Activities & Games

Wrinkled Heart
Kindergarten-5th Grade
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Allotted Time

20 minutes

Target Behavior

Respond to another person's feelings

Words to Live By

I understand others are unique. I want to learn more about everyone I meet. I want to step into their shoes and see what they are going through.
Social Awareness
Step into the shoes of others to see how they feel

Children who step into the shoes of others can:

ANALYZE how students being left out might feel

DEMONSTRATE an ability to  listen to others

LABEL others’ feelings based on verbal and non-verbal cues in different situations

DESCRIBE how different people interpret the same situation

Description

Students will learn how feelings and behaviors affect others.

Supplies

How to Play

  1. Give each student one Wrinkled Heart Printable and have them cut out the heart.
  2. Ask students for examples of things that people say or do that hurt their feelings. Go around the room and have each student share or have students raise their hand as they have an idea.
  3. For each example given, have students wrinkle or fold their heart.
  4. Have this continue until everyone has a very wrinkled heart in their hands.
  5. Then have the students share positive words or things that others have done to make them feel good.
  6. For each example given, have students unwrinkle or unfold their heart.
  7. Once each student has an unfolded heart, ask students how the heart looks.
  8. Discuss the effects that hurtful words and actions can have on someone else’s heart, and how the wrinkles in the heart represent how sometimes these words and actions can last a while.

Activity Prompts for Reflection

  • What is one nice thing someone has done for you recently?
  • How does it make you feel when others are kind to you?
  • Step into another student’s shoes, what is one kind thing you could do for them today?
  • How do our words and actions affect others?

Other Ways to Play

  • Use “A Wrinkled Heart” ebook alongside this activity. As you read along, fold the heart each time Elliot’s heart wrinkles.
  • Complete this activity as a large group, with one large heart.

Additional Notes

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