Kids Are Great 2012

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Revision April 2012

Riley Hospi t a l for Chi ldren

at Ind iana Un ivers i ty Hea l thK ids are Great !

A Program t o Prom ot e Sel f Est eem

Developed byCommunity Education and Child Advocacy

Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health575 Riley Hospital Drive, XE 008

Indianapolis, Indianawww.rileysafetystore.org
http://www.rileysafetystore.org/http://www.rileysafetystore.org/http://www.rileysafetystore.org/


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K I D S A R E G R E A T : A P R O G R A M T O P R O M O T E S E L F - E S T E E M

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DearChild Advocate:

Thank you for your interest in the Kids are Great! curriculum from CommunityEducation and Child Advocacy at Riley Hospital at Indiana University Health. Weare pleased to provide you with a resource to promote self-esteem among thechildren in your community. The Kids are Great! curriculum includes activities,

resources, and information for community leaders, teachers, and parents.

Please take a moment to complete and return the Kids are Great! evaluation.Your feedback is important to us in our continued development of resources thatcontribute toward health and safety for all children.

For more information about resources on childrens health, safety, and advocacy,please call us toll-free 1.888.365.2022, or visitwww.rileysafetystore.org .

Sincerely,

Community Education and Child AdvocacyRiley Hospital for Children at Indiana University HealthA program of the Indiana University School of Medicine
http://www.rileysafetystore.org/http://www.rileysafetystore.org/http://www.rileysafetystore.org/http://www.rileysafetystore.org/


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Program ob jec t ives

To familiarize students with the concept and importance of a high self-esteem.

To help students recognize their own strengths and unique characteristics that makes them specialpeople.

To provide resources for students, teachers, and parents about self-esteem.

What is se l f est eem?

Self -esteem is your self -image or how you feel about yourself .

How much are you worth? How you answer that question tells a lot about your self-esteem, which is how yousee yourself. Your self-esteem is made up of thoughts and feelings you have about yourself that may bepositive or negative. Your family, friends, and other people important in your life help to shape your self-esteemby what they say, how they say it, and how they act with you. So, other people help you to create a picture ofyourself.

Knowing what is important to you and what are your strengths and abilities, regardless of what anyone says ordoes, can also help you to create a positive picture of yourself. Positive self-esteem can be built by you everyday by making choices that help you to learn, grow, and meet people who can help you accomplish your goals.You also build positive self-esteem daily by staying physically fit and making healthy choices.

When you say and believe things like-- Im pretty, Im smart, Im fun these are examples of positivethoughts and feelings. The more positive you feel about yourself, the higher your self-esteem. Examples ofnegative thoughts include: Im ugly. Im stupid. Im boring. The more negative feelings you have aboutyourself, the lower your self-esteem. When a person has high self-esteem, you feel effective, productive,capable, and lovable. A person with high self-esteem is able to recognize and use his talents and abilities tohelp others, is able to overcome challenges or fears, and is also more willing and able to help others withencouragement or support. A person with low self-esteem can feel ineffective, worthless, incompetent, andunloved. A person with low self-esteem may not feel he is capable of having friends, solving problems,changing behavior, or helping others in a positive way.

Having positive self-esteem is like having a life raft that helps you make it through every day, no matter howtough problems or challenges are. When you feel positive about yourself, no problem is unsolvable, the worldof possibilities opens up for opportunities to help and contribute to others, and no person can make you feelpoorly about yourself or make poor choices.

The child must first learn self-respect and a sense of dignity that grows out of hisincreasing self-understanding before he can learn to respect the personalities and rights and

differences of others.

Virginia M. Axline

Dibs: In Search of Self


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Group form at and agenda

The Kids are Great program lasts for 1 hours and is designed to follow an agenda similar to the following:

1:00 p.m. Welcome and introductions

1:10 p.m. Icebreaker activity

1:20 p.m. Overview of group purpose/rules/definition of self-esteem

1:30 p.m. Self-esteem activity

2:00 p.m. Further discussion about self-esteem and activity

2:15 p.m. Closing activity

This program is designed to be flexible in order to meet the needs of the group members and the styles of thegroup facilitators. Activities throughout the group meetings can come from this curriculum. If there are otheractivities that will meet the objectives of the group and seem to be more appropriate, they may be used as well.(Please be sure to share with us [email protected] additional activities you find effective and let usknow if we can credit you and share with others.)

The attached Tips for the Leader may be helpful in providing you with ideas of how to conduct your group.Please review this packet of information prior to conducting your group so that you will have time to choose theactivities and gather necessary materials.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Tips for the leaders

Start off each group by telling the kids what the purpose of the group is and what you will be talkingabout. Be sure to tell the kids how long the group will last and give them as much information aspossible about what sort of activities you have planned. After you have explained the purpose of thegroup, tell everyone what the rules of the group will be. Here are some important rules to consider:

1. There are no bad questions or wrong answers.2. No laughing at others comments or questions.

It is helpful to have some sort of icebreaker so that the kids can become more familiar with you (andpossibly each other). This should be a short, fun activity that will start everyone off on a good note.Also, be sure to consider whether this group has an established relationship (class or communitygroup) or if they are a group of strangers. It may be helpful to use nametags or design an icebreakeraround learning each others names.

The group leader(s) should participate in the activities of the group to the extent possible. This givesyou an opportunity to role model how the activity should go and to show the kids that you are willingto disclose information.

When working with kids, its important to go with the flow. Be sure to have more than enoughplanned to do during the session. If the kids do not seem interested in a certain planned activity, beprepared to move on to something else. The important thing is that they learn something about theirself-esteem from each session.

Make sure that you understand how the different activities that you have planned are supposed towork before starting the session. Be certain that you have plenty of materials for all of the kids, adults,and leaders of the group.

Adapt your activities and language to the age and developmental stages of the kids the group will beplanned for. Because this will vary for each group, this guide contains activities that may be suitablefor certain ages and settings, while inappropriate for others. Please consider who your audience willbe while planning the agenda for the group.

Dont forget about the short attention spans of most kids. Also, consider the time of day and setting ofthe group. It may be important to plan more physical or gross-motor activities to keep everyonesinterest. It wont hurt to have at least one physical activity planned in case you need to wake up thegroup at some point. (Just be sure youll be able to bring them back on to task.)

Be aware of the fact that kids learn in different ways. Activities that require reading or writing may be

too difficult for some children. Be prepared to adapt activities for kids who are displaying signs ofdiscouragement or frustration. Dont expect them to tell you that they have difficulty reading. Instead,give them another option for completing the activity (i.e. Draw a picture, ask questions, and giveanswers verbally to the group.)

Allow the kids to teach each other as much as possible. Rather than giving the group a definition ofself-esteem, ask them to define it for you. The response you get will be diverse and in a language thatthe kids can identify with. You may even learn something!


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Spot l ight Age range: adaptab le to a l l ages

Learning objectivesAt the close of the activity, each child will be able to:

Talk about how he felt when hearing others give him compliments. Participate in the act of giving others compliments. Understand how compliments can help everyone feel better about

themselves. Practice saying nice things to other people on a regular basis.

ActivityEveryone sits in a circle. One child at a time sits in the center of the circlethe spotlight. Everyone in the circle takes turns saying nice things about theperson in the spotlight.

If some children are too shy to be in the spotlight, sit with them in the circleuntil they are ready to participate.

Discussion questions

What did you learn about yourself? How did hearing compliments from other children make you feel? How did it make you feel to compliment another child? Why is it important to say nice things about other people? How often and when can you give compliments to other people? Who are some people you can compliment?

Materialsflashlight, music

NotesThis activity is best with kidswho know each other.

Try to avoid compliments onlyrelated to a persons physicalappearance. Help focus someof the compliments about thepersons personality or on actsof kindness, generosity, orhelpfulness toward others.

Participate with the childrenand offer encouraging wordsabout everyone in the spotlight.

Activity

1


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Proud Circ le Age range: adapt able t o El em ent arythrough High Schoo l

Learning objectivesAt the close of this activity, each child will be able to:

Identify and talk about actions, accomplishments, or personalqualities for which he is proud.

Recognize that each of us can be proud of who we are or what wedo for others.

Practice the skill of sharing information about yourself that helpsothers understand who you are and what you care about.

ActivityGather the children into a Proud Circle. Ask each child to make a statementabout a specific topic, beginning with Im proud that I

Urge them to be proud of their talents and what they can do.

Continue around the circle until each child has had an opportunity to make astatement.

Discussion questionsPrompt the children with discussion points, such as the following:

Tell us something you are proud of that you did today. Tell us something you are proud of about your heritage. Tell us something you are proud of about your family. Tell us something you are proud of that you made.

Tell us something you are proud of that you did for someone else.

Activity

2NotesBe prepared to help thechildren who cant think ofanything to say. Prompt themwith questions about family, apet, sports, etc.

Avoid topics which lendthemselves to being proud ofhaving material items, such asIm proud of my video games.


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Mirror , Mirror Age range: Presc hool /ear ly El em ent ary


Identify and share something he likes about himself with otherchildren.

Tell other children something that he likes about them. Recognize that saying nice things about yourself and others helps

everyone feel better and to do better every day.

ActivityAsk the children to gather and sit in a circle. Teach the children the followingrhyme:

Mirror, mirror that I see;Tell me what you like about me.

Then, pass around the mirror. Have everyone say the rhyme together. Thechild with the mirror looks in it while the rhyme is being said. Then the childholds the mirror up to his/her ear and pretends the mirror is saying somethingnice. The child then says the nice thing aloud, for example, It said I am ahard worker.

Each child gets a turn to look into and listen to the mirror. If a child cannotthink of anything to say, you and the other children might make suggestions.Is it saying that you did a good job putting away the puzzles?


What did you learn about yourself? How did hearing compliments from other children make you feel? How did it make you feel to compliment another child?

Why is it important to say nice things about other people? Who are people you say nice things to?

Who says nice things to you?

Activity

3Materialsunbreakable mirror

NotesThis activity gives children a greatopportunity to explore whatqualities they like aboutthemselves and to share theirthoughts with the group.

Help children to focus on personalqualities or actions rather than onmaterial possessions.


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Let Your St ar Sh ine Age range: adapt able t o upperElementary t h rough High

School


Recognize that how we see ourselves may or may not match withhow others see us.

Practice writing compliments to others. Understand the value of making time to write and share nice

compliments with others.

ActivityEveryone gets a copy of the star worksheet taped to his/her back. Then

everyone else writes something they think is good or something that they likeabout that person on their star.

Once everyone has had a chance to write on everyone elses star, they maychoose to share what is on their stars.

Ask the kids, How did you feel to learn the nice things people think aboutyou? Were you surprised by any of the things you learned?

Everyone gets to keep their stars and they are encouraged to refer back tothese positive comments when they are feeling bad about themselves.


What did you learn about yourself? How did hearing compliments from other children make you feel? How did it make you feel to compliment another child? Why is it important to say nice things about other people? Is how you see yourself different from how other people see you? How is it different to be able to read something nice that someone

has said about you?

Activity

4Materialscopies of the star worksheet,markers, tape

PreparationMake enough copies of thestar worksheet, located at theend of this curriculum in theResource section, so that eachchild receives one star.


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Me Co l lage Age range: adapt able t o a l l ages


Arrange words, symbols, or pictures that describe who he is toother people.

Explain to others how words, symbols, or pictures have meaning tohim and represent who he is.

Identify information he wants to share or may not want to shareabout himself with others.

ActivityAsk the children to describe themselves with pictures by choosing andcutting out words, photos, or symbols from the magazines that remind thechildren of themselves. Some ideas include things they like to eat, placestheyve visited, people, or animals that are special to them.

Glue the pictures and words on a piece of paper to form a collage thatdisplays who they are.

Discussion questions Have the children explain their collages to the group. What do you like best about what your collage says about you? What do you feel like is missing about you from your collage? Why did you pick the words, pictures, or symbols to describe you

in the collage? What other things can you create that help us to understand more

about you?

Activity

5Materialspaper, magazines, scissors, andglue

PreparationGather magazines with wordsand photographs that thechildren can use to helpillustrate their lives through thecollage.

Give each child a piece of paperon which to glue their collage.

Ask the children to share theglue and scissors.


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Self-Est eem Pled ge Age range: adapt able t o a l lages

Activity

6Materials

Self-Esteem Pledge, pencils

NotesThis activity is a great way toclose out discussions andactivities about self-esteem.


Describe at least one way he can use the Self-Esteem Pledge to help himselfand others.

Identify at least one place he will hang the pledge to see it and think about itevery day.

Tell who he will share with that he has made the pledge and how those personscan help him keep it.

ActivityRead the Self-Esteem Pledge aloud together. Have everyone sign and keep their pledge.

Self Esteem Pledge:

I am a unique and special person. I am doing the best I can. If others put me down I needto remember that Im OKno matter what anyone else thinks. I do not have to provemyself to anyone. If I make a mistake that doesnt make me a bad person; it only provesthat I am human. I can make good decisions for myself and take responsibility of theresults. I am great.

Signed __________________________________________

(see page 29 for Self Esteem Pledge)

Be sure to explain any uncommon words to the group. Or, feel free to adapt the languageto better meet the needs of younger or older children.

Discussion questions What are some ways you can use the Self-Esteem Pledge to help you every

day? Where will you hang your pledge so you can see it and think about it every day? Who will you tell that you have made this pledge and how can they help you

keep it?


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The Name Gam e Age range: Upper El em ent arythrough High Schoo l

Learning objectivesAt the close of the activity, each child will be able to:

Associate activities that he likes or feelings that he has with hisname and who he is.

Recognize that it is okay for all of us to be different in what we feelor are good at doing.

Give an example of how people who are good at doing or feelingdifferent things can help each other.

ActivityThe group sits in a circle. The leader starts by saying, I am Miss Jones. Thefirst student to her right says, I am Billy and thats Miss Jones. This process

is continued around the circle until the last person has repeated everybodysname.

The second time around the circle, each person must add something he orshe is good at in addition to their name. For example, I am singing MissJones. I am basketball-playing Billy and thats singing Miss Jones. I ammountain-climbing Sally and thats basketball-playing Billy and thats singingMiss Jones. And so on around the circle.

Discussion questions What are some of the things that people in the circle are good at

doing?

Are we all good at doing the same things? Is it okay for each of usto be good at doing different things or having different feelings?

Can you give me an example of how we can help each other byrecognizing what each of us is good at doing?

What can people learn about you from what you do?

Activity

7NotesThis is a great ice breaker!

One variation is to have eachperson add an adjective thatdescribes how he or she isfeeling at the moment. Forexample, Im happy MissJones. Im tired Billy andthats happy Miss Jones. Imangry Sally and thats tired Billyand thats happy Miss Jones.

It may be helpful to make yourown feelings chart with picturesfrom magazines of children

showing different feelings tohelp kids identify and talkabout different feelings witheach other.


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Suc c ess Shar ing Age range: adapt able t o upperElement ary th rough High Schoo l


Recall and share with others successes at different times in his life. Identify people with whom he can share his successes or ask

about their successes. Describe how successes change at different ages or periods of

time.

ActivityIn small groups of five or six, or with the entire group, ask each child to sharea success, accomplishment, or great achievement they had before they were10 years old.

Ask them to share a success they had between the ages of 10 and 15; thembetween the age of 15 and the present time.


What does it mean to be successful? Everyone has differentopinions about what successful means. Success is different foreach of us for different reasons and at different times. What doessuccessful mean to you?

Was it easy or hard for you to remember being successful? Did you have more successes when you were younger or older? Do your successes change depending on your age or over

different periods of time? What made you decide something was a success? Who are people you talk with or could talk with about your

successes?

Why is sharing your success with other people important at alltimes, no matter how old you are?

Activity

8NotesA variation of this activity is toask the kids to share one oftheir recent accomplishmentsor successes from the pastweek, last month, over theweekend, over the summer,etc. You may even choose toend the group discussion byasking, What was yourgreatest success for the day?

At first, some of the childrenmay have a difficult timeremembering some of theirearlier successes. But as

others share their stories, theywill recall their own.

Children with extremely lowself-concepts may say thatthey really havent had anysuccesses and you will need tohelp prod them to think andtalk about success in theirlives.

Age ranges can be reviseddepending on the ages of thekids in your group.


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The Magic Box Age range: Ea r ly t o m id Elem ent ary


Say in front of others that he is a special person.

Define and share what makes him a special person. Identify ways to tell or show other people that they are special.

ActivityBegin the activity by asking the class, Who do you think is the most specialperson in the whole world?

After allowing the children to respond with their individual answers, you maythen continue, Well, I have a magic box with me today, and each of you willhave a chance to look inside and discover the most important person in theworld.

Give each child a chance to look into the box after you ask them who theythink they will see. Some children may have to be coaxed, because they maynot believe what they see.

Be ready with some of the following comments:

Are you surprised?

How does it feel to see that you are the special person?

You smiled so biglike youre happy to see that youre the special person.

Before rejoining the class, ask each child to keep the special news a secret.

After all of the children have had their turns, ask them who the most specialperson was. After each child has had an opportunity to say Me, explain that

the box is valuable because it shows that each of them is a special person.You might then want to ask how it is possible for everyone to be the specialone.


Ask each child to talk about how he or she is unique from the restof the class.

What makes you a special person? How is everyone else special? How can you show other people that they are special? When you look into the mirror, what do you see that you like about

yourself? How did you feel to know you are special? How do you think others feel when they know they are special,

too?

Activity

9Materialssmall box, mirror

PreparationConstruct a magic box, whichcan be any kind of box with amirror placed so as to reflectthe face of anyone who looksinside.

NotesThis is an excellent activity touse with elementary schoolchildren, as it tests theirimaginations and curiosity andcreates the potential forsurprise!

The facilitator for this exerciseneeds to tell participants tokeep the secret beforeshowing the box to each child.


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IALAC Age range: Middle Sc hool t hrough High Sc hool

Activity

10Materialspaper, markers

PreparationOn a sheet of paper, write theletters IALAC (pronouncedI-ah-lack) in large bold printso that everyone can readthem.

Prepare for telling the IALACstory by choosing the name ofa boy or girl that no one in thegroup has.

An outline of the story isprovided. Feel free to adapt,add to, change, and embellish

it in any way you want. Useyour imagination to fill it in. Youmay even ask the children tohelp create the story as theygo along.

The IALAC story illustrates howones self-concept can bedestroyed by others. Thecharacter endures so manynegative events that, by theend, the IALAC sign is aboutthe size of a quarter. If donewith enough feeling andimagination, the IALAC storycan be a very powerful andmoving experience.

NotesThis activity easily can be usedin conjunction with You CanQuote Me on This!, with theidea that whenever someonetrips to rip your IALAC sign,you can simply repeat, Nomatter what you say or do tome, Im still a worthwhileperson.


Identify people and comments that hurt or protect his self-concept. Talk about the differences in his or others feelings when IALAC

signs are ripped and become smaller or when the signs remain inone piece.

Name at least one positive step he can take to keep his or othersIALAC signs from being ripped by other people.

ActivityHold the paper up and say, Everyone carries an invisible IALAC sign aroundwith them at all times, wherever they go. IALAC stands for I am lovable andcapable.

This is our self-concept, or how we feel about ourselves. The size of our signcan be affected by how others interact with us. If someone is mean to us,puts us down, teases us, rejects us, or hits us, etc., then a piece of ourIALAC sign is destroyed. (Tear off a corner of the sign.)

I am going to tell you a story to illustrate how this happens in everyday life.

As you describe each event that negatively affects the characters IALACsign, tear another piece of the sign off until at the end you are left with almostnothing.

A seventh grader named Michael is still lying in bed three minutes after hisalarm goes off. His mother calls angrily to him, Michael, you lazy-head, getout of bed now before I send your father up there! (Rip!) Michael gets out ofbed to get dressed, but cant find a clean pair of socks. His mother tells himhell have to wear yesterdays pair. (Rip!) He goes to brush his teeth, but his

sister, whos already locked herself in the bathroom, tells him to drop dead!(Rip!) He goes to breakfast and finds soggy cereal waiting for him. (Rip!) Ashe leaves for school, his mother calls to him, Michael, you forgot your lunch.Youd forget your head if it werent attached! (Rip!) He sees the school buspull away, so he has to walk to school. (Rip!) Hes late to school and theprincipal gives him a lecture. (Rip!)

Continue the story with appropriate examples, such as: forgetting his homework. being called on for the only homework question he cant answer. making a mistake in reading and all the kids laugh. being picked last to play ball in recess. being picked on by bullies on the way home from school.

When Michael gets home from school, some typical negative events mightinclude not being able to watch the baseball game because his father is

watching his favorite TV show, or being told to wash the dishes for the thirdnight in a row. Eventually, Michael goes to bed with an IALAC sign the size ofa quarter.

Discussion questions How does your IALAC sign get torn up? What do you do that destroys the IALAC sign of othersin school,

your family, etc.? How do you feel when your IALAC sign is ripped? When you rip

someone elses sign? Or, when you help someone else keep theirIALAC sign in one piece?

What can we do to help ourselves and other people make theirIALAC signs bigger rather than smaller?


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You Can Quot e Me on Thi s !Age range: Middle Sc hool throug h High Scho ol

Learning objectiveAt the close of this activity, each child will be able to:

Explain the differences in how he feels when he is put down byother and when he says, No matter what you say or do to me, Imstill a worthwhile person.

Give at least one example of how he can use the chant to helpchange his reaction to a positive one when others put him downthrough negative words or actions.

Identify trusted adults to tell to prevent or stop emotional orphysical abuse.

Activity

Ask the group to close their eyes and repeat in unison with you this chant:

No matter what you say or do to me, Im still a worthwhile person!

A way to heighten the effect of this activity is to ask group members toimagine the face of someone who has put them down in some way in thepasta parent, teacher, coach, friend, fellow students, etc.each time theybegin to say, No matter what

Have them stick out their chins, smile, and repeat the sentence strongly, withgreat conviction. Once they get the hang of it, you may interject statementslike, Youre stupid. Youre ugly. I hate you. Here comes brace face. Yourefired. Youre not wanted here. Etc. Then let them respond with, No matterwhat you say or do to me, Im still a worthwhile person!


How did you feel after repeating the chant? How did you feel when you heard a put down?

How did you feel after you stood up for yourself? How do you feelwhen you stand up for others?

Talk about other ways you can use the chant to counter anynegative comments.

Who are adults you would tell if someone was hurting you?

Activity

11NotesThis seemingly simple activityhas a powerful impact if donerepeatedly. It plants a newseed of thought in each of thechildren and acts as anantidote to all of the negativethoughts and statementsalready present in theirthinking.

This exercise potentially opensan opportunity to talk tochildren about not allowingothers to touch them or hurtthem in a negative way.

It may be useful to involve asocial worker or counselor as ahelper with this activity.


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t he Eye of t he BeholderAge range: Middle Sc hool throug h High Scho ol


Redirect others to recognize and talk about his positive qualities,rather than his negative qualities.

Remain in charge of how he chooses to see himself despite whatothers say to him.

Recognize that what others say about him is not as important aswhat he can say about himself.

ActivityIn this assertiveness activity, the children are to refute in a matter-of-fact waywhat is said to them or about them. For example, My brother says Im a jerk,

but actually I AM LOVABLE AND CAPABLE! Or, my brother sometimessays Im lazy, but I AM LOVABLE AND CAPABLE! using capital letters asshown here.

Below is a list of possible sources of putdowns they may have encountered.You might write these on the board as reminders or examples.

My cousin says Im _______, but

My mother called me _______, but

My teacher last year said _______, but

My neighbor yelled at me for _______, but


When the children are finished, it may be helpful to share theirstatements with others in the group and express support for oneanother.

How did it make you feel when someone put you down? How did it feel to stand up for yourself and tell other people that

you are lovable and capable?

How different do you feel when you say nothing to someone whoputs you down?

Activity

12Materialspaper, pencils

NotesThis activity is another greatfollow-up activity to the IALACstory.


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Rag Dol l , Tin Sold ier - Age range: Middle Schoolthrough High Schoo l


Distinguish differences in how it feels to be a follower and a leader. Explain how it feels to be told what to do or controlled by others. Identify steps he can take to be a leader or follower who helps others

stand up for themselves.

ActivityAsk the children to choose a partner of approximately the same physical size.Once theyve teamed up into pairs, ask them to designate themselves A and B.Tell them that in the first round, As will be tin soldiers and Bs will be theirdirectors.

Tin soldiers can only move forward. They have no power to think or makedecisions. Demonstrate for the students how a tin soldier walks: slowly, with stifflegs and arm joints. Then, tell them that Bs job is to guide his tin soldier and toturn him so as to avoid hitting walls, tables, and other tin soldiers walking aroundthe room.

Have the Bs wind up their tin soldiers and turn them on.

After a few minutes, stop the action and have them reverse roles so that B is nowthe tin soldier with A leading. Again, after a few minutes, stop them and give themthe new directions below.

As are to be on their backs on the floor. They are to become totally limp, like ragdolls. Bs job is to stand them up. it is an almost impossible task if the As remainlimp. The activity is a lot of fun. Again, after a few minutes, reverse roles.


How did this activity make you feel? Was it fun? What role did you like best, A or B? What were you thinking about when you were the leader? The tin

soldier? Was it easier to be the tin soldier or the leader? Was it hard trying to stand your rag doll up? How do you feel when someone tells you what to do? Do you ever feel

like a rag doll?

How can a leader or follower help others stand up for themselves?

Activity

13NotesThis activity helps loosen upchildren by having themmake contact with eachother in a playful way.

Things can get rambunctiousin this activity. As long asthings dont get too chaotic,let it happen.

Use a room with carpeting.Clear the room of furniture toprevent children from fallingor getting hurt from contactwith sharp-edged corners.


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St a tues - Age range: Middle School thro ugh High Sc hool


Explain the differences in how it feels to be in charge (sculptor)and not in charge (statue) of how he feels and how he wantsothers to see him.

Describe or show how he is different or what the sculptor missedwhen molding him into a statue.

Identify actions he can take to learn from other people to helpshape his own feelings and choices.

ActivityAsk the students to choose partners and have them designate themselves asA and B. As are to be sculptors and Bs are to be clay. As job is to mold Binto a statue that expresses how he/she (A) is feeling right now. Allow the

children a few minutes to complete this process.

When the children are done, ask the Bs to tell the As how they imagine theymust be feeling. Give the children a few minutes for sharing and then reversethe process.


Allow time for each group to share their experiences. How does it feel when you are a statue? How does it feel to be a sculptor? Are other people always right in

how they see you? Which did you prefer? Why? Should other people shape who you are and what you do, or

should you? What are some things you can do to learn from how other people

see you or feel, but still stay in charge of your own behavior,choices, and feelings? Who are people you admire and look up to? Why do you admire

those people? How can those people be of help to you?

Activity

14NotesThis physical activity helpschildren think about how otherpeople see them and how theycan still learn from otherswhile being responsible fortheir own behavior, choices,and feelings.


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I Love Mysel f - Age range: Middle Scho ol through HighSchool

Activity

15Materialspaper, markers or pencils

NotesThis activity is best conductedwhen the children are in arelaxed and happy mood.Being able to share in atrusting environment helps tobuild upon a childs confidenceand self-esteem. It gives othersa chance to see themselvesmore clearly as they reflectupon their own and othersself-disclosures.

This activity is best for middleschool adolescents and older.


Recognize and talk about qualities that he loves about himself withothers he trusts.

Compare different or similar feelings about himself and others inthe group.

Identify steps he can take to show that he loves himself every day.

ActivityHave the children poised and ready to take dictation under the heading ILove Myself. They should write the whole sentence or sentences incompleted form.

I love myself because

I love myself even though

I love myself even though I sometimes

I forgive myself for

I can change some things about myself that Im not crazy about. Forexample, I can change

I will change that! Im going to start now by

Instead, I can

Even though I cant changeI love myself. I can live with that because doingthis makes me feel good about myself.

I am in control of my life.

I have power.

I really like who I am.

I am very optimistic about the future.

Oh yes, I love myself because

I totally and unconditionally love myself just the way I am.

I am always growing and changing. I am becoming better every day.


Ask the children to gather in small groups of two to four people.

Have the children share what they have written with the othergroups.

Allow the children about 10 minutes to share a couple of theirsentences. Then, rejoin as an entire group to discuss some of thesentences the children chose to share with their classmates.

What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about the others in your group? Did anyone have some of the same answers? What are some steps you can take to remember to show you love

yourself every day?


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Why I L ik e Mysel f - Age range: Presch ool and ear lyE lementary


Recognize that it is okay to like himself. Identify qualities and behaviors he likes about himself. Draw pictures that illustrate to others what he likes about himself.

ActivityHave the children make a Why I Like Myselfbooklet by drawing pictures toshow what they like about themselves.

Fold 9 x 12 construction paper in half and lengthwise. Tear or cut alongfolded crease. Put two sections together, fold crosswise, and staple to makea booklet. You could use additional paper to make a thicker book, if desired.


Ask the children to name the different people they like. If they dontname themselves, ask why.

Impress on the children that it is very important to like yourself withquestions such as:

What do you like about how you look?

What do you like about how you play?

What do you like about how you act?

Ask the children to share their booklet with their friends and familyand talk about their drawings.

Activity

16Materialsconstruction paper, markers,scissors, stapler

NotesUse this activity with youngerchildren to help them begin tothink about why they likethemselves.

To save time, the book can beprepared and stapled ahead oftime.


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The Car Wash - Age range: Element ary through MiddleSchool


Describe how praise from other people can help him feel betterabout himself.

Identify at least two different ways he can praise others. Recognize that, through praise and encouragement from others,

we all become better people.

ActivityLine up the children in two parallel lines quite close together. Then, one childis sent through the wash (between the lines) and everyone touches him orher and offers words of praise, affection, and encouragement.

The pats on the back, hand-shaking, and verbal support produce a sparkling,shiny, happy car at the end of the wash.


How did this activity make you feel? How did it make you feel to praise your classmates? Can you give examples of different ways you can praise someone?

Do compliments to others always have to be through words? What was the nicest compliment you received? Why? What are some ways praise and encouragement helps all of us? How do you think someone feels who never receives any praise or

encouragement? Who are some people who give you praise? Who are some people

you can encourage? When? How often?

Activity

17MaterialsCD of lively, upbeat backgroundmusic

NotesThis fun physical activity is agreat way to end a class orsession.


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Bib l iography

Berne, Patricia H. Building Self-Esteem in Children.New York: Continuum, 1993.

Brown-McCracken, Janet. Helping Children Love Themselves and Others. Washington: Childrens, 1990.

Canfield, Jack, and Harold Clive Wells. 100 Ways to Enhance Self-Concept in the Classroom. NeedhamHeights: Allyn, 1994.

Kaufman, Gershen. Stick Up for Yourself: Every Kids Guide to Personal Power and Positive Self-Esteem.Minneapolis: Free, 1990.

Klalsa, SiriNam S. Group Exercises for Enhancing Social Skills and Self-Esteem. Sarasota: Professional, 1996.

Mendler, Allen N. Smiling at Yourself: Educating Young Children about Stress and Self-Esteem. Santa Cruz:Network, 1991.


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Resources

Books fo r K ids

1. American Girl Library. I Can Do Anything!: Smart Cards for Strong Girls. Pleasant Companies Publishing,2002.This book of affirmations for girls features more than 30 tear-out cards to display or share with friends. Thecards combine bold graphics and words of strength and power to encourage positive thinking and buildself-esteem. Topics include friendship, individuality, dealing with competition, anger, sadness, andloneliness. (Ages 8-11)

2. Curtis, Jamie Lee & Laura Cornell. I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem. Harper Collins,2002.A young girl learns to like herself every single day, no matter what. (Ages 4-8)

3. Lucado, Max & Sergio Martinez. If Only I had a Green Nose. Crossway Books, 2002.Punchinello learns that it can be difficult, foolish, and even dangerous to try to keep up with the latest fadsand that Eli, his maker, gave each Wemmick different characteristics on purpose. (Ages 4-8)

4. McBratney, Sam & Anita Jeram. You're All My Favorites. Candlewick Press, 2004.Every night, while tucking in their three cubs, Mommy and Daddy Bear tell them they're the most wonderfulbaby bears in the whole wide world. But one day the three little bears start to wonder: How do Mommy and

Daddy know this is true? And even more worrisome to each sibling: What if my parents like my brother orsister better than me? (Ages 4-8)

5. Mazer, Anne & Monica Gesue. Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining (Amazing Days of Abby Hayes #1).Scholastic, 2002.Abby Hayes is a fun and quirky fifth grader looking to find her own "super-special" talent. Squeezedbetween two outstanding older siblings and her protege brother, Abby is determined to make her mark.She takes solace in the words of inspiration from the 73 calendars she has in her room, and records thequotes in her purple notebook. Kids will love Abby's humorous and hip approach to everyday issues. (Ages9-12)

6. Pfister, Marcus & Marianne Martens. Just the Way You Are. Nord-Sud Verlung, 2002.The animals are having a party and they all dream about looking different for the big event. Clever die-cutsoffer tantalizing glimpses of each animals' imaginary transformation, then open to wonderfully whimsicaldouble-page spreads-an elephant with a kangaroo's pouch, a lion with a toucan's wings and bright beak.Funny sights indeed, but in the end all the animal friends agree that they like each other just the way theyare. Children will be reassured by this entertaining animal mix-and-match fantasy, which offers a warm and

gentle affirmation of true friendship. (Ages 4-8)

7. Spinelli, Jerry, Eileen Spinelli & Joanna Cotler. Loser. HarperCollins, 2003.Even though his classmates from first grade on have considered him strange and a loser, Daniel Zinkoff'soptimism and exuberance and the support of his loving family do not allow him to feel that way abouthimself. (Ages 9-12)


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CDs for K ids

1. Frost, Joy. Believe in Yourself: A Childs Bedtime Story for Raising Self-Esteem for 4 to 8 Year Olds. JoyStories, 2003.Believe In Yourself is a story of a sea turtle that struggles to overcome obstacles to reach the ocean fromits sandy nest. This story models the skills children can use to overcome obstacles in their own lives.Children use the turtle's affirming example of, "I believe in myself" to develop a strong belief in their ownabilities. (Ages 4-8)

Books for Parents and Teachers

1. Feldman, Jean R. Ready-to-Use Self Esteem Activities for Young Children. Jossey-Bass, 2002.This remarkable resource provides over 220 illustrated activities to help young children feel good aboutthemselves ... develop friendships ... celebrate diversity ... and accept changes! For easy use, all activitiesinclude a specific purpose, materials and step-by-step directions and are organized into six sections:Wonderful Me, Friends, Friends, Friends, Feelings & Emotions, Same & Different, Changes, and ParentPack.

2. Loomas, Diane & Julia Loomas. 100 Ways to Build Self-Esteem and Teach Values. H.J. Kramer, 2003.Mother-and-daughter team Diana and Julia Loomas offer 100 creative ideas, techniques, and processesfor making day-to-day family interactions easier and more joyful. Based on the principle that respectingnot controllingchildren is key to building self-esteem, the activities in this book promote love, self-worth,

and connection between parent and child.

3. Moorman, Chick. Parent Talk: How to Talk to Your Children in Language That Builds Self-Esteem andEncourages Responsibility. Fireside, 2003.Do you find yourself in those maddening situations where you sound like a broken record when talking toyour child? Your preschooler won't decide what she wants to wear, regardless of how many times youinsist that she just choose; your struggling third grader says "I can't do math," and your "Sure you can!"reassurance falls like a dead weight. Moorman takes parenting common sense-the notion that affirming,loving speech is crucial to a child's growth and self-esteem-to the level of a "skills-based program" ofparenting language in this earnest volume.

4. Ramsey, Robert D. 501 Ways to Boost Your Childs Self-Esteem. McGraw-Hill, 2002.Self-esteem not only plays a major role in a child's success or failure in school and in social situations butalso influences how the child views the world. Drawing from his experience as a lifelong educator, RobertD. Ramsey provides valuable advice and information on building self-esteem in children. 501 Ways toBoost Your Child's Self-Esteem shows parents how to help their children develop the positive self-imagesneeded to lead successful, productive, happy lives.

Websi tes

Child Development Institute,www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/parenting/self_esteem.shtml

KidsHealth,www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/self_esteem.html

KidsHealth,www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/self_esteem.html

National Association for Self-Esteem,www.self-esteem-nase.org/

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),http://www.samhsa.gov/prevention/
http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/parenting/self_esteem.shtmlhttp://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/parenting/self_esteem.shtmlhttp://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/parenting/self_esteem.shtmlhttp://www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/self_esteem.htmlhttp://www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/self_esteem.htmlhttp://www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/self_esteem.htmlhttp://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/self_esteem.htmlhttp://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/self_esteem.htmlhttp://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/self_esteem.htmlhttp://www.self-esteem-nase.org/http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/http://www.samhsa.gov/prevention/http://www.samhsa.gov/prevention/http://www.samhsa.gov/prevention/http://www.samhsa.gov/prevention/http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/self_esteem.htmlhttp://www.kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/self_esteem.htmlhttp://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/parenting/self_esteem.shtml


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Evaluat ion

Thank you for participating in Kids are Great!To better serve you and your children, we would appreciate yourfeedback and suggestions about the curriculum.

1. Organization Name (optional):

2. In what Indiana city and county is your organization located?

3. Type of Organization:____ School ____ After-School Program ____ Preschool ____ Church ____ Not-for-Profit____ Head Start ____ Home School ____ Youth Group ____ Other ____________________

4. How did you hear about Kids are Great?____ Newspaper ____ Website/Internet ____ Brochure ____ Mailing Other: _____________________

For each of the following statements, please indicate your agreement or disagreement by marking an X in thebox that best characterizes your response:

StronglyAgree Agree Disagree

StronglyDisagree

5. Kids are Great! was easy to incorporate into the

organization.6. Kids are Great! lessons, activities, and resources

were appropriately presented for staff use.7. Kids are Great! lessons and activities were

appropriate and effective for the children.8. Kids are Great! provided relevant, current and

helpful information for children, parents, andeducators about self-esteem.

9. The educational materials were helpful tools forstaff.

10. The book and website resources were useful.11. The lessons and activities were easy to present at

my organization.12. The lessons, activities, and documents helped us to

teach children about self-esteem.13. I plan to use Kids are Great!on a regular basis.

Please feel free to make comments, clarify or add to a response, or suggest other activity ideas or helpfulresources on self esteem.

Thank you for your valuable feedback which will help us continue to improve the Kids are Great!program.

Please return the completed survey to the below address, or submit by email [email protected].

Community Education and Child AdvocacyRiley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health

A program of the Indiana University School of Medicine575 Riley Hospital Drive, XE 008Indianapolis, Indiana 46202-5272

www.rileysafetystore.org1-888-365-2022 (toll-free)
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.rileysafetystore.org/http://www.rileysafetystore.org/http://www.rileysafetystore.org/mailto:[email protected]


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Revision April 2012

Self Esteem Pledge

I am a unique and special person. Iam doing the best I can. If others putme down I need to remember that ImOKno matter what anyone elsethinks. I do not have to prove myself toanyone. If I make a mistake that

doesnt make me a bad person; it onlyproves that I am human. I can makegood decisions for myself and takeresponsibility of the results. I amgreat.

Signed ________________________


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Kids Are Great 2012

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