At- Home Kindness and Empathy Activities

PK–5th Grade: Kindness & Empathy at Home

💬 Emotional Awareness & Perspective

1. Feelings Mirror – Take turns making different emotion faces (happy, sad, worried). Have your child guess the feeling and talk about what might make someone feel that way.
   
   

2. Story Empathy Pause – While reading a story, pause and ask:
   
   

   • “How do you think this character feels right now?”
     
     

   • “What could we do to help if we were there?”
     
     

3. Walk in Their Shoes~Pick a real-life situation (“A classmate didn’t get invited to a birthday”). Talk through how each person might feel.
   
   

💖 Kindness in Action

4. Kindness Jar~ Every time someone in the house does something kind, write it on a slip and put it in a jar. Read them at the end of the week.
   
   

5. Secret Kindness Mission ~ Each family member draws a name and does one “secret” kind act for that person during the week.
   
   

6. Helping Hands Chart ~ Make a paper chart with “ways to help.” Add a sticker when your child helps a family member, pet, or friend.
   
   

🏡 Connection & Gratitude

7. Thankful Tree or Wall ~ Create a “tree” on the wall and add leaves with things your child is thankful for.
   
   

8. Compliment Circle (Family Version) ~ Go around at dinner and share one kind thing about each family member.
   
   

9. Community Kindness Challenge ~ Choose a small act of service each week: draw thank-you notes for mail carriers, donate gently used toys, etc.

🌱 6th–8th Grade: Kindness & Empathy at Home

🧠 Understanding Others

1. “What’s Their Story?” Challenge ~ While out in public or watching a show, discuss what might be going on in someone’s life based on what you observe. Builds empathy and perspective.
   
   

2. Empathy Interviews ~ Ask your child to talk with a grandparent, sibling, or friend about a time they felt left out, then reflect together on what helped them feel better.
   
   

3. Media Reflection ~ Watch a short film or news clip and discuss:
   
   

   • “How do you think that person felt?”
     
     

   • “What could others do differently?”
     
     

💬 Kindness Practice

4. Kindness Log ~  Keep a daily or weekly log of kind acts given and received. Discuss how both made them feel.
   
   

5. “Ripple Effect” Reflection ~  Have your child write or draw how one small kind act can spread to others.
   
   

6. Compliment Text Chain ~ Encourage sending an unexpected kind message to a friend, classmate, or teacher each week.
   
   

🌍 Real-World Application

7. Family Volunteer Project ~ Choose something simple: picking up trash, writing cards for a nursing home, or helping a neighbor.
   
   

8. Social Media Empathy Check ~ If your child uses social media, talk about how posts and comments affect others and brainstorm ways to post positively (high-school)
   
   

9. Empathy Journal Prompts ~
   
   

   • “When was a time you wished someone had understood how you felt?”
     
     

   • “How can I show kindness even when I don’t agree with someone?”