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Join us each month for a new theme and activities to work with your students! This month's theme is #Self-CareSeptember
#Self-CareSeptember Quote of the Month:
"Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure."
—Oprah Winfrey
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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. #Self-CareSeptember #SelfcareIsNotSelfish #ActionforHappiness
Week 2: Get Silly
When youth are having a tough time or cycling through big emotions, ask silly questions to help them reset. Asking a concrete question, they know the answer to helps re-route their thinking. Ask questions like: What color is the sky? What did you have for breakfast? Where is your shoe? Even if they answer incorrectly, you're helping their brain and body calm down and get back into the zone. Encourage youth that when they have big feelings, they can pay attention to the room around them and name five things they see to "reset" their brains. #Self-CareSeptember #SelfcareIsNotSelfish #NameYourEmotions
Week 3: Active Exercise and Healthy Snacks
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 Sanford Fit for free mindfulness activity cards. Nourishing our bodies and making sure we have the fuel we need to get through the day is a vital part of self-care for kids. If your child is feeling a little "hangry," encourage them to recognize and name this sensation, and then suggest a nutritious nibble. #Self-CareSeptember #SelfcareIsNotSelfish #GetActive #EatHealthy
Week 4: Mindful Craft Projects
Providing students the chance to get hands-on with art we provide them with a fun and concrete experience that they can use to self-regulate during times of escalation. It provides a tangible coping strategy that students can use at home, at their desks, or any other time they need to calm down. Here are some simple and mindful art activities your students can do, with little to no preparation from you. #Self-CareSeptember #SelfcareIsNotSelfish #JustBreathe
- Draw Your Breath
Each student gets a piece of paper and a marker or pen. With the marker in the middle of the paper, students breathe in and breathe out drawing lines for each breath. During this whole activity, students will not raise their pen from the piece of paper. When you breathe in, you draw a line in any direction. Keep the pen on the paper and when you breathe out, you draw another line. Students keep doing this as they breathe in and out making their own lines, shapes, and creative artwork. After about 30 breath cycles, students use colors to color in different shapes. Students can be creative by coloring in the shapes, drawing little pictures or patterns in each shape, etc. - Drip Painting
Show your students a few examples of different abstract art, such as Jackson Pollock's drip paintings. Drip painting can be a fun and accessible painting technique for kids to explore different colors and moods simply through dripping paint on their papers. Be creative and have fun!
- Breathing Beads
With some yarn and beads, students can make their own unique breathing beads. After students make their own creation, practice some mindfulness by taking a deep breath for every bead.
Week 5: Positive Affirmations
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. #Self-CareSeptember #SelfcareIsNotSelfish #ControlYourHappiness
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.
- Draw Your Breath
SEL Video of the Month
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What is Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and how can I be part of this?
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
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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
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I Am Poem Template
Download this free template now, It’s called the “I Am” Poem. It’s a way to practice and promote self-care by checking in with themselves to feel a sense of belonging.
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As the pandemic continues, kids are turning to meditation to manage anxiety
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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
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August 2024—#AltruisticAugust
Join us each month for a new theme and activities to work with your students! This month's theme is #AltruisticAugust
#AltrusiticAugust Quote of the Month:
"Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness. "
—Seneca
Altruism plays a vital role in creating harmonious relationships and building a caring community. Altruism encourages children to consider the impact of their actions on others, promoting fairness, cooperation, and a sense of responsibility. #TeachingEmpathy #AltruisticAugust #SEL
Week 1: Action for Happiness Calendar #AltruristicAugust
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. #AltruisticAugust #SEL #Empathy https://actionforhappiness.org/sites/default/files/Aug%202024.jpg
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. #AltruisticAugust #SEL #Empathy #StudentConnection
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. #AltruisticAugust #SEL #Empathy #Compassion
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. #AltruisticAugust #SEL #Empathy #ItsOkayToFeel #FeelAllTheFeeling
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. #AltruisticAugust #SEL #Empathy #GiveBack #MyCommunity
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May 2024—#MeaningfulMay
Join us each month for a new theme and activities to work with your students! This month's theme is #MeaningfulMay
#SEL Day 2024: https://selday.org/
#MeaningfulMay Quote of the Month:
"Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does."
—William James
We matter every day. But how often do we stop and take the opportunity to “be” in the moment of our daily lives? With easy access to technology, we often find ourselves viewing those moments behind the lens instead of taking the opportunity to “be” in the moment. Take the opportunity this month to “be” in the moment. To “be” intentional with your everyday life. #MeaningfulMay #Intentionality #Beinthemoment
#SELday 2024: https://selday.org/
Week 1: Action for Happiness Calendar #MeaningfulMay
https://actionforhappiness.org/sites/default/files/May%202024.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. #MeaningfulMay #MakeEverydayCount 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. #MeaningfulMay #Gratitude
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. #Meaningful May #TakeAMoment
Week 5: What motivates you? Inspiring Quotes
All Things Earth Day! Invest in Our Planet
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. #MeaningfulMay #Inspiration
“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
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April 2024 - #ActiveApril
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Join us each month for a new theme and activities to work with your students! This month's theme is #ActiveApril
#SEL Day 2024: https://selday.org/
#ActiveApril Quote of the Month:
"Do something today that your future self will thank you for."
—Sean Patrick Flanery
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SEL can help youth build awareness for how #physical health impacts us, learning how to navigate #failures and #successes, work on a team with peers, and learning how to recognize emotions in our bodies. #ActiveApril #GetMoving
#SELday 2024: https://selday.org/
Week 1: Action for Happiness Calendar #ActiveApril
Apr 2024.jpg (3508×2480) (actionforhappiness.org)
Week 2: 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. #ActiveApril #Namaste
Week 3: 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! #ActiveApril #HealthyHabits
https://www.familyconsumersciences.com/2019/01/myplate-stations-activities/
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 catching a bus to studying for a test. #ActiveApril #GetMoving
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. #EarthDay #SavethePlanet
https://www.teachingexpertise.com/classroom-ideas/earth-day-activities/ https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2024/
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March 2024 - #MindfulMarch
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Join us each month for a new theme and activities to work with your students! This month's theme is #MindfulMarch
#SEL Day 2024: https://selday.org/
#MindfulMarch Quote of the Month:
"If we are not fully ourselves, truly in the present moment, we miss everything."
—Thich Nhat Hanh
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With the spring season upon us, we should take this time and reawaken ourselves to #PracticingMindfulness. At the core of mindfulness is to be present at the moment in our day-to-day life. A Zen proverb says” when you walk, just walk and when you run, just run”. Listed are suggestions and resources for you and your students to use to be #ActivelyPresent and to practice mindfulness this March. #MindfulMarch #PracticingMindfulness #BePresent
#SELday 2024 March 8, 2024
SEL Day is a global, grassroots campaign for social-emotional learning to support children’s academic recovery, mental health, and well-being. #SELday, #MindfulMarch
Week 1: Action for Happiness Calendar #MindfulMarch
Mar 2024.jpg (3508×2480) (actionforhappiness.org)
Week 2: Mindfulness Coloring Pages
Mindful coloring asks us to focus on how we choose and apply color in a design, to bring our awareness to the present moment. #MindfulMarch #Mandalas
Week 3: Breathing Exercises
Relax and Breathe: Do Nothing for 10 Minutes Video https://youtu.be/aXItOY0sLRY
Being aware of your breath is a key way to bring a swift sense of calm, and distance yourself from anxious feelings, so you can look at a situation objectively rather than act quickly as a reaction to stress. #MindfulMarch #RelaxandBreathe
Week 4: Sensory notetaking
You can practice mindfulness even when you’re not in motion—many yogis sit perfectly still in meditation. In this activity, engage all five senses, taking note of what you experience.
Taste: Place a small piece of chocolate on your tongue. Let it melt slowly, instead of chewing it. Observe the taste and texture. Do you get more of a sweet sensation in certain areas of your mouth? How does your body react to sugar? To sour or bitter tastes.
Smell: Choose something with a high degree of natural aromas, such as an orange or a flower. Inhale deeply. How do the molecules make your mind feel when they reach your brain? What physical sensations arise, and do you have an emotional reaction? Scents can trigger memories and the feelings you associate with them.
Sight: Pick a random object in the room to focus on for 20 to 30 seconds. Observe the color and texture. Are there any tiny, unique aspects you’ve never noticed before?
Sound: Put on a favorite song or tune into some relaxing Solfeggio frequency music. What emotions arise when you hear it? Does your body physically react to the vibrations?
Touch: Close your eyes, place objects with a variety of textures into brown paper bags. Observe by feeling only. How does the material feel under your fingertips? Experiment with more than just fabric—for example, damp spaghetti noodles have an interesting feel. #MindfulMarch #BePresent
Week 5: Yoga
https://www.emedihealth.com/wellness/yoga-meditation/yoga-poses-for-kids
Yoga and mindfulness have been shown to improve both physical and mental health in school-age children (ages 6 to 12). Yoga improves balance, strength, endurance, and aerobic capacity in children. Yoga and mindfulness offer psychological benefits for children as well. A growing body of research has already shown that yoga can improve focus, memory, self-esteem, academic performance, and classroom behavior, and can even reduce anxiety and stress in children. #MindfulMonday #Yoga
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January 2024 - #HappierJanuary
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Join us each month for a new theme and activities to work with your students! This month's theme is #HappierJanuary
#SEL Day 2024: https://selday.org/
#HappierJanuary Quote of the Month:
" Be the change you wish to see in the world. "
— Mahatma Gandhi
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Starting a new year is refreshing and exciting-awaiting the possibilities of what the new year can bring. How can you make 2024 matter in terms of your well-being and the well-being of others, by embracing a Happier January. #YouMatter2024 #HappierJanuary
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. #YouMatter2024 #HappierJanuary #KeepTheLegacyAlive
Week 1: Action for Happiness Calendar #HappierJanuary
Create new opportunities to treat yourself and others well by learning a new skill or brushing up on an old skill. Why, because you matter! #YouMatter2024 #HappierJanuary
Jan 2024.jpg (3508×2480) (actionforhappiness.org)
Week 2: Aim high and set specific goals!
There is no better time to begin looking at ways to show treat yourself better than the new year! Model for youth how to aim high and set specific goals, by making list of 24 things they want to accomplish during the year. Let youth have fun with their list, #24for24. Here are some suggestions to get them started. #YouMatter #HappierJanuary #24for24
- Learn 24 new words
- Give up technology for 24 hours
- Try 2 to 4 new foods
- Try a new exercise
- Practice positive affirmations for others
Week 3: Tell Me Something Good
To help continue to promote a caring and positive afterschool program, take some time, and incorporate Tell Me Something Good. During this time, youth can share any positive aspect of their life from school, friends, or family. Taking time for the class to get to know each other promotes a positive environment, builds confidence, and creates a sense of community within the program. #YouMatter #HappierJanuary #TellMeSomethingGood
Week 4: Vision Board
What do you want to accomplish this year? How do you see yourself growing this year? How do you see yourself mattering in 2024? To help youth in creating their own vision board-get them energized and clear about their goals and what they want to achieve this year. Create the board, using old magazines, postcards and even paint swatches. Be purposeful in helping youth be intentional about their visions and how they can accomplish them. #YouMatter2024 #HappierJanuary #VisionBoard
media.centervention.com/pdf/Vision-Board-older-worksheet-interactive.pdf
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December 2023 - #DoGoodDecember
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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
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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. https://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.
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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.
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
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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
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September 2023 - #Self-CareSeptember
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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
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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.
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.
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May 2023 - #MeaningfulMay
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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
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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.
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
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April 2023 - #ActiveApril
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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
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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/
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March 2023 - #MindfulMarch
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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-challenhttps://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.
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February 2023 - #FriendlyFebruary
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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
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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.jpgWeek 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.pdfWeek 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)
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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.
