Activity: What Did You See?
Directions:
- Put an item in the center of the room.
- Place children in a circle around the room so they all have a different but clear view.
- Give them a few minutes to quietly study the item. Encourage them to focus on small details.
- Taking turns around the circle, each child has the opportunity to share ONE observation about the item. They can repeat another child’s share or contribute something new or different.
- Once all the children share, lead a discussion. Allow children to ask each other respectful questions to clarify or compare thoughts. You can encourage them to discuss:
- Why some people may see the same thing differently.
- How the power of suggestion can change how we see things.
- The danger of gossip and biases.
- The importance of letting people share from their perspective and how we can learn from each other.
Why it matters:
This is a fun mindfulness activity for a wide age range. Children practice observation and vocabulary skills, communicate with their peers, and build relationship skills. It’s an active focus practice that also lets them develop a growth mindset, attention to details, and active listening skills.
ODE K-12 SEL Standard C1, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d (Social Awareness, respecting the perception of others)
Take Home Bonus:
After the fun group activity, children can dive into the coloring activity with the owl. (Did you know owls have long legs under all those feathers?!)
Help fold up the sheet to show the owl how we usually see it and unfold it to see the long legs…it’s a good chance to talk about how we don’t always see everything about a person or situation on the surface.