As a teacher, you are not just teaching minds, you are shaping hearts. But nurturing empathy and kindness within the chaos of the classroom can be challenging. Between tight schedules, diverse student needs, and resource constraints, how do you make social-emotional learning – SEL fun and effective? Fill-a-bucket activity ideas are perfect solutions. These activities teach students that every act of kindness “fills” an invisible bucket, boosting both the giver’s and receiver’s confidence. In this post, we walk you through some awesome ideas for fill-a-bucket activities along with detailed guidance and printable resources, making your kindness lessons much more fun and easy! Scroll down for more interactive ideas!
About a bucket filler
The concept of a “bucket filler” comes from a popular children’s book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud. This idea uses the metaphor of an invisible bucket that everybody carries. If we say or do something kind, such as giving a compliment, helping a friend, or showing gratitude, we fill our bucket and the other person’s bucket with good things. Conversely, when we are unkind, such as teasing, excluding someone, or being mean, we dip into the bucket and leave it empty.
Here is why you should include this activity in your class:
- Enhances social-emotional skills: Assists children in developing empathy, kindness, and emotional awareness that makes them more considerate and compassionate.
- Creates a positive class environment: Boosts respect, appreciation, and being appreciated by others, building a warm and friendly classroom.
- Reduces bullying and negative behavior: When children are busy filling buckets, they will become increasingly aware of what they say and do, which helps lower unkind behavior.
- Encourages teamwork and friendships: Strengthens communication, cooperation, and peer relationships for students to work together, celebrating each other’s successes.
- Builds confidence and lasting happiness: Teaching kindness not only helps people; it helps make kids happier and confident about themselves, hence reinforcing their psyches positively.
Small acts of kindness create ripples, so let’s explore some ideas to start filling buckets in your classroom!
The 3 best fill-a-bucket activity ideas for your classroom
1. Classroom kindness challenge
What it is: This is a fun, week-long challenge where kids receive “drops” for each act of kindness, filling their class bucket together! This activity builds teamwork and encourages positivity, making kindness an everyday habit.
How to run it:
Step 1: Print a Kindness challenge tracker
Create a Kindness challenge tracker, comprising simple acts of kindness to do each day, such as the following:
- Monday: Hold the door for someone.
- Tuesday: Write a thank-you note to someone helping you.
- Wednesday: Compliment a classmate.
- Thursday: Help clean up the classroom.
- Friday: Invite someone new to join a game.
Then hang it in the classroom for tracking.
Download this Kindness challenger tracker or create your own on Worksheetzone!
Step 2: Track their kindness
Each time a student completes a task, they place a sticker on a shared class bucket poster. Watch the bucket fill up with kindness throughout the week!
Download this useful worksheet template for your activity!
Step 3: Celebrate success
If the class reaches 100 stickers, celebrate their kindness by offering a sweet party, extra recess, or a special treat of your choice!
With this idea, you can make a fun and engaging challenge to make kindness rewarding while building a strong, positive classroom community.
2. Kindness compliment cards: Fill a friend’s bucket with words
What it is: A heartwarming activity where students write positive, introspective compliments to their peers – one thoughtful note card at a time.
How to run it:
Step 1: Hand the compliment card templates
Prepare a complimentary card template with colorful designs to make the activity fresh and engaging.
Download this Kindness compliment card now!
Step 2: Teach the “Compliment Formula”
Help students come up with specific compliments using these two easy rules:
- Be specific: Instead of saying “You’re nice,” say, “I loved how you shared your markers with me today!”
- Be sincere: Think of genuine compliments that let your classmates know they are noticed and appreciated.
Step 3: Set up an Acts-of-Kindness Mailbox
Decorate a box in the classroom. Throughout the week, students can put their cards with compliments inside. At Friday circle time or other designated moments, read them and watch the smiles!
Step 4: Activity extension for older students
Introduce peer-editing checklists to refine compliments before they’re delivered, for grades 3-6. It gets them to think deeply and builds better writing skills!
A simple note can light up someone’s day. Let’s start filling buckets with kind words!
3. Bucket filler vs Bucket dippers sorting game
What it is: An interactive, hands-on game where students learn to identify kind versus unkind behaviors through sorting actions into the “Bucket Filler” or “Bucket Dipper” category. This activity provides a great way to build empathy, self-awareness, and critical thinking in young children. The physical nature of sorting the actions makes the concept of “bucket filling” internalized within the students in a fun and interactive manner.
How to run it:
Step 1: Create sorting cards
Prepare a Bucket fillers vs Bucket dippers sorting game set, which includes:
- Two sorting labels represent bucket fillers (for positive actions) and bucket dippers (for unkind behaviors).
- A set of illustrated action cards which are filled with different everyday actions, such as:
- Bucket fillers: “Sharing your crayons with a friend”, “Giving someone a high-five for a great effort”, or “Being honest”.
- Bucket dippers: “Interrupting someone while they’re speaking”, “Laughing when a classmate makes a mistake”, or “Being disrespectful”.
Download the printable Bucket Fillers vs Bucket Dippers sorting game set from Worksheetzone to save time!
Step 2: Physical setup of the sorting area
Place the Bucket Filler and Bucket Dipper labels on a board, table, or floor space. Place the action cards in an easy-to-access pile.
Step 3: Play the sorting game
- Read aloud the action card or show the picture.
- Ask the students to talk about it and decide if it is Bucket Filler or Bucket Dipper behavior.
- Have them take turns putting the card into the proper category.
- Ask students to explain their reasoning for deeper insight.
Step 4: Reflect and discuss
Wrap up the activity by holding a class discussion:
- How do bucket-filling actions make people feel?
- What can we do to turn a bucket-dipping action into a bucket-filling one?
- Which of these bucket-filling actions can we do more often in our classroom?
This interactive game makes kindness visible, memorable, and meaningful, one sorted action at a time!
Final thoughts
Fill-a-bucket activities aren’t just classroom activities, they are the seeds for a kind class culture. Remember to utilize free printable materials by Worksheetzone and you can:
- Save hours creating these from scratch.
- Engage your visual learners with kid-friendly colorful designs.
- Easily align your activities to the SEL standards.
Ready for interesting SEL lessons? Browning Worksheetzone with the keyword “fill-a-bucket activity” for awesome ideas now!
