Activities for Teaching Children Compassion

Looking for activities for teaching children compassion? This month’s Family Moments pack is full of activities and printables all focused on compassion! 

Teaching children compassion can seem like a struggle when we live in such a self-centered world. However, I believe that with some intentional focus, we can impress compassion on our children’s hearts. This Family Moments pack contains 5 simple ways to teach compassion to your children. You can download the printables HERE!

As I thought about what topic to kick off the Family Guides with this fall, I decided on teaching our kids about compassion. The reason for this is because I want to raise kids who see others and can empathize with them.  The printables are part of A Year of Family Moments and you can download this month for FREE to see how everything is laid out. Sign up to download the free pack here. 

Activities for Teaching Children Compassion

Monthly Focus: Compassion

This is the focus of the month. Print the focus card and read this statement with your family and then talk about it. We like to read this during dinner. After you read it together, share what compassion is. What does it look like to show compassion? Share a few different scenarios and ask your child if the person showed compassion or not.

Supplies Needed: Printed Focus Card (in the free printable pack)

Verse: Ephesians 4:32

Read Ephesians 4:32 together as a family. Print off the verse coloring sheet for the kids to color or paint. As the kids color, talk about the verse and what it means. Print the verse card to place in a spot you will see regularly. We also write the verse on our chalkboard in the dining room.

Supplies Needed: Printed verse coloring sheet and verse card, crayons (in the free printable pack)

Connect: Kind Words Sensory Play

1. Hand your child a small pile of cotton balls. Let your child touch them, squish them, and rub them on their arm. Ask how it feels (soft, fluffy). If words were cotton balls, how would it feel to have them on your arm? Fill a cup up with cotton balls and pour it out on the child’s arm. Share words that are “cotton ball words” aka kind/compassionate words.  
2. Next, give a piece of sandpaper to your child to touch. As they touch it, ask them how the sandpaper feels (rough, sharp). If words were sandpaper how would they feel? What words are like sandpaper?  Show your child how sandpaper can scratch something like wood or plastic. Tell them sandpaper words “scratch” our feelings. It hurts when people talk to us in a mean voice or say mean things.
3. Place a cup or jar in a central location, every time you hear your child using “cotton ball” words, put a cotton ball in the jar. When it is full, celebrate together! Head for ice cream or enjoy your favorite treat together. Talk about how proud you are of their compassionate cotton ball words!

Supplies Needed: Cotton Balls, Sand Paper, Cup

Grow: Bible Reading

Read Genesis 6-9 (feel free to paraphrase it) or in the Storybook Bible, “A New Beginning.”

Talking Points

1. How did God show compassion for Noah & his family?
2. What is compassion?
3. How can we show compassion to others?

Supplies Needed: Bible and/or Storybook Bible (affiliate link)

Create: Prayer Journal

Have your child create a Prayer Journal. You can print the prayer journal cover or make your own. Fold the white paper to make a paper book. Staple it together. Use each page to either draw, someone, they are praying for or they can write specific needs in the book. Let them be creative with it and encourage them to think of what the needs of others are that they can be praying for!

Supplies Needed: Paper, Crayons, Colored Pencils, Stapler (in the free printable pack)

Play: Empathy Game

Create your own empathy cards. Think about statements such as, “You dropped your ice cream cone.” Then the child has to think about how that would make someone feel. Write a handful of statements on cards and put in a basket.. Have your child pick a card and read it together. Then ask your child, “How do you think he feels?” If your child needs help with labeling the emotion, read the list provided with the game. For added fun have them say the feeling and show what it looks like. This is a great way to help your child understand feelings and open his/her eyes to recognizing the feelings of others.

Supplies Needed: Paper, Pen, Printable game (in the free printable pack)

Serve: Make a Card for Your Teacher

Since many kids are now back in school, this is the perfect time to show some love to their teacher! September can be an overwhelming month for a teacher! Encourage your child to make a card.  Add a piece of chocolate to it if you want for an extra treat!

As you do this, remind your child of why you are making this! If your child is not in school yet, create this for a church teacher, friend, or neighbor.

Supplies Needed: Paper and Crayons 

Make sure to download your pack so you can join up with me in teaching your children compassion.  

If you love this, you will love A Year of Family Moments.

A Year of Family Moments is a workbook that has 12 months of family activities all focused on a different character trait.

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