Introduction
In this blog post, we will explore the importance of teaching kindergarten students the valuable skill of helping others and being good friends. This concept is a fundamental aspect of Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and helps promote positive thoughts, feelings, and expectations among peers. By learning to help others, students can also experience a sense of personal satisfaction and happiness. We will discuss an easy, no-prep activity, followed by some engaging discussion questions, and mention related skills that can be further developed in young learners.
No-Prep Activity: The Helping Hands Game
This simple activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator. The objective of the game is for students to practice offering help to their classmates in various situations.
- Ask students to stand in a circle, facing each other.
- Explain that they will take turns pretending to need help with a task, such as carrying a heavy item, tying their shoelaces, or opening a door.
- The student in the center of the circle will act out the situation, while the others observe.
- Encourage the observing students to raise their hands if they would like to help their classmate in the center.
- Select one or more students to explain how they would help in that situation, then allow them to switch places with the student in the center.
- Repeat the process, allowing each student a chance to practice both asking for and offering help.
This activity helps students recognize when others need help, practice offering assistance, and understand the positive feelings that come from helping others.
Discussion Questions
- How did it feel when you offered help to someone in the activity? How do you think it made the other person feel?
- What are some other ways we can help our friends and classmates at school?
- Can you think of a time when someone helped you? How did that make you feel?
- Why is it important to help others, even if we are busy or having fun with something else?
- How does helping others make us better friends?
Related Skills
In addition to helping others, there are several other SEL skills that can be developed in kindergarten students to foster positive relationships and personal growth. These include:
- Active listening: Paying close attention to what others are saying and responding appropriately.
- Empathy: Understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
- Cooperation: Working together with others to achieve a common goal.
- Conflict resolution: Solving problems and disagreements in a respectful and constructive manner.
- Respect: Treating others with kindness, consideration, and fairness.
Next Steps
Now that you have learned about the importance of teaching kindergarteners the value of helping others and being good friends, we invite you to explore more SEL resources for free. Sign up for free sample materials at Everyday Speech to access a variety of engaging activities, videos, and lesson plans designed to help students develop essential SEL skills.
