Age Group: PK-2

# of Students: Minimum of 5 students, but more are welcome

Overview
Students will share their gratitude using colored Skittles to spark sweet conversation topics.

Materials
Tables and chairs for students, Gratitude Skittle color sheet (one per student), Skittles (M&Ms or various colored shapes of cereal will also work if you don’t choose Skittles). Download Skittles Sheet.

Duration: 15 minutes (or longer if they’re having fun!)

Instructions

1. Gather students in small groups of about 3-5 students groups at tables and chairs. 
2. Make sure each table has a paper of the Skittle colors and prompts and a bag of Skittles. If not all students are able to read yet, add an instructor to help..
3. Explain the game. 
Instructor: “We are going to discuss in our teams what we are grateful for. We’ll take turns, one at a time. When it’s your turn, you will choose ONE skittle from the bag. Depending on the color of your Skittle, you’ll look at the sheet on your table and tell us what you’re grateful for in that category. Then, the next student will draw a Skittle and it will continue around the circle. You can go as long as you have Skittles! Once you have discussed what you’re grateful for, you can eat your Skittle.”
4. Show a short example of the game. Make sure to explain the Skittles color sheet to all students.
5. Questions?
6. Begin game.

Reflection Questions:
1. How did you feel when you had to think about something you are grateful for?
2. Why do you think it's important to acknowledge what you're grateful for?
3. Which color of Skittle was easiest to talk about? Which one was harder? Why?

Age Group: 3-5

# of Students: Min- 6, Max- the more the merrier!

Overview
Students will discuss gratitude, using a dice to keep the conversation rolling.

Materials
Copy of Gratitude Dice sheet, a pair of playing dice for each team

Download dice template.

Download Gratitude Dice sheet.

Duration
15+ minutes 

Instructions:
1. Gather students in small groups of about 3-5 students in each.
2. Make sure each group has a paper of the gratitude dice game and a pair of dice.
3. Explain the game.
Instructor: “We are going to discuss in our teams what we are grateful for. We will go one at a time. You will roll the dice. Whatever number you land on, look at your Gratitude Sheet. Your roll number will match a theme to discuss, and rolling doubles will count as #1. Once you are finished, give the next player a turn.”

“We’ll go around the table several times; let’s think carefully about why we’re thankful!”
4. Show a short example of the game and explain the Gratitude Sheet to all.
5. Questions?
6. Begin game.

Reflection Questions:
1. Was it hard to think about something you were grateful for in each category? Which category was challenging and why?
2. Why is it important to acknowledge what we are grateful for?
3. What are some ways to show the people or things around you that you are thankful?

Age Group: PreK-5

# of Students: Min- 10, Max- the more the merrier!

Overview
Students will practice their observation skills to see who is missing from their group.

Materials
Open space, one blindfold (optional)

Duration
10+ minutes

Instructions
1. Gather students in an open space in one straight line, shoulder to shoulder on one side of the room.
2. Choose one student to start as the “guesser.” Ask the guesser to turn around (and/or blindfold them if needed.) 
3. Choose one student from the group to leave the room, quietly and secretly.
4. Once the ‘missing’ student has left the group, the guesser will turn around and/or take blindfold off to try and guess who is missing.
5. Explain the game.
Instructor: “We are going to practice our observation skills. One student will be the guesser and they will not be able to see, and one student will leave the room to be ‘missing.’ Once away, the guesser will try and guess who is missing from their group. Whoever can guess the fastest, wins. I will help keep track of times. Once the missing student is guessed, they will come back in the room and become the guesser. Then someone else will go missing, and the game will continue on.”

6. Questions?
7. Begin game

Variation #1
Split the students into two teams. One team member from one team will go missing. The opposite team has to guess who is missing. 

Variation #2
Ask each student to find a partner. Both students will turn around from each other and change something about their appearance (hat on or off, hair flipped over to another side, earring off, shoelace untied, badge on other side of your shirt, necklace off, hair tie out or added, etc.) Then the students will have to guess what is different about their partner.

Reflection Questions:
1. What were you thinking when it was your turn to guess who was missing?
2. What would have made guessing who was missing easier? Why?
3. Why do you think having observational skills is important? How did they help you in the game?

Age Group: PreK-5

# of Students: Min- 6, Max- the more the merrier!

Overview
Students will practice working together and staying together in a fun and fast “dragon” shape!

Materials
Open space (best in a gym or outside)

Duration
10-15 minutes (or longer if they’re having fun!)

Instructions
1. Gather students in an open space and have them form a straight line, front to back, with their hands on the shoulders of the person in front of them.
2. Explain the game.
Instructor: “We are going to practice working together and staying connected. When I say ‘go,’ the person in the front of the line (dragon’s head) will try to catch the person at the back of the line (dragon’s tail). This all happens without letting the line come apart. If the line breaks, we will start over from the top. Once the head catches the tail, the head will go to the back of the line and make the new tail, and the next person in line will become the head.”
3. Show an example of the game with a few students.
4. Check for questions.
5. Begin game!

Reflection Questions:

1. Which position was hardest to play: Dragon’s head, Dragon’s tail, or the body?
2. How did it feel when you were the Dragon’s head trying to catch your tail? How did it feel when you were the Dragon's tail trying to escape the Dragon's head?
4. What was your favorite part of the game?

Age Group: PreK-5

# of Students: Min- 6, Max- the more the merrier!

Overview
Students will practice cooperating together and staying connected, even when playing as a giant “blob!”

Materials 
Open space (best in a gym or outside)

Duration
10-15 minutes (or longer if they’re having fun!)

Instructions
1. Gather students in an open space and have them spread out within boundaries.
2. Choose one player to start as ‘It.’’
3. Explain the game.
Instructor: “We are going to play blob tag. This student will be ‘it.’ When we start, everyone will spread out around the room.”
“When I say ‘go,’ everyone will run around and ‘It’ will try and tag you. Once the ‘It’ tags you, you must link arms with the ‘It’ using your elbows. Now you both must work together, staying attached, to tag others. When someone gets tagged, they will link arms with you, and the three of you will start forming the ‘blob.’”
“Everyone will continue to link as they are tagged; only the people on the outside of the blob are able to tag others (because everyone else’s arms are linked). The ‘blob’ will continue to grow and grow until everyone is linked and the last person is left standing. They will start the next game as ‘It.’”
4. Share an example of the game with a few students.
5. Questions?
6. Begin game.

Variation: Blob Division
Once the ‘blob’ has tagged three new people, the four people can split into two blobs of two people each and the game will continue. Once the new ‘blob’ makes four people, it should split into two again and continue.

Reflection Questions:
1. How did you feel when you were tagged?
2. How do you feel helping whoever was “It” tag everyone else once you were tag?
3. Was it difficult to work together to tag others? How did the team work together to do this?

Age Group: PreK-5

# of Students: Min- 6, Max - the more the merrier!

Overview
Students will work together to be inclusive of each other in a fun, “reverse” game of musical chairs!

Materials
Open space

Duration
10-15 minutes (or longer if they’re having fun!)

Instructions
1. Gather students in an open space and ask them to create a circle.
2. Choose one player to start in the middle.
3. Explain the game.
Instructor: “We are going to play reverse musical chairs. I will start the music and everyone will mingle or dance around the circle. When the music stops, the student in the middle will call another student to join them in the middle of the circle. Music begins again.”
“After each round, the last student that joined the middle will invite a new student into the center. The game continues until everyone is included.”
4. Questions?
5. Begin game!

Reflection Questions:
1. How did it feel when you were chosen to join in the middle of the circle?
2. How did it feel when you didn’t hear your name called to the middle of the circle and you had to continue to walk around?
3. How did it feel when you had to choose the next name called to join the middle of the circle?

Age Group: PreK-5

# of Students: Min- 4, Max- the more the merrier!

Overview
Students will work together to fit an increasingly smaller number of chairs after each round in a silly, collaborative game!

Materials 
Open space, enough chairs for each student except one (ex: 13 students= 12 chairs)

Duration
15-20 minutes (or longer if they’re having fun!)

Instructions
1. Set up chairs in a circle facing outward. You need to begin with a chair for each student except one.
2. Gather students in a circle around the chairs.
3. Explain the game.
Instructor: “We are going to play ‘share your chair,’ a reverse musical chairs game. When I play the music, you will all stay in your circle, but walk or dance around the chairs. When the music stops, you must find a chair and take a seat.”
“However, we don’t have enough chairs for everyone! You might think we’re playing musical chairs, but this is a little different. In this game, the student that is left without a seat is not out. Instead, the student must share a chair with someone else. After each round, another chair is pulled.”
“Your job as a team is to find ways to all share the remaining chairs until the end of the game.”
4. Check for questions.
5. Begin game!

Reflection Questions:
1. How did you feel when you had to share a chair with another person?
2. How did you come up with different ways to share one chair?
3. What are some challenges you faced while playing this game?