HKIEd - Joy of Learning

What is Zippy's Friends?
Zippy's Friends is a programme for young children of all abilities. It does not focus on children with particular problems or difficulties. Instead, it promotes the emotional health of all young children. It does not tell children what to do. Instead, it encourages them to think for themselves and to come up with their own solutions to problems. Children practise choosing solutions that not only help them, but also respect other people.

Zippy's Friends has six modules and each module has its own story, featuring a character called Zippy. The stories show Zippy and his friends facing issues that are familiar to the children — friendship, bullying, dealing with change and loss, etc. Each story is illustrated by a set of brightly coloured pictures and supported by activities such as drawing, role play and games. The whole programme has been designed specifically for children aged 5 to 7.

From the inception of the project in November 2004, until late 2005, the Institute will translate the programme's teaching materials and pilot them in 10 kindergartens and 10 primary schools. The project will see at the initial stage 20 teachers being trained and 300 K3 and P1 children being involved. At the end of phase one, it is planned that the programme will be run in at least 640 kindergartens and primary schools in the following four years. By the end of 2009, it is estimated that at least 10,000 children will have benefited from Zippy's Friends.