Younger children are not usually too concerned with the needs and wants of others. Instead, they are often used to being the center of attention. The transition into preschool is a prime time in child development to learn how to practice empathy and help others.
Below, you will find 27 preschool activities that encourage the development of kind, compassionate and helpful children.
1. Run a Charity Bake Sale
There is nothing I like more than freshly baked cookies! Running a charity bake sale can be a great opportunity for your students to practice giving back. Ask them to bring treats from home, volunteer with selling, and help brainstorm charities for donations.
Learn more: The Exploring Family
2. Start a Toy Drive
I remember having many toys collecting dust in my bedroom when I was a kid. Ask your students to donate their old toys to a class-run charity toy drive. This activity will teach a lesson on kindness and giving back to the community.
Learn more: MY DOH
3. Donate to the Local Food Bank
If you want your students to gain first-hand experience helping those in need, ask them to bring their favorite snacks from home to donate to the local food bank. Food banks will also accept other items, such as clothing or toys.
Learn more: The Mad House
4. Writing Kind Notes (with Stamps)
Writing positive messages to fellow students or family members is a great activity to engage your students' capacities for kindness. This activity can be a challenge for students, especially the younger ones. Make sure to include example messages.
Learn more: Fun Learning for Kids
5. Toothpaste Lesson
Once you say something mean, you cannot take it back. The learning goal of this activity is to demonstrate this important fact visually. After students squeeze the toothpaste on the paper heart, they will learn that it's impossible to get it back inside the bottle.
Learn more: Inspired Elementary
6. Kind Words Sensory Activity
Sandpaper feels rough, while cotton balls feel soft. In this sensory activity, ask students what words are like cotton balls (e.g., please, thank you) and what words are like sandpaper (e.g., mean words). Students will increase their capacity for kindness through this activity.
Learn more: Preschool Powol Packets
7. Classroom Kindness Jar
Every time someone says something nice, add a treat to the jar. Every time someone says something bad, take away a treat from the jar. When the jar is full, everyone can open and share the treats! I would have loved a kindness jar in my childhood classroom.
Learn more: Empowered Parents
8. Beanbag Kindness Game
Students will learn about kindness and burn off energy playing this active beanbag throwing game. Get students to throw the beanbags at each other. With every throw, have each student say a compliment to the receiving student.
Learn more: Empowered Parents
9. Toy Washing Station
Learning to clean up after yourself should be part of any curriculum for preschoolers. You can do this by setting up a toy washing station. This sensory activity will keep the classroom clean and help keep their fellow students healthy with clean, germ-free toys.
Learn more: Happy Hooligans
10. Volunteer to Pick Up Garbage
On clear and sunny days, I like to plan outside activities for my students. Rally up a team of child volunteers from your class to go pick up garbage at the local park. As positive reinforcement, they can play at the park after cleanup!
Learn more: How Stuff Works
11. Start a Little Free Library
Starting a Little Free Library is the perfect way to foster a culture of sharing in the community. Students can donate their old books to the library for others to share and learn from.
Learn more: Little Free Library
12. Read "Should I Share My Ice Cream?" by Mo Willems
This is an excellent book about kindness for a classroom of preschoolers. Willems covers the dilemma of sharing with your friends when you don't really want to. This is a story that all ages, even adults, can relate to.
Learn more: Sunshine Stories
13. Read "The Nice Book" by David Ezra Stein
Teaching a classroom lesson on manners and being nice? This book can be a great addition to its silly story and fun illustrations.
Learn more: Amazon
14. Read "Little Blue Truck" by Alice Schertle
Full of fun rhymes and illustrations, this book is an excellent read about the value of helping others and practicing kindness. You can check out Schertle's other books for related content.
Learn more: Amazon
15. Adopt a Classroom Pet
Adopting a classroom pet and teaching students how to care for pets can be an excellent lesson on compassion for animals. Students will learn how to take responsibility and enhance their capacity for empathy beyond humans.
Learn more: Pre-K Pages
16. Pet Supply Scavenger Hunt
Not ready to take the plunge and adopt a pet for your classroom? I understand. Alternatively, you can run a scavenger hunt with pet supplies (e.g, leash, food bowl). After finding the items in the classroom, students can talk about why each supply is needed.
Learn more: Pre-K Pages
17. Emotions Chart
Create an emotions classroom chart, with the help of your students' artistic abilities. This activity will support emotion identification and expression - key components for empathy building. Make sure you teach a classroom lesson on emotions first!
Learn more: Very Special Tales
18. Emotions & Playdough
Who doesn't love playdough? Modeling emotions through this fun, hands-on activity will help students' emotion recognition and develop their fine motor skills and creativity.
Learn More: Very Special Tales
19. Feelings Slap Game
Understanding feelings is important for fostering a culture of empathy. In this game, you can call out a feeling, followed by your students slapping the correct answer. This game works best in a one-on-one setting but can be modified in a classroom by taking turns.
Learn more: Kiddie Matters
20. Feelings Hop Game
Similar to the above game, this activity has the learning goal of teaching students to recognize and understand feelings. Instead of slapping the cards, this game allows students to hop to the appropriate feeling on the ground. A good activity to burn off some energy!
Learn more: Kiddie Matters
21. Emotions Charades
To get students in a playful classroom mood, try emotions charades. Students will act out an emotion and have their fellow students guess the correct one. Creating a visual flashcard can be helpful for students still learning to read.
Learn more: Very Special Tales
22. Paint Kindness Rocks
Painting is tried-and-true activity to engage fine motor skills and creativity. Help the younger students by writing a kindness-related word or appreciation message on their painted rock (e.g., You Rock!). Encourage them to gift the rocks to the mailman, janitor, or another member of the community.
Learn more: Empowered Parents
23. Finger Paint Thank You Note
I think many of us can agree that our childhood teachers deserved more appreciation than we gave them. Let your preschool children get their hands messy crafting a beautiful finger-painted thank you note to a teacher.
Learn more: Hannah Davies
24. Sticky Note Kindness
Brainstorm with your preschoolers some positive messages to write on sticky notes to stick around the school. Teachers can help with the writing but children can work together to draw and decorate the complimentary notes.
Learn more: PTO Today
25. Parachute Golf
Activities that require teamwork are a different way to show the value of helping others. In parachute golf, students must cooperate to get the golf ball through the middle hole of the parachute. Without helping each other, this task will be difficult to complete.
Learn more: Kid Activities
26. Pair Matching Letters Activity
Pair matching is another example of an activity requiring teamwork in the classroom. Distribute the uppercase and lowercase letter cards amongst students individually. Students must engage their communication skills and help each other to put together the correct matches.
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
27. Learn Empathy with Sesame Street
If you need a low-prep activity, showing YouTube videos can be a quick and easy option for you. Younger viewers will increase their capacity for empathy after this short lesson.
Learn more: Sesame Street
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