SEL activities for kids are a powerful way to develop social-emotional skills while keeping learning enjoyable and engaging. These activities help students build empathy, self-awareness, and positive relationships, making the classroom a more supportive and connected space. By incorporating creative and interactive SEL practices, teachers can foster emotional growth and help kids navigate their feelings with confidence. Let’s explore some fun and impactful SEL activities to enrich your classroom experience!
What are SEL activities for kids?
SEL (Social-emotional learning) activities are interactive and engaging for kids that help them develop essential social-emotional skills. These activities focus on building empathy, self-awareness, emotional regulation, and positive relationships. When SEL is incorporated into the classroom, teachers create a supportive environment where students can manage their emotions, communicate effectively, and build strong connections with their peers. Including SEL activities in daily routines significantly enhances students’ personal and academic growth.
15 SEL activities for kids
Here are SEL ideas that will engage kids and improve their social-emotional development:
1. Feelings Charades
Feelings Charades is among the exciting and interactive SEL activities that focus on emotional development for kids, encouraging students to explore and express their feelings through acting, fostering emotional awareness and empathy.
By portraying various emotions, children will gain a better understanding of how to express themselves and recognize the feelings of others.
Materials Needed:
- Emotion cards (cards with different emotions written or illustrated)
- A timer (optional)
How to Do:
- Create a set of emotion cards that include various feelings like happy, sad, frustrated, surprised, etc.
- Shuffle the cards and give one card to each student or group.
- Students take turns acting out the emotion without speaking, while the rest of the class guesses the emotion.
- Discuss how the different emotions are expressed and what makes each emotion unique.
2. Compliment Web
This activity helps build self-esteem and positive peer relationships by encouraging kids to give and receive compliments. It fosters a supportive classroom environment where students practice kindness and acknowledgment of each other’s positive traits.
Materials Needed:
- A ball of yarn or string
How to Do:
- Have students sit in a circle.
- The first student holds the ball of yarn, gives a compliment to someone across the circle, and then throws the ball of yarn to them while holding onto the end of the string.
- The next student gives a compliment to another peer, throws the yarn, and so on.
- Continue until everyone has received a compliment, forming a web of kindness.
3. Emotion Wheel
The Emotion Wheel helps students identify and understand their emotions, making it easier for them to regulate their feelings. It’s a visual tool that encourages students to explore a range of emotions and reflect on their emotional experiences.
Materials Needed:
- A large paper plate or cardboard
- Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
- A paper clip and pencil (for the spinner)
How to Do:
- Divide the paper plate into segments, each labeled with a different emotion (happy, sad, angry, excited, etc.).
- Create a spinner using a paper clip and a pencil.
- Students take turns spinning the wheel and discussing a time when they felt that emotion, as well as how they handled it.
4. Gratitude Journal
A gratitude journal activity helps kids reflect on positive things in their lives, promoting an optimistic mindset and emotional resilience. By regularly acknowledging things they’re thankful for, children can develop a more positive outlook and manage stress more effectively.
Materials Needed:
- Blank notebooks or journals
- Markers or stickers for decoration
How to Do:
- Provide each student with a journal and ask them to write or draw three things they are grateful for each day.
- Encourage students to share their gratitude entries with the class, focusing on the importance of recognizing the good things in their lives.
- This activity can be done daily or weekly, depending on the time available.
5. Mood Meter
The Mood Meter is one of the most effective SEL activities for kids, allowing them to track their emotions throughout the day. By visually mapping their feelings, students can recognize emotional patterns, understand their triggers, and develop strategies to manage their emotions.
Materials Needed:
- Printed mood meter chart
- Stickers or markers
How to Do:
- Create a mood meter with four quadrants, each representing different emotions (e.g., red for anger, blue for sadness, yellow for happiness, green for calm).
- Ask students to choose a color that best represents their mood at various points during the day.
- Discuss the importance of recognizing how they feel and how to regulate their emotions accordingly.
6. Mindfulness Breathing
Mindfulness breathing helps students calm their minds and bodies, promoting emotional regulation and focus. This activity teaches kids how to slow down, focus on the present moment, and manage stress or anxiety through controlled breathing techniques.
Materials Needed:
- A quiet space in the classroom
How to Do:
- Lead students through a series of deep breathing exercises, such as inhaling for four counts, holding for four counts, and exhaling for four counts.
- Encourage students to focus on their breath and release any tension in their bodies.
- Practice this activity at the beginning or end of the day to help students center themselves.
7. Random Acts of Kindness Challenge
This activity fosters kindness and empathy by encouraging students to perform small acts of kindness for their classmates. It emphasizes the importance of making others feel valued and the positive impact of kindness in the classroom.
Materials Needed:
- A list of kind acts (optional)
- A jar or container to collect slips of paper
How to Do:
- Challenge students to complete one random act of kindness each day, such as complimenting someone or helping a peer with homework.
- Have students write their act of kindness on a slip of paper and put it in the jar.
- At the end of the week, read some of the acts of kindness aloud and celebrate the positive contributions.
8. Classroom Emotions Chart
This chart helps students share their emotions in a safe and supportive environment, promoting emotional awareness. It offers a visual way for kids to express their feelings without verbalizing them, helping foster open communication and emotional support among peers.
Materials Needed:
- A large poster or chart with labeled emotion categories
- Stickers or magnets
How to Do:
- Place the chart on a wall or board in the classroom.
- Each day, students can place a sticker or magnet next to the emotion that best reflects how they are feeling.
- Discuss the chart during morning meetings and talk about different ways to cope with difficult emotions.
9. SEL Bingo
SEL Bingo is a fun game that helps students practice important social-emotional skills such as empathy, gratitude, and cooperation. It’s a great way to encourage students to actively engage in SEL while enjoying a game with their peers.
Materials Needed:
- Printed bingo cards with SEL activities (e.g., “Give a compliment,” “Help a friend,” “Say thank you”)
- Markers or stickers
How to Do:
- Provide students with bingo cards filled with SEL activities.
- As students complete activities during the week, they mark off the corresponding squares.
- The first student to complete a row or column wins a prize.
10. Feelings Thermometer
The Emotion Thermometer is an effective tool designed for kids in SEL activities, helping them develop emotional awareness, assess the intensity of their emotions, and manage their feelings.
The thermometer provides a visual guide to understanding how emotions change throughout the day, helping children recognize when they need to take a break or use coping strategies.
Materials Needed:
- A thermometer graphic (printed or drawn)
- Color markers or stickers
How to Do:
- Draw or print a thermometer with a range of emotions from “calm” at the bottom to “angry” at the top.
- Ask students to rate their emotions by placing a marker or sticker at the level that corresponds with how they feel.
- Discuss strategies for cooling down when emotions run high.
Save your prep time with our feeling thermometer worksheet!
11. Story Time Emotions
Using stories to explore emotions helps students understand characters’ feelings and connect them to their own experiences. This activity encourages empathy as students reflect on how different emotions affect the characters’ actions and decisions.
Materials Needed:
- A selection of books with strong emotional themes
- Paper and pencils for drawing or writing
How to Do:
- Read a story that highlights different emotions, such as “The Color Monster” or “When Sophie Gets Angry.”
- After reading, discuss the emotions of the characters and how they handled their feelings.
- Ask students to draw or write about a time when they felt the same way as a character in the story.
12. Emotion Sorting Game
The Emotion Sorting Game teaches kids to categorize emotions and understand the difference between various feelings. This hands-on activity encourages students to think critically about emotional vocabulary and its various nuances.
Materials Needed:
- A set of emotion cards with different feelings written or illustrated
- Sorting baskets or containers
How to Do:
- Provide students with a set of emotion cards.
- Ask them to sort the cards into different categories based on similar feelings (e.g., happy, sad, angry).
- Discuss how different emotions can be grouped and the importance of identifying specific feelings.
13. SEL Reflection Journal
Journaling regularly about their feelings encourages students to reflect on their social-emotional growth and track their progress over time. Through consistent introspection, they develop a deeper understanding of their emotional development and cultivate the habit of self-reflection.
Materials Needed:
- Journals or notebooks
- Writing prompts
How to Do:
- Provide students with writing prompts related to SEL, such as “What made you feel proud today?” or “How did you handle a difficult situation?”
- Encourage students to reflect on their feelings and behaviors and write or draw about their experiences.
- Use the journals to track emotional growth over the school year.
14. Stress Ball Squeeze
Squeezing a stress ball allows students to manage stress by focusing on their physical sensations and using relaxation techniques. This simple exercise provides a calming effect, helping them release tension and feel more centered.
Materials Needed:
- Stress balls or any small, squeezable object
How to Do:
- Give each student a stress ball.
- Instruct them to squeeze the ball while focusing on their breath.
- Encourage students to use this technique when they are feeling stressed or overwhelmed.
15. The Kindness Tree
The Kindness Tree is a great way to get kids involved in SEL activities. It encourages students to practice kindness and celebrate positive behaviors throughout the year, creating a visual reminder of the good deeds happening in the classroom.
Materials Needed:
- Paper tree or bulletin board, Paper leaves
- Markers
How to Do:
- Create a tree on a bulletin board or wall.
- As students perform acts of kindness, they write or draw their actions on paper leaves and add them to the tree.
- Celebrate the growth of the tree and the kindness shown by the class.
Sum up
Integrating SEL activities for kids in the classroom promotes emotional growth and a supportive environment. By incorporating them regularly, teachers empower students to manage emotions and build healthy relationships.
Embracing SEL enhances classroom culture and provides children with the tools they need to succeed academically and personally. Ready to make a difference? Start integrating SEL activities into your classroom today and watch your students thrive in every aspect of their lives!
