what are things a kid can do to entertain themselves
Without a doubt, 2020 was a difficult year for all of u.s.a.. For school-aged children, navigating the COVID-19 pandemic safely also entailed adjusting to virtual learning and distancing from their friends. Only equally many students return to the classroom — and as some enter a classroom for the showtime time — another hurdle looms. But like adults, kids will have to larn to be effectually other people again, including peers with identities and experiences that differ from their own.
With this in heed, it's important to develop strategies to teach kids empathy and kindness early on, especially as they brainstorm to socialize in person over again. Activities like role-playing and reading are just a few ways to help students connect with their emotions likewise every bit the emotions of others. Here, we've rounded upward a few neat activities that teach empathy — for kids and adults.
Students Tin can Emotionally Connect to Characters in Stories
Having story time with younger children or offer new reading fabric to older children can be a great opportunity for children to learn empathy. If illustrations are used in the story, you lot tin can see if younger kids tin can name the emotions of the characters' faces. Inquire the children how these characters might exist feeling and if they have ever felt the same way (scared, excited, etc.). Additionally, let them run into that you lot are concerned for or connected to the characters as well then they can meet that it's of import to intendance for the well-being of others.
For kids who are older, teachers or parents tin can provide special questions or journal prompts to better sympathize the characters in their books. The questions may ask scholars to imagine what the characters might feel when making unlike choices or in their current circumstances.
Older Children Tin Write Out Feelings in an Emotion Journal
An emotion periodical is a great way for kids to begin to connect with their own feelings. Teachers and parents alike can incorporate journal time at a certain indicate in the day to allow them to write about their highs and lows.
Children tin share parts of their journal entries with their peers if they are comfy. Ultimately, writing out their feelings (and mayhap sharing them with others) allows them to acquire to express themselves healthily. If kids hash out their feelings — or let them out in a healthy style — they tin can begin to build empathy past relating to each other.
Random Acts of Kindness or Volunteering Will Encourage Kids to Show Empathy
Doing random acts of kindness or taking part in a volunteer feel will help kids learn to think about other people's feelings, and perhaps put them ahead of their ain. Teachers or parents can create a jar or chart where a pupil can runway one act of kindness completed during the calendar week.
It'southward as well great for children to discuss how beingness kind makes people feel good as opposed to bullying or mean acts that make people feel bad. Their beliefs can be reinforced also by talking about how volunteering or the act of kindness made them experience too. Probable, they will be excited and happy that something they did helped someone else.
Children Can Create 'Feelings Collages' to Learn Emotions
For younger kids, especially those who are shy and quiet, creating a "feelings collage" will help them express their emotions. With this unique collage, they can learn to read faces, body language, and the emotions of others every bit well.
Children can cutting and glue pictures from magazines onto poster boards or construction paper. These pictures would take people expressing any kind of feeling (happiness, sadness, fear, etc.). Kids could even label the images they gum with a feeling word, and, afterwards, share with their peers if desired. The collages can be used at school or habitation to practice identifying and labeling feelings. If they desire to really get creative, kids can try their hand at creating drawings of unlike people with diverse emotions.
Imaginative Roleplay Helps Students See Emotions in Real Life
Roleplaying allows kids to see circumstances from a completely different perspective than their own. Teachers or parents can encourage children to step into the shoes of someone different from them, request them near different scenarios like, What if yous were at a new school without whatever friends? or If y'all saw someone getting bullied, what would you do — and how would y'all experience?
While watching someone human action out a "role," other kids could chinkle in about the faces or body linguistic communication of the person. This allows them to larn to read people meliorate, which can be a major pro in the future as an adult. Roleplaying like this really helps put circumstances into perspective and even helps change behaviors. Plus, younger kids love to play pretend, and then it's a win-win!
Teachers and Parents Should Model Empathy to Kids
Yous've certainly heard of the saying, "Exercise as I say, non every bit I do." That will certainly not help teach empathy. While kids may pick up some good habits that are taught by parents, teachers, and other dominance figures, children model what they see, even if the adult isn't aware that they're existence observed. Kids are e'er paying attending, and so information technology's of import to model empathetic beliefs equally much as possible.
For instance, teachers should be mindful of their interactions with other adults whether in-person or on screen. Parents should exist conscientious not to snap at or belittle each other or their children at domicile. While trying to completely avoid conflict is impossible, how we speak to and care for each other matters.
Resources Links:
- "Developing Empathy: 8 Strategies & Worksheets for Condign More Empathetic" via Positive Psychology
- "twenty+ Strategies for Instruction Empathy" via Pathway 2 Progress
- "Empathy Activities" via Education Evolution Center
- "v Activities for Building Empathy in Your Students" via Brookes Blog
Source: https://www.symptomfind.com/healthy-living/activities-that-teach-empathy?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740013%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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