Second - Third Grade
Developmental Characteristics
Physical
Enthusiastic about games
Experiencing improvement in both gross and fine motor skills
Possess a high activity level
Practice to master variations of movement for physical activities
Enjoy games that allow for comparison of skills
Enjoy games that allow for self-f-improvement
Social Emotional
Have a strong drive toward independence
Develop a strong sense of loyalty to friends
Need to belong to a group
Play with and are friends with same-sex peers
Like to take on responsibility
Live in a world of games, rituals and humor inhabited only by children
Like to have a best friend
Have a rigid sense of right and wrong
Need help accepting peers who are different or left out of a group
Cognitive
Like to talk; use language to express feelings/tell stories
Developing a sense of time
Enjoy collecting things
Enjoy problem-solving games like treasure hunts
Can plan and carry out projects with adult support
Becoming more self-directed in activities
Better able to understand and appreciate differences of opinion
Garden of Greatness
Each child makes their own paper flower with a picture of themselves in the center and one talent written on each petal. All the flowers come together to form a class "Garden of Greatness" on the wall—a visible reminder that every child brings something to the room.
By Myself Poem
Students will read Eloise Greenfield's poem "By Myself" and then create their own "I am" poems, building a list of words and phrases that describe who they are. Younger students can draw a picture instead of writing.
Honey, I Love
Students will be able to identify the people, places, and things they love — building self-confidence by recognizing the joy and goodness already present in their own lives.
Greeting Cards
Students will explore different types of greeting cards and then design and write their own to build a class card collection, practicing empathy by thinking about how to acknowledge and respond to others' experiences through words and art.
Drawing Feelings
Students practice self-awareness by checking in with how they are feeling right now and using colors, shapes, and lines to draw it. Sharing is invitational, and the activity builds the language and confidence to name big feelings.
How Would You Feel If
Recognize the feelings and perspectives of others, and role-play and brainstorm ways to respond to people depending on how they’re feeling.
Feelings Check
Participants will determine if engaging in a fitness activity has an effect on how they feel emotionally, and explore how regular exercise can support their mental and physical health as a tool for self-control and emotional regulation.
Balls and Hoops:Musical Islands
Students move around hula hoop "islands" to music and must work together to fit everyone onto fewer and fewer hoops each round, with the goal of including every student rather than eliminating anyone.
Balls and Hoops:Pass-It-Back Relays
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.
Inside Me, Outside Me
Students will create a drawing or collage that expresses how they see themselves and how others see them — building self-confidence by giving voice to who they are on the inside.
It’s Your Move
To discuss real issues that are occurring in the group, and to encourage participants to come up with their own solutions to real problems.
Let the Hot Air Out of Bullies
Students will write a bullying problem on an inflated balloon, brainstorm solutions, and release the balloon when the class agrees on a good solution — symbolically "deflating the bully." Through this activity, students practice empathy and critical thinking to develop strategies for standing up for themselves and others.
Listening Game
Students will develop listening and language skills by recreating sounds from the outdoor environment.
Move and Make Friends
Students will dance with partners and freeze when the music stops, then take turns moving creatively down a line while classmates clap, practicing self-control, listening, and social awareness through movement.
Keep ‘Em Afloat
To introduce the concept of doing a good job by yourself and in a team, and to have participants explore ways they can be helpful to each other and their communities.
Lucky Number
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.
Meaningful Photos
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.
Motivational Self Talk Book
Reflect on what types of statements energize and motivate them, create their own motivational self-talk statements and turn them into a book, and share and discuss their statements with classmates.
Our Friendship Chain Links Us Together
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.