Manners are extremely important to teach children, but many of the aspects of good manners are not part of the typical academic curriculum. The activities and lessons below help students learn and practice good manners in the classroom. From personal space to cafeteria manners, kids will learn the soft skills that will help them be more successful later in life. Here are 23 activities on manners for elementary students.
1. 21-Day Gratitude Challenge
The 21-Day Gratitude Challenge is perfect for a school environment or home environment. Kids will take on a different activity each day that focuses on gratitude, which is a key element of basic manners. Each behavior activity is different from day to day and encourages kids to be kind and grateful.
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2. Teach T.H.I.N.K.
Making this acronym a part of your classroom environment will help kids learn how to evaluate their actions and choices. Put this acronym up on posters and have kids repeat it each day to internalize the things they should consider before they speak or act.
Learn More: Big Life Journal
3. Crumpled Heart Exercise
This exercise is one that kids will remember for a long time. Each student will get a colorful heart shape with a different emotion on it. Kids will then say something mean to each other, and that student will crumple their hearts. After each student participates, they will try to unwrinkle the heart and they will see that it’s impossible.
Learn More: Teach Starter
4. Teach the Apology Cake
The apology cake is a great strategy to help students take ownership of their mistakes and then apologize in a positive way. The lesson comes with a visual that students can color.
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5. Watch Inside Out
Inside Out is a classic movie that kids love. Use this movie to help students think about their own emotions and the emotions of others. Specifically, use this movie to show how empathy can impact feelings, which in turn helps students think about their own manners.
Learn More: Common Sense Education
6. Classroom Pen Pals
Classroom pen pals are a great manners activity. This activity is even better if teachers can set it up between a younger class and an older class so that the older students can model good manners to the younger students.
Learn More: Thought Co.
7. Create a Manners Rhyme or Rap
There are a lot of manners rhymes and songs that teachers can find online, but teachers can also have kids develop their own good manners songs to teach the class. Kids will enjoy showing off their creativity and they will have fun creating exciting manners songs.
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8. Use Good Manners FlashCards
Good Manners flashcards are the perfect manners activity to help kids internalize and practice good manners skill sets. This game also helps kids to learn the difference between good manners and bad manners.
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9. Use Manners Mats
Manners Mats are a great tool to use for different social situations. The mats help children visualize manners and practice good manners with adults and peers. The mats focus on teaching common manners for kids to learn.
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10. Practice Handwriting Thank You Cards
Many people think that writing thank you cards is a lost art. This is a great learning activity that helps kids practice their manners in a written format, plus the written thank you note is good etiquette as well. Encourage kids to write thank you notes for birthday gifts each year.
Learn More: Bright Horizons
11. You Be the Teacher!
Have students write their own book about manners. They can fill in the blanks on the preprinted cards, or they can write their own sentences about manners, especially for upper elementary students. Students can share their books with the class.
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12. Predictably Polite Activity
Respect BINGO helps kids identify the good manners of those around them. When they see someone engaging in a respectful act listed on their BINGO card, they can color in the spot. When a student gets BINGO on their bingo game card they earn a treat or other fun prize.
Learn More: Teach This
13. Learn Etiquette Around the World
Etiquette, respect, and manners are different from country to country. Teach kids about etiquette in different countries, then help them identify different etiquette practices in the United States. Kids will learn more about our culturally diverse world, while also practicing manners.
Learn More: Teach This
14. Use an App
There are so many apps available for all ages that help kids practice using good manners. Many of the apps use a gamification approach, which kids love. The apps can be used to fill kids’ downtime and they can be used in the classroom for station work.
Learn More: Educational App Store
15. Manners Read-a-Louds
This website includes a comprehensive list of books about manners. The books appeal to different elementary grade levels and they can each be paired with other lessons on manners. The books help children focus on different manners. Many of the books also have book companion lessons.
Learn More: Read Brightly
16. Awesome Shout Outs
Giving kids shout-out cards from each other as well as from their teachers is a fantastic way to develop a culture of kindness and respect in the classroom, both of which are important for practicing good manners.
Learn More: Proud to be Primary
17. Tower of Trust
In this fun activity, kids will play a modified version of Jenga that demonstrates the importance of trust among peers. Part of teaching manners is helping students understand that both good and bad manners will influence their relationships, and this game is a great way to teach that concept.
Learn More: Proud to be Primary
18. Create a Gratitude Jar
Putting a gratitude jar in the classroom is super easy, and when kids use it, teachers will see the benefits in their classroom culture. These “Today I am grateful for…” statements encourage students to be grateful for the good people, things, and events around them.
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19. “You Fit Right In” Puzzle Bulletin Board
This activity encourages kids to think about their own identity and how they fit in with their peers around them. Each child creates their own puzzle piece and then puts their piece in with the rest of the class. This lesson teaches kids to embrace differences.
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20. Play the Ungame
The Ungame is a creative game that teaches kids how to have effective conversations with good manners. Kids learn how to cooperate to get through the game.
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21. Play The Art of Children’s Conversation
The Art of Children’s Conversation is another game that helps students practice good listening skills as well as positive conversation skills. Kids will learn how to have good manners in common situations, plus this game has unlimited replayability.
Learn More: Amazon
22. Create a Compliment Bulletin Board
Creating a class compliment board is another effective way to encourage a positive environment in the classroom. Kids can write each other compliments, and the teacher can leave compliments. This is a great way to teach kids empathy as well.
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23. Play a Cooperative Board Game
Any type of cooperative board game is going to help kids learn and practice good manners. In a cooperative board game, the players must complete the game objective as a team, rather than as individuals competing against each other. This website includes a collection of games.
Learn More: Happier Human
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