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Compassion and peace are essential values that help children learn about empathy, kindness, and mindfulness. To encourage children to practice these values, a new resource has emerged – Compassion and Peace Pack. Developed especially for children, this pack consists of engaging and creative activities that aim to instill empathy, compassion, and peace in young minds. In this post, we’ll delve into the fascinating world of the Compassion and Peace Pack and highlight some of its fun and thought-provoking activities. Whether you’re a parent, childcare provider, or teacher, these activities will help you guide children on their journey to becoming kind and compassionate individuals.
Montessori education places great emphasis on peace education, where peaceful relationships are actively cultivated and taught to children through practical and experiential learning experiences. Dr. Maria Montessori believed that education had a vital role to play in promoting peace and creating a more harmonious world.
Montessori educators encourage children to become peacemakers, developing empathy and compassion for others, and guiding them to resolve conflicts in a positive manner. Peace education teaches children about inclusivity, respect, and kindness towards others, regardless of differences in race, gender, culture, or religion.
Montessori classrooms are designed to promote peaceful interactions and foster community building. Undertaking tasks collaboratively, children learn to value each other’s contributions and practice patience, tolerance, and self-control.
Montessori also understands the importance of nurturing peace within the individual. Through activities such as mindfulness, quiet reflection, and self-reflection, children learn to regulate their emotions and develop a sense of inner calm and contentment. By cultivating inner peace, children can extend that sense of harmony and well-being to their relationships with others.
Montessori educators prioritize peace education as a core component of their teaching philosophy, recognizing that it is a vital element in creating a more just and compassionate world.
Activities That Promote an atmosphere of Compassion And Peace in the classroom
Peace Table: Create a “peace table” in the classroom where children can come to resolve conflicts peacefully. Include different colored pom poms or stones, each representing a different emotion, so children can express how they are feeling and work together to find a solution.
Mindful Breathing: Teach children to take a deep breath in and out when they are feeling overwhelmed or upset. Encourage them to close their eyes and focus on their breath, to calm their mind and body.
Gratitude Circle: Begin a gratitude circle where children can share something they are thankful for each day. This helps children recognize the good in their lives, and appreciate the people and things around them.
Empathy Activities: Engage children in empathy-building activities such as role-playing or using empathy-building games like “The Empathy Game” or “Guess the Emotion”. These activities help children understand and relate to others’ feelings.
Acts of Kindness: Encourage children to perform random acts of kindness throughout the day, such as helping a friend pick up their toys or writing a thank you note to a teacher. This helps children learn to be compassionate and considerate of others.
Peace Art: Create art projects that focus on peace and compassion, such as making a peace sign with handprints or painting a mural with messages of peace and love. These activities foster a sense of creativity and self-expression while promoting peaceful ideals.
Nature Walks: Take children on nature walks to teach them about the natural world and its interconnectedness. Encourage them to appreciate the beauty of nature and develop a sense of responsibility toward the environment.
Music and Dance: Engage children in music and dance activities that promote cooperation and working together. Encourage them to create their own songs or dances that express peaceful themes.
These Montessori activities are not just fun and engaging, but they also promote values of compassion, empathy, and peace, fostering a sense of community and connectedness among children.
Valentine’s Day is a perfect opportunity to talk with students about compassion and peace and explore together with the children what it means to live in peace with the community and exist peacefully on the planet. It’s a great time to learn about practical ways children can peacefully resolve conflict situations with their peers and siblings, and learn about strategies to deal with strong emotions.
With our children, we enjoy incorporating all those topics into the daily learning activities and activity shelves so that they have the freedom to explore.
We can promote loving and kind relationships by
- modeling our responses to a situation that challenges us
- telling social stories – real-life scenarios children face on a daily basis and how to cope with them
- making a calming bottle together with children and practicing breathing techniques
- adapting calm-down strategies that work for each particular child
- creating a peace corner or table and reinforcing peaceful strategies such as ‘peace rose’ or ‘peace rock’
- incorporating the silence game into everyday routine.
Compassion and Peace Pack
Here are some of the activities for preschool and kindergarten children that are included in the compassion and peace unit.
This sorting activity is a great way to engage children in a conversation about all the different ways we show compassion to animals and humans around us, along with the way we take care of the environment.
It’s always a good idea to suggest that the students make their own book with illustrations and short commentary where they describe ways they enjoy showing love, compassion, and care.
We can start reinforcing the idea that peace begins with every individual from the very beginning. With those printables, you can create a ‘peace corner’ that will include a peace banner, poster, poem, and calm-me-down dice.
The printable cards with all the different breathing exercises along with a DIY calming bottle are a wonderful addition to a peace corner. It can be used to engage a small or large group in a conversation and show a practical demonstration of different self-settling techniques that equip children to deal with situations when their emotions become overwhelming.
Here is a practical way to talk about different choices that we make – those that work for us and benefit us and others, and those that are destructive and harmful. Children sort pictures with real-life situations into red and green choices. Green means GO and red means stop and think.
A printable with a similar objective is also included in my Sports pack. The students are prompted to discuss and observe the right habits we strive to cultivate in sportsmanship.
Children learn a great deal from observing. Painting and art, in general, allow this opportunity. This shape activity will be more appealing to our little friends – aged 3-4.
Do you have storytellers in your group? Invite them to complete this worksheet on their own or dictate for you to record their thoughts.
Children love talking about feelings. Learning to read other people’s emotions is such an important skill to foster. It will serve them well in social situations and help them gain emotional maturity. This is a fun printable that features clipart images of children and emojis. You can also find my printables for social-emotional learning with photographs here.
The pack contains math and fine motor activities. This is an example of a simple addition exercise. Gather loose parts to help little ones count sums and write them down.
Encourage your young students to cut on a line with these cutting strips. They can use those images to create a collage or a card for someone special.
My children love tracing worksheets. They help them develop correct pencil grip and practice writing different types of lines. These also complement writing sand trays. Children first practice tracing lines then drawing them on the sand with a finger or using a stick.
When safe to do so, the children who enjoy working with push pins can do so using special cards designed for this work.
ABOUT Compassion and Peace Preschool Pack
Compassion and Peace learning activity pack for preschool children aged 3-6. This Kindness, Peace, and Valentine’s Day-themed activity pack contains printables to create a wide range of hands-on experiences for young children.
Students will practice calculating simple addition, recognizing shapes, work on strengthening their hand muscles with tracing, cutting, and pin punching exercises, work on developing logical thinking with sorting and matching activities, broadening their vocabulary, learning about the green and red choices, getting inspired to be compassionate to the environment, animals and fellow humans, and so much more.
The printable features true-to-life images and photographs.
Here is what’s included:
- Instructions and activity variations
- Mats and sorting cards ‘I can be kind to the environment, ‘ I can be kind to animals’, ‘I can be kind to people’ (30 round cards for sorting featuring photographs)
- Cards for push pinning ( 4 cards)
- Craft – card and cutting strips ‘I love you to the moon and back’
- Peace poster and craft with a Peace poem – 2 gift cards and cards for cutting
- Art cards – Kindness depicted in art (12 cards) – pairing and puzzle activities
- Shape matching cards
- Breathing exercise dice
- Tracing worksheets ( 24 pages for tracing lines, shapes and numbers)
- Gratitude in a jar – cutting strips and simple addition
- Green and red choices – sorting cards (20 cards featuring clipart)
- Sight words building cards (10 words)
- Joy and Sorrow jars – handwriting activity
- Peace table – letters for cutting out and a peace poster ‘Peace begins with me’
- Pairing emotions and emoji ( 6 pairs)
- Number line activity – a simple addition exercise
- Valentine’s Day DIY coloring cards (13 cards)
- 113 pages
This pack is suitable for K, preschool, and Grade 1 students.
This pack is included in the Preschool Activity Planner. Learn more
Find on Teachers Pay Teachers – Compassion and Peace Preschool Pack or download it from our store.
Don’t forget to visit Resource Library to download free the St. Valentine’s Day story sequencing cards and coloring cards along with Fruits of the Spirit 3-part cards!
Exploring Emotions and Feelings - Children's Books and Learning Resources
Compassion and Peace Preschool Pack Montessori Learning Activities
What Makes Us All Alike - Social Emotional Learning
Feelings and Emotions: 30 Card Sorting Activity and My Book of Feelings
20 Character Building Cards
Silent Noisy Sorting Cards - Montessori Printable
My Word of the Month
Behavior Management and Self Regulation - Task Cards
Emotions and Feelings
A to Z Emotions and Feelings - ABC Cards
Chore Chart Editable In PDF Form for Children
Accepting Emotions
Take a deeper dive into feelings with Accepting Emotions as your guide. The powerful images of people come alive in situations to which kids can relate. Using simple, everyday events lets children focus on the emotions, not just the pictures. In this way your child can begin to notice that there are multiple ways people might experience situations.
Everyday Emotions
Using large, colorful, diverse images of peoples’ faces, Everyday Emotions moves beyond simply identifying feelings to introducing the concept that not everyone reacts the same way in an identical situation. As a result it encourages readers to consider why people might respond in ways that are unlike their own. Let’s say you need to go to the doctor. How would you respond? I’m guessing that many people would have a variety of different reactions. You might dread a certain procedure or be seeking relief for an unidentified pain. Thus, your feelings about going to see a physician will likely differ for each circumstance.
Everybody Feels
Introduce your child to the concept of feelings with this engaging book. Using pictures of real people expressing emotion, it offers a simple way for kids to talk about their feelings. Let’s face it, there is no class that teaches us about our emotions. Yet, feelings are something we experience every day of our life. By validating your child’s feelings (“You look really sad.”) you are letting the child know that expressing their emotions is acceptable.
Max's Box: Letting Go of Negative Feelings
Max's parents give him a very special gift: a tiny, magical box that will hold everything, from his toys to his feelings. Max learns, however, that feelings can't be put away as easily as toys. Each negative emotion he feels—anger, embarrassment, sadness, loneliness—gets added to the box, which grows and grows. Eventually it is so large that it keeps him from doing what he loves, like riding his bike and climbing trees. With some help from his friends and family, Max is able to turn the box into something beautiful and let it go.
Calm: Mindfulness for Kids
Teach your kids how to focus their thoughts and notice the world around them with this fun mindfulness kids activity book.
Mindfulness activities are a great way to teach children about their thoughts and feelings and how to understand them--while having fun at the same time.
Imagine Meditation Kit for Kids - Award-Winning Mindfulness
Imagine Meditation Kit for Kids offer 24 HUGE Mindfulness scripts and Affirmation Cards for kids with content-rich scripts and vibrant illustrations of Guided Imagery meditations for kids, a Mindfulness breathing exercise to practice before any meditation, and an easy navigation aid to find the right card for any feeling or challenge.
Mood Flip Book - Help Kids to Identify and Manage Their Emotions
''How do I feel?'' ''What can I do?'' This simple tool helps youngsters identify their feelings and accept or cope with intense or difficult emotions.
Facial expressions depict a range of feelings and moods -- from happy to sad, friendly to shy, discouraged to angry, and more -- that can be matched to the child's current state.
The backs of each card suggest several strategies relevant to the feeling or mood, including asking for help, deep breathing, talking, finding a quiet place to calm down, and asking for a turn.
Flipbook displays 24 moods or feelings.
Curious Toddler FEELINGS The Little Book of Big Emotions
The Feelings Book introduces seven essential expressions: happy, sad, angry, excited, scared, silly, and proud.
A kids book on feelings, children's books by age 3-5
Join Jade and her father and see how, in a creative, gentle and empowering way, Jade understands what responsibility means in regarding her toys.
In My Heart: A Book of Feelings
In My Heart explores a full range of emotions, describing how they feel physically, inside, with language that is lyrical but also direct to empower readers to practice articulating and identifying their own emotions.
Thank You Mind: Understanding My Big Feelings on Tricky Days
Thank You Mind also includes meaningful tips for caregivers to help their children learn how awareness, self-compassion, and positive self-talk, can be powerful tools even on the trickiest days.
I Feel Anxious: Children's Picture Book About Overcoming Anxiety For Kids
Ideal for toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary school students, I Feel Anxiety explores an important topic in a fun and engaging way, making this book a brilliant tool for any parent who wants to foster healthy emotional growth and development in their child.
Kindness Makes Me Stronger: Children’s Book about Magic of Kindness, Empathy and Respect
Having faced a great challenge our little hero manages to teach his new friends the power of kindness, caring and compassion.
Feelings and Dealings: The ABC's of Emotions: An SEL Storybook to Build Emotional Intelligence, Social Skills, and Empathy
Kids discover a wide range of 26 common emotions which builds empathy, self and other awareness, and interpersonal connection.
Can Quilliam Learn to Control His Temper?
It’s never too early to talk about social and emotional resilience. A list of coping skills, as well as teacher and parent discussion materials on these topics, are included in the back of the book.
When I Get Upset
Telling kids to ”CALM DOWN” rarely works. Find a healthy way to solve the issue and frustration.
Find Your Calm
Anxiety is not just a cognitive experience. When children feel anxious, their bodies respond physically to a perceived threat. They need to feel a sense of safety before being able to figure out what to do next.
Listening to My Body
Listening to my Body is an engaging and interactive book that guides children through the practice of naming their feelings and the physical sensations that accompany them.
I Choose to Calm My Anger
Through colorful illustrations and rhythmic rhymes, he learns coping mechanisms on how to deal with big emotions like anger.
I Like To Be Kind
I Like To Be Kind - this is a fun and cheerful story that inspires children to do good deeds. After reading this charming story, the child will learn what kindness is and how any kind act, big or small, can make us happier.
No More Rules
All preschoolers and young kids sometimes break rules or don't listen. As much as kids enjoy more freedom at home or school, they need enough rules to feel safe and secure.
Kindness is my Superpower
With the perfect examples, this book offers, your child will have more understanding for others, accept diversity, thrive in a multicultural and inclusive environment, and show more empathy.
When I Feel Frustrated
Life doesn't always go as planned. Sometimes we fail and feel frustrated. Help kids develop coping strategies to manage frustration and anger.
My Body Sends a Signal
The book includes a cute story that kids can relate to, beautiful illustrations that capture children's attention, calming-down activities for kids, instructions to adults on the follow-up activities, emotions cards, feelings cards, coloring pages and related short stories to teach kids empathy.
The Kids' Guide to Staying Awesome and In Control
Packed with simple ideas to regulate the emotions and senses, this book will help children tackle difficult feelings head-on and feel awesome and in control!
Let Go of Jealousy
These inviting picture books offer kids a wide range of practical strategies they can use to cope with difficult feelings and situations, such as anger, worry, teasing, and jealousy.
My Attitude of Gratitude
With gentle verses, this book will teach your child to be grateful for what he has, appreciate the warmth of home, and family relationships.
