GRADES 4-5

Fun kindness activities and lesson plans to help students in grades 4-5 practice kindness and friendship.

BOOKS TO READ

Friendship and Teamwork

All of a Kind Family Series by Sydney Taylor

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

El Deafo by Cece Bell

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Ghost by Jason Reynolds

Kindness

Just My Luck by Cammie McGovern

The Carver Chronicles Series by Karen English

Junonia by Kevin Henkes

Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Also, check out these websites for more books on kindness and friendship!

https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=19359

https://seattle.bibliocommons.com/list/share/1031240387/1040068687

https://www.readbrightly.com/childrens-books-about-kindness/

https://www.themeasuredmom.com/books-about-friendship/

INDOOR ACTIVITIES

Kindness or Gratitude Journal

Every day, encourage students to write something they did for others that day, or something they are grateful for, and draw a picture of it.

Kindness Jar

Set a large jar or container out in the classroom, along with small items, such as marbles or small stones. When students do something kind, they can put a marble in the jar. When the whole class does something kind, the teacher can put many marbles in the jar. When the jar fills up, the class gets a reward, such as Popsicles, no homework, or extra recess.

Appreciation Box

Keep a box at the back of the classroom with some small slips of paper nearby. Encourage students to write something they appreciate about another student on a slip of paper and put it in the box at any time. Take time to share these aloud with the class weekly or monthly.

Moving Up Letters

This is a great end of the year activity for fifth graders to do for the incoming fifth grade class. Pair graduating fifth graders with incoming fifth graders and have the graduating fifth graders write a letter for their partner explaining what it's like to be in fifth grade and encouraging them to be excited and not worried about the year. Distribute the letters to the new fifth graders on the first day of school the next year.

For more ideas, check out these websites.

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/kindness-lesson-plan-rebecca-alber

COOPERATIVE GAMES

Feel free to play these games either in competition between two teams or as a class against a timer or stopwatch and have the students try to beat their time.

Hula Hoop Pass Everyone stands, holding hands in a circle. Place a hula hoop between the arms of two players so that it is trapped in the circle. Challenge the group to pass the hula hoop all around the circle without letting go of each other. They can do this by moving through the hula hoop as quickly as possible or by any other creative way they think of.

Sponge Pass Have the students stand in lines more than an arm's length apart. Fill a bucket with water and and place it at one end of the line. Place an empty bucket at the other end of the line. Give the student closest to the full bucket a large sponge. The goal of the team is to use the sponge to fill the empty bucket with the water from the full bucket without moving. (since the team members are more than an arm's length apart they will have to throw the sponge, so they will get pretty wet)

Muddy River (also called nuclear river) Draw a finish line and a start line and provide each team with various gym equipment (jump ropes, mini scooters, rubber spot markers, cones, etc). The goal for the team is for all the players to make it from the start to the finish line without touching the ground. If someone touches the ground, they have to restart. * For an extra challenge, make the whole team restart if someone touches the ground

CRAFTS

Kindness Rocks Make fun painted rocks with inspiring words on them. Tell students to bring them home and leave them in a park or other outdoor place where they can bring joy to other people.

Mini Kindness Canvases Have students paint kindness quotes, pictures or designs on mini canvases and encourage them to display their art at home, on their desk, or give it to a loved one. For quote designs, check out the classroom paintings page on the top menu.

Link to mini canvases in bulk (Amazon): https://www.amazon.com/Tosnail-Mini-Canvas-Panels-Set/dp/B06XKVLTZW/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=mini+canvases+bulk&qid=1564337232&s=arts-crafts&sr=1-5