Friendship Lab LITE
Friendship Lab LITE
Friendship Lab Lite is the adapted version of our full Friendship Lab designed for families who prefer a lower-commitment option. It draws inspiration from the renowned PEERS® curriculum, a gold-standard, evidence-based model developed at UCLA to help young people build meaningful friendships and navigate social situations with confidence.
While PEERS® traditionally includes parent mandatory participation in separate coaching sessions, we’ve thoughtfully adapted key elements of the model to work in a child-only format, with parents supporting at home. This means:
✅ Children and young people receive direct instruction in core social skills
✅ Sessions include role-play, real-world practice, and feedback—just like PEERS® (Full Friendship Lab)
✅ Parents receive summaries after classes, missions(homework) to be completed by the learner, and tips to reinforce learning at home with no mandatory parent attendance. Practising the skill of the week is expected with parent/guardian as coach at home.
This flexible format honours the realities of busy family life while still delivering powerful, research-informed outcomes for children and young people.
What is PEERS®?
PEERS® stands for Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills. PEERS® is an internationally recognised, evidence‑based social skills program for adolescents and young adults, used in 150 countries, who face social challenges.
Who benefits
The program is aimed at motivated children & young people who want practical strategies to make and keep friends.
Why it works
By teaching clear, step‑by‑step skills for handling everyday social situations, It helps young people build more positive, lasting relationships, and help with managing conflict.
The skills required for friendships may feel overwhelming to some children and young people. Here, social skills are broken down into bite size of meaningful, doable steps and learners practise these skills with their peers, which is carried on outside the session.
Skills children & young people learn
Trading information
Speak more confidently in conversations and keep them flowing
Choose healthy friends and discover shared interests
Use humour sensibly and read others’ reactions to it
Join, start, and leave peer conversations smoothly
Plan and host successful get‑togethers with friends
Be a good sport during games and group activities
Resolve arguments and manage disagreements with peer
Handle rejection, teasing, rumours, and bullying
More about Friendship Lab LITE
This program is usually run during the school holidays or on a weekly basis over 20 weeks during term time. The programme is fit for children & young people who face social challenges and want practical ways to make and keep friends.
Format
Online sessions for participants where core social skills are taught and practised through guided social activities.
What to expect
Duration: Over days(school holidays) or 20 weeks during term time
Session length: 50 minutes per session
Parent involvement: Parent notes are provided and the mission(homework) for the week sent after each session. Practising the skill of the week is expected at home with parent/guardian as coach
Focus: Core Friendship Lab skills condensed into a manageable, practical format for busy families
Outcomes: Improved confidence, stronger peer connections, practical strategies parents can use at home, and measurable social progress for each child/young person
Teaching style and environment
Online lesson with participants in a safe, supportive setting.
Relaxed, enjoyable sessions that use evidence‑based methods.
Lessons use clear, concrete rules and step‑by‑step guidance.
Socratic questioning to draw out understanding and build insight.
Focus on real‑world skills that socially successful people use.
Learning methods
Demonstrations and role‑modelling of helpful social behaviours.
Behavioural rehearsal through role‑play videos of both socially helpful and risky scenarios.
Perspective‑taking questions to strengthen social thinking.
Ongoing social coaching from facilitators and parents/carers.
Weekly homework to be practised with caregiver support.
Each session builds on previous weeks to create cumulative progress.
Course Investment from £40
Join from anywhere
Enjoy the flexibility of online sessions that fit your family’s life while keeping learning consistent and safe.
✅ Attend from wherever you are — join sessions while on holiday, travelling, running late, or resting when slightly unwell.
✅ Practice in a familiar, low-pressure space — anxious participants can build confidence at home before trying skills in the real world.
✅ Comfort and familiarity — children can participate from their own room, with pets or favourite items to help them feel at ease.
✅ Greater privacy — online groups reduce the chance of meeting someone you know, making it easier to feel safe and less self-conscious.
✅ No travel time — removes a common barrier and makes it simpler to commit to a regular programme.
