30+ Social-Emotional Learning Activities PDF for 2023 Ages K-12

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is a vital skill for children to develop in order to succeed in school, build healthy relationships, and make positive choices. SEL activities are a great way to help children learn these skills in a fun and engaging way. On Kienhoc, we have compiled a collection of 16 printable SEL activity sheets (PDFs) that you can use in your classroom or at home. These activities are appropriate for students of all ages and cover a variety of SEL topics, such as self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.

Activity Name	Grade Level	Objective	Materials	Instructions
Identify My Feelings	PreK-2	To help students identify and label their feelings.	Paper, crayons, or markers	Ask students to draw a picture of themselves. Then, have them draw a thought bubble above their head with a word or phrase that describes how they are feeling.
My Social Skills Checklist	3-5	To help students assess their social skills and set goals for improvement.	Paper, pencil	Give students a checklist of social skills (e.g., listening, sharing, taking turns). Have them check off the skills they are good at and the skills they need to work on.
Empathy Scavenger Hunt	6-8	To help students develop empathy and understanding of others.	Index cards with different scenarios written on them	Hide the index cards around the room. Divide students into groups and give each group a list of the scenarios. Have them find the index cards and discuss the emotions that the people in the scenarios might be feeling.
Here at Kienhoc, we have carefully selected 16 effective SEL activities that are not only printable but also provided as downloadable PDFs to help cater to your convenience. We have categorized these activities based on grade levels for easy navigation and facilitated instructions. Feel free to explore this collection of social-emotional learning activities and incorporate them into your teaching plans to positively impact your students’ emotional intelligence and well-being.

I. Social-Emotional Learning Activities for Early Childhood

Early childhood is a critical time for social-emotional learning (SEL). SEL helps children develop the skills they need to understand and manage their emotions, build healthy relationships, and make responsible decisions.There are many fun and engaging ways to teach SEL to young children.

Here are a few examples:* **Help children identify and label their emotions.** You can do this by reading books about emotions, playing games that involve identifying emotions, or simply talking to children about how they are feeling.* **Encourage children to practice empathy.** You can do this by talking to them about how others might be feeling, role-playing different situations, or reading stories about characters who show empathy.* **Help children develop self-regulation skills.** You can do this by teaching them how to calm down when they are upset, how to focus their attention, and how to make good decisions.SEL is an essential part of early childhood education. By teaching SEL skills, we can help children develop the skills they need to succeed in school, build healthy relationships, and make positive choices.**Benefits of SEL Activities for Early Childhood**There are many benefits to teaching SEL skills to young children. Some of the benefits include:* **Improved social skills.** Children who learn SEL skills are better able to communicate with others, resolve conflicts peacefully, and cooperate with others.* **Reduced emotional problems.** Children who learn SEL skills are less likely to experience emotional problems such as anxiety, depression, and anger.* **Increased academic success.** Children who learn SEL skills are more likely to succeed in school. They are better able to focus, pay attention, and complete tasks.* **Improved physical health.** Children who learn SEL skills are more likely to make healthy choices and take care of themselves. They are also less likely to engage in risky behaviors such as smoking, drinking, and drug use.**How to Find SEL Activities for Early Childhood**There are many different ways to teach SEL skills to young children. You can find SEL activities in books, online, and in your community.* **Books:** There are many great books that can help you teach SEL skills to young children. Some of our favorites include “The Feelings Book” by Todd Parr, “The Color Monster” by Anna Llenas, and “Llama Llama Misses Mama” by Anna Dewdney.* **Online:** There are also many great websites that offer SEL activities for young children. Some of our favorites include PBS Kids, Sesame Street, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).* **Community:** Your community may also offer SEL programs for young children. Check with your local library, community center, or school district to see what programs are available.**Conclusion**SEL is an essential part of early childhood education. By teaching SEL skills to young children, we can help them develop the skills they need to succeed in school, build healthy relationships, and make positive choices.

Social-Emotional Learning Activities for Early Childhood

II. Social-Emotional Learning Activities for Elementary School

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is the ability to understand, manage, and express our emotions in healthy ways. It also involves being able to build and maintain positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and cope with challenges in a positive way.

SEL is an important part of a child’s development. It helps children to succeed in school, build healthy relationships, and make positive choices. It also helps them to cope with stress, manage their emotions, and resolve conflicts peacefully.

There are many different ways to teach SEL. One way is to use SEL activities. SEL activities are designed to help children develop their social-emotional skills in a fun and engaging way.

Here are a few examples of SEL activities that are appropriate for elementary school students:

Identify My Feelings: This activity helps children to identify and label their feelings. To do this activity, ask students to draw a picture of themselves and then draw a thought bubble above their head with a word or phrase that describes how they are feeling.
My Social Skills Checklist: This activity helps students to assess their social skills and set goals for improvement. To do this activity, give students a checklist of social skills (e.g., listening, sharing, taking turns) and have them check off the skills they are good at and the skills they need to work on.
Empathy Scavenger Hunt: This activity helps students to develop empathy and understanding of others. To do this activity, hide index cards with different scenarios written on them around the room. Divide students into groups and give each group a list of the scenarios. Have them find the index cards and discuss the emotions that the people in the scenarios might be feeling.

These are just a few examples of SEL activities that can be used in elementary school classrooms. There are many other activities that can be used to help children develop their social-emotional skills.

If you are looking for more SEL activities, there are many resources available online. You can also find SEL activities in books and magazines.

In addition to using SEL activities, there are other things that you can do to help children develop their social-emotional skills. These include:

Talking to children about their feelings: It is important to talk to children about their feelings in a supportive and understanding way. This will help them to learn how to identify and express their emotions in a healthy way.
Modeling good social-emotional skills: Children learn by watching the adults in their lives. It is important to model good social-emotional skills so that children can learn how to behave in a positive way.
Providing opportunities for children to practice social-emotional skills: Children need opportunities to practice social-emotional skills in order to develop them. You can provide these opportunities by encouraging children to participate in activities such as playing games, working in groups, and resolving conflicts.

By using SEL activities and other strategies, you can help children to develop their social-emotional skills and become successful, well-rounded individuals.

Here are some additional tips for teaching SEL in elementary school:

Start early: SEL is important for children of all ages, but it is especially important to start teaching SEL in elementary school. This will help children to develop a strong foundation in social-emotional skills.
Make it fun: SEL activities should be fun and engaging for children. This will help them to learn and retain the information.
Be consistent: SEL should be taught consistently throughout the school year. This will help children to develop a strong understanding of social-emotional skills.
Involve parents: Parents can play an important role in helping their children to develop social-emotional skills. You can involve parents by sending home information about SEL, providing opportunities for parents to volunteer in the classroom, and encouraging parents to talk to their children about their feelings.

By following these tips, you can help to create a positive and supportive learning environment where children can develop their social-emotional skills and thrive.

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Social-Emotional Learning Activities for Elementary School

III. Social-Emotional Learning Activities for Middle School

Middle school is a time of great change and growth for students. They are developing their own identities, becoming more independent, and learning to navigate new social situations. Social-emotional learning (SEL) can help students to develop the skills they need to succeed in middle school and beyond.

SEL is the ability to understand, manage, and express our emotions in healthy ways. It also involves being able to build and maintain positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and cope with challenges in a positive way. SEL is an important part of a child’s development. It helps children to succeed in school, build healthy relationships, and make positive choices. It also helps them to cope with stress, manage their emotions, and resolve conflicts peacefully.

Benefits of SEL Activities for Middle School Students

Improved academic performance
Reduced absenteeism and tardiness
Improved behavior
Increased social skills
Reduced stress and anxiety
Improved mental health

How to Implement SEL Activities in the Middle School Classroom

There are many different ways to implement SEL activities in the middle school classroom. One way is to use SEL activity sheets. SEL activity sheets are designed to help students develop their social-emotional skills in a fun and engaging way.

Another way to implement SEL in the middle school classroom is to create a positive and supportive learning environment. This means creating a classroom where students feel safe, respected, and valued. It also means providing students with opportunities to learn about and practice SEL skills.

Here are some tips for creating a positive and supportive learning environment:

Get to know your students and their interests.
Create a classroom where students feel safe and respected.
Set clear expectations and rules.
Be consistent with your expectations and rules.
Provide students with opportunities to learn about and practice SEL skills.
Model SEL skills yourself.
Be patient and understanding.
Celebrate student successes.

By creating a positive and supportive learning environment and implementing SEL activities, you can help your middle school students to develop the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond.

Here are some additional resources that you may find helpful:

Social-Emotional Learning Activities for Middle School

IV. Social-Emotional Learning Activities for High School

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is an important part of a child’s development. It helps children to succeed in school, build healthy relationships, and make positive choices. It also helps them to cope with stress, manage their emotions, and resolve conflicts peacefully.There are many different ways to teach SEL. One way is to use SEL activities. SEL activities are designed to help children develop their social-emotional skills in a fun and engaging way.This article provides 16 printable SEL activity sheets (PDFs) that you can use in your classroom or at home. These activities are appropriate for students of all ages.We hope that you find these SEL activities helpful! Please feel free to download them and use them in your classroom or at home.

Activity Name	Grade Level	Objective	Materials	Instructions
Identify My Feelings	PreK-2	To help students identify and label their feelings.	Paper, crayons, or markers	Ask students to draw a picture of themselves. Then, have them draw a thought bubble above their head with a word or phrase that describes how they are feeling.
My Social Skills Checklist	3-5	To help students assess their social skills and set goals for improvement.	Paper, pencil	Give students a checklist of social skills (e.g., listening, sharing, taking turns). Have them check off the skills they are good at and the skills they need to work on.
Empathy Scavenger Hunt	6-8	To help students develop empathy and understanding of others.	Index cards with different scenarios written on them	Hide the index cards around the room. Divide students into groups and give each group a list of the scenarios. Have them find the index cards and discuss the emotions that the people in the scenarios might be feeling.
Here at Kienhoc, we have carefully selected 16 effective SEL activities that are not only printable but also provided as downloadable PDFs to help cater to your convenience. We have categorized these activities based on grade levels for easy navigation and facilitated instructions. Feel free to explore this collection of social-emotional learning activities and incorporate them into your teaching plans to positively impact your students’ emotional intelligence and well-being.

SEL is just as important for high school students as it is for younger students. In fact, some argue that it is even more important, as high school students are facing a number of new challenges, such as increased academic pressure, social media, and dating.There are a number of SEL activities that are appropriate for high school students. Here are a few examples:* **Role-playing:** Role-playing can help students to develop empathy and understand different perspectives. For example, you could have students role-play a conversation between a student who is being bullied and a student who is standing up for them.* **Journaling:** Journaling can help students to reflect on their thoughts and feelings. You could have students journal about their experiences with bullying, their relationships with friends and family, or their goals for the future.* **Group discussions:** Group discussions can help students to learn from each other and develop their communication skills. You could have students discuss topics such as the importance of empathy, the dangers of cyberbullying, or the benefits of mindfulness.SEL activities can be a valuable tool for helping high school students to develop the skills they need to succeed in school and in life. By incorporating SEL activities into your classroom, you can help your students to become more self-aware, empathetic, and resilient.