Do children see emotional consolation during times of hardship as a cue for close relationships? In this study, 6- to 8-year-old children in the U.S. (N = 62) were presented with vignettes in which a protagonist experiences a hardship. The protagonist then tells one of two side characters (i.e., their ‘friend’) that they either felt sad or okay about the situation, and the character either hugs or does not hug the protagonist. Children inferred that side characters who consoled when the protagonist felt sad were (i) better friends with the protagonist, (ii) more likely to be shared the protagonist’s secret, and (iii) more likely to be reciprocated emotional support by the protagonist in the future. Together, these findings suggest that children see consolation during hardship as a cue for social affiliation and may use emotional support to differentiate among positive social relationships.