Sometimes we get so focused on teaching routines and procedures at back to school that we forget that these first few weeks are primarily about building community. After all, students are much more likely to follow the rules when they have buy-in in the learning community. With that in mind, we’ve bundled two SEL activities for elementary students from our friends at hand2mind. You’ll get two activities (“Emotions and Feelings” and “Kindness”) plus the accompanying student pages. Don’t miss this great resource!
What’s included in the bundle?
Emotions and Feelings Activity
Play Emotions Bingo! Boards and cut-and-paste emotions are included. When calling out different emotions, prompt children to discuss each emotion. Use this game to open up a conversation about how to handle different emotions at home and at school. Here are question suggestions for facilitating conversation:
- What emotion is that?
- Can you show me what you look like when you’re feeling (the emotion)?
Kindness Activity
Explain to your students that kindness is an act that can make a positive impact on both the person giving and the person receiving it. Using sticky notes or the included Kindness Cards, have students think of kind words that they can write for their friends, family, or neighbors. Then have kids mail or give the cards to their recipients.
Here are some reflection questions for after the activity:
- What does kindness mean to you?
- What did you learn from this activity?
How can I use these elementary SEL activities?
Each of these activities can be completed in less than an hour. We recommend that you schedule them as part of your activities for the start of the year. They can also easily be integrated into your existing SEL curriculum, and the kindness activity could be part of your writing block. Both activities include video links and read-aloud suggestions, so take note of those as well.
Just fill out the form on this page to download your free SEL activities!