This activity, based on the book, A Wrinkled Heart by Tracy Hoexter, will help students appreciate how important it is to be kind, especially with their words.
In the book, a young bunny named Elliott is excited to start a new day a school. But at breakfast, he spills his milk, gets scolded, and as a result, his heart starts to wrinkle. And when he arrives at school, his friends say hurtful things, and his heart wrinkles a bit more.
It’s only after his friends and his family say they are sorry that his heart is able to begin smoothing out, but a few of the wrinkles remain. Elliott learns that it is important to think about the words he uses in order not to wrinkle another person’s heart.
Using the worksheet below, students will color a heart that says “Before you speak, Think and be smart. It’s hard to fix a wrinkled heart.” And they will write down a few ways to show kindness.
If you have older students, you may want to use our Folded Paper lesson.
Recommended Grade Level: Lower Elementary
SEL Skill(s): Empathy
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials: Wrinkled Heart printable
A Wrinkled Heart Activity Directions
Prompt for Educators: “Words can be very hurtful, and we need to be careful of what we say so that we never wrinkle another person’s heart. If someone says something mean to you, it’s okay to say, ‘Please don’t wrinkle my heart!’ or to simply say, ‘Ouch! That wrinkled my heart.'”
Ask your students to color the heart on the worksheet, and write down a few ideas for how they can show kindness to others. A few examples include:
- Say “Thanks” when someone does something nice.
- Say “Hi” to a new person.
- Help with a chore without being asked.
After completed the Wrinkled Heart worksheet, ask each student to share one or more ideas for how to be kind to other people.
Acts of Kindness When Using Centervention Online Programs
With Centervention’s Zoo U program, students have a number of opportunities to show kindness to fellow students.
Specifically in scene 4 of Empathy, Lester the bird drops a water balloon on a classmate, and two other classmates laugh and make fun. Players must identify the hurt students’ feelings and decide whether to join in and make fun of him or help him get cleaned up.
Additional Resources
Books
- A Wrinkled Heart by Tracy Hoexter
- Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
- Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
Related Lessons and Programs
