Kindness Pledge (Drew Giles)
As kindness is such a focus in my life, I always enjoy sharing the following pledge at the beginning of each year with so much enthusiasm and joy. We teach the children how to sign the pledge’s keywords in American Sign Language. If you’re unsure how to sign the words, there are several online dictionaries, like Handspeak.com or Lifeprint.com, that you can use to learn the words.
The Kindness Pledge
I pledge to myself,
On this very day,
To try to be kind,
In every way.
To every person,
Big or small,
I will help them,
If they fall.
When I love myself,
And others, too,
That is the best,
That I can do!
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Our world definitely needs a little - NO, A LOT - of kindness now!
Twiddle Your Thumbs (Sandra O’Laira)
Tell children if their hands get wiggly they can “twiddle their thumbs.”
Literally cross fingers and wiggle thumbs around each other.
Try twiddling your pointer fingers, pinkies, and other fingers.
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This would be a simple way to release fidgets and help children focus.
Who Ate the Sound? (Candice Hall)
Adapt “Who Stole the Cookie?” to letters and sounds. Write letters on cookie shapes and place them in an empty cookie box. Pass the box around as children pull out a letter say:
Who ate the letter or sound from the cookie jar?
Child’s name ate the letter/sound from the cookie jar!
Who me?
Yes, you!
Couldn’t be.
Then who?
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This would be a fun game to play when you have a few extra minutes.
This would be a fun game to play when you have a few extra minutes.