30 Social Emotional Learning Activities for the

Classroom
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Social emotional learning activities: Social-emotional learning (SEL) is the process of

developing the self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and
responsible decision-making skills that are essential for success in school, work, and life.
SEL is important in the classroom because it helps students to:

Understand and manage their emotions

Build and maintain healthy relationships
Make responsible decisions
Resolve conflict peacefully
Cope with stress and adversity
Thrive academically

Benefits of SEL for students

Research has shown that SEL has a number of benefits for students, including:

Improved academic achievement

Reduced behavioral problems
Increased attendance and graduation rates
Improved mental and physical health
Stronger social relationships
Increased self-esteem and confidence

How to incorporate SEL into your classroom

There are many ways to incorporate social emotional learning activities into your classroom.
Here are a few tips:

Create a positive and supportive classroom climate.

Model SEL skills for your students.
Teach SEL skills explicitly.
Provide opportunities for students to practice SEL skills.
Integrate SEL activities into your academic curriculum.

Here are some examples of how to incorporate SEL into different academic
subjects:

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 Math: Have students work in pairs or small groups to solve math problems. This helps
them to develop their problem-solving and communication skills.
Science: Have students conduct scientific experiments in groups. This helps them to
learn how to work together and collaborate effectively.
Social studies: Have students research and present on current events. This helps
them to develop their critical thinking skills and their ability to communicate their ideas
effectively.
English language arts: Have students write about their personal experiences and
feelings. This helps them to develop their self-awareness and their ability to express
themselves effectively.

By incorporating SEL into your classroom, you can help your students to develop the skills
they need to succeed in school, work, and life.

Here is a list of 30 Social Emotional Learning Activities for the Classroom:

Self-awareness

Emotion check-in: This is a simple but effective way to help students become more
aware of their emotions. At the beginning or end of the day, have students share how
they are feeling. This can be done individually, in pairs, or as a class. You can use a
variety of prompts to help students get started, such as: “What is one emotion you are
feeling right now?” or “How are you feeling about today’s lesson?”

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 Feelings journal: Encourage students to keep a journal where they can write about
their feelings and experiences. This can help them to better understand and process
their emotions. You can provide students with prompts to help them get started, such
as: “What made you happy today?” or “What is something that made you feel sad this
week?”
Emotion charades: This is a fun and interactive way to help students learn about
different emotions. Have students act out different emotions for the class to guess. You
can use a variety of resources to find emotion charade ideas, such as online lists or
picture books.
Mirror game: This game can help students to become more aware of their facial
expressions and body language. Have students stand in pairs and face each other.
One student makes a facial expression or body language pose and the other student
tries to mirror it exactly.
Self-portrait: Have students draw or paint a self-portrait, focusing on their emotions.
This can help them to reflect on their emotions and how they express them. You can
encourage students to use different colors and symbols to represent their emotions.

These are just a few examples of self-awareness activities that you can use in your
classroom. There are many other resources available online and in libraries. When choosing
activities, be sure to consider the age and developmental level of your students.

Self-management

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 Deep breathing: Deep breathing is a simple but effective way to calm down and
manage stress. Teach your students how to do deep breathing exercises by having
them place one hand on their chest and the other hand on their stomach. Then, have
them inhale slowly and deeply through their nose, feeling their stomach rise. Next,
have them exhale slowly through their mouth, feeling their stomach fall. You can have
students practice deep breathing for a few minutes each day, or whenever they are
feeling stressed.
Meditation: Meditation is another great way to calm down and manage stress. Guide
your students through a short meditation exercise by having them sit in a comfortable
position and close their eyes. Then, have them focus on their breath and try to clear
their mind of any thoughts. If any thoughts do come into their mind, have them gently
acknowledge the thought and then let it go. You can start by having students meditate
for a few minutes each day, and then gradually increase the amount of time they
meditate as they become more comfortable with it.
Visualization: Visualization is a technique that can be used to achieve goals and
overcome challenges. Teach your students how to use visualization by having them
imagine themselves achieving their goals. For example, if a student is struggling to
learn a new math skill, have them imagine themselves successfully solving a math
problem. Visualization can also be used to overcome challenges. For example, if a
student is feeling nervous about giving a presentation, have them imagine themselves
giving a successful presentation.
Time management: Time management is an important skill for students to learn. Help
your students develop strategies for managing their time effectively by teaching them
how to set priorities, create schedules, and break down large tasks into smaller steps.
You can also provide students with tools to help them manage their time, such as
planners and to-do list apps.
Stress management: Stress is a normal part of life, but it can be harmful if it is not
managed effectively. Teach your students different stress management techniques,
such as exercise, relaxation techniques, and time management. Exercise is a great
way to reduce stress and improve mood. Relaxation techniques, such as deep
breathing and meditation, can also help to reduce stress. Time management can also
help to reduce stress by helping students to feel more in control of their lives.

Social awareness

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Perspective-taking: Perspective-taking is the ability to see things from another
person’s point of view. This is an important skill for social awareness because it helps
us to understand and empathize with others. To help students develop perspective-
taking skills, you can have them imagine themselves in someone else’s shoes and
think about how that person might be feeling. For example, you could have students
imagine themselves as a new student in your class or as a character in a book or
movie.
Empathy role-playing: Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of
another person. Empathy role-playing is a great way for students to practice
responding to others with empathy. To do an empathy role-play, have students choose
a situation and then take turns playing different roles. For example, you could have
students role-play a situation where one student is feeling sad and the other student is
trying to be empathetic.
Community circle: A community circle is a way for students to share their thoughts
and feelings on a given topic in a safe and supportive environment. To do a community
circle, have students sit in a circle and choose a topic to discuss. Then, have students
take turns sharing their thoughts and feelings on the topic. Be sure to set some ground
rules for the community circle, such as respecting each other’s opinions and listening
without interrupting.

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 Listening practice: Active listening is the ability to listen to someone with the intent to
understand what they are saying. It is important for students to be able to listen actively
to their peers and teachers in order to build relationships and learn effectively. To help
students develop active listening skills, you can have them practice taking turns
listening to each other without interrupting. You can also teach students how to ask
follow-up questions and summarize what they have heard.
Conflict resolution: Conflict is a normal part of life, but it is important to be able to
resolve conflict in a peaceful and respectful way. Teach students different conflict
resolution strategies, such as compromise, mediation, and negotiation. You can also
role-play different conflict scenarios with students to help them practice using these
strategies.

Relationship skills

Getting to know you games: Play games that help students get to know each other
better and build relationships. For example, you could play games like two truths and a
lie, would you rather, or find someone who.
Cooperative learning activities: Design activities that require students to work
together to achieve a common goal. For example, you could have students work
together on a group project or solve a puzzle.
Teamwork challenges: Have students work together to complete challenges, such as
building a tower out of spaghetti or solving a puzzle. For example, you could have
students compete in a class-wide scavenger hunt or build a

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 Communication practice: Give students opportunities to practice communicating
effectively in different situations, such as giving a presentation or interviewing for a job.
For example, you could have students give presentations on their favorite books or
interview each other about their hobbies.
Social skills training: Teach students specific social skills, such as how to start a
conversation, how to give a compliment, and how to refuse an invitation. For example,
you could role-play different social scenarios with students or have them practice giving
and receiving compliments.

Responsible decision-making

Decision-making scenarios: Present students with different decision-making

scenarios and have them discuss the pros and cons of each option. For example, you
could have students discuss whether or not to copy a friend’s homework or whether or
not to accept an invitation to a party where they know alcohol will be served.
Consequences wheel: Create a wheel that shows the consequences of different
choices. For example, you could create a consequences wheel for students to use
when making decisions about their behavior at school or at home.
Goal setting: Help students develop and set goals for themselves. For example, you
could have students set goals for their academic performance, their behavior, or their
social relationships.
Problem-solving: Teach students different problem-solving strategies. For example,
you could teach students the steps involved in solving a problem, such as identifying
the problem, brainstorming solutions, and choosing the best solution.

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 Decision-making rubric: Develop a rubric to help students assess their decision-
making skills. For example, you could create a rubric that assesses students on their
ability to identify the problem, brainstorm solutions, and choose the best solution.

These are just a few examples of SEL activities that you can use in your classroom. There
are many other resources available online and in libraries. When choosing activities, be sure
to consider the age and developmental level of your students.

Here are some additional tips for implementing SEL activities in your classroom:

Make SEL a regular part of your curriculum. Set aside time each day or week for SEL
activities.
Model SEL skills for your students. Show students how to use SEL skills in your own
interactions with them and with other adults.
Provide students with opportunities to practice SEL skills in a variety of contexts. This
could include through games, simulations, role-playing, and real-world experiences.
Create a safe and supportive classroom environment where students feel comfortable
sharing their thoughts and feelings.
Encourage students to reflect on their SEL learning. Help students to identify their
strengths and areas for growth.

By following these tips, you can help your students develop the SEL skills they need to
succeed in school, work, and life.

Conclusion
Social-emotional learning (SEL) is the process of developing the self-awareness, self-
management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making skills
that are essential for success in school, work, and life.

Also Read: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS): Everything You Need to Know

social emotional learning

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