Writing About our Good Deeds

I can't believe Lent is nearly over! My kiddos are so excited that it is nearly Easter and they have truly enjoyed learning and loving others throughout Lent. Rather than emphasizing the idea of sacrifice during Lent, the Kindergarteners in my classroom have been putting kindness into action through Good Deeds. We made a Love Chain for Jesus in our classroom. Each time the children help another person at school, they write a sentence about their Good Deed on a strip of paper and then add the sentence to our paper chain of good deeds.

Our Lenten Good Deeds Chain

On Ash Wednesday we began our study. Kinders just love to help others, but they sometimes struggle with the concept that not everyone wants to be helped. Especially some other 6 year olds in the classroom that pride themselves on their independence. So we spent a few days reading some books about helping others. I really love Clifford's Good Deeds by Norman Bridwell and The Berenstain Bears and the Good Deed by Stan & Jan Berenstain. Both stories feature characters the children already know and love. They also show Papa Bear and Clifford struggling to help others before finally finding success. The children get a big laugh out of both books, but we take time to discuss that not everybody wants to be helped and the importance of asking before we jump right in to help.

We also spend time discussing how much Jesus loves and cares for us and the fact that Jesus wants us to share his love with the people around us.

After all this talking, the kids were ready to put their Good Deeds into action!

I have a student desk that I cover with a piece of fabric in my classroom that I use as a prayer corner. It's right in our circle area for convenient access to everyone. I change the items on the table seasonally. For Lent, I set  Good Deed supplies on the table.  This included a cup filled with purple paper strips and purple skinny markers, along with a tape dispenser, and the books we read about Good Deeds.

My Classroom Prayer Corner

I love this activity for so many reasons. The class gets so excited each time they see the chain grow, it is an excellent visual reminder of all they have accomplished through their acts of kindness during Lent. It is also an perfect opportunity to get my kids writing!

If you'd like to make a Good Deeds chain in your classroom (it doesn't just have to be for Lent!), you can download a copy of the poster I used in my classroom. Once trimmed and glued together, it fits nicely on a 12″x18″ sheet of construction paper.