Join us each month for a new theme and activities to work with your students! This month's theme is #DoGoodDecember

#SEL Day 2023: https://selday.org/

#DoGoodDecember Quote of the Month:

" How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time. "

— Morgan Freeman

The holiday season is the perfect time of year to help your students develop and practice positive habits. Kids are already super excited about the upcoming festivities. Use that enthusiasm to encourage thoughtfulness, empathy, generosity, and more! This December, encourage students to look outward and create true acts of kindness. #DoGoodDecember #ActsofKindness #PositiveHabits

Week 1: Action for Happiness Calendar #DoGoodDecember

Use the holiday season to encourage kindness and empathy through service projects. Spend time in your program and talk about the needs of the school or the people in your community, then brainstorm ways to meet those needs. Have youth work together on a service project, to help empower your students to put kindness and empathy into practice. h ttps://actionforhappiness.org/sites/default/files/Dec%202023.jpg #DoGoodDecember #ServiceProjects #KindnessandEmpathy

Week 2: 12 Days of Kindness

Boost your holiday spirit, by creating a 12 days of kindness calendar. Working with students, create a list of 12 kind and selfless acts youth can do to bring a smile and joy to others. Once students have created their list, have youth begin working on their 12 Days of Kindness Calendar. #DoGoodDecember #12daysofkindness Here are some suggestions to get you started:

Make a gift for your teacher or a friend

Make someone laugh today

Give someone a compliment

Give out candy canes

Make a card for your principal or afterschool specialist

Pickup litter around the campus

Start a food/clothing drive

Week 3: Kindness Mural

There are some acts of kindness that are random, like opening the door for someone you don’t know or helping an elderly stranger cross the street, but the more we get to know other people, we realize they see and feel differently about what kindness is to them. In this activity, you can invite your students to think about what kindness means to them after watching the Life Vest video and have them write or draw, depending on their age, an example of kindness in your program. Then hang these up and make a mural where students can see and be encouraged to be kind every day. #DoGoodDecember #KindnessMural

Week 4: New Phases, New Language, New You!

Create a kindness jar for your program. When students make and receive random acts of kindness, the body release high doses of “feel good” hormones, and what better way to help students capture than leaving kindness notes to friends and staff. Teach kids how to write positive notes of gratitude to friends and family. Encourage kids to be specific in their praise, to show the recipient they were seen and heard. Random-Act-of-Kindness-Printable-Notes-2.jpg (1000×1294) (woojr.com) #DoGoodDecember #KindnessFeelsGood #KindnessCounts

Week 5: Try Something New: Paint like Jackson Pollack

The holidays have always been an easy time for us to remember to be extra kind to those around us. Take this time to create and normalize your program space to be a safe space where kindness is the norm, by implementing kindness discussion cards as part of your daily check-in routine. Here are some suggested questions you can use to end the year with joy and cheer and to begin the new year with joy and cheer! #DoGoodDecember #LetsTalkAboutKindness #KindnessAllYear

How can you show kindness to someone who is being unkind to others?

What qualities do you want in a friend and why?

Who did you thank today and why?

How do you know if someone is upset or sad?

What is more important to you and why-being popular, getting A’s or caring about others?

If you were a superhero, who would you help and why?

When someone does something nice for you, how does it make you feel? How do you think it makes them feel?

When was the last time you said sorry, and what was it about?

What do you want your friends to think about you the most and why: a) you are really smart. B) you’re a lot of fun to be around, or c) you’re a great friend.

SEL Video of the Month

What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and how can I be part of this?

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

What is Social-Emotional Learning and why does it matter?

Per CASEL, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) reflects the critical role of positive relationships and emotional connections in the learning process and helps students develop a range of skills they need for school and life.

SEL Resources

I Am Poem Template
As the pandemic continues, kids are turning to meditation to manage anxiety

SEL skills include the ability to:

set and achieve positive goals

feel and show empathy for others

establish and maintain positive relationships

make responsible decisions

understand and manage emotions

All of these skills are necessary—both for educators and students—to function well in the classroom, in the community, and in college and careers.

Visit the CASEL Interactive SEL Framework to learn more about the CASEL Wheel (above)

Previous Monthly Themes

November 2023 - #NewWaysNovember
Join us each month for a new theme and activities to work with your students! This month's theme is #NewWaysNovember

#SEL Day 2023: https://selday.org/

#NewWaysNovember Quote of the Month:

"The hallmark of successful people is that they are always stretching themselves and trying new things. "

— Carol S. Dweck

Week 1: Action for Happiness Calendar #NewWaysNovember

New experiences can be scary! However, creating a supportive environment can help youth build confidence and get out of their comfort zone to explore and experience new things.

Nov 2023.jpg (3508×2480) (actionforhappiness.org)

Week 2: Who Do You Want to Be Vision Board

Youth often have a narrow vision of themselves or the person they might wish to become (e.g., to be liked by others, to have a particular job, or fantasies of an idealized future).

Challenge youth to describe themselves 20 years in the future. Using old magazines or images from the internet, have youth to create a vision board of their life 20 years in the future. Ask youth to describe the important choices and actions they would need to make today to reach this future self.

Week 3: World Kindness Week (November 13-17)

Spread kindness all week-long during World Kindness Week, held during the week of World Kindness Day. World Kindness Day falls on November 13th each year. To observe World Kindness Week, have youth participate in:
- Write notes of kindness on small pieces of paper and stick them in random library books
- Give notes of appreciation to family members, teachers, afterschool, and school staff
- Encourage others to be kind
- Open the door open for someone
(World Kindness Day is November 13, 2023)

World Kindness Day is on November 13, 2023, and it’s the perfect occasion to show kids of all ages the importance of being kind to everyone, to ourselves, and to the world. This day is the best time of the year to stop and spend an entire day doing some good actions in the world, such as complimenting strangers, doing random acts of kindness, learning about compassion, and more!

https://schoolofkindness.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/World-Kindness-Day-Pack-2023.pdf

Week 4: New Phases, New Language, New You!

Learning a new language is challenging, but it’s one of the most rewarding things you will ever do. Learn how to say, “Thank You”, in ten different languages. Signup for a free account with duolingo and showcase your new language skills with your friends and family! When learning a new language, just remember to be patient.

https://www.duolingo.com/

Week 5: Try Something New: Paint like Jackson Pollack

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a huge canvas of white, and to be able to just throw different colors of paint on it? If you have, then you are a lot like Jackson Pollock! Jackson Pollock was an American artist, known for his unique style of painting which involved spraying, flinging, or dripping paints onto canvas. Watch this short video on Jackson Pollock and how he creates his masterpieces and challenge yourself to create your own Jackson Pollock work of art! https://youtu.be/aSYo-98fO1Y
October 2023 - #OptimisticOctober

Join us each month for a new theme and activities to work with your students! This month's theme is #OptimisticOctober

#SEL Day 2023: https://selday.org/

#OptimisticOctober Quote of the Month:

"Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. "

— Nelson Mandela

Optimism isn’t about just seeing the bright side of a situation or donning rose-tinted glasses, optimism is about the hard work of finding new options. When youth are taught how to practice optimism, #OptimisticOctober, they shift into a proactive stance and see that progress is possible. It may just be the underlying skill which allows youth to engage in a growth mindset, with support from a responsible and safe adult. #OptimisticOctober #GrowthMindset

Week 1: Action for Happiness Calendar #OptimisticOctober

Optimism involves learning to think positively about the future, even when things go wrong. It’s about looking objectively at a situation and making a conscious decision to focus on the good.

Oct 2023.jpg (3508×2480) (actionforhappiness.org)

Week 2: Bring Back the Best Week Activity

Negative thinking may drive a child to believe that bad times never end. As educators, we can motivate them to recall past experiences, which made them sad initially, but they could later overcome it. Asking questions such as ‘How did you feel when you got a better outcome than you had expected?’ can help them introspect and find hope from within. Here is a fun activity you can do with your students to help them recall their best week ever!

1. What happened during that week to make it so enjoyable?

2. Who was part of that great week?

3. How did it feel when things were going well?

4. What did you do (or not do) to make sure things stay positive?

Week 3: Lights On Afterschool 2023 Youth Voice and Leadership

Giving young people a voice in school or a program empowers them and makes them feel like they belong, they are valued, and their contributions matter. These competency feelings also help youth fully engage and develop team building and leadership skills. #OpimisticOctober #YouthVoice

Highlight the great work your program is doing around youth voice and leadership. Talk with the youth in your program and garner ideas and ways in which they would like to engage local policymakers and share their ideas and express their views on the afterschool program in their area.

Week 4: Optimistic Thinking-Growth Mindset

Someone with a growth mindset views intelligence, abilities, and talents as learnable and capable of improvement through effort. On the other hand, someone with a fixed mindset views those same traits as inherently stable and unchangeable over time.

Briefly discuss with students the difference in a growth and fixed mindset. Share a (1- minute https://youtu.be/inNMktqIkh0) video of Yoda helping Luke to understand the power of mindset. After sharing the video, ask students the following questions:

1. What kind of mindset did Luke have? How do you know?

2. What kind of mindset does Yoda have? How do you know?

3. What is Luke’s reaction when he realizes that what he thought was impossible was possible?

Have students work in groups and create a poster of what a growth mindset looks like vs. a fixed mindset. Be sure and sure your students’ posters!

Week 5: Which Quote Describes You

Being optimistic can make you happier, healthier, and more successful in all that you do. It can help you overcome problems. It can keep you focused on your goals. It can make you less stressed. It can help you have more fun. It helps you to learn more from any situation. It can make you more enjoyable to be around. #OptimisticOctober #PositiveThinking

Have youth choose from the quotes listed below and have them share out the quote they choose and why it describes them.

Quotes for Kids About Optimism and Positive Thinking

· “Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

· “Even the darkest night will end, and the sun will rise.” Victor Hugo

· “Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” Roy T. Bennett

· “They can because they think they can.” Virgil

· “Every problem has a gift for you in its hands.” Richard Bach

· “Don’t let your failures define you—let them teach you.” Barack Obama

· “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill

· “One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn’t pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a way of life can restore your faith in yourself.” Lucille Ball

· “You’ll never find a rainbow if you’re looking down” Charlie Chaplin

· “We can complain because rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorns have roses.” Alphonse Karr

· “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars and see yourself running with them.” Marcus Aurelius

· “You are doing your best only when you are trying to improve what you are doing.” Mae West
September 2023 - #Self-CareSeptember
Join us each month for a new theme and activities to work with your students! This month's theme is #Self-CareSeptember

#SEL Day 2023: https://selday.org/

As you begin a new program year filled curiosity and excitement, pause, and take a minute and remember, an empty tank will take you NOWHERE. Take time to refuel, and practice #Self-CareSeptember.

#Self-CareSeptember Quote of the Month:

"Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love. "

— Brené Brown
Week 1: Action for Happiness Calendar #Self-CareSeptember

Self-Care the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health. There are many reasons that self-care is important. Research shows that self-care helps to keep you healthy, helps you recharge and helps to improve your overall well-being.

https://actionforhappiness.org/sites/default/files/Sep%202023.jpg

Week 2: Mindful Active Exercise

Activities like yoga, meditation, walks and outdoor games can all promote movement and physical well-being, while also focusing on mindfulness and reflection. Follow a YouTube video for yoga or meditation—or make up your own! Try out GoNoodle for free. Just log-on to https://app.gonoodle.com/login?source=GNlogin for a free educator or parent account. GoNoodle has free age/developmental yoga videos that are easy to follow. Also, you can try out Sanford Fit https://fit.sanfordhealth.org/ for free mindfulness activity cards.

Week 3: Journaling

Journaling is a very effective way to release stress and express emotions. The habit of journaling allows for mindful moments and self-reflection. Teach youth how to journal with short, thought-provoking prompts. Use loose-leaf paper and dedicate a folder to the journal entries or ask your students to bring a journal from home. Once they get into the habit of writing, use mindful prompts to encourage reflection. You can also put on music and journal alongside them to encourage them! Make sure they know that their journals are a private space for them to write about their feelings.

Here are some mindful journaling prompts to help get them started:

What’s an activity that makes you feel happy? How often do you get to do this activity?

Write about a time when you felt sad. What made you feel better?

What are your favorite things about yourself? Why?

What’s something you like to do but don’t have a lot of time for? How can you make time for it?

Think of a person, character, show, or movie that makes you laugh.

What about it makes you smile or laugh? How does it make you feel?

What are three things, big or small, that you’re thankful for in your life?

When you have a bad day, what are some things that make it better?

Week 4: Mindful Hands-on Craft Projects

Arts and crafts, especially painting, molding, or coloring, are great opportunities for relaxation, stress release, and expression through art. Put on relaxing music in the background and spend time creating art! Download and print free coloring pages for kids.

https://kumarahyoga.com/10-awesome-mindfulness-crafts-for-kids-of-all-ages/

Week 5: Positive Affirmations List

Kids and young adults can use a positive affirmation list by reading the words to themselves or out loud, discussing how they might help, and identifying which phrases would work best. Help students create a positive affirmation list. This activity can be done as a whole class activity or students can create an individual list.

Here are a few positive affirmations to get you started:

There is no one better to be than myself.

I am enough.

I get better every single day.

I am an amazing person.

I can work through my problems.

Today I am a leader.

I forgive myself for my mistakes.

My challenges help me grow.

I am perfect just the way I am.

My mistakes help me learn and grow.

Today is going to be a great day.

I have courage and confidence.

I can control my own happiness.

I have people who love and respect me.

I stand up for what I believe in.

I believe in my goals and dreams.

It’s okay not to know everything.

Today I choose to think positive.
May 2023 - #MeaningfulMay
Join us each month for a new theme and activities to work with your students! This month's theme is #MeaningfulMay

#SEL Day 2023: https://selday.org/

#MeaningfulMay Quote of the Month:

"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. "

— William James
Week 1: Action for Happiness Calendar #MeaningfulMay

https://actionforhappiness.org/sites/default/files/calendar_download/images/May%202023_0.jpg

Week 2: What matters most activity

There are so many things that make you unique. Your skills, interest and values are all a part of what makes YOU. In this exercise, take a moment to reflect on what matters most to you. Reflection question to ask: 1. Are there any overlapping themes? What do your answers have in common? 2. Based on the overlapping themes you identified, what three things might you say matter most to you? 3. As you move forward, what are some steps you could take to focus on the thing that matters most to you? How might the adults in your life help you too?

Week 3: Year in Reflection - Thank you notes

Writing thank you notes creates a positive environment in which youth feel grateful for all they have accomplished and are able to acknowledge the people who helped them. Provide youth with blank paper or thank you cards and help them create thank you notes. Youth can write notes to their teachers, after-school staff, friends, and family.

Week 4: Affirmation Box

Using positive affirmation activities for youth is powerful for building self-esteem, self-talk, and growth mindset. It’s important to practice positive self-talk with our students to help them grow in awareness, build self-esteem, and possibly even rewire their brains to break a habit of negative thoughts.

https://nelrc.org/managingstress/pdfs/lessons/Affirming%20Our%20Strengths%20(Preparation%20for%20Affirmation%20Box%20Activity).pdf

Week 5: What motivates you? Inspiring Quotes

Quotes can be a useful way to initiate reflection because there is an ample supply of them, they are often brief yet inspiring, and they can sometimes be interpreted in multiple ways. Post meaningful and inspiring quotes around your area. Have youth to quietly walk round and read each quote. Then, have students reflect and discuss their quote. Some meaning and inspirational quotes are listed below.

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” ― Dr. Seuss

“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” — Thomas Edison

“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within.” –Maya Angelou

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” —Albert Einstein

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” —Abraham Lincoln
April 2023 - #ActiveApril
Join us each month for a new theme and activities to work with your students! This month's theme is #ActiveApril

#SEL Day 2023: https://selday.org/

#ActiveApril Quote of the Month:

"Do something today that your future self will thank you for. "

— Sean Patrick Flanery
Week 1: Action for Happiness Calendar #ActiveApril

https://actionforhappiness.org/sites/default/files/Apr%202023.jpg

Week 2: You are What You Eat! QR Stations Digital Activity

Learn more about MyPlate and why it is a useful guideline for nutrition with these class activities. This activity includes QR stations (students love using their phones!), activity sheets, notes activity, video, information sheets, and more!

https://www.familyconsumersciences.com/2019/01/myplate-stations-activities/

Week 3: Namaste

Yoga is an ancient practice from India, dating back more than 3,000 years. For young children, yoga is more than just a physical activity. A regular yoga practice can help children develop skills that will help them through adolescence and later in life. As children get older, their emotional and physical abilities and needs change. Yoga can be beneficial for teenagers in a variety of ways to help them mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Kids Yoga Poses | Yoga Poses for Children | Namaste KidKids Yoga Poses | Yoga Poses for Children | Namaste Kid

Week 4: Get Up! Get Out! Get Fit! Fitness Games for Kids

Getting youth engaged in physical activity is essential for a healthier future. Exercise improves school performance and makes kids less likely to develop depression. Kids who exercise regularly are also better able to handle physical and emotional challenges — from running to catch a bus to studying for a test.

https://www.acefitness.org/resources/pros/expert-articles/5648/fitness-games-for-kids/

All Things Earth Day! Invest in Our Planet

Every year on April 22nd, Earth Day brings the world together to celebrate, and it’s the perfect time to educate kids about climate change and how they can work to protect our home with Earth Day activities for kids.

https://www.teachingexpertise.com/classroom-ideas/earth-day-activities/
March 2023 - #MindfulMarch
- Join us each month for a new theme and activities to work with your students! This month's theme is #MindfulMarch
  
  #SEL Day 2023: https://selday.org/
  
  Join the movement to support social emotional learning. National SEL week is from March 6-10, and SEL Day is March 10th
  
  #MindfulMarch Quote of the Month:
  
  "The best way to take care of the future is to take care of the present moment. "
  
  — Thich Nhat Hanh
  
  Week 1: Action for Happiness Calendar #MindfulMarch
  
  https://actionforhappiness.org/sites/default/files/Mar%202023.jpg
  
  Week 2: Face the Music:
  
  https://sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/music-challen https://sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/music-challenge-sel?utm_source=MDR-ge-sel?utm_source=MDR-
  
  As many agree, music is the language of the soul. Challenge students to find songs that inspire positive coping skills, gratitude, accountability, conflict resolution, relationship building, self-efficacy, resiliency, and self-motivation to boost these essential skills through SEL activities.
  
  Week 3: Create a Peace Place:
  
  http://operationrespect.org/theme-1-expressing-feelings/lesson-5-peace-place/
  
  Self-calming strategies are the meat and potatoes of emotional intelligence. Explore these peace-inducing moves and create a place for students to go to when emotions become just too much to manage.
  
  Week 4: These Shoes Were Made for Walkin’
  
  http://operationrespect.org/theme-3-resolving-conflict-creatively/lesson-2-walk-in-anothers-shoes/
  
  Empathy is a muscle that needs tending in order for it to aid in social and emotional growth. One way to build empathy is to metaphorically stand in the shoes of others and imagine what they must be thinking and feeling. This experience brings together a little bit of theater and a whole lot of perspective building.
  
  Week 5: Just Breathe
  
  https://rethinkkit.org/pages/take-five
  
  A free, always available, ever-reliable resource to every human is their breath. Knowing ways to harness the breath is extremely helpful for self-management and building resilience. It may sound simple, and it is, but it is one of the most powerful tools we can teach students how to use.
  
  SEL Week Activities
  
  March 10 - International SEL Day
  
  Celebrate Internal SEL Day all week long, with fun and engaging activities, based on the core competency of CASEL. Resources for activities (K-12) listed below can be downloaded at:
  
  https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/social-emotional-learning-activities/
  
  Monday, March 6th
  
  · Self-Awareness- have students draw a heart. Inside the heart, have students write down what they can do to make themselves happy.
  
  Tuesday, March 7th
  
  · Self- Management- using a word web, have students to brainstorm ways they can calm down when they get angry.
  
  Wednesday, March 8th
  
  · Social Awareness- have students imagine being someone else to try and understand how and why they may feel a certain way. Write the emotion the person is feeling. Write why the person is feeling that way.
  
  Thursday, March 9th
  
  · Relationship Skills- have students play relationship BINGO. Ask students to check off how they are building their relationship skills.
  
  Friday, March 10th - International SEL DAY
  
  · Responsible Decision-Making- have students reflect on what it means to make good choices, help students connect making good choices with responsible decision-making opportunities.
February 2023 - #FriendlyFebruary
- Join us each month for a new theme and activities to work with your students! This month's theme is #FriendlyFebruary
  
  #SEL Day 2023: https://selday.org/
  
  Join the movement to support social-emotional learning
  
  #FriendlyFebruary Quote of the Month:
  
  "The best way to cheer yourself up is to cheer someone else up. "
  
  — Mark Twain
  
  February Calendar
  
  Action for Happiness Calendar #FriendlyFebruary. Connect with others and spread kindness.
  
  Week 1: How to Make Friends
  
  Use this resource from plantlovegrow.com to help youth step out of their comfort zone and make new friends. Share with youth, practical tips on how to start a conversation around friendships. Have youth practice asking questions to get to know each other.
  895fd9_9c910651c3834ef6bde3e9aa9bc9ce0f.pdf (plantlovegrow.com)
  
  Week 2: "Helping Hand" STEM Activity
  
  Create your very own “Robotic” Helping hand using straws everyday materials.
  
  https://www.ymcadallas.org/sites/default/files/2020-04/DIY%20Robot%20Hand%20STEAM%20Activity.pdf
  
  Week 3: Kindness Chain Challenge (Random Acts of Kindness Day 2/17/23)
  
  Take one-part math and one-part kindness equals one great activity for one great activity to celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day, February 17.
  
  https://girlstart.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Kindness-Chain-Challenge.pdf
  
  Week 4: Let’s Dance! (Celebrating Black History)
  
  Learn about the art of stepping. Stepping is a form of dancing in which the body itself is used to create unique rhythms and sounds. The website Step Afrika! Has videos and information about the history of stepping. Challenge the youth in your program, to create a unique step. Have them practice and share with the whole group. About Us | Step Afrika!
  
  Week 5: Caring Messages
  
  Create your own sidewalk chalk and write messages of encouragement to your friends to show you how much you care.
  
  https://girlstart.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Sidewalk-Chalk-Paint.pdf
January 2023 — #HappierJanuary

Join us each month for a new theme and activities to work with your students! This month's theme is #HappierJanuary

#SEL Day 2023: https://selday.org/

Join the movement to support social-emotional learning

#HappierJanuary Quote of the Month:

"Self-awareness gives you the capacity to learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. It enables you to keep growing. "

— Lawrence Bossidy

January Calendar

Action for Happiness Calendar #HappierJanuary. Connect with others and spread kindness.

Activity to Honor Dr. King

To honor the late Dr. Martin Luther King, can participate in a fun activity called “Burst Stereotype Balloons. This activity can be used with grades 3-12, and students can “burst” stereotypes that unfairly label individuals or groups.

https://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/03/lp294-01.shtml

Week 1: Action for Happiness Calendar #HappierJanuary
Create opportunities to create a happier January. New year, new you!
https://actionforhappiness.org/sites/default/files/Jan%202023.jpg

Week 2: Devereux Adult Resilience Survey
Fill your “pitcher”, so you can fill the “pitcher” of the students you serve, by fine tuning your resilience.
https://centerforresilientchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/DARS-Full-Version.pdf

Week 3: Developing Good Habits
Begin the new year with a fresh outlook, by creating opportunities to grow and learn by setting SMART goals.
https://www.developgoodhabits.com/smart-goals-students/

Week 4: Vision Board
Help youth become successful and committed to new opportunities, by helping them create a vision board.
https://www.centervention.com/vision-board-ideas-for-students-in-elementary-and-middle-school/
https://media.centervention.com/pdf/Vision-Board-younger-worksheet-interactive2.pdf (for younger students)
https://media.centervention.com/pdf/Vision-Board-older-worksheet-interactive.pdf (for older youth)
December 2022 – #DoGoodDecember

#DoGoodDecember Quote of the Month:

"The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention."

- Kahlil Gibran

December Calendar

Action for Happiness Calendar #DoGoodDecember. Connect with others and spread kindness.

Week 1: Action for Happiness Calendar #DoGoodDecember
https://actionforhappiness.org/sites/default/files/Dec%202022.jpg
Encourage small random acts of kindness.

Week 2: Kindness Tree
Create a tree and have students make leaves or hearts with random acts of kindness or good deeds. https://houstonpbs.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/arct14.pre.arttree/a-kindness-tree/

Week 3: Kindness Notes
Teach kids how to write positive notes of gratitude to friends and family. Encourage kids to be specific in their praise, to show the recipient they were seen and heard.
https://www.woojr.com/random-act-of-kindness-printable-notes/csj-coloring-template-14/

Week 4: The Kindness Game Activity
Teach kids how to write positive notes of gratitude to friends and family. Encourage kids to be specific in their praise, to show the recipient they were seen and heard.
https://www.woojr.com/random-act-of-kindness-printable-notes/csj-coloring-template-14/

Week 5: Plan a Year of Kindness
Help kids plan goals around how they can create kindness moments all year long. Have kids brainstorm and plan on how they can show kindness throughout the year.
November 2022 - #NewWaysNovember

November Calendar

Action for Happiness Calendar #NewWaysNovember. Connect with others and spread kindness.

Week 1: Action for Happiness Calendar #NewWaysNovember

New experiences can be scary! Creating a supportive environment can help youth build confidence and to get out of their comfort zone and try new things.

https://actionforhappiness.org/sites/default/files/Nov%202022.jpg

Week 2: World Kindness Day (Week), November7 - 13, 2022

World Kindness Day is a holiday devoted to promoting kindness throughout the world, understanding the positive potential of large and small acts of kindness, and unifying as human beings. To promote World Kindness Day (Week) set up a Thank You Note Station at your school. Studies show that practicing gratitude increases positive emotions and happiness. In a high-traffic location at your school, set up a basket filled with blank cards and envelopes for students to write thank you notes to those who deserve appreciation. Have your student leaders get it started by writing a few samples to display next to it, as well as write and deliver some of their own cards to schoolmates.

Week 3: New Phrases, New Languages, New You!

Learning a new language is challenging, but it’s one of the most rewarding things you will ever do. Learn how to say, “Thank You”, in ten different languages. Signup for a free account with duolingo and showcase your new language skills with your friends and family! When learning a new language, just remember to be patient. https://www.duolingo.com/

Week 4: Try Something New: Paint like Jackson Pollock

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a huge canvas of white, and to be able to just throw different colors of paint on it? If you have, then you are a lot like Jackson Pollock! Jackson Pollock was an American artist, known for his unique style of painting which involved spraying, flinging, or dripping paints onto canvas. Watch this short video on Jackson Pollock and how he creates his masterpieces and challenge yourself to create your own Jackson Pollock work of art! https://youtu.be/aSYo-98fO1Y
October 2022 - #OptimisticOctober
#OptimisticOctober Quote of the Month:

"Choose to be optimistic. It feels better."

- Dalai Lama

October Calendar

Action for Happiness Calendar #OptimisticOctober. Connect with others and spread kindness.

Week #1: Action Calendar

Optimism involves learning to think positively about the future, even when things go wrong. It’s about looking objectively at a situation and making a conscious decision to focus on the good.

https://actionforhappiness.org/sites/default/files/calendar_download/images/Oct%202022.jpg

Week #2: Bring Back the Best Week Activity

Negative thinking may drive a child to believe that bad times never end. As educators, we can motivate them to recall past experiences, which made them sad initially, but they could later overcome it. Asking questions such as ‘How did you feel when you got a better outcome than you had expected?’ can help them introspect and find hope from within. Here is a fun activity you can do with your students to help them recall their best week ever!
1. What happened during that week to make it so enjoyable?
2. Who was part of that great week?
3. How did it feel when things were going really well?
4. What did you do (or not do) to make sure things stay positive?
Week #3: Lights On Afterschool 2022 - Our Future is So Bright!

Take part in the 50by250 campaign to increase youth participation levels to 50% by the 250^th birthday of the United States on July 4^th, 2026.

Week #4: Optimistic Thinking-Growth Mindset

Someone with a growth mindset views intelligence, abilities, and talents as learnable and capable of improvement through effort. On the other hand, someone with a fixed mindset views those same traits as inherently stable and unchangeable over time. Briefly discuss with students the difference in a growth and fixed mindset. Share a (1- minute https://youtu.be/inNMktqIkh0) video of Yoda helping Luke to understand the power of mindset. After sharing the video, ask students the following questions:
1. What kind of mindset did Luke have? How do you know?
2. What kind of mindset does Yoda have? How do you know?
3. What is Luke’s reaction when he realizes that what he thought was impossible was possible?
Have students work in groups and create a poster of what a growth mindset looks like vs. a fixed mindset. Be sure and sure your students’ posters!
September 2022 - #Self-CareSeptember

#Self-CareSeptember Quote of the Month:

"Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love."

- Brené Brown

September Calendar

Action for Happiness Calendar #Self-CareSeptember. Connect with others and spread kindness.

Week #1: Action Calendar

Self-Care the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health. There are many reasons that self-care is important. Research shows that self-care helps to keep you healthy, helps you recharge and helps to improve your overall well-being.

https://actionforhappiness.org/sites/default/files/Sept%202022.jpg

Week #2: Mindful Active Exercise

Activities like yoga, meditation, walks and outdoor games can all promote movement and physical well-being, while also focusing on mindfulness and reflection. Follow a YouTube video for yoga or meditation—or make up your own! Try out GoNoodle for free. Just log-on to https://app.gonoodle.com/login?source=GNlogin for a free educator or parent account. GoNoodle has free age/developmental yoga videos that are easy to follow. Also, you can try out Sanford Fit https://fit.sanfordhealth.org/ for free mindfulness activity cards.

Week #3: Journaling

Journaling is a very effective way to release stress and express emotions. The habit of journaling allows for mindful moments and self-reflection. Teach youth how to journal with short, thought-provoking prompts. Use loose-leaf paper and dedicate a folder to the journal entries or ask your students to bring a journal from home. Once they get into the habit of writing, use mindful prompts to encourage reflection. You can also put on music and journal alongside them to encourage them! Make sure they know that their journals are a private space for them to write about their feelings.

Here are some mindful journaling prompts to help get them started:

What’s an activity that makes you feel happy? How often do you get to do this activity?

Write about a time when you felt sad. What made you feel better?

What are your favorite things about yourself? Why?

What’s something you like to do but don’t have a lot of time for? How can you make time for it?

Think of a person, character, show, or movie that makes you laugh.

What about it makes you smile or laugh? How does it make you feel?

What are three things, big or small, that you’re thankful for in your life?

When you have a bad day, what are some things that make it better?

Week #4: Mindful Hands-On Craft Projects

Arts and crafts, especially painting, molding, or coloring, are great opportunities for relaxation, stress release, and expression through art. Put on relaxing music in the background and spend time creating art! Download and print free coloring pages for kids.

https://kumarahyoga.com/10-awesome-mindfulness-crafts-for-kids-of-all-ages/

Week #5: Positive Affirmation List

Kids and young adults can use a positive affirmation list by reading the words to themselves or out loud, discussing how they might help, and identifying which phrases would work best. Help students create a positive affirmation list. This activity can be done as a whole class activity or students can create an individual list.

Here are a few positive affirmations to get you started:

There is no one better to be than myself.

I am enough.

I get better every single day.

I am an amazing person.

I can work through my problems.

Today I am a leader.

I forgive myself for my mistakes.

My challenges help me grow.

I am perfect just the way I am.

My mistakes help me learn and grow.

Today is going to be a great day.

I have courage and confidence.

I can control my own happiness.

I have people who love and respect me.

I stand up for what I believe in.

I believe in my goals and dreams.

It’s okay not to know everything.

Today I choose to think positive.
August 2022 - #AltruisticAugust

#AltruisticAugust Quote of the Month:

"Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness."

- Seneca

August Calendar

Action for Happiness Calendar #AltruisticAugust. Connect with others and spread kindness.

Week #1: Action Calendar

Altruism is the unselfish concern for other people—doing things simply out of a desire to help, not because you feel obligated to out of duty, loyalty, or religious reasons. It involves acting out of concern for the well-being of other people.

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Week #2: Notes of Appreciation

Give each student in your program sticky notes and ample opportunity to write positive messages addressed to one of their teachers and/or peers. Locate an empty wall in your program and have students place their notes of appreciation on the wall. Read out the notes and watch the faces of students and staff light up.

Week #3: Role Playing-Compassion

Have students create a role-play where they show compassion. For example, what would compassion look like if: A friend is confused by what the teacher said? Someone in your afterschool program is sad because their mother is in the hospital? Your sister is crying because she didn’t make the basketball team? A new student is feeling lonely and left out? Have students perform their role-plays for the class.

Week #4: Feelings Charade

In Feelings Charades, students will have a chance to demonstrate one emotion. The rest of the class will guess what the emotion is. The person who is doing the charade cannot speak – they must use facial expressions or body language to get classmates to guess the emotion. Write down different feelings/emotions on slips of paper. Place them in a bowl and take turns pulling them and acting them out. Once the correct feeling/ emotion is chosen the person that guessed correctly gets a turn.

Week #5: Fixing the Community

Do your students feel like they are part of their community? Many students feel they are, but they might become more compassionate people if they’re part of their town’s community. Even the best communities have homes and businesses that need repair work. Think about what projects your students can do to help “fix” their community or school.
July 2022 - #JumpBackUpJuly
#JumpBackUpJuly Quote of the Month:

"Don't judge me by my success, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again."

- Nelson Mandela

July Calendar #JumpBackUpJuly

Action for Happiness Calendar #JumpBackUpJuly. Connect with others and spread kindness.

Week #1: Action Calendar

https://actionforhappiness.org/sites/default/files/calendar_download/images/Jul%202022.jpg

Week #2: Using fun games to build resilience

It’s impossible to know exactly what trials and challenges life will throw your way, but there are steps you can take to equip kids with the skills they need to overcome those hurdles. Here are a few activities that not only help with building resilience in children, but they will provide kids an afternoon of fun, too! Facing adversity can create some difficult moments for kids, but if they’re prepared, they will come out on the other side much stronger.
1. Build a trust walk: Building trust in others and developing a support system is an important step in overcoming adversity. Set up a trust walk/obstacle course to teach the kids about being brave and earning trust. Have students partner up and led each other through a simple obstacle course while blindfolded. The blindfolded students are forced to rely on the advice and support of their partner to complete the course. Afterwards, talk about how they felt while completing the course.
2. Form a compliment circle: It might not seem obvious, but practicing kindness is an important part of building resilience in children. This is a fun game; the only thing is you need at least six kids to play. Have the kids sit in a circle with their legs stretched out in front of them. Pick one child to go first. He or she will pick someone else in the circle to give a compliment to. Once you’ve received a compliment, you pull your legs in (crisscross applesauce style) so everyone knows you’ve received one already. Keep going around the circle until everyone has received praise. The real trick to the game is getting kids to give compliments on something other than visual traits. Try to have them avoid things that have to do with looks so the compliments are more meaningful. This is harder for younger kids and takes some practice.
3. Musical Chairs: This is an oldie, but a goodie, because one of the hardest lessons to learn when you’re trying to build resiliency is that you don’t always win—and that’s OK. Start the game by having the same number of chairs as players, so that everyone has a seat the first round. Then round by round, remove a chair each time so there’s always one child out when the music stops. Kids will experience emotions connected to being the odd one out and learn how to cope with those feelings. Talk about it at the end of the game, so kids get a chance to express what they’re internalizing.
Week #3: The resilience tree exercise

To use the analogy of a tree, resilience comes from having strong, wide roots that reach deep down into the ground in order to prevent the tree from being toppled over by storms or high winds and allow it to right itself even when knocked off balance. When we are resilient, our roots reach downwards - into ourselves - and outwards, towards community and connection, so that we feel safe, grounded, and nourished, and can then blossom.

https://spacetobreatheuk.com/resilience-tree

Week #4: Letting go of the small stuff

Humans have somewhere between 12,000 and 70,000 thoughts per day. Some are helpful, some are pleasant, some are insignificant, and others can linger in our minds and get in the way of what we’re doing. There are no one-size fits all when it comes to helping children manage nagging unhelpful thoughts. Some kids really connect with the idea of being a “thought detective” and analyzing their thoughts by coming up with evidence that can ultimately challenge and change the way they think about things.
1. Write down their thought and let them go on a balloon: Ask students to think about a nagging thought that has been on their mind. To help demonstrate, come up with some examples of your own. A common anxiety-provoking thought may start with “what if…” Give each student a balloon. Have students blow up their balloon as big as they can. Give students a permanent marker and have students to write down their thoughts on the balloon. If they don’t like writing or are too young to write, they can draw a picture, or you can help. Then…let the balloon go. This is a great opportunity to have a conversation with the students about how letting go of the thought made them feel. What was it like to watch it fly away?
2. In or out of my control: Students begin by tracing their hands onto the paper. On the inside of the hand, write, “In my control.” On the outside of the hand outline, write, “Out of my control.” Now, students will write or draw the things that are in their control on the inside of the hand. They could write things like: my behavior, my thoughts, the words I choose to say, the words I choose to keep to myself, the way I react to others, etc. On the outside of the hand, students will write things that are not in their control. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxacynVqWd8&t=15s
Week #5: Building emotional resilience

Emotional resilience, a person’s ability to “bounce back” after setbacks, to learn from past failures and be willing to try again, is vital to students’ long-term success. We know that this is especially challenging for students dealing with trauma, but it’s important to realize that all students can benefit from spending time developing this skill. The good news is, emotional resilience can be taught, practiced, and reinforced. In fact, emotional resilience activities for kids often fit perfectly into lessons about reading, writing, speaking, and listening, making them perfect mini-lessons in most classrooms.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/4-step-process-building-student-resilience
June 2022 - #JoyfulJune
#JoyfulJune Quote of the Month:

"Every day may not be good, but there is good in every day."

- Alice Morse Earle

June Calendar #JoyfulJune

Action for Happiness Calendar #JoyfulJune. Connect with others and spread kindness.

Week #1: Action Calendar

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Week #2: Everyone is Important

https://fit.sanfordhealth.org/

Build a strong community by allowing students to see the program as a safe, caring environment and provides support as we navigate the unknown. Guide students though a guided meditation, to help refocus and center ourselves. This can help set the tone, for a calm and safe place. GoNoodle Flow, have free online guided meditation videos to lead the practice. https://www.gonoodle.com/tags/WwJzlw/flow?tab=videos

Week #3: Colors and Joy

This activity, allows students to express joyful emotions using color. Using pictures from artist Edward Hopper, have students to look at the pictures and describe the mood and feelings of the pictures, and which colors guide them in their thinking. Ask, “How does the following color make you feel?” (Yellow, green, pink, blue, gray, black) Using magazine pictures, have students create a collage of colors that show joy, happiness, sadness, and sorrow. You can find more works of art by Edward Hopper https://www.edwardhopper.net/

Week #4: Joy and Movement

This activity allows students to listen to music that they find joyful. Invite students to share what kind of music they enjoy listening to, and what kind of music makes them feel joyful. Play joyful music for students and have them to dissect what about the music makes them feel joyful.

Ask, “What is happening to your body, as you hear joyful music?” Now play music, with a slower beat.

Ask, “What is happening to your body, with slower music?” “How does slower movement and speed make you feel compared to faster movement?

Ask, “How does the music you listen to usually make you feel?” “Why do you think it makes you feel that way?” “Is it because of the words or the music?” “If the words to a sad song were put with joyful music, how would you feel?”

Here is a list of music titles you can use for this activity:
- “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” Rodgers & Hammerstein: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5APc0z49wg
- “Ode to Joy” Beethoven: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uooe16ILaPo
- “La Bamba” Ritchie Valens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSKJQ18ZoIA
- “Johann Pachelbel-Cannon in D,” percussion rhythms: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OUkOmdAbXU
- “Blue” LeAnn Rimes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GozdIQx1Wowand
- “Don’t Worry Be Happy” Bobby McFerrin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU