Name of Activity: Make Him Happy

Originating Idea: Creating a visual to teach children how actions can make a difference when
someone is upset. They will use their critical thinking to solve the problem.

Curriculum Area
Highlight 1:
Approaches to learning
Social and emotional development
Physical development and health
Language, literacy, and communication
Mathematics
Creative arts
Science and technology
Social studies

KDIs
4. Problem Solving: Children solve problems encountered in play.
Materials:
 Whiteboard
 Markers
 White board eraser

Appropriate Age group: 4 to 5 years old

Beginning of Activity:
During our large group time I will get out our large whiteboard. “I’m going to draw our friend Bob on the
whiteboard!” I will draw a stick figure with a sad face and some environmental factors that could make bob sad
such as clouds, rain, and lightning. “Who up here can turn Bob’s frown upside down? What is making him sad
right now and what could make him happy? We will take turns using the eraser and markers to try and make
Bob happy again.” Whoever raises their hand first and has a solution can go first with the eraser or markers
either erasing things making Bob sad or adding things that they think would make someone happy. Everyone
will have an opportunity to add or remove things to the whiteboard. I will end the activity by erasing the sad
face and adding a happy face.

Middle of Activity
The children throughout the large group won’t have the same expectations placed on them as they
are all at different developmental stages with their problem-solving skills. Whatever they decide to
draw, or erase won’t be judged if it were something that wouldn’t typically relate to happiness.

Early: Help children who are struggling by giving options of things they could add so they can make the correct
decision between options instead of coming up with their own ideas.
Middle: They can use the marker to draw something that can solve Bob’s problem of sadness and have them
say what it is they’ve added or removed.
Later: Ask them to explain why they added or erased the things they did. Ask how they think it will make Bob
feel and how that would make them feel if they were in that situation.
End of Activity:
“We were able to add and remove things to this picture of Bob to make him happy again! We used our
problem-solving skills to observe what was making Bob upset and what might make him happy again. Now that
he is happy, we can move on and find things that make us happy during choice time today!” I will erase the
whiteboard and add it to one of the choice areas along with the markers and erasers for the children to have as
an option. “The whiteboard will be open during choice time today. We will now move our names one at a time
to the area we would like to play at today.”
Follow-up Ideas (2)
Use the whiteboard during transition time for children to mark where they want to go, where the next location
is, or what the next activity is.
The whiteboard and markers can be used as a creative arts activity when children can use the markers to
express themselves on the blank whiteboard.