excitement over the pictures and words leads to ownership of the story itself.... and then to ownership of the skills presented. Children gain an understanding of the play sequence, social language and social behaviors required by the activity. When they come to the next meeting, they are ready to play and interact with increased confidence and competence.

One favorite Friendship Club activity is play based on the book "Sitting in My Box" by Dee Lilligard (Puffin Books, 1989). After sharing the book, the interventionist leads the play scheme using the story's sequence, social languag and social interaction. The children knock on the box and say, "Let me in! Let me in!" The children in the box move over. Miss Tracy is last because she is the flea. The flea never knocks! The flea 'bites' each child sending them out of the box with giggles! Giving and taking turns, making eye contact, using an audible voice, having a safe body and cooperating to the directions are targeted skills. Language modeling and prompting are provided. Visual cues may also be introduced. Shown above is one page of the story that is added to the Friendship Journal for this activity.