Lesson Plan
Building Our Safe Space
Students will collaboratively establish classroom routines and rituals that foster a safe, inclusive environment by co-creating welcome norms, playing a community-building game, and sharing one-word reflections.
Building shared routines helps kindergarteners feel valued, connected, and confident. This co-creation empowers students, supports positive behavior, and lays groundwork for an inclusive classroom climate.
Audience
Kindergarten
Time
20 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, cooperative game, and reflective cooldown
Materials
Welcome to Our Classroom, Sharing Circle Prompt Cards, Find-a-Friend Bingo Cards, One-Word Check-In Posters, and Clipboards and crayons
Prep
Prepare Materials
10 minutes
- Print and assemble the Sharing Circle Prompt Cards.
- Print and cut the Find-a-Friend Bingo Cards (one per student).
- Display the One-Word Check-In Posters in a visible area.
- Queue up the Welcome to Our Classroom slide deck.
- Arrange clipboards and crayons at student tables.
Step 1
Welcome & Introduction
3 minutes
- Display slide 1 of Welcome to Our Classroom and greet students warmly.
- Explain: “Today we will build our safe space together by choosing routines that make everyone feel happy and included.”
- Show slides illustrating simple welcome rituals (handwave, high-five, song).
Step 2
Co-Create Classroom Routines
5 minutes
- Gather students in a circle.
- Use the Sharing Circle Prompt Cards to ask: “What helps you feel safe and happy at school?”
- Invite several students to share ideas; chart responses (e.g., kind words, listening ears, personal space).
- As a class, select 3–4 routines to practice daily (e.g., greeting song, listening signal, calm corner).
Step 3
Find-a-Friend Bingo
7 minutes
- Hand out one Find-a-Friend Bingo Cards and crayons.
- Explain: “Walk and talk to friends to find someone who matches each box (e.g., ‘likes drawing,’ ‘has a pet’).”
- When a match is found, students initial the box.
- Aim to get bingo (five in a row) to reinforce mingling and learning about peers.
Step 4
One-Word Check-In Cool-Down
3 minutes
- Gather students back in a circle near the One-Word Check-In Posters.
- Ask each student to choose one word that describes how they feel after the game (e.g., “happy,” “excited,” “safe”).
- Have students place a checkmark or sticker next to their word.
Step 5
Closing & Reinforce Routines
2 minutes
- Review the selected daily routines posted on the board.
- Model one routine (e.g., greeting song) together as a class.
- Praise students for sharing ideas and working together: “You helped build our safe space!”
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Slide Deck
Welcome to Our Classroom
Building Our Safe Space Together!
Greet students warmly and introduce today’s lesson. Say: “Welcome everyone! Today we’ll build our safe space together.”
What Is a Safe Space?
• A place where everyone feels happy and included
• A classroom where we listen and care for each other
• A space where we can be ourselves safely
Ask: “What does a safe space mean to you?” Encourage students to share examples.
Welcome Rituals
• Handwave Hello
• High-Five Greeting
• Hello Song
Model each ritual one at a time and invite students to join in.
Your Ideas for a Safe Space
Think: What helps you feel safe and happy at school?
• Kind words
• Listening ears
• Personal space
• Calm corner
Use this slide to prompt the Sharing Circle. Collect student ideas on chart paper.
Get Ready to Play!
Next up: Find-a-Friend Bingo
• Walk and talk to classmates
• Find someone who likes the same things
• Initial each box when you find a friend
Introduce how the Find-a-Friend Bingo game will work and get students excited to move and talk.
One-Word Check-In
After the game, choose one word that shows how you feel:
• Happy • Excited • Safe
Explain the one-word check-in process and show students the posters.
Discussion
Sharing Circle Discussion Guide
Purpose
In our Sharing Circle, we work together to share ideas for routines that help everyone feel safe, included, and happy in our classroom.
Guidelines
- Sit quietly in a circle.
- Look at the person who is speaking.
- Speak one at a time, using kind words.
- Listen with your ears and your heart.
- It’s okay to pass if you don’t want to share.
Discussion Questions
1. What helps you feel safe and happy at school?
• Imagine you’re at school—what makes you smile and feel comfortable?
Possible Student Ideas:
- Kind words from friends
- A quiet place to calm down (Calm Corner)
- Sharing toys and games
Follow-Up Prompts: - “Can you tell us more about that?”
- “How does that make you feel?”
2. How do you like to say hello to friends?
• Think of a fun way to greet someone in the morning.
Possible Student Ideas:
- Waving hand
- Giving a high-five
- Singing a hello song
Follow-Up Prompts: - “Can you show us how you would do that?”
- “How do you think your friend feels when you say hello this way?”
3. What can we do if someone feels sad or scared?
• We want our class to be safe for everyone—what helps when you’re upset?
Possible Student Ideas:
- Give a hug (if they want one)
- Use our Calm Corner
- Ask, “Are you okay?”
Follow-Up Prompts: - “Why do you think that helps?”
- “Who can we ask to help us?”
After Sharing
- Teacher charts all student ideas on chart paper.
- Review and discuss similar ideas together.
- As a class, choose 3–4 routines to practice every day (e.g., greeting song, listening signal, calm corner).
- Celebrate: “Thank you for sharing! You helped build our safe space!”
Game
Find-a-Friend Bingo
Objective
Students will practice mingling and learning about their classmates by finding peers who match various simple prompts.
Materials
- One Find-a-Friend Bingo Cards per student
- Crayons or pencils
How to Play
- Hand each student a Bingo card and a crayon.
- Explain: “Walk around the room. Find a friend who matches the description in a box (for example, ‘Has a pet’). When you find someone, ask them to initial that square.”
- Encourage students to talk with different classmates for each square.
- The first student to get five in a row (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally) shouts “Bingo!”
- Gather as a group and invite the winner to read their row aloud: “I found someone who ___, someone who ___, etc.”
Bingo Card Template
| Has a pet | Likes drawing | Likes singing | Rides a bike | Has a sibling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can hop on one foot | Favorite color is blue | FREE SPACE | Favorite food is pizza | Has a birthday in the same month as you |
| Likes animals | Draws pictures | Can count to 10 | Likes building blocks | Can tie shoes |
| Likes dancing | Plays outside | Knows the ABCs | Wears glasses | Has visited the zoo |
| Likes playing tag | Eats vegetables | Likes puzzles | Grows flowers | Has brown hair |
(When printing, shuffle the squares so each student’s card is unique.)
Cool Down
One-Word Check-In
Purpose
This quick cool-down gives each student a simple way to share how they feel after today’s activities.
Materials
- One-Word Check-In Posters displayed where everyone can see
- Stickers or markers
Instructions
- Gather students back in a circle near the posters.
- Point to the poster with feelings words (e.g., Happy, Excited, Safe, Calm, Proud).
- Explain: “Pick one word that shows how you feel right now.”
- Invite students one at a time to come up, say their word, and place a sticker or mark next to it.
- As each student shares, affirm their response: “Thank you for sharing—you feel ___!”
- Once everyone has checked in, briefly highlight which feelings got the most stickers and validate all emotions.
Extension (if time allows):
- Ask a few volunteers to show with their bodies what their word might look like (e.g., arms wide for “happy,” hands over heart for “safe”).