Promoting Kindness with Elf on the Shelf in the Classroom

Using an Elf on the Shelf in my classroom was always one of my favorite holiday traditions. In my most recent teaching position, I had a class of first graders who all celebrated Christmas, so we were able to use the elf as a Christmas symbol. Prior to that position, I taught at a school with students of diverse cultural backgrounds. I had students who celebrated many different holidays or no holidays at all. In this case, I would not connect my elf to Christmas, and instead would just call him the “Kindness Elf.” Know your students and families, and make the best call based on your class.

Add Some Magic to your Classroom

Regardless of whether you choose to connect your classroom elf to Christmas or not, it can be such a fun way to bring a little “magic” into the classroom, while also promoting kindness. The weeks leading up to winter break are a perfect time for this. Often, behaviors can begin to become a challenge as students get excited for the holidays and anxious for a break.  

Use your Elf on the Shelf to Promote Kindness in the Classroom

Each holiday season, I’ve had my students complete a 15 day Kindness Challenge in the 3 weeks leading up to the winter break. I tell them that our Classroom Kindness Elf will be supervising to see who completes the challenge each day. The students get so excited to have an elf in the classroom for a few weeks. Additionally, they love to show off their acts of kindness to their new elf friend.

Each day as part of our morning routine, we would open one of the envelopes to see what our challenge for the day was. Challenges include things like, “Give someone a compliment.” or “Help a friend.” Challenges should be something that each student would be capable of completing. We would come up with examples of ways students could complete the challenge.

At the end of the Kindness Challenge, our “elf” would choose a Kindness Challenge Champion. This would be a student who worked hard to show kindness to everyone during the 15 days. I loved using our elf on the shelf in the classroom as a way to promote kindness. It has been such a gift watching the kindness spread through my classroom during the weeks leading up to the holidays.

Suggestions for classrooms that don’t celebrate Christmas:

• Dress your elf in clothes that do not reflect
  Christmas
• Use a stuffed animal instead of an elf
• Use colors other than red/green for your
  kindness challenge envelopes

If your students do celebrate Christmas, you might like my Elf in the Classroom Holiday Unit.

You can find it here: https://www.thesocialemotionalteacher.com/store/Elf-in-the-Classroom-&-Kindness-Challenge-p159040241

Just want the Kindness Challenge?
Get it here: https://www.thesocialemotionalteacher.com/store/Holiday-Kindness-Challenge-p159511577

Want more Kindness Challenges?
Check out my blog post on using Kindness Challenges in the Classroom all year long and take a peek at my Monthly Kindness Challenges