Compassion · Activity

Now One Foot, Now the Other

Pre-K & Kindergarten

Activity: This is a two-day activity, including a field trip. Students make cards and deliver them to senior citizens. Teachers coach students how to have a conversation with their senior “partners” by role playing. Students learn to ask questions about the senior’s life as a child. They practice sharing something about themselves. It’s a good idea to bring some treats to share or ask the senior center to prepare snacks. If possible, practice a song that students could sing before they visit with their senior friends.    Materials Needed: Paper and markers or crayons for making cards; arranging a trip to a senior center   Directions:  Day #1: Explain: “Today we are making cards to take to some of our seniors/grandparents who would like to meet you. What do you remember about the story of the boy who helped his grandfather recall the things they did together? [pause for responses]  Older people like to talk about their memories, just like in the story. When we visit the senior center, you and your buddy will go up to a senior and give that person your cards. Then you can ask them about their memories of childhood, with questions like, ‘when you were my age, what did you like to do for fun?’ Before we go, we will practice here so you feel confident about asking questions. We will also practice being good listeners.”  Role play with your students using the following prompts (and get some ideas from them as well): 
  • Did you ever have a pet when you were a child? 
  • What was your favorite food for breakfast? 
  • Did you have brothers and sisters? 
  • What was your best memory from when you were my age? 
  • Did you have a best friend? What was their name and what did you like to do together? 
Direct students to make their cards. Guide them to invest time and effort into creating beautiful artwork with lots of colors. Ask them to write a message if they can write, or at least, ask them to write their names. Provide a word wall with vocabulary that matches this activity. For those who finish quickly, encourage them to make more cards. Students can bring several cards to the field trip.    Day #2: Students bring their cards with them to the senior center. If they’ve prepared a song, guide them to perform it, and then instruct them to spread out and pick someone (in pairs if they’re nervous), give the cards, and sit down for a conversation. Make sure all seniors are visited and all students participate. Back at school, have a class discussion about the experience, using these questions: 
  • What was your favorite part of the visit? 
  • What did you and your senior friend talk about?  
  • How did you feel after spending time with your senior friend? 
  • Did your senior friend enjoy spending time with you? 
  Wrap it up: We prepared cards for our senior friends and visited them because sometimes they are lonely and in need of companionship. We went there to cheer them up and show them that we care. Doing this kind of service means that we have compassion for those who need extra love. And hopefully it made you happy, too, to make new friends and give them something special.
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