Coming up on the next year, I always get super reflective and start thinking about the bigger picture, what are the biggest concerns and triumphs of the world currently, and how I fit into it at all. Am I the only one? 🙂
While in the midst of self-awareness session, I started thinking about how The Golden Rule could really change the world if more people followed it. Spreading love and kindness to all can be contagious.
So how could I help in that cause? I mean, I am just a teacher blogger who typically shares about classroom organizational ideas. But, what if I shared something that was a vehicle for spreading kindness to teachers, who them shared with their students? Could that make an impact, even if it were a small ripple? I’d like to think if this small activity makes even one child smile, then it truly has served it’s purpose.
Student Practice in Spreading Kindness
I’d like to believe everyone is born with kindness in their hearts, but as we get older, some are not exposed to it as much as others. Having kindness in acts and words modeled for a child will be a key factor in whether that child continues to be kind to others when no one is watching. When the student is not seeing those acts of kindness or hearing words of encouragement, it becomes hard for that child to know how to spread kindness to others. Just like watching a caregiver cooking a traditional meal – there is no recipe needed – you just know how to do it.
In this case, the child hasn’t been exposed to the “recipe” for spreading kindness enough to have it ingrained. Maybe he or she just needs he practice.
Here is a fun classroom game which doesn’t require fancy equipment or a ton of time.
The Nice Dice Game
This game is appropriate for students grades 2 and up. It could still be played with younger students if you did it as a class activity where you rolled the die and explained what students should be sharing with their partners.
Supplies needed include 1 die and one paper for each student pairing. Personally, I would save on paper and print enough sheets and laminate them for repeated use over and over.
How to group your students?
I prefer something simple like having students tiptoe around the room while I play music. When the music stops, their partner is the person closest to them. Pair up any outliers and they can begin. The game can be played as long as you like. If a student gets the same question, they can provide a different answer than the first time.
Pay-It-Forward Kindness just may set off a chain reaction with your students. Or it may make one student in the room smile. I would be tickled to hear about either! Please make sure to leave me a comment to let me know.
Enjoy the free game download below!
~Charity
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