Easy Kindness Countdown SEL Activity School Counselors Can Use in December

Kindness is one of the simplest character traits to teach and one of the most powerful to practice. A friendly greeting, an encouraging word, or an invitation to join a game can change the way a child experiences the school day.

December provides an excellent opportunity for elementary school counselors to reinforce kindness while helping students understand that being kind is more than being polite. It involves noticing others, making thoughtful choices, and treating people with care—even when doing so is not easy.

Through intentional character education and social-emotional learning activities, counselors can help students make kindness a habit that lasts long after the holidays.

What Is Kindness?

Kindness means treating others with care, consideration, and respect. It includes the words we use, the choices we make, and the ways we respond when someone needs help.

Kindness can look like sharing materials, offering encouragement, helping a classmate who is struggling, standing up for someone who is being excluded, or apologizing after saying something hurtful.

Importantly, kindness does not mean agreeing with everyone or allowing others to treat us poorly. Children can be kind while setting boundaries, disagreeing respectfully, and asking an adult for help when needed.

• Why It’s Needed: Acts of kindness create a ripple effect in schools and communities, countering negativity and stress.

• Benefit: Promotes emotional well-being, reduces conflict, and strengthens peer relationships.

• Activity Idea: Hold a “Kindness Countdown to Winter Break,” encouraging students to complete one small act of kindness each day (e.g., include someone new at recess, write a thank-you note, share supplies).

Elementary school is a critical time for developing friendship skills and learning how to navigate social situations. Children encounter disagreements, misunderstandings, exclusion, and hurt feelings as they interact with classmates.

Without guidance, students may not recognize how their words and actions affect others. They may also assume that kindness is only necessary when they like someone or when someone has been kind to them first.

School counselors can help students recognize that kindness is a choice they can make in everyday situations. They can also teach students how small acts of kindness help establish a safer, more welcoming school environment.