Cool Kid

One way of celebrating others is to give them compliments to tell them the wonderful things that make them special. We can celebrate ourselves in the same way! Today, we are going to do an activity called Cool Kid that lets us celebrate one person in our class. We will also give that person the chance to share something that makes them special. We will celebrate someone new each day/week, so everyone will get a chance to be the Cool Kid.

1. Randomly select a Cool Kid at the start of each day (e.g., pull names from a bag). Make sure to track who has been the Cool Kid - once everyone has had a chance to be the Cool Kid once, begin the process again.
2. Let the class know who the Cool Kid is for the day/week. Have a way to identify who the Cool Kid is (e.g., button, cape, hat). You may choose special jobs or privileges for the Cool Kid (e.g., door holder, line leader, co-teacher, etc.).
3. Explain that all day/throughout the week, the class will look for compliments to give the Cool Kid (e.g., for being helpful, following directions, being kind, being a good friend, etc.). Even small things are worth noticing and calling out.
4. Make a space in the room where you can gather or post compliments throughout the day/week. If you are teaching online, keep track of compliments on a digital poster to share with students throughout the week. (Make sure the Cool Kid gives themselves a compliment, too!)
5. At the end of the day/week, share compliments out loud. The teacher and/or child can choose the three most meaningful compliments to put on the Cool Kid certificate. Send the certificate home with the Cool Kid.

• Why is it important to celebrate ourselves and others?
• What compliment do you want to give to someone else in your life right now?

For primary school students:

• Offer simple, special tasks for the Cool Kid. Examples include holding the door when others come in, closing the door, helping younger students, suggesting physical movement breaks, etc.
• If necessary, remind students of the students of the sentence frame for sharing meaningful compliments.

For students in grades 5-6:

• Instead of posting compliments in a public area, create a box, journal, or other private space for students to share compliments.
• Invite students to journal about the compliments they receive from others and to write about how giving compliments helps build relationships with one another.
• Help students connect compliments to giving constructive feedback on academic, art, sport, and other activities.