As the snow and colder temperatures can keep kids from going outside, either after school, over the weekend, or during times like recess, you look for activities that kids can do to fill that time. However, you don’t want them to fill all of their time with mindless activities. Why not do activities that are not only fun, but also allow them to grow creatively and learn important life traits such as empathy?

                That’s where kindness craft activities come in! Teaching kids about kindness is a fundamental skill that allows them to grow as a young person and help them understand the world and people around them. It allows them to create connections with others and relate to them, as we all have different experiences that shape our lives. They can learn that even though their experiences might be different it’s important to be kind to one another. So how can kids learn and practice kindness? Children learn kindness not only through modeling, but also through activities such as discussions, games, stories, and yes, even craft activities.

But parents and teachers, let’s face it; life gets busy. There are hurdles like sports, day to day upkeep of homes and classrooms, for teachers there’s lessons to plan, papers to grade, etc., and when the holiday time comes around there’s a bunch of added things you want to do like decorate your homes and classrooms appropriately. With March right around the corner, as well as the Spring season, St. Patrick’s Day is the next holiday to require newly themed bulletin boards, hallway decorations, homes bursting with shamrocks and clovers, and more. So make your lives a little easier and do those kindness craft activities but also tie in some St. Patrick’s Day flair that can double as cute classroom and home décor. While it’s important to teach life skills, we also want our kids to have fun and enjoy their time crafting with friends and family.

                So how can we incorporate these two things: kindness and St. Patrick’s Day? Why, through this fun “I’m Lucky For” garland craft that is perfect for the month of March. By having kids write down what they are lucky for you can help them learn, though everyone might not be lucky for the same things, we all have things that make us lucky. This teaches them kindness and empathy. Some kids might be lucky for material things like video games and toys, while others are lucky for their kind teachers, their family, or their best furry friend’s hugs. There are things that we all can be lucky for no matter what they are.

So what do you need to create such an activity? Well, don’t fear, because you can make this activity as simple or as elaborate as you want. At the base of the activity, all you need are some holiday shapes to write the things you’re lucky for, something to write with, and some yarn, fishing wire, or twine to string them all together. In this example, we used our time saving Four Leaf Clover Cut-Outs. But you can use any shape you want; Shamrocks, Irish Hats and Horseshoe’s just to name a few. Our cut-outs are perfect for busy teachers and parents as they come pre-cut and ready to use right out of the bag. And the bag, it’s re-sealable, for easy cut-out storage once you’re done with your craft activity. The heavyweight paper can stand up to all kinds of writing materials, pens, pencils, markers, even paint pens. And you can always expand on the craft by having kids draw pictures, adding embellishments like plastic jewels and glitter and more.

Once kids are done decorating their shapes, you can string them all together to create a garland that can then be hung up around the classroom, decorate the tops of bulletin boards or white boards, wherever you want to add some elements of the holiday. Teachers, you can even hang them on your classroom doors to display for the whole school. What a fun school wide activity this would even be! Have the entire grade or even the whole school, write what they are lucky for and then string up everyone’s clovers throughout the school hallways, cafeteria or maybe even the gym. Just make sure it’s somewhere that everyone can see. Not only would it help express kindness but it would also be a great way to create a sense of school unity.

This craft can easily be incorporated into learning stations, with other themed crafts or learning activities. You could have one station be the kindness craft activity, while another is a counting activity where kids need to match numbers. You could have a station where kids learn holiday themed vocabulary, or a station where you create a cute St. Patrick’s Day card for family members or a clover ornament to hang around the room. This kind of craft can be incorporated into so many different learning situations. Not only will it keep kids engaged but they can also enjoy the learning process as well!

Parents, you could do this activity at home too! Not only can your kids write what they are lucky for, but you could also add what you are lucky for as an entire family! Then decorate staircases, hang holiday shapes around your kitchen or living room, decorate the front door and more. This craft could also be done as part of after school programs, camp activities, even church groups.

Keeping kids engaged while also letting them grow creatively and learn life skills is essential. It’s easy to let kids play a video game, watch some television, or do any number of things while the weather is bad. And while education is important it’s also ideal to have fun while they’re learning. Activities such as this March Kindness craft brings all of those elements together while allowing kids to engage in creative play. Crafting together doesn’t have to be difficult or take a lot of time and prep work. Sometimes all you need are a few creative shapes and a little creativity to beat those winter blues and be kind to one another.