February: Empathy & Kindness – Family & Classroom Values

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The month of February is an opportune time to highlight the importance of being kind and empathetic. Valentine’s Day is not always a positive time for some children – particularly if they feel they are being left out. It is important for educators and parents to prepare children well in advance so that everyone feels included. Books are always a great way to highlight and initiate discussions about kindness and empathy as we lead up to the celebration of Valentine’s Day on February 14 and Random Acts of Kindness Day on February 17th. Enjoying a special BC Family Day, on February 15, filled with activities or just a day of rest at home enjoying each other is perfect to bond and focus on these relevant values.

1. Read together 📚

I Like Who I Am by Tara White. Celina is a young Mohawk girl who moves to her mother’s home reserve. She is teased by her classmates who tell her that she is not Mohawk and does not belong because she has blond hair and blue eyes. Celina starts to believe her classmates and decides not to dance at an upcoming Pow Wow. But her great-grandmother helps Celina understand that being Mohawk is not about how she looks but about what she feels in her heart. When the drumming starts at the Pow Wow, Celina decides to dance after all. A beautifully illustrated story, I Like Who I Am explores issues of bullying and belonging as Celina looks for acceptance in her new community.

Caveboy Crush by Beth Ferry. Neander is a young caveboy. He spends his days doodling on cave walls, chasing mammoth butterflies, and playing with his pet rock, Rock. But one day, he meets Neanne—and he’s CRUSHED! She’s short, she’s hairy, she’s perfect! Neander does everything he can think of to get Neanne’s attention. He picks a bouquet for her from the Field of the Bees. He fetches a conch shell for her from the Waves of Salt. As Neander’s gestures get grander and grander, Neanne remains unimpressed. But then Neander hatches the grandest gesture of all, and it’s Neanne’s turn to do some crushing. this sweet celebration of first love is perfect for Valentine’s Day and read-alouds all year long.

Like the Moon Loves the Sky byHena Khan. A lyrical and heartwarming celebration of a mother’s love for her children. In this moving picture book, author Hena Khan shares her wishes for her children: “Inshallah you find wonder in birds as they fly. Inshallah you are loved, like the moon loves the sky.” With vibrant illustrations and prose inspired by the Quran, this charming picture book is a heartfelt and universal celebration of a parent’s unconditional love.

I Need a Hug by Aaron Blabey. Everyone needs a hug in this new, irresistibly funny book about a tiny porcupine who just wants a cuddle and friendship. All of the other animals turn him away because of his prickly spikes. But finally the porcupine meets an animal who’s happy to hug. Perfect for Valentine’s Day or any day that requires a hug!

The Moccasins by Earl Einarson. This is an endearing story of a young Aboriginal foster child who is given a special gift by his foster mother. Her gift of warmth and thoughtfulness helps her young foster children by encouraging self-esteem, acceptance and love.

You Loves Ewe! by Cece Bell. A side-splittingly funny picture book about a silly donkey, a cranky yam, and an irresistible ewe, packed with hilarious homonyms and the distinctive humor. A persnickety spud, Yam, introduces the grammar-challenged Donkey to a new friend, Ewe, a lady sheep. The confusion between “ewe” and “you” results in a fabulously funny series of who’s-on-first misunderstandings.,Perfect for Valentine’s Day or any day!

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS DAY – FEBRUARY 17th

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Feelings don’t give a warning sign before they come up, so it’s important to help children create a variety of activities to work through their different feelings. Encouraging children to create artwork or engage in sensory bins are all effective expressive outlets to work through their emotions. Books are also a wonderful way to initiate discussion with children about their feelings and to encourage them to reflect on how best to express them. The following are books to reinforce the importance of practicing random acts of kindness and to show kindness and empathy to others.

The Power of One: Every Act of Kindness Counts by Trudy Ludwig. When one child reaches out in friendship to a classmate who seems lonely, she begins a chain reaction of kindness that ripples throughout her school and her community. One kind act begets another, small good deeds make way for bigger ones, and eventually the whole neighbourhood comes together to build something much greater than the sum of its parts. The book from acclaimed bullying expert Trudy Ludwig, conveys a message of kindness and offers concrete steps that kids can take to make a difference in their own communities.

Heartprints by P.K. Hallinan. According to Hallinan’s book, when you help others, you are not only kind, but you also leave heartprints along the way, which is an excellent way to not only teach kindness, but for kids to understand what kindness feels like. This book explores how being kind and sharing with others can change another’s mood, as well as your own.

What Does It Mean to Be Kind? by Rana DiOrio. The title of this book is a good question that many kids have. What does kindness mean? The concept of treating others the way they want to be treated as a golden rule is explored, and kindness is defined in many different ways to help children understand what it means to be kind and how to apply it to their everyday actions.

Kids’ Random Acts of Kindness. Foreword by Rosalynn Carter. These inspirational stories of generosity from whimsical and funny to moving and thoughtful are written by children of all ages and reveal their surprisingly insightful feelings about kindness and compassion.

SONGS

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2. Create together: Puzzles, Crafts, Drawing and Constructing 🧩

VALENTINE DAY CRAFTS

Create an open-ended Valentine basket or bin which might include the following:
- Valentine’s Day Stickers
- Sticky Foam Hearts
- Cotton Balls.
- Cellophane Grass
- Water Beads
- Outdoor found items such as twigs, cones, stones, leaves, feathers
- Small Paint set for children to create thumbprint hearts
- Pompoms
- Buttons
Math Centre Activity: Roll the dice and draw a Love Bug for Valentine’s Day
Wondering about a class or home initiative for your children to carry out a Random Act of Kindness?
- Consider having children make Valentine cards for Seniors. Parents or educators can make arrangements ahead of time to ensure the long-term care facilities are
Make a Valentine Place Mat for a parent. Children place their hand in paint and then press their handprint onto a thicker piece of white paper. Next they place red thumbprint hearts all over in different colours. Finally, you can have children glue on this Valentine recipe printable or print it onto the Place Mat themselves. Older children can create their own recipe to include on their Place Mat. You may wish to have each Place Mat laminated or apply clear contact paper so it is protected from spills and easily wiped off.

Consider these creative homemade Valentine Card ideas for .
- Apple of My Eye – Valentine Card Craft. Create a stamp by cutting an apple in half and then trimming the edges to look like a heart. Round out a hole in the centre. Use red paint to stamp and have children draw seeds in the middle and a stem on top. Print on the card: You Are the APPLE of my Eye!

This abstract Valentine’s Day card involves using a salad spinner. Line the salad spinner with plastic wrap, then tape a 5×5-inch piece of cardstock into the basket. Have children drop a tiny bit of acrylic paint into the spinner (you can mix the paint with water to thin it out, if needed). Put on the lid, have children spin it, as they watch the paint create cool patterns! You can repeat these steps using other colors until you get your desired design.

Pop Art Notes DIY crafts — CREDIT: TED + CHELSEA CAVANAUGH

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SENSORY PLAY is any type of play that involves the senses! Sensory bins are one way for children to experience hands-on learning and exploration.. A sensory bin is a large tub or container that is filled with some sort of “filler” material and various objects that are intentionally picked out to stimulate different senses. Typically sensory bins work to challenge six different senses: Tactile (touch); Auditory (sound); Visual (sight); Olfactory (smell); Proprioceptive (Pressure) and Gustatory (taste).

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To create a sensory bin, take a plastic storage box and fill it with age-appropriate items such as sand, uncooked rice or beans, cotton balls or feathers. Add in other small items like toys, shovels, matchbox cards, Legos, small bowls, spoons.. The goal is to include a variety of textures and tactile stimulation for children to experience and interact with.
If you are in an area where there is a sensitivity to including food items in your sensory bins, here is a list of 75 non-food sensory bin fillers.
Here are 50 Non-Food and Edible Bin Filler Ideas.
Ideas to create more sensory bins:
- Print off 2 sets of Ocean Animals, Farm Animals, and Zoo Animals. Bury one in the sensory bin and have children find them and then match the card to another set. You may also wish to bury plastic sets of each of these animals as well as lego pieces, bowls, etc. Check the lists above to decide which fillers you will use.
- Print off 2 sets of Construction equipment. Bury one in the sensory bin and have children find them and then match the card to another set.
- Print off 2 sets of Dinosaurs. Bury one in the sensory bin and have children find them and then match the card to another set.
- Alphabet Sensory Bin ideas
- Fine Motor Skill Bin ideas
- Birds Sensory Bin for Kids
- Dr. Seuss Rhymes Sensory Bin Activity includingThe Cat In The Hat, Hop on Pop, and Green Eggs and Ham. A sensory bin is a wonderful way to combine literacy with play for a truly joyful early childhood learning experience.