Compliment Catch Game

Objective: Practice giving and receiving genuine compliments using positive reinforcement.

Materials:

• Soft ball or beanbag
• Compliment Catch Game Activity Cards

Setup:

1. Arrange students into two parallel lines facing each other.
2. Place a stack of Compliment Catch Game Activity Cards face-down near the first student in Line A.
3. Give the soft ball or beanbag to the first student in Line A.

How to Play (12 minutes):

1. Teacher Model (1 minute):
   • Demonstrate tossing the ball to a partner while completing a sample prompt, e.g., “I like how you always share materials!”
2. Round Begins (10 minutes):
   • Student A (first in Line A) draws the top card and reads the prompt, finishing the compliment while tossing the ball to Student B.
   • Student B catches, says “Thank you!”, draws a card, then tosses with their own compliment back to Student A.
   • Both students move to the back of their lines; next pair steps up.
   • Continue rotating until every student has both given and received at least one compliment.
3. Debrief (1 minute):
   • Teacher calls attention back to the circle and asks, “How did it feel to hear a compliment? How did it feel to give one?”

Teacher Tips:

• Circulate to listen for clear, sincere language and eye contact.
• Cheer particularly thoughtful compliments to reinforce the behavior.
• If a student is stuck, prompt with examples like “I appreciate how you…” or “You did a great job with…”

Next Activity: Transition to the Cool-Down with Feel-Good Share Reflection Sheets to capture favorite moments.

High-Five Huddle

Objective: Energize students and model positive reinforcement through friendly high-fives.

Materials:

• High-Five Huddle Prompt Cards

Setup:

• Have students stand in a circle facing inward.
• Shuffle the prompt cards and place them in the teacher’s hand or a nearby pile.

How to Play (5 minutes):

1. Teacher explains: “We’re going to celebrate good choices and helpful actions by giving high-fives!”
2. Teacher draws the first prompt card and reads it aloud (e.g., “High five if you helped a friend today!”).
3. On hearing the prompt, any student who did that action steps forward into the circle and gives a high-five to the teacher or a peer.
4. After each round, the class cheers or claps together.
5. Continue drawing and reading cards until the time is up or all cards are used.

Teacher Tips:

• Keep the pace lively—move quickly from one prompt to the next.
• Model enthusiastic high-fives with eye contact and smiles.
• Offer brief praise after each round (e.g., “Great job, everyone!”).

Next up: Transition smoothly into the Positive Reinforcement 101 Slide Deck to dive deeper into why our high-fives matter.

Feel-Good Share Cool-Down

Objective: Reflect on and celebrate the genuine compliments we gave and received during the game.

Materials:

• Feel-Good Share Reflection Sheets
• Pencils or crayons

Setup:

• Have students sit in a circle on the floor with their reflection sheets and writing tools.

Instructions:

1. Explain: “Now we’re going to capture one special compliment you either gave or got today.”
2. Distribute a reflection sheet and pencil/crayon to each student.
3. Prompt students to write or draw their favorite compliment moment.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. After about 2–3 minutes of work, invite 2–3 volunteers to share their drawing or sentence and explain why it felt good.
5. Lead the class in a round of applause or cheer for each sharer to reinforce positivity.

Teacher Tips:

• Encourage students to be specific: “I liked when I said ___ to ___.”
• Model sharing by showing your own example first.
• Keep shares brief to include as many voices as possible.

Closure:

• Reinforce that kind words lift us up and cost nothing.
• Challenge students to give at least one compliment to someone else before the day ends.