Students play Follow the Leader — taking turns leading the group through simple motions (clap, stomp, jump, spin) that everyone copies — then pair up for a Partner Share Game where one partner talks for 10–20 seconds about a simple prompt while the other practices active listening, then they switch roles.

Students play the Mirror Game — taking turns leading a line of classmates through a series of moves everyone copies — then practice "kind signals" in pairs, with two students facing each other in the circle and choosing a kind gesture (thumbs-up, high-five, smile) to give each other while making eye contact.

Students play Copy Cat Dance — taking turns standing in the middle of the circle, doing a move, and having everyone copy — then extend the activity with a group pretend adventure where each leader acts out what the group "sees" in an imaginary setting and everyone mirrors them.

Students play Partner Dance Freeze — taking turns leading and copying each other's dance moves until the music stops — then stay with their partner for one minute to find one thing they both like and share it with the class.

Students will interview multiple partners using a feelings-based scenario sheet, recording both their own and their partner's emotional reactions to identify where their feelings match and where they differ.

Co-create community agreements and classroom norms between teacher and students.

This lesson teaches students that everyday choices either strengthen or weaken their friendships, using a "bank" metaphor where kind acts are deposits and unkind acts are withdrawals. Students physically add or remove peanuts from a bag in response to friendship scenarios to make the concept tangible.

Students brainstorm and play a series of relay races they help design, taking turns passing a ball down the line in creative ways, then reflect on how their team worked together.

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To discuss real issues that are occurring in the group, and to encourage participants to come up with their own solutions to real problems.

Students will develop listening and language skills by recreating sounds from the outdoor environment.

Students will move to one of four numbered corners based on personal preference questions (e.g., "Are you most like summer, winter, spring, or fall?"), discuss their choices with classmates in the same corner, and earn points when the die lands on their number. The game creates a low-pressure way for students to learn about each other and build relationships through conversation.

Students will create a collage using photos they took of meaningful people, places, and objects in their lives, then write a personal reflection explaining the significance of each image.

Students will share about their families and identify what qualities make their family special to them.

Students listen to a friendship song, brainstorm and dictate qualities of a good friend, and draw their friends on paper links that get connected into a class Friendship Chain, finishing with a shared Friendship Poem or Chant.

Students will each receive a cup of three different-colored Skittles and answer reflection questions linked to each color, sharing their responses with the group in a circle. This activity helps students build relationships and practice using their voice in a group discussion.

Students will be able to identify the people in their lives they can go to for help.

Students will write their own definition of what it means to feel safe, then work in small groups and a gallery walk to build a shared class vision of safety — which gets posted in the room as a living agreement for the whole class.

Students will compete in teams to guess mystery words from the Taboo game using only related clue words, then reflect on what the game revealed about their listening and focus skills.

Students will write their own definition of what it means to feel inspired, then collaborate in small groups and a gallery walk to build a shared class vision of inspiring behavior — which gets posted in the room as a living agreement.

Students will play name-learning games — including a timed name circle, a Name Pictionary drawing activity, and a beach ball question toss — to practice remembering classmates' names and get to know each other.