How to Teach Kindness in the Preschool Classroom

Inside: How to teach kindness in the preschool classroom is important, especially today when we need it the most. We add different fun and easy activities to our lesson plans that encourage the children to find the good in others, and treat them well.

Learning how to teach kindness in the classroom is one of our most important jobs as teachers.

From the moment our toddlers start their school year, we are working on teaching them how to care for others. We start working on empathy. Young children are very egocentric, so it takes great work to help them recognize the needs of others.

But we work on it. Every single day. From the first day they arrive as toddlers until the last day of pre-kindergarten, when they are ready to move on to the big world of kindergarten. We are setting the stage for their future years.

It is THAT important.

 

How to Teach Kindness in the Preschool Classroom

This isn’t the first time I’ve written about kindness. I was part of a kindness blog hop a few years back, where we all shared ways we have taught our young children how to be kind. I also shared how we focused on kindness during the Christmas season. But I honestly don’t think I can write enough on this topic. It is that near and dear to my heart.

I take these types of pictures often during our school year:

This photo shows how one child reached out to another. It felt so natural.

Recently one of my blogging friends, Anna from The Imagination Tree, created The Kindness Elves. They were part of our Christmas theme, as I mentioned earlier. When I learned that there was a teacher packet to go along with The Kindness Elves, as well as a new book, The Story of the Kindness Elves, I decided to add it to our curriculum.

Kind Classroom is an eBook packed full of helpful resources and printable materials for teachers using the Kindness Elves in their classrooms.

The Kindness Elves are the perfect addition to the classroom setting as they make wonderful mascots and are encouragers of kind and caring behaviour towards others.”

 

The Story of the Kindness Elves

In the clouds not too far above your home, live the teeny tiny Kindness Elves who spend their days making special kindness potions. One day they discover they need the help of some very special children on a very important kindness mission!”

I divided this beautiful book so it could be read during  3 days. I really wanted our young children to absorb how special these kindness elves were, and how they encouraged others to be kind. I was amazed at all the thoughtful comments my preschoolers gave!

 

Our Kindness Shelf

In the Kind Classroom ebook it’s suggested to create a kindness shelf. I placed our kindness elves and their home on the shelf, along with their book (The Story of the Kindness Elves).  I also added other kindness books and our kindness mailbox.

 

During our centers time, I placed our kindness mailbox on a table, along with the kindness elves and heart-shaped paper, stickers, and pens.

Our preschoolers could not wait to write notes to each other and to their family members!

It warmed my heart to see that mailbox fill!

By the end of the week our preschoolers were very skilled at creating love notes.

They wrote so many notes to Sparkle and Pop that their mailbox got jammed.

We had to come up with another place to store our notes for the kindness elves. We found the perfect heart-shaped box.

I introduced our kindness stone during our circle time. I explained that when this stone is in our hands, we think good thoughts about someone else.

We say something kind about another friend in our classroom, and then we pass the kindness stone to the next child.

And when I saw 2 friends holding hands as we went our our letter hunt around the building, my heart was full.

This brought tears to my eyes, as I mentioned on my Instagram picture. This confirms why I love my job. I adore their tender hearts.

 

And now there are NEW elves!

Introducing 8 new Kindness Elves Characters to the family, 4 in lovely pink clothes and another 4 in beautiful green. Aren’t they so sweet?

 

 

 

Simply head over to The Kindness Elves and place your order!

 

 

 

Want to create a kind classroom?

 

Related posts:

Using the Kindness Elves with Preschoolers

Teaching Kindness During the Christmas Season

Creating a Fun Camp Kindness with the Kindness Elves