Character Building: How to Beat the Holiday Blues

☃This Character Building Activity, “How to Beat the Holiday Blues”is just what you need since you’ve run out of steam, you’re ready for Winter VACA, and all your kids talk about is what they’re getting for Christmas or Chanukah.  You want to  teach them a little about the spirit of giving of yourself, not just receiving.

☃The holidays are supposed to bring joy and a sense of belonging, but this isn’t always the case. There are many  who are sad and feel alienated from their families which could lead to depression and in extreme cases, suicide.

Perhaps the child comes from a poor family with few funds for gifts, or there may have been a divorce and the list can go on and on. I’m sure you’ve heard it all.

☃As educators, we know that when we do something kind or            charitable for another person, it is not only beneficial to them, but it allows us to feel some warm fuzzies too. This good feeling is something we hope to instill in our students, especially during the holiday season.

☃We all know that kids love to send notes to each other. This           activity allows them to do just that.

☃The objectives of this resource are:☃

⁂ To improve self image.

⁂ To learn how to give and receive compliments

⁂ To help students feel better during the holidays

⁂ To reinforce writing skills

☃Research has shown that:☃

⁂The holiday season often brings stress and depression

⁂ When you do something kind for someone else, you feel good inside.

⁂ The greatest thinkers believe, happiness is found in helping others.

⁂  Giving is a powerful pathway to personal growth and lasting

   happiness.       

♥ What other teachers are saying about this community building

activity ♥

♥ “This is perfect for middle schoolers! This resource reflects the growth mindset, too! Thanks for sharing!”by Growing Smart Readers

☃This is what you’ll get: ☃

⁂ Complete lesson plan

⁂ Colorful set of note cards

⁂ Black/White notecards

☃When I did this activity with my 6th graders, they loved it because note writing was up their alley. Words can’t express the way everyone felt after giving and receiving their notes.  I can say that we became more like to a family and less like a classroom.  The end of the year came too soon and we all hugged and cried as we said good-bye. It was a year that I’ll never forget and I’m sure they won’t either.

 
This resource can be used for:
✔ Middle School
✔ Upper Elementary
✔ Special Ed Classrooms

Copyright©2014 Deann Marin (Socrates Lantern) All rights reserved by       author. This product is to be used by the original  purchaser only. Copying for more than one teacher or  classroom, or for an entire department, school, or school system is prohibited. This product may not be distributed or displayed digitally for public view, uploaded to school or district websites, distributed via email, or submitted to file sharing sites. Failure to comply is a copyright infringement and a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Intended for single classroom and personal use only.

This is a PDF resource with 13 pages.