Committee for Children Blog

Making a Difference—Activity

friendship making activity

Grades 3–5

Acknowledging when someone’s done something positive helps to reinforce that behavior. This activity, meant for upper elementary students, is all about acknowledging and celebrating when kids treat others with kindness and respect.

Download and Print

Directions

Have your students create and decorate a “Making a Difference” box for the classroom. Once the box is ready, discuss what it’s for with the class and what they might write when they see someone doing something good. Then, whenever they see someone do a kind act, set a good example, or make a positive difference, they should write an acknowledgment and put it in the “Making a Difference” box. (Students should feel free to acknowledge themselves, too!)

Share the Acknowledgements!

Set aside a certain time each week to read the acknowledgments in class. You can also post the acknowledgments on a bulletin board in the school’s foyer, hallway, or cafeteria, which would be an excellent way to show them to the rest of the school community.

Like This Activity?

We’re adding more FREE Second Step activities on our blog all the time. They’re easy to find—just visit cfchildren.org/activities.


Learn more about social-emotional learning, research on the topic, and how it benefits students in the classroom, at home, and in their daily lives.