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Samantha's Friendship Fun
Crafts, recipes, and games are designed to give a sense of the early 1900s, or the period setting for books in the American Girls collection which feature the character named Samantha.
96 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2002
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December 17, 2025
This book focuses on crafts, recipes and activities that were popular with girls like Samantha Parkington and Nellie O'Malley, who lived in the early 1900s.
We start with a section about common practices in Samantha's time - such as expectations for etiquette, how school worked, and fashion.
From there we transition into the five main sections: Afternoon Calls, Sunday Brunch, Valentine's Day Fun, A Piney Point Adventure, and By the Fireside.
Afternoon Calls -- Samantha and Grandmary would often 'call upon' friends in the early afternoon. We learn the proper attire and manners for such a visit. From there, we learn how to make:
--The Latest Frills (how to make a signature Samantha hairbow)
--Calling Cards (small business cards that were embellished and traded)
--Fancy Fan
--Jelly Biscuits (jam filled cookies)
--Petit Fours (throwback to Happy Birthday Samantha!)
--Chicken Salad Sandwiches
--Cream Cheese and Walnut Sandwiches
--Lemon Ice (a lemon and orange snowcone)
Sunday Brunch -- We learn that Mrs. Hawkins would make a weekly special Sunday brunch for Grandmary and Samantha, and that Samantha use the following crafts and recipes to make it special:
--Flower Basket (a paper folded into a box and decorated with flowers)
--Stand-Up Napkins (how to fold cloth napkins, as well as an explanation for how to set the table during Samantha's era)
--Blueberry Muffins
--Saratoga Potatoes (lightly fried potatoes, but not potato chips from what I can tell)
--Brunch Punch (a lemony-orangy-pineapple iced drink)
--Sunday Ham (literally just hot ham with the rind cut off)
--Strawberries and cream (as in whipped cream!!)
--Cheesy Omelet
Valentine's Day Fun -- Samantha adores Valentine's day and enjoys making crafts and baking treats for her friends and family.
--Sweet Heart Cookies (plain sugar cookies with icing)
--Victorian Valentines (old-fashioned paper valentines)
--Apple Valentines (literally...valentines tied to the stem of apples)
--Heart-Shaped Satchet (a heart-shaped pillow filled with potpourri, decorated with ribbons and lace)
--Trinket Box (a box mod-podged with valentine-themed paper cut-outs)
--February Fun (activities such as: I Sent My Love a Valentine (a game similar to duck-duck goose), Valentine Queen (Easter egg hunt but for Valentine's), andPin the Heart On the Valentine (like pin the tail on the donkey))
A Piney Point Adventure -- Piney Point holds a special place in Samantha's heart but it can be a bit difficult to keep yourself busy when you're surrounded by woods. Here are some of the fun things Samantha did to entertain herself:
--Paint an Impression (using paints of any kind, make a picture using colorful dots)
--Seashell Picture Frame
--Pressed Flower Bookmark
--Soap Bubbles (making a bubble mix and a homemade bubble wand)
--Make a Bug Collection (catch, draw and release cute critters)
--Glass Paperweight (a glass with a little scene underneath)
--Leaf-Print Wrapping Paper
--Nut Crunch Apples (cored and baked apples, filled with a cinnamon-walnut-brown sugar mix)
--Games at Piney Point (Hoop and Stick (literally, rolling a hoop with a stick), Plum Pudding (a form of hopscotch))
By the Fireside -- Long, dark winter evenings meant that Samantha had to find her own fun through crafting and baking. These are some wintry activities she would do to keep herself busy:
--Silhouettes (tracing a shadow onto black paper and cutting it out)
--Ice cream snowballs (ice cream, coconut and ladyfinger cookies)
--Toss Pillow (a mini throw pillow, with tassels on the corners)
--Candy Crystals (homemade rock candy grown in a glass)
--Gingerbread (more similar to a bar or baked bread rather than gingerbread cookies)
--Fireside Games (Twine the Garland (similar to the Human Knot game), I am a Gold Lock (a word game), Get Shocked (a pretend electric shock game), Tableaux Vivants (similar to charades)
End of Book Information
The book ends with a selection of other historical books, songs and movies set during the early 1900s as well as a few museums that feature exhibits about Samantha's Era. There was also templates for the crafts that required such material.
Overall Thoughts
This is an incredibly thorough book - the crafts, recipes and games felt very well-researched.
I liked the paragraphs at the start of each section that delved into the history behind the events or activities that were common place during Samantha's era.
I was also impressed by how each item would also have a mini-blurb giving further historical context or providing historical facts. For example, the "Make a Bug Collection" section talked about the popularity of collecting natural objects (rocks, bugs, flowers) and "Candy Crystals" talked about how Wilson Bently took the first photograph of a snowflake through a microscope in 1885.
That being said, there was one major thing that disappointed me about this book and brought this five-star read down to 3 stars.
The. Repetition.
For context, I've also reviewed Samantha's Craftbook and Samantha's Cook Book and thoroughly enjoyed both books (note: they were published about 7-8 years before Friendship Fun).
And immediately, I noticed that Friendship Fun basically copied and pasted all of the crafts and recipes from those two books. Which is within the American Girl company's right...but it also wasn't made apparent on the book blurb.
From Samantha's Craftbook, Friendship Fun literally takes the same photographs, text and even instructional drawings from
Furthermore, when I compared Samantha's Cook Book I noticed even further overlap. This includes the:
Literally, at this point it would be simpler to point out which recipes or crafts weren't lifted from a previous book...and I'm honestly wondering if there's another book out there that the 'unique' items from Friendship Fun came from.
You may be wondering...what is the point? Why go into so much detail for a book 20 years old.
WELL. If you are like me and enjoy historical fiction, and want to pick up some of the companion crafting/cookbooks...you may look Samantha's Friendship Fun and think...hmm. I don't have that one. Why not grab it for my collection?
And when there isn't a goodreads review, and no preview on Amazon...you might decided to buy it anyway and then eagerly wait for the mail lady to come by...and when she does and you open your book...your heart sinks as you realize that it's pretty much the same as the other books you have...just repackaged a little differently.
We start with a section about common practices in Samantha's time - such as expectations for etiquette, how school worked, and fashion.
From there we transition into the five main sections: Afternoon Calls, Sunday Brunch, Valentine's Day Fun, A Piney Point Adventure, and By the Fireside.
Afternoon Calls -- Samantha and Grandmary would often 'call upon' friends in the early afternoon. We learn the proper attire and manners for such a visit. From there, we learn how to make:
--The Latest Frills (how to make a signature Samantha hairbow)
--Calling Cards (small business cards that were embellished and traded)
--Fancy Fan
--Jelly Biscuits (jam filled cookies)
--Petit Fours (throwback to Happy Birthday Samantha!)
--Chicken Salad Sandwiches
--Cream Cheese and Walnut Sandwiches
--Lemon Ice (a lemon and orange snowcone)
Sunday Brunch -- We learn that Mrs. Hawkins would make a weekly special Sunday brunch for Grandmary and Samantha, and that Samantha use the following crafts and recipes to make it special:
--Flower Basket (a paper folded into a box and decorated with flowers)
--Stand-Up Napkins (how to fold cloth napkins, as well as an explanation for how to set the table during Samantha's era)
--Blueberry Muffins
--Saratoga Potatoes (lightly fried potatoes, but not potato chips from what I can tell)
--Brunch Punch (a lemony-orangy-pineapple iced drink)
--Sunday Ham (literally just hot ham with the rind cut off)
--Strawberries and cream (as in whipped cream!!)
--Cheesy Omelet
Valentine's Day Fun -- Samantha adores Valentine's day and enjoys making crafts and baking treats for her friends and family.
--Sweet Heart Cookies (plain sugar cookies with icing)
--Victorian Valentines (old-fashioned paper valentines)
--Apple Valentines (literally...valentines tied to the stem of apples)
--Heart-Shaped Satchet (a heart-shaped pillow filled with potpourri, decorated with ribbons and lace)
--Trinket Box (a box mod-podged with valentine-themed paper cut-outs)
--February Fun (activities such as: I Sent My Love a Valentine (a game similar to duck-duck goose), Valentine Queen (Easter egg hunt but for Valentine's), andPin the Heart On the Valentine (like pin the tail on the donkey))
A Piney Point Adventure -- Piney Point holds a special place in Samantha's heart but it can be a bit difficult to keep yourself busy when you're surrounded by woods. Here are some of the fun things Samantha did to entertain herself:
--Paint an Impression (using paints of any kind, make a picture using colorful dots)
--Seashell Picture Frame
--Pressed Flower Bookmark
--Soap Bubbles (making a bubble mix and a homemade bubble wand)
--Make a Bug Collection (catch, draw and release cute critters)
--Glass Paperweight (a glass with a little scene underneath)
--Leaf-Print Wrapping Paper
--Nut Crunch Apples (cored and baked apples, filled with a cinnamon-walnut-brown sugar mix)
--Games at Piney Point (Hoop and Stick (literally, rolling a hoop with a stick), Plum Pudding (a form of hopscotch))
By the Fireside -- Long, dark winter evenings meant that Samantha had to find her own fun through crafting and baking. These are some wintry activities she would do to keep herself busy:
--Silhouettes (tracing a shadow onto black paper and cutting it out)
--Ice cream snowballs (ice cream, coconut and ladyfinger cookies)
--Toss Pillow (a mini throw pillow, with tassels on the corners)
--Candy Crystals (homemade rock candy grown in a glass)
--Gingerbread (more similar to a bar or baked bread rather than gingerbread cookies)
--Fireside Games (Twine the Garland (similar to the Human Knot game), I am a Gold Lock (a word game), Get Shocked (a pretend electric shock game), Tableaux Vivants (similar to charades)
End of Book Information
The book ends with a selection of other historical books, songs and movies set during the early 1900s as well as a few museums that feature exhibits about Samantha's Era. There was also templates for the crafts that required such material.
Overall Thoughts
This is an incredibly thorough book - the crafts, recipes and games felt very well-researched.
I liked the paragraphs at the start of each section that delved into the history behind the events or activities that were common place during Samantha's era.
I was also impressed by how each item would also have a mini-blurb giving further historical context or providing historical facts. For example, the "Make a Bug Collection" section talked about the popularity of collecting natural objects (rocks, bugs, flowers) and "Candy Crystals" talked about how Wilson Bently took the first photograph of a snowflake through a microscope in 1885.
That being said, there was one major thing that disappointed me about this book and brought this five-star read down to 3 stars.
The. Repetition.
For context, I've also reviewed Samantha's Craftbook and Samantha's Cook Book and thoroughly enjoyed both books (note: they were published about 7-8 years before Friendship Fun).
And immediately, I noticed that Friendship Fun basically copied and pasted all of the crafts and recipes from those two books. Which is within the American Girl company's right...but it also wasn't made apparent on the book blurb.
From Samantha's Craftbook, Friendship Fun literally takes the same photographs, text and even instructional drawings from
Furthermore, when I compared Samantha's Cook Book I noticed even further overlap. This includes the:
Literally, at this point it would be simpler to point out which recipes or crafts weren't lifted from a previous book...and I'm honestly wondering if there's another book out there that the 'unique' items from Friendship Fun came from.
You may be wondering...what is the point? Why go into so much detail for a book 20 years old.
WELL. If you are like me and enjoy historical fiction, and want to pick up some of the companion crafting/cookbooks...you may look Samantha's Friendship Fun and think...hmm. I don't have that one. Why not grab it for my collection?
And when there isn't a goodreads review, and no preview on Amazon...you might decided to buy it anyway and then eagerly wait for the mail lady to come by...and when she does and you open your book...your heart sinks as you realize that it's pretty much the same as the other books you have...just repackaged a little differently.
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