A guide for using our resources

Children will discuss ways they can be kind.

Social and Life Skills: relationship skills

Simple, spectacular ideas to boost your lessons.

• When Tanisha spills grape juice on her new dress, a classmate wants to be kind. But what does that really mean?
• This story provides children with actionable ideas for small, easy ways to show kindness.

• Foster kindness in the classroom with a simple motivational tool. Display a clear glass jar and keep a supply of pom-poms handy.
• Every time you see a child being kind, point it out and place a pompom in the jar. When the jar is full, have a celebration!

• K is for kindness! Together, find and circle every uppercase and lowercase k in the issue.

Skill: social and life skills

Materials: paper plate, cotton balls, sandpaper, glue

• In advance, take a paper plate and glue cotton balls to cover one side and sandpaper to cover the other side.
• Pass the plate around a circle. Have kids touch each side and describe it. The cotton feels soft and good, while the sandpaper feels rough and like it might hurt. Explain that words and actions can be the same way!
• Talk about “sandpaper” behavior, such as teasing or leaving  someone out. Why is it wrong? How can it hurt others? Then discuss “cotton ball” behavior, such as giving someone a compliment and including everyone in a game.
• Wrap up the activity by having each child say something “cottony” (You’re a good friend; I like your shirt) to the child sitting on their right.