Choice-Making Activities: Giving Kids a Voice
When kids are empowered to make choices—big or small—it sends a powerful message: your voice matters. Choice-making nurtures independence, builds self-confidence, and helps children grow into thoughtful decision-makers. In both classrooms and homes, offering children opportunities to practice making choices in safe, supported ways lays the foundation for lifelong emotional and social success.
Let’s explore choice-making activities and how they help children build self-trust, independence, and responsible decision-making—one confident “yes” at a time.
Why Choice-Making Is Important in Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
In the world of social-emotional learning, choice-making activities help students:
- Develop self-awareness: “What do I need right now?”
- Practice self-management: “How will my choice affect me or others?”
- Strengthen responsible decision-making: “What are the possible outcomes?”
- Build confidence: “I trust myself to make good choices.”
These aren’t just important skills for school—they’re skills for life.
How Small Choices Build Big Confidence
Children often have decisions made for them, from daily routines to behavior expectations. But when they’re given age-appropriate autonomy, they become more engaged, more responsible, and more willing to participate meaningfully.
Here are some examples of small but meaningful classroom choices that give students a voice:
- Activity order: “Would you like to do writing or math first?”
- Group roles: “Which job would you like in your team?”
- Calming strategies: “Do you want to use the Peace Path or take a mindfulness break?”
- Creative expression: “Would you rather draw or write in your journal today?”
These simple moments of empowerment allow children to feel ownership over their actions—and more importantly, their growth.
Choice-Making and Emotional Regulation
Making choices is closely tied to emotional regulation. When students feel anxious, overwhelmed, or upset, offering a regulated choice can de-escalate tension and redirect attention to solutions.
Example: A child feels frustrated during a group project. A teacher might offer:
“Would you like to take a walk or sit in our quiet corner for a moment?”
This gives the child control over their emotions without punishment, helping them return to learning with a calmer, clearer mind.
Choice-Making Activities to Try in the Classroom
Here are some classroom-friendly choice-making activities that support social-emotional growth:
The Choice Wheel
Create a colorful wheel or chart with different calming, learning, or break-time options. Students spin or choose when they need a brain or emotion break.
“Would You Rather?” SEL Edition
Pose lighthearted but meaningful questions: “Would you rather talk about your feelings or draw them?”
This game encourages introspection and ownership of expression.
The Choice Journal
Give students daily or weekly prompts that ask them to reflect on a choice they made and what they learned from it.
Classroom Jobs Voting
Instead of assigning roles, let students vote or volunteer for classroom responsibilities, promoting fairness, accountability, and using their voice.
Mindful Moments Menu
Offer a list of calming strategies students can pick from when they need a break. This could include breathing, listening to music, stretching, or using a stress ball.
Try the Tools of the Heart curriculum for even more ideas on teaching self-awareness and decision-making in the classroom.
Linking Choice-Making to SEL Core Competencies
- Self-Awareness: Kids learn to identify what they need.
- Self-Management: They gain tools to handle emotions.
- Responsible Decision-Making: They think through outcomes.
- Social Awareness: They consider how choices affect others.
- Relationship Skills: They practice collaboration and compromise.
Every small moment of choice-making is a step toward mastering these competencies.
Extending Choice-Making to Home and Family Life
Parents and caregivers can use the same ideas to encourage autonomy at home:
- “Would you like to brush your teeth before or after your story?”
- “Which snack would fuel your brain better?”
- “What would help you feel better right now: quiet time or a hug?”
Even these everyday options teach children the power of their voice.
Tools That Support Student Choice
Soul Shoppe’s programs are designed to help educators and families foster emotionally intelligent, choice-ready kids. Explore:
Empowerment Begins with Trust
When we give kids room to choose, we’re saying: I believe in you. That belief goes a long way. As children practice choice-making, they begin to understand that mistakes aren’t failures—they’re part of growing. They learn that their thoughts and feelings matter. And they begin to build the self-trust and emotional resilience that lasts a lifetime.
Let’s raise voices by offering choices.
In every classroom, students are carrying invisible emotions. Some may be quietly excited about a family event. Others might be anxious about a spelling test, a friend conflict, or something bigger that they can’t quite name. So at Soul Shoppe we suggest daily check-ins for students.
Daily check-ins for students create space to acknowledge those feelings—good, bad, and everything in between. These moments of reflection are more than just routine; they’re powerful tools for building self-awareness, resilience, and student confidence.
Why Daily Check-Ins Matter
Children thrive on connection and predictability. Starting or ending the day with a consistent classroom morning check-in (or afternoon reflection) provides:
- Emotional safety: Students feel seen and heard.
- Routine: Predictable structure builds trust.
- Self-expression: Kids learn to identify and name emotions.
- Confidence: When kids can reflect and be acknowledged, their sense of self grows.
These moments also provide valuable insight for teachers. You’ll quickly notice when a student is off, stressed, or needs support—all before it turns into a behavioral disruption or learning block.
Check-ins are a simple but powerful way to weave Social Emotional Learning into the rhythm of your classroom.
Daily Check-In Ideas to Boost Connection and Confidence
Here are easy-to-implement, meaningful activities that support daily check-ins for students—helping them feel emotionally grounded and ready to learn.
1. Mood Meters
Mood meters offer a visual way for kids to identify how they feel. These tools often include colors or quadrants representing energy and pleasantness (e.g., red = high energy, unpleasant; blue = low energy, unpleasant).
Encourage students to:
- Point to their mood
- Say one sentence about it
- Offer a strategy to shift or embrace that feeling
Using a mood meter builds emotional reflection skills while normalizing the full spectrum of emotions.
2. “One Word” Circles
Gather the class in a circle and invite each student to share one word to describe how they’re feeling. You might guide with a sentence stem like:
“One word for how I’m feeling today is…”
It’s quick, inclusive, and gives every voice a chance to be heard.
This strategy, often used in Tools of the Heart lessons, reinforces self-awareness while building classroom community.
3. Digital Polls and Feeling Surveys
For tech-friendly classrooms or upper grades, try tools like Google Forms, Padlet, or digital emojis where students can check in privately.
Benefits include:
- Quiet reflection time
- Safe space for introverted students
- Real-time insight for teachers
Use polls to ask about energy levels, excitement, challenges, or how students felt during a specific lesson. It helps them build reflection muscles and creates opportunities for follow-up support.
4. Feelings Chart or Poster
Place a Feelings Poster in a visible space. At the start or end of the day, ask:
- “Choose a feeling word from the chart that fits you today.”
- “Did your feelings shift from morning to now?”
This simple routine builds emotional vocabulary and helps students learn that feelings are natural, fluid, and worth naming.
5. Confidence Boost Cards
Have students write short affirmations or appreciations to themselves or peers:
- “I tried something hard today.”
- “I noticed that I stayed calm even when I was frustrated.”
- “You helped me in group work—thank you.”
These quick notes can be posted, journaled, or placed in a “Confidence Jar.” When students reflect on their progress, they internalize growth and strengthen resilience.
6. “Rose, Thorn, Bud” Reflections
This classic activity invites kids to share:
- Rose: A highlight
- Thorn: A challenge
- Bud: Something they’re looking forward to
It supports emotional reflection exercises and shows kids that life includes ups, downs, and things yet to bloom. Plus, it fosters empathy as students hear one another’s stories.
How Daily Check-Ins Build Confidence
When students are invited to pause, reflect, and speak about their experiences regularly, several things happen:
- They learn their voice matters.
- They grow trust with peers and adults.
- They practice emotional vocabulary and perspective-taking.
- They begin to see themselves as resilient and capable.
These micro-moments of reflection are foundational to developing lifelong skills like self-advocacy, compassion, and focus.
Through daily check-ins, students aren’t just asked “How are you?”—they’re being taught how to answer.
Integrating Check-Ins into SEL Curriculum
Soul Shoppe’s Elementary SEL Curriculum naturally supports check-in routines. Lessons incorporate tools like:
- I-Feel Statements
- Peace Path strategies
- Body and brain calming tools
- Reflection on social-emotional challenges
Adding check-ins before or after an SEL lesson creates space for deeper processing and connection. These routines complement academic learning and create a classroom culture rooted in respect and emotional safety.
Small Moments, Big Impact
Confidence isn’t built in one lesson—it’s cultivated daily through consistent, caring moments. Morning check-ins, mood meters, and “one word” shares may seem small, but over time they shape how students see themselves and each other.
By incorporating daily check-ins for students, we help kids start each day with intention and end it with reflection. That sense of ownership and emotional awareness becomes the groundwork for everything else—learning, empathy, and leadership.
School can be full of joy, growth, and discovery—but it can also bring stress. Tests, social pressures, transitions, and even loud or overstimulating environments can all overwhelm a child’s emotional system.
The good news? Stress management is a teachable skill. And when kids learn healthy ways to manage stress early, they build habits that support emotional well-being for life.
Let’s explore stress management activities for students that are simple, age-appropriate, and rooted in everyday classroom routines. These strategies not only help children feel more balanced but also improve focus, classroom engagement, and overall learning outcomes.
Why Stress Management Matters in Elementary School
Stress doesn’t only show up as tears or tantrums. It can look like:
- Withdrawing from peers
- Acting out or disrupting class
- Zoning out or appearing disengaged
- Complaining of headaches or stomachaches
Without support, chronic stress can impact a child’s ability to learn, concentrate, and build relationships. That’s why it’s essential to give kids tools they can use—not just when things boil over, but before stress takes hold.
That’s where Social Emotional Learning comes in. By weaving SEL into the school day, educators help students build awareness, practice emotional regulation, and make choices that align with well-being.
Explore our full Elementary SEL Curriculum and Social Emotional Learning resources for deeper integration of wellness strategies.
Stress Management Activities for Students (Grades K–6)
Here are low-prep tools you can use right away to help students calm their bodies, focus their minds, and process emotions in developmentally appropriate ways.
1. Movement Breaks
Short bursts of movement help release pent-up energy and regulate the nervous system. Try:
- Stretching arms to the ceiling and wiggling fingers
- Cross-body taps or “brain buttons”
- Simple yoga poses like “tree” or “child’s pose”
- Silent disco (dancing in place with invisible music)
Why it works: Movement resets the body’s stress response and helps bring students back to center.
2. The “Stress Thermometer” Check-In
Create a visual chart with levels of stress from 1 (calm) to 5 (overwhelmed). Invite students to identify where they are and pick a calming activity accordingly. This builds self-awareness and encourages autonomy.
Pair it with our Tools of the Heart program for even more emotional regulation strategies.
3. Journaling & Drawing Emotions
Offer short journaling time or reflection sheets with prompts like:
- “Something that helped me today was…”
- “Right now, I feel ______ because ______.”
- “One thing I can do when I feel stressed is…”
For younger students, use an “emotion wheel” or feelings chart and let them draw their mood.
Tip: Link to our Feelings Poster to support emotional vocabulary.
4. Visualization and Breathing
Teach students to imagine a calm place (like a beach or peaceful forest) while taking deep breaths. Try “box breathing” (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4) or simple “smell the flower, blow out the candle” breathing.
This helps students develop calming techniques in the classroom they can return to when emotions feel big.
5. Coping Cards
Have students create small “coping cards” with reminders of things that help them feel calm (hugging a stuffed animal, taking deep breaths, counting to 10, etc.). Keep these in a “Calm Down Corner” or desk pouch for quick access.
These make abstract coping skills for kids more concrete and personal.
Building a Wellness Routine Into the School Day
Stress management becomes second nature when it’s woven into daily rhythms. Here’s how you can build a culture of calm without adding more to your plate:
- Morning Meetings: Start the day with a short SEL check-in or calming ritual.
- Quiet Time After Lunch: Offer 5 minutes for silent drawing, reading, or breath work.
- Closure Activities: End each day with a gratitude circle or mindfulness minute.
Consistency builds emotional safety. Over time, these micro-moments add up to real behavioral shifts.
Family Partnership: Extending Wellness Home
Stress doesn’t stop at the school gate. Empower families to reinforce strategies at home:
- Send home wellness tips or breathing exercises
- Offer a simple stress journal page for weekend reflection
- Share the Tools of the Heart link with caregivers
When kids see stress managed consistently at school and at home, they begin to trust that they are capable of handling hard things.
Stress Is a Signal—Not a Failure
We don’t need to eliminate stress. What we can do is help children recognize it early, respond to it kindly, and return to calm with confidence.
By teaching students how to identify stress and respond with tools—not shame or silence—we prepare them not just for school, but for life.
With programs like Elementary SEL Curriculum and daily practices grounded in empathy and emotional awareness, we can make stress just another part of growing up—not something that holds kids back.
Empathy is at the heart of social-emotional learning (SEL). It’s what allows students to care about each other, resolve conflicts peacefully, and create classrooms where everyone feels seen and heard.
But empathy doesn’t just happen. It’s a skill—and like any skill, it needs to be modeled, taught, and practiced.
In this post, we’ll explore the role of empathy in SEL, how to cultivate social awareness in schools, and share empathy activities for students that help them step into someone else’s shoes with compassion and curiosity.
Why Empathy in the Classroom Matters in School Communities
Why Empathy is more than “being nice.” It’s the ability to:
- Recognize and understand someone else’s feelings
- Respond with compassion and care
- Acknowledge differences without judgment
When empathy is part of daily classroom life, students are:
- Less likely to bully or exclude others
- More likely to cooperate, help, and build friendships
- Better at managing conflict and expressing themselves respectfully
When Empathy isn’t just a benefit to others—it helps students become more emotionally resilient themselves.
Empathy in the SEL Framework
Empathy is a key component of social awareness, one of the five core SEL competencies. Here’s how it fits into the bigger picture:
| SEL Competency |
Empathy Connection |
| Self-Awareness |
Helps students identify how their own emotions affect others |
| Self-Management |
Encourages regulation of reactions based on others’ feelings |
| Social Awareness |
Develops understanding of different perspectives |
| Relationship Skills |
Strengthens communication, trust, and compassion |
| Responsible Decision-Making |
Empathy influences ethical, inclusive choices |
Teaching empathy supports academic achievement, too. Classrooms with strong empathy cultures have fewer behavior disruptions, higher peer engagement, and stronger emotional safety—all of which contribute to better learning outcomes.
Explore how this works in our Elementary SEL Curriculum or learn more about Social Emotional Learning.
Empathy Activities for Students in the Classroom (Grades K–6)
The following are activities that can support building empathy in classrooms.
1. “If I Were In Their Shoes” Game
Read a short story or present a real-life situation (e.g., a student drops their lunch tray). Ask:
- “How do you think they feel?”
- “What might they need right now?”
- “What would you do if you were them?”
This helps kids practice perspective-taking and develop emotional vocabulary.
2. “Mirror Faces” Exercise
Pair students up. One child makes a facial expression (happy, sad, worried, surprised), and the other mirrors it. Then they guess the feeling.
This activity builds emotional awareness and empathy through nonverbal communication.
3. Empathy Journals
Invite students to reflect weekly on questions like:
- “Who helped you this week?”
- “Who might need help right now?”
- “How can you be a friend to someone who feels left out?”
Encourage personal connections through writing, drawing, or both.
4. “Kindness Web”
In a circle, one student holds a ball of yarn, says something kind about another student, then passes the yarn. Repeat until everyone’s connected. This makes inclusion and appreciation visible.
5. Story Time with a Twist
Choose books that highlight characters from different cultures, abilities, or experiences. Pause to ask:
- “What is this character feeling?”
- “What would you do if you were their friend?”
Books like Last Stop on Market Street or Each Kindness are excellent SEL empathy lessons for elementary students.
6. Empathy Freeze Tag
Play tag with a twist: when someone is tagged, they freeze in a feeling (e.g., scared, angry, tired), and another player must guess and act out a helpful response to “unfreeze” them.
This combines movement with emotional literacy and peer problem-solving.
Teaching Kindness Through Daily Habits
Empathy grows when it’s part of the classroom culture. Here’s how to build it into your daily routines:
- Model It Out Loud: Narrate your own empathic thinking—“I wonder how he’s feeling right now.”
- Use I-Feel Statements: Encourage students to say, “I feel ___ when ___” to express emotions non-defensively.
- Celebrate Differences: Acknowledge and appreciate the unique identities, cultures, and strengths of your students.
- Normalize Mistakes: Let students practice empathy when others mess up—and when they do too.
- Create Community Agreements: Invite students to co-create rules that honor kindness, listening, and belonging.
Explore more tools like our Tools of the Heart to help students resolve conflicts using empathy and responsibility.
Quick Journal Prompts for Empathy Building
Try adding these as bell ringers, morning meetings, or reflection time:
- “A time someone showed me kindness was…”
- “I noticed someone feeling __ today. I helped by…”
- “If someone felt left out at lunch, I could…”
- “What does being a good friend mean to you?”
These questions support deeper self-reflection and compassionate classroom behavior.
Why Empathy Needs to Be Practiced, Not Just Taught
Empathy can’t be taught in a single lesson. It needs to be:
- Modeled by adults
- Practiced in real-life situations
- Supported through stories, games, and discussions
- Embedded in conflict resolution and relationship-building
It’s not about being perfect—it’s about being present and intentional.
By making empathy a central part of your teaching, you’re helping students feel safe, valued, and emotionally connected—and that’s a foundation for everything else.
Gratitude is more than just saying “thank you.” It’s a powerful mindset that helps kids notice the good in themselves, in others, and in the world around them—even when things are tough.
By teaching children simple, age-appropriate gratitude practices, we can help them develop emotional resilience, increase their happiness, and foster a stronger connection to others. In fact, research indicates that gratitude is associated with improved sleep, reduced behavioral issues, enhanced self-esteem, and increased optimism in children.
In this post, we’ll explore how gratitude ties into social emotional learning (SEL), why it matters, and how to introduce gratitude activities for kids at school or home in a way that’s meaningful and lasting.
Why Gratitude Matters for Emotional Well-Being
At its core, gratitude shifts a child’s attention from what’s lacking to what’s present—from scarcity to abundance.
When practiced regularly, gratitude helps children:
- Increase self-awareness and emotional regulation
- Feel more optimistic and connected to their community
- Experience fewer stress-related reactions
- Improve classroom behavior and relationships
By making gratitude a habit, we help kids anchor themselves in joy, connection, and hope—especially during moments of challenge.
Learn how gratitude fits into a full Social Emotional Learning program with Soul Shoppe’s Elementary SEL Curriculum.
How Gratitude Connects to SEL Competencies
Expressing gratitude is not just a “feel-good” idea—it’s a core SEL practice that supports the five foundational competencies:
| SEL Competency |
How Gratitude Helps |
| Self-Awareness |
Encourages reflection on personal values and emotions |
| Self-Management |
Builds positive self-talk and reduces impulsive behavior |
| Social Awareness |
Cultivates empathy and appreciation for others |
| Relationship Skills |
Strengthens friendships and classroom bonds |
| Responsible Decision-Making |
Helps children act with kindness and intention |
Gratitude Activities for Kids (By Age Group)
For Younger Kids (PreK–2nd Grade)
- Gratitude Circle Time
Invite each child to share one thing they’re grateful for—big or small. Use sentence starters like:
- “Today I’m thankful for…”
- “Something that made me smile is…”
- Thank You Card Crafts
Have children decorate cards for friends, teachers, custodians, or family members. This builds appreciation and teaches recognition of others’ contributions.
- Gratitude Jar
Keep a class jar where kids drop in notes about things they appreciate. Read them aloud at the end of the week to reinforce community.
For Older Kids (Grades 3–6)
- Gratitude Journals
Offer a few minutes each day or week for kids to write:
- 3 things they’re grateful for
- A person who made their day better
- A time they felt proud or appreciated
- “Gratitude Walk” Reflection
After recess or PE, take a walk and have kids silently notice things they enjoy: the sun, fresh air, laughter, nature. Debrief with a group reflection.
- “Thank a Classmate” Challenges
Encourage students to write short anonymous notes recognizing classmates for kindness, effort, or positive actions. Share some aloud with permission.
Gratitude Games and Group Activities
- Gratitude Freeze Dance
Play music and have kids dance around. When the music stops, each child names one thing they’re thankful for before dancing resumes.
- Gratitude Charades
Instead of acting out typical words, have kids act out moments of gratitude (e.g., receiving help, hugging a friend, playing together).
- Alphabet Gratitude Game
As a group, try to name something to be grateful for, for each letter of the alphabet—“A is for acts of kindness,” “B is for best friends,” etc.
Tips for Building a Gratitude Culture in the Classroom
- Model It Daily: Let students hear what you’re grateful for. This shows it’s important for adults too.
- Validate All Emotions: Gratitude isn’t about ignoring hard feelings. It’s about noticing goodness alongside challenge.
- Encourage Specificity: Instead of “I’m grateful for my friends,” prompt “I’m grateful that Lily sat with me at lunch.”
- Celebrate Effort, Not Just Outcome: “I noticed how much effort you put into that drawing. It made my day!”
Reframing Through Gratitude
Sometimes, kids need support to reframe setbacks into growth. It takes practice, but working on reframing a negative outcome can really help reshape the way they perceive setbacks. For example:
- “I didn’t get chosen for the team.” → “I’m grateful I tried something new and now I know what to work on.”
- “My friend was mad at me.” → “I’m thankful we talked it out, and I learned how to listen better.”
This type of mindset shift builds grit, hope, and self-esteem—especially when modeled by trusted adults.
Extend the Practice at Home
Encourage families to:
- Share “one thing you’re thankful for” at dinner or bedtime
- Keep a shared gratitude journal
- Take turns writing thank-you notes to neighbors, mail carriers, or caregivers
Gratitude practiced at home reinforces emotional skills and nurtures secure family bonds.
Gratitude Is a Daily Practice, Not a Once-a-Year Lesson
Using gratitude is more than a November classroom theme. When integrated into routines, conversations, and lessons, it becomes a way of seeing the world—with compassion, curiosity, and connection.
Whether you’re using a Feelings Poster, exploring our Tools of the Heart program, or just starting a simple gratitude journal, every step helps kids feel more grounded, safe, and optimistic about the world and their place in it.
