Kindness Puppets

SEL Domain(s): Empathy

Relational Risk: Low

Grades: K-2

*Lesson may need to be modified to meet the specific needs of students

Description:

A creative activity where students make feeling puppets to explore and express emotions, empathy, and solutions to everyday problems.

Materials Needed:

• Chart paper and marker

• Old socks or paper bags

• Fabric scraps, felt, yarn

• Buttons, pom-poms, and other craft decorations

• Child safety scissors

• Glue

• Large cardboard box or carton (optional puppet stage)

• Lesson script

Objective(s):

• To help students identify and talk about a range of emotions

• To build empathy and emotional vocabulary

• To use puppets as tools for problem-solving and expressing feelings

Procedure:

1. Feelings Discussion

   • Ask students to name as many feelings as they can (e.g., happy, sad, excited, angry).

   • Emphasize that one person can feel different emotions at different times—even in the same day.

2. Introduce the Activity

   • Explain that students will be making puppets to represent one or more feelings.

3. Puppet Creation

   • Provide art materials (socks or bags, fabric, yarn, glue, etc.).

   • Encourage students to decorate their puppet based on a chosen feeling or mix of feelings.

   • Help students name and label their puppet with the identified feeling(s).

4. Sharing and Brainstorming

   • Invite each student to introduce their puppet to the group.

   • Use chart paper to brainstorm how the puppets can be used to talk about feelings, solve problems, or practice kind responses.