My Little Hearts Co.

By: Angela, founder My Little Heart Co

(SEL Support for Preschool–1st Grade Teachers)

December is often filled with excitement, anticipation, and sparkle but it is also a month when young children need extra opportunities to practice empathy, connection, and kindness. With routines shifting, sensory demands increasing, and emotions running higher, intentional kindness becomes both a grounding force and a powerful social-emotional teaching tool.

For many children, kindness is something they feel, but they’re still learning how to express it. They may want to help, comfort, or share, but don’t always know the “how.” A December Kindness Countdown gives them structured, joyful, developmentally appropriate ways to practice kindness in everyday moments all while strengthening your classroom community.

This blog blends teacher-friendly ideas, SEL research, and whimsical touches from your Little Heart Collection characters like Lumi Bear and Percy the Penguin. Let’s make December magical in the ways that truly matter.

❄️ Why Kindness Matters More in December

Even though kindness is important year-round, December creates a special learning environment for it. Young children experience:

✨ More big feelings

Excitement, overstimulation, fatigue, anticipation all of these can make empathy harder to access.

✨ Increased social interactions

Parties, group projects, holiday events lots of peer interaction means more opportunities for conflict and connection.

✨ A need for grounding

Kindness routines anchor the classroom and bring calm through positive connection.

✨ Opportunities for community-building

Acts of kindness help students feel part of a team, lowering behavior challenges and strengthening cooperation.

Research consistently shows that practicing kindness boosts emotional regulation, increases belonging, and builds resilience all essential skills during the holiday season.

✨ Introducing the Kindness Countdown

A Kindness Countdown works like an advent calendar but focuses on heart-centered actions. You can use:

• a paper chain (each link = kindness task)
• a kindness calendar
• a “snowflake kindness wall”
• a small envelope pull-down chart
• Lumi Bear holding daily kindness cards
• Percy “delivering” the next kindness idea

Keep it simple. Predictable. Fun.
Your structure becomes the scaffold, the kindness becomes the learning.

❄️ 10 Acts of Kindness for Your December Countdown

Here are ten thoughtful, classroom ready ideas that blend SEL, community building, and simple joy. Each one is intentionally designed for preschool–1st grade learners.

❄️ 1. “Give One Kind Compliment” Day

Compliments build confidence, encourage empathy, and help children notice the good in others.
Keep it developmentally appropriate:

Teacher Script:

“A compliment is telling someone something kind about who they are or what they did.”

Examples for little learners:
• “You shared your crayons.”
• “I like how you helped clean.”
• “You smiled at me.”

Make it visual:
Percy Penguin could hold a small “Compliment Card” as a prompt.

✨ 2. “Secret Kindness Buddy” Day

Pair students and encourage them to do one quiet act of kindness for their buddy such as:

• save them a spot
• help clean their center
• draw them a tiny picture
• share a sticker
• say something encouraging

This teaches children the joy of giving without expecting anything in return, a beautiful SEL lesson.

❄️ 3. “Thank a Helper” Day

Children write or draw thank-you notes for people around the school:

• custodians
• cafeteria staff
• office staff
• bus drivers
• playground aides

This helps children move beyond self-focused experiences and see themselves as part of a wider community.

Lumi Bear could deliver the notes as part of the fun.

✨ 4. “Kindness Sweepers” Day

Choose two students to be Kindness Sweepers, their job is to help during clean-up time by inviting others to join kindly.

The key is language:

“Would you like help?”
“I can help you clean up this center.”

This teaches cooperation and gentle leadership.

❄️ 5. “One Story of Kindness” Day

End the day by inviting children to share a kindness moment they noticed.
Examples:
• someone helped zip a coat
• someone offered a crayon
• someone invited them to play

This strengthens awareness of kindness in the environment, known in SEL as prosocial noticing.

Record the moments on snowflake shapes to build a “Kindness Wall of Fame.”

✨ 6. “Build a Kindness Chain” Day

Students add a new link to a paper chain each time someone is kind.
Link ideas:
• “I helped a friend.”
• “I was gentle today.”
• “I used kind words.”

By the end of the month, the chain becomes a visual celebration of your classroom’s growing empathy.

You can even draw Lumi or Fern on the final link as a little “thank-you” from the characters.

❄️ 7. “Cozy Reading Buddy Day”

Children choose a reading partner and spend a few minutes looking at books together.
They learn:

• taking turns
• sharing space
• gentle communication
• connection through closeness

For shy or anxious children, this can be grounding and soothing during busy December days.

✨ 8. “Smile Challenge” Day

A simple prompt:

“Let’s see how many people we can make smile today!”

Children could try smiling at:
• classmates
• teachers
• staff members
• recess friends
• lunch monitors

This cultivates emotional warmth and pro-social behavior and it’s fun.

Imagine Percy holding a tiny sign: “Can you make someone smile today?”

❄️ 9. “May I Help You?” Day

Children practice offering help in safe, simple ways:

• help pick up crayons
• help put away markers
• help tie a shoe (if appropriate)
• help a friend carry something
• offer a spot at the table

Teach the script:

“May I help you?”

It empowers children to take initiative and shows them the power of kindness through action.

✨ 10. “Gratitude Sparkles” Day

Give each child a star or snowflake and ask them to draw or dictate something they are grateful for.

Examples might include:
• family
• a friend
• their teacher
• their favorite toy
• snow
• hot cocoa

Small gratitude moments strengthen emotional wellbeing and shift attention from stress to joy.

You can hang the stars on a “Gratitude Tree” or window.

❄️ SEL Benefits of a December Kindness Countdown

These kindness tasks are more than cute activities they’re rooted in SEL principles backed by research.

✨ Strengthens empathy

Children learn to notice feelings in others.

✨ Builds connection

Kindness contributes to a safer, more trusting classroom environment.

✨ Reduces behavior challenges

When children feel seen and valued, disruptive behaviors decrease.

✨ Increases emotional regulation

Kindness and compassion activate calming parts of the brain.

✨ Promotes prosocial identity

Children begin to see themselves as helpers, not just learners.

✨ Makes December meaningful

Instead of focusing only on events or gifts, students learn the beauty of giving.

✨ Practical Tips for Making the Countdown Work Smoothly

1. Keep instructions simple

Young children need clear, concrete tasks.

2. Model kindness repeatedly

Your modeling has the biggest impact.

3. Celebrate effort, not perfection

Kindness is a skill children are still learning.

4. Adapt for sensory needs

Some tasks may feel overwhelming, offer alternatives.

5. Use character visuals

Lumi, Percy, Bree, and Fern make kindness feel fun and familiar.

6. Keep it low pressure

Kindness should feel joyful, not forced.

❄️ A Sample Week of the Kindness Countdown

Monday — Give one kind compliment
Tuesday — Secret Kindness Buddy
Wednesday — Thank a school helper
Thursday — Smile Challenge
Friday — Classroom Kindness Chain

Simple. Predictable. Heart-centered.
Exactly what December needs.

📌 Pin this post for later!