Growing Generous Hearts: How Elementary Counselors Can Teach Giving and Kindness

Elementary school counselors play an important role in shaping the social and emotional growth of students. One essential character trait to nurture is generosity—the ability and willingness to give time, energy, resources, or kindness to others without expecting anything in return. Teaching generosity helps students build empathy, strengthen relationships, and create a more positive school culture.

What Does It Mean to Be Generous?

Generosity is not just about giving money or gifts. At its core, generosity means:

• Sharing with others in need.

• Offering time or help without expecting something back.

• Demonstrating kindness through actions and words.

• Looking for opportunities to make others’ lives better.

When children learn to be generous, they discover the value of compassion, gratitude, and community.

Benefits of Generosity for Students

• Improved relationships: Students who share and support others build stronger friendships.

• Increased empathy: Acts of giving help children better understand the feelings and needs of others.

• Positive self-esteem: Children feel proud and capable when they know they can make a difference.

• Stronger classroom communities: A culture of generosity reduces conflict and increases cooperation.

Common Myths About Generosity

1. Myth: Generosity must be spontaneous.
   Truth: While spontaneous giving is wonderful, planned acts of generosity are equally meaningful. Counselors can help students set intentions and look for opportunities to give.

2. Myth: You must be well off financially to be generous.
   Truth: Generosity is not limited to money. Students can be generous with their time, attention, encouragement, and creativity.

3. Myth: Generosity only benefits the receiver.
   Truth: Research shows that the giver also benefits through increased happiness, reduced stress, and a stronger sense of purpose.

Activities to Encourage Generosity in Elementary Students

• Gratitude and Giving Journals: Have students write or draw ways they gave to others each week.

• Generosity Challenge: Create a classroom challenge where students track kind and generous acts, such as sharing supplies, helping a classmate, or including someone at recess.

• Service Projects: Organize age-appropriate service activities, like collecting canned goods, making cards for nursing homes, or creating kindness posters.

• Role-Playing: Practice scenarios where students can choose to act generously, such as helping a new student or including someone in a game.

• Peer Recognition Wall: Create a bulletin board where students can post notes recognizing classmates for generous acts.

Picture Books That Teach Generosity

• The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

• Those Shoes by Maribeth Boelts

• Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña

• Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud

• A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams

These stories open discussions about what it looks like to give and receive with kindness, while offering counselors a meaningful way to integrate generosity into classroom lessons.

The best and most life changing gift for children and adults is service that involves giving of more than excess. Service that moves us out of our comfort zone and challenges us to make a difference in the world develops children and ultimately adults, of compassion and character.