Easily provide social-emotional activities for at-home distance learning with these fun ideas. Support students’ emotional well-being digitally and non-digitally. In addition, this long list of options allows access to social-emotional support for ALL of your students!
Social-Emotional Activities for Home
Our kiddos are experiencing new levels of emotional distress. Major changes, fear, and altered support systems are all factors. More than ever, our students need social-emotional support. Here are some phenomenal ways to provide social-emotional activities.
Free Digital Check-In
Since many schools are going digital, it’s really helpful for students to be able to check-in digitally! Students can easily use digital tools to help manage their emotions too.
You can grab a Google Forms check-in and Google Slides emotional support activity HERE for free. Click here to grab a copy!
Social-Emotional Activities: Digital Options
- Digital Calming Room
- Community Building Games for Zoom
- Check-Ins:
-For example: Private (Google Forms), messaging, or email
-For example: Whole-Class: Ask students to share on their fingers how they’re feeling. Another option is to ask students to share how they’re feeling using emojis. A fun option my students like is to share how they’re feeling using the weather. For example, I feel sunny, I feel like a thunderstorm, etc. - Teach Strategies: Breathing and positive affirmations are helpful in calming and preparing students mentally. In addition, teaching how to agree/disagree respectfully and how to ask to come back to them later helps class meetings run smoother. Try something new too! How about inviting a kids yoga instructor as a guest?
- Model: For example, if something goes wrong with your lesson, or the technology, verbally walk your students through how you feel about it and what actions you’re choosing to take
- Read Alouds: Similarly to in the classroom, we can use read alouds as a time to reflect. Focus on the characters, their emotions, and actions. Lastly, tie it back to whatever you want our students to learn.
Social-Emotional Activities: Non-Digital Options
However, not all of our students have consistent access to reliable internet. Plus, unplugging to connect with family or nature can be really beneficial. Here are some favorite non-digital social-emotional activities for students.
- Sit outside for 5 minutes: record everything they hear, see, and how they feel. In addition, you can have them share their notes with the class!
- Nature walk or outdoor scavenger hunt
- Bingo Boost: Play games and as a result, boost your mood!
- Art: drawing, coloring, art, music, dance party
- Journal
- Positive Affirmations
- Control Circles
- Gratitude lists
- Board games
- Create a designated cozy space at home
- DIY sensory tools
- Emotions Scavenger Hunt
- Read Alouds: Give students the opportunity to notice, identify, and relate to the characters. After that, ask your child how they’ve felt recently.
Social and Emotional Activities for Distance Learning: Facebook Live
Prefer to watch? Check out these tips on a recent FB live video.
