Before our family left for our year of travel last month, we wanted to catch up with friends to say goodbye so I planned some kindness inspired get-togethers using the lovely resources from our friends at BucketFillers101.com. One was a “party in the park” and the other was a book reading at my son’s preschool. At both events we… {read more}
Activities for Kids
Activities for Kids
Children learn best through play, storytelling, singing, metaphors, and hands-on experiences. So why not use these activities to teach kids the most important life skills of compassion, kindness, and communication with others?
The activities below are aimed at helping kids develop a deeper understanding of positive character traits and patterns that will help them grow as individuals as well as get along better with others. Example learning objectives include:
~ How to communicate with respect
~ Being truthful
~ Feeling empathy for others
~ Finding ways to be generous
~ Practicing friendliness
Browse the articles:
Helping Children Let Go of Strong Emotions {Free Printable}
I remember holding on to anger and pain after my mother died. Part of me was looped into the painful misunderstanding that these emotions connected me to her. I let pain dwell inside me longer than necessary. I let anger rest in my soul until there was no one left to be angry with but… {read more}
Craft Activity to Teach Kids about Mining Their Inner Gems
My youngest son, who is now a few months shy of 5 years old, loves to paint and create. I have to admit that over the past year, after becoming a mother to three kids, it has been more challenging for me to offer lots of messy play activities including arts and crafts. The baby needs attending… {read more}
How to Help Kids Manage Anger with a 4-Step Tool {Free Printable}
Keep your eye on the FIRE! We’ve all been there, that moment when we’ve gone too far. We’ve burned the bridge, watched a friendship disappear in flames, or found ourselves going through the ashes while we tried to turn back time. If only we had kept our eye on the fire… Maybe, we could have… {read more}
Teach Kids About Virtues: Storybook + Free Printable Activities
Storytelling is a unique way to reach children and share tools that can help them throughout life. Mason’s Greatest Gems is a recently published storybook about a little boy who finds a treasure in his back yard. His mother then likens the gemstone to virtues, and explains how we can all mine our own inner gems… {read more}
How to Help Kids Explore the World
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert Some of the most meaningful memories of my life have been made while traveling. I studied abroad for a semester in Ghana during university, spent two summers doing research in Singapore, undertook my honours thesis research in Papua… {read more}
{Rosie & Blue} Blue tells some jokes – Learning about kindness
Rosie is sick and Blue wants to help, so he decides to tell some jokes to cheer her up. Watch the latest episode of Rosie & Blue called “Blue tells some jokes” here: Virtue featured: Kindness is being considerate and generous to someone. When we are kind, we look for ways to help other people and make them happy. Discussion questions:… {read more}
{Rosie & Blue} Rosie makes muffins – Learning about patience
Rosie is making muffins but Blue is really hungry right now! They discuss what to do when you feel impatient. Watch the latest episode of Rosie & Blue called “Rosie makes muffins” here:
{Rosie & Blue} Blue starts swimming lessons – Learning about courage
Blue is nervous about starting swimming lessons. Rosie shares what helped her when she was scared about going down the slide! Watch the latest episode of Rosie & Blue called “Blue starts swimming lessons” here:
{Rosie & Blue} Rosie wants a new toy – Learning about gratitude
Rosie wants a new toy, and Blue can empathise. He shares a technique for fighting the desire to want more, more, more! Watch the latest episode of Rosie & Blue called “Rosie wants a new toy” here:
5 Activities to Learn about Kindness (Bucket Filler Resources)
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids is a fun and effective introduction to what kindness is. Our family loves it so much that we use it at home and share it with friends all the time. A few months ago, my husband and I visited our sons’ classrooms (preschool and Grade… {read more}
“Rosie & Blue” Free Printable Colouring Sheet
A few months ago I introduced you to Rosie and Blue, two loveable characters who teach young children about virtues. Read more about them and where they came from in this post. Rosie and Blue are nearly ready to make their first puppet show appearance but until then – here’s a colouring page to enjoy… {read more}
Back to School Treasure Hunt
And just like that – the school holidays are over and it’s back to school! As the first day of school drew nearer I began to get an urge. I wanted to talk with my boys about how important it is to reach out to a child who is sitting alone in the corner…
Creating a Wall of Kindness (Bucket Filler Activities!)
After thoroughly enjoying our new Circle of Light CD over the past couple weeks (read my review of this awesome CD that teaches kids to live a lifestyle of kindness here!), I decided to do a simple activity with the kids to further discuss the message of bucket filling. The idea was that we would dedicate a wall in… {read more}
DIY Letter Writing Kit
My kids recently started a pen pal relationship with two children who live across the ocean. A friend I met when I did volunteer work in Israel (who is actually originally from the Philippines and now lives in Ireland) has children of the same age and, after discussing the possibility of our kids becoming pen pals via Facebook, we just received our first… {read more}
13 Literacy Activities That Build Character
My oldest son (now five and a half years old) is learning to write and read, so I have been brainstorming ideas for literacy activities that build character to include in our regular activity time. By now he has a fairly good working knowledge of quite a few character traits, so our activities can easily… {read more}
100 (More) Activities to Teach Kids Good Character
Since publishing 100 Kids Activities to Build Character, I have been overwhelmed by the positive response of parents and teachers who have been using my activities and resources in their homes and classrooms. It brings me great joy to know that the ideas are reaching so many children around the world. (Thank you for your kind… {read more}
10+ Simple Handmade Gifts from Children
Making and giving handmade presents has several character building benefits for children: They have an opportunity to demonstrate empathy by thinking about what another person would like and creativity by choosing a unique gift to make for them. They have the chance to think about friendship by looking for ways to make their friends happy and thoughtfulness by making someone else feel loved and appreciated. They will… {read more}
10 {Fun!} Ways to Help Kids Appreciate Diversity
One quality I hope to encourage my children to develop is a deep appreciation for others, regardless of sex, age, religious or cultural background. Being a multicultural family our kids have seen that it is fun to learn about new countries and cultures through traveling to see family members and enjoying the various customs of relatives that we… {read more}
5 Ways to Help Children Develop Generosity
Generosity is a wonderful trait to develop year round, but I especially try to focus on “giving” during times and events when the family (and much of society) is tempted to focus on “getting.” Here are five ways to add an element of generosity into birthdays and holidays:
6 Hands-On Activities to Teach Kids About Patience
When I explain character traits to my kids along with an activity they can experience through their senses, it is always more memorable (as well as fun). For example, showing that love is like the sun that warms us and brings light to the world… by going outside and feeling the sunshine. Or explaining how… {read more}
