This term we are looking at our school value - Ngākau Aroha, in particular to help our children display positive social skills towards each other. Initially, for the first 2 weeks of this new term, we are focussing on using kind words and kind actions.

One activity that  Harakeke used this week to show the importance of using kind words and not mean words is the tube of toothpaste experiment. We had a talk about the importance of words. We talked about how you can say something, but once it’s heard the bad effects have already started to take place. We talked about what nice words look like and how they make us feel. We also talked about how mean words might make us feel.

Next, we squeezed the toothpaste out of the tube!

The next part of the activity was to have them try to put it back in. I gave them toothpicks to help. They knew right away they couldn’t put it back, but we insisted they tried.

After that exercise, we talked to them about our words being similar. Once your words come out of our mouth, you cannot stop what has been heard, and it can have really hurtful effects on the people around you. 

Here is a useful handout with strategies you can use at home on 'How to help kids be grateful and kind'.