Fun Activity to Teach About Self-Worth: Early Learning SEL

Positive thoughts and positive actions lead to positive feelings about oneself. A positive feeling about oneself is called a positive self-concept. Having positive self-concept is having a healthy, solid self-image by knowing that oneself is valuable. In this lesson, pre-kindergartners build a positive self-concept by reminding themselves that they are precious and valuable gems!

This lesson opens by engaging the pre-kindergartners in a way they like best—through a puppet show! In this show, Mimi, the hedgehog puppet, feels good about herself and what she does. Squeak, the hedgehog, likes himself, too, except when he does a negative action like calling someone a mean name.

Squeak and Mimi want to like themselves all the time, as do the pre-kindergartners. To feel positive about themselves, pre-kindergartners learn that it is important to stay in the Happy Circle, do positive actions, and remember that they are valuable, like precious gems. If they like themselves, they can be better friends with others and themselves.

To reinforce this lesson, the students participate in the activity with a "Gem" pendant, after the puppet show. This fun SEL activity reminds them that they are precious and valuable. A song called “The Treasure,” plays in the background as they do the activity, to help them remember the lesson concepts. Afterward, they cheer to remember the importance of liking themselves.

Liking oneself and having a positive self-concept do wonders in students’ behavior, academics, and in life. Students with a positive self-concept tend to be more resilient and can attract success. In that, their awareness of their value and importance intrinsically motivates them to continue working on themselves. This lesson helps pre-kindergartners to achieve a healthy self-concept to help them thrive in life.