Social and Emotional Awareness

304 Activities

Social and Emotional Awareness

Build emotional intelligence, empathy, and a strong sense of self. Through social-emotional learning and community-building activities, learners develop confidence and connection by exploring relationships, identity, and leadership.

Activities

Balloon Buddies (Team Building) Game

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades K - 12

Video

Balloon Buddies (Team Building) Game

!Mpact Players

K - 12

10 Minutes

Grab a friend and try to keep your balloon up in the air longer than anyone else in the room!

Discover Activity

Video

Balloon Buddies (Team Building) GameLeadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

10 Minutes•Grades K - 12

Stop the Show (Grades 6-8)

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

Stop the Show (Grades 6-8)

Mizzen Education, Inc.

6 - 8

45 Minutes

Small groups of students plan scenarios that have concrete starting points and a conflict, obstacle, or problem the characters have to solve. At a certain point, the adult leader stops the play and asks the audience to vote on the ending to the scene. Students learn to be flexible and creative by acting out the new ending.

Discover Activity

Stop the Show (Grades 6-8)Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

45 Minutes•Grades 6 - 8

What Makes a Strong Online Community? (Grades 6-8)

Digital Media and Communications, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

What Makes a Strong Online Community? (Grades 6-8)

Mizzen Education, Inc.

6 - 8

45 Minutes

Students model an online chat group and learn that these groups can be successful and enjoyable, as long as everyone is respectful.

Discover Activity

What Makes a Strong Online Community? (Grades 6-8)Digital Media and Communications, Social and Emotional Awareness

45 Minutes•Grades 6 - 8

Clutch (Team Building) Game

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades K - 12

Video

Clutch (Team Building) Game

!Mpact Players

K - 12

10 Minutes

Circle up to see who has the reflexes and discipline to be "clutch" for this activity. Here's a hint; success will depend on how well you can multitask.

Discover Activity

Video

Clutch (Team Building) GameLeadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

10 Minutes•Grades K - 12

Pantomime (Grades 6-8)

Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

Pantomime (Grades 6-8)

Mizzen Education, Inc.

6 - 8

45 Minutes

Students act out a good citizen or stewardship activity that could happen at school and other students guess the activities.

Discover Activity

Pantomime (Grades 6-8)Arts, Social and Emotional Awareness

45 Minutes•Grades 6 - 8

Tricky Conversations (Grades 9-12)

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades 9 - 12

Tricky Conversations (Grades 9-12)

Mizzen Education, Inc.

9 - 12

45 Minutes

Teens may struggle to talk about a wide variety of personal subjects with parents, teachers, peers, and siblings. In this activity, teens will role-play a variety of conversation topics and evaluate their performances. (Note that the activity incorporates subjects such as honesty, friendship, academic achievement, and general health and wellness. However, it excludes controversial and emotionally sensitive subjects, such as sexuality and gender identity.)

Discover Activity

Tricky Conversations (Grades 9-12)Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

45 Minutes•Grades 9 - 12

No Boundaries Chess

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

No Boundaries Chess

Mizzen Education, Inc.

6 - 8

45 Minutes

Chess is generally considered an individual sport. In this activity, the addition of a few new rules encourages players to work together as a team.

Discover Activity

No Boundaries ChessLeadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

45 Minutes•Grades 6 - 8

Linda Brown Went to School . . . and Changed History: The Equal Protection Clause

History and Society, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 5

Linda Brown Went to School . . . and Changed History: The Equal Protection Clause

Mizzen Education, Inc.

3 - 5

45 Minutes

Young students may have never heard of the equal protection clause, yet they can identify with the act of going to school every day. In this activity, students discuss a landmark Supreme Court case involving grade-school student Linda Brown.

Discover Activity

Linda Brown Went to School . . . and Changed History: The Equal Protection ClauseHistory and Society, Social and Emotional Awareness

45 Minutes•Grades 3 - 5

Create Your Life Vision

Social and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

Grades 9 - 12

Create Your Life Vision

Mizzen Education, Inc.

9 - 12

45 Minutes

A vision board or poster can help people visualize what their ideal life would look like, which is considered an essential goal-setting step in finding true success. Students form a deeper understanding of their needs for a balanced, happy, and healthy life.

Discover Activity

Create Your Life VisionSocial and Emotional Awareness, Literacy

45 Minutes•Grades 9 - 12

Olympic Games (Grades 6-8)

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

Olympic Games (Grades 6-8)

Mizzen Education, Inc.

6 - 8

45 Minutes

In this activity, students learn and play a series of Olympic games. Then they vote on their favorite game. This activity builds listening and cooperative learning skills. It can also improve physical and reasoning skills.

Discover Activity

Olympic Games (Grades 6-8)Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

45 Minutes•Grades 6 - 8

20 Questions (Grades 6-8)

STEM, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 6 - 8

20 Questions (Grades 6-8)

Mizzen Education, Inc.

6 - 8

45 Minutes

In this activity, students play the popular game 20 Questions. First, students pair off, with 1 student thinking of an animal, vegetable, or mineral while the other asks their partner up to 20 questions to determine what it is. Finally, students reconvene as a whole group for a discussion.

Discover Activity

20 Questions (Grades 6-8)STEM, Social and Emotional Awareness

45 Minutes•Grades 6 - 8

Blanket Toss (Team Building) Game

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades 3 - 12

Video

Blanket Toss (Team Building) Game

!Mpact Players

3 - 12

15 Minutes

Heave piles of stuffed animals across the room from one sheet to another!

Discover Activity

Video

Blanket Toss (Team Building) GameLeadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

15 Minutes•Grades 3 - 12

Collections

8 Activities

•

Grades 3 - 8

MLS STEM Goals

Social and Emotional Awareness, STEM

Collection

MLS STEM Goals

Learn Fresh

3 - 8

9 Hours 15 Minutes

MLS STEM Goals is an interactive, sports-based learning experience that connects math, strategy, and social-emotional learning through the game of soccer. Developed in partnership with Major League Soccer, this program combines a board game and curriculum to help students build essential skills through a hands-on experience. 

Across eight lessons, students analyze shooting percentages from team cards, track and calculate their own gameplay statistics, and apply concepts like mean, median, and mode to evaluate their performance. As the season progresses, students build strategic thinking skills by weighing risk and reward during gameplay and using data to drive their decisions. The program culminates in a championship tournament where students use powers of two to construct playoff brackets and compete as a class. 

Beyond STEM, the program reinforces sportsmanship, teamwork, and integrity through integrated bonus lessons and a Sportsmanship Contract, helping students navigate challenges and collaborate with their peers effectively. With an emphasis on social-emotional skills and critical thinking, students develop practical abilities that extend beyond the classroom.

MLS STEM Goals is designed for schools and out-of-school time programs, offering a free and accessible way to engage students in STEM learning through the lens of soccer. Educators should request their MLS STEM Goals games when preparing for Lesson 1 to ensure they receive them before reaching Lesson 3. Requests can be placed at this link or using the link found in Lesson 1.

Discover Collection

MLS STEM GoalsSocial and Emotional Awareness, STEM

9 Hours 15 Minutes•Grades 3 - 8

Collection

3 Activities

•

Grades 6 - 8

Indicator Species

STEM, Social and Emotional Awareness, Nature and Wildlife

Collection

Indicator Species

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

2 Hours

Indicator species are integral to evaluating the health of ecosystems. They are early indicators of changing environmental conditions that may prove detrimental to other species in the same region. Insects, including dragonflies, are climate sensitive species since much of their growth and development depends on temperature.

In this lesson, students will learn about dragonflies as indicators of climate change. They will become familiar with the life cycle of a dragonfly, learn to identify different species of dragonflies, and assess dragonfly biodiversity. At each of these learning milestones, students will engage in a discussion about how rapid changes in climate conditions can be detrimental not only to dragonflies but to the success and survival of wildlife around the world.

Discover Collection

Indicator SpeciesSTEM, Social and Emotional Awareness, Nature and Wildlife

2 Hours•Grades 6 - 8

Collection

3 Activities

•

Grades 6 - 8

Caring for Urban Forests

Social and Emotional Awareness, STEM, Nature and Wildlife

Collection

Caring for Urban Forests

City Parks Foundation

6 - 8

2 Hours

Our local ecosystems provide many ecosystem services that endow us with resources, opportunities for recreation and cultural expression, and support the safety quality of life for all living things, including humans. Street trees perform a number of ecosystem services for both humans and wildlife. They filter our air, provide passive cooling and heating, capture carbon, take up storm water (a vital aspect in cities prone to flooding due to climate change— see our Sustainable Cities module for more information on this topic), reduce noise, provide food, shelter, and provide abundant beauty.

In this module, students will learn about each type of ecosystem service: Provisioning, Regulating, Cultural, and Supporting, and research the ways they are being threatened in their local communities. They will also participate in air temperature to better understand the ecosystem services trees provide which are especially important in urban environments. This research will conclude with a service learning opportunity in which students will restore tree beds.

Discover Collection

Caring for Urban ForestsSocial and Emotional Awareness, STEM, Nature and Wildlife

2 Hours•Grades 6 - 8

Collection

6 Activities

•

Grades 3 - 12

The kid-grit Pandemic Crisis Guide: Wellness for Students, Educators, and Families

Health and Wellness, Social and Emotional Awareness

Collection

The kid-grit Pandemic Crisis Guide: Wellness for Students, Educators, and Families

kid-grit

3 - 12

6 Hours 15 Minutes

Welcome to kid-grit's SEL activities! Based on our partners’ request we have created a soulful guide filled with lessons, reflections, questions, and extended activities in response to the pandemic crisis that is happening around the world. We developed these activities in hope that its content will provide relief and support for our students and their families, educators, staff, and administrators.

All the activities have been designed to engage students in areas of personal development, social-emotional learning, character education, 21st-century skill-based inquiry, and global consciousness. These activities are built to have students think critically and share perspectives — focusing on topics such as tolerance, personal development, crisis situations, building positive communities, self-regulation, empathy, using breathing as a form of stress release. Students will be challenged to think outside the box and drive their own learning — they will learn by doing. Students will take on new ways of problem-solving and, in the process, create their own prescription for healthier mindsets, building resilience and grit.

You can use these activities in any order that works for your program or school environment. However, we recommend beginning with the activity, “Educating Myself for Peace of Mind,” as a starter activity to set the stage for the activities to follow.

Lastly, the following three activities are relevant for any crisis, “Educating Myself for Peace of Mind, Stop the Madness! and Fight or Flight.” Feel free to utilize them anytime and replace any COVID-19 reference to the existing event in your community, or national news or global occurrence.

NOTE: If your students are enjoying a lesson and you want to extend the time, please feel free, dive into deeper learning and enjoy!

Discover Collection

The kid-grit Pandemic Crisis Guide: Wellness for Students, Educators, and FamiliesHealth and Wellness, Social and Emotional Awareness

6 Hours 15 Minutes•Grades 3 - 12

Collection

12 Activities

•

Grades K - 12

Strengthen Social and Emotional Learning with Johnny Crowder

Health and Wellness, Social and Emotional Awareness

Collection

Strengthen Social and Emotional Learning with Johnny Crowder

Mizzen Education, Inc.

K - 12

Like learning algebra or how to ride a bike, social and emotional learning (SEL) calls for patience, compassion, and everyday practice. That’s what brain science and experience say, and it’s at the core of this playlist. Through activities that teach mindfulness meditation, how to identify your strengths and talents, and cultivating compassion through service, you’ll find practical experiences, resources, and tips for empowering youth while helping them navigate stress and build healthy relationships.

“I often wonder how much different my life would look if I was offered support earlier. Before I was struggling, before I withdrew, before I exhibited all sorts of behavioral health issues. The power of prevention is something we can’t waste. We need to use our own hindsight into what would have helped us when we were young to set this next generation up for the success we never had.” — Johnny Crowder

Johnny Crowder is a suicide/abuse survivor, TEDx speaker, touring musician, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, and the Founder & CEO of Cope Notes, a text-based mental health platform that provides daily support to youth and adults in nearly 100 countries around the world.

Discover Collection

Strengthen Social and Emotional Learning with Johnny CrowderHealth and Wellness, Social and Emotional Awareness

Grades K - 12

Collection

10 Activities

•

Grades 3 - 5

Opening and Closing Activities for Grades 3-5

Literacy, Social and Emotional Awareness

Collection

Opening and Closing Activities for Grades 3-5

kid-grit

3 - 5

2 Hours

This collection of opening and closing activities encourages students to explore their thoughts, feelings, and choices while building habits that support reflection and growth. Opening activities use emojis, discussion prompts, and movement to help students connect with their emotions and set a tone of respect, curiosity, and readiness for learning. Closing activities invite students to slow down, look inward, and practice calming techniques as they reflect on their experiences and explore ways to shift habits and mindsets. Together, these moments bookend the day with purpose and self-awareness!

Discover Collection

Opening and Closing Activities for Grades 3-5Literacy, Social and Emotional Awareness

2 Hours•Grades 3 - 5

Collection

10 Activities

•

Grades K - 2

Opening and Closing Activities for K-2

Literacy, Social and Emotional Awareness

Collection

Opening and Closing Activities for K-2

kid-grit

K - 2

2 Hours

This playlist of opening and closing activities encourages youth to explore their big and small emotions while sharing positive thoughts about themselves and their friends. The opening activities offer simple strategies to help them feel calm and prepared for the day, gently setting the stage for a strong and centered start. Closing activities invite students to reflect on moments of kindness, connection, and courage through song, movement, gratitude, and reflection. Whether mimicking animals, writing thank-you notes, or sharing songs from home, they’ll consider what made them feel seen, strong, or calm. Each experience helps them carry something positive forward until they gather again next time!

Discover Collection

Opening and Closing Activities for K-2Literacy, Social and Emotional Awareness

2 Hours•Grades K - 2

Collection

10 Activities

•

Grades K - 12

Back to School: Community Building Activities

Leadership and Teamwork, Social and Emotional Awareness

Collection

Back to School: Community Building Activities

Mizzen Education, Inc.