Heart

and Mind
HAPPINESS: Puzzle Pieces
Lesson1/3
Lesson Objective: What makes us happy and keeps us smiling
throughout the day.
Lesson duration : 60 minutes Environment: gathering space (carpet
time) and worktables to complete the
activity
Mindfulness moment: Material:
Environmental component: Turn off the lights. Flipchart paper and washable
You may play soft nature sounds. markers

Ask your students to lay down on their backs.
Book(s): You can use either Pete
This can be on their mats, the carpet or the the Cat I love my white shoes by
floor. Ask them to take a deep breath and Eric Litwin or if you do not have
close their eyes. You may repeat the following access to this book you may use
dialogue or interpret the lesson to your liking. a book with which center on
(Keep in mind that the purpose of this activity being happy go lucky and going
is to slow the students heartbeat and relax
their minds.)
with the flow.
Take a deep breath (model a deep breath)
and close your eyes. And again another deep
breath. Place your hands over your heart and
feel it beat. And again, imagine you are laying
on cloud. You can feel how cool and fluffy the
cloud is under your back and body. The cloud
is relaxing your body, your arms and legs are
lights as a feather and you continue to float
on your cloud in the sky. Take another deep
breath- notice that your heart is beating a
little slower. This boys and girls shows you
that you are in control. You are capable of
relaxing your bodies. Take another deep and
slowly open your eyes. You are now ready to
learn about new calming strategies.

Preschool Competencies: Cross Curricular Competencies:

Competency 2 - To affirm his/her Competency 7- To construct his/her
personality identity.
 v Appropriate expression of v Express their feelings and carry
his/her tastes, interests, ideas, out their intentions by imitating
feelings and emotions models or by taking more
personal action
Competency 4- To communicate using
the resources of language
v Interest in communication
demonstration of understanding
of the message

Introduction: 10-15 minutes
Following the Mindfulness Moment, read Pete the Cat I love my white shoes by
Eric Litwin. As you read the story point out when Pete the Cat is not worries
when his shoes get dirty and change colors.
Lesson: 15 minutes

After you have read the story go over the fact that your day goes so much better
when you do not get upset over little things. Staying happy is a choice and doing
things you love is very important. Ask the students for some examples of things
they enjoy and make them happy.

Draw this on a flip chart with the word HAPPY at the enter. This can be posted on
the bulletin board to act as a guide for this lessons activity.

Brain break: 3-5 minutes (Please refer to the Heart and Mind website.)
Cha cha slide video

Activity: 20 minutes

Present the students with the puzzle piece worksheet. Explain to the boys and
girls that there are many things that make us happy. Ask them to think of 4
things/people in their lives that make them happy.

Instruct them to illustrate a different thing that makes them happy in each puzzle
piece and to try and write it out.

As they are working on their activity go around and scribe for those who cannot
yet write phonetically.
Conclusion: 10 minutes

Create a tally chart of things that make the boys and girls happy to see what they
have in common. This is a great bonding and hands on conclusion that will allow
the students to learn more about one another.
Adaptation/ Modification:
If drawing 4 distinct images is too difficult for some/one of your students
allow them to complete only 2 of the 4 puzzle pieces.































 Heart and Mind
HAPPINESS: The Best Part of Me
Lesson2/3
Lesson Objective: To love one-self is just as important as loving
others.
Lesson duration : 60 minutes Environment: gathering space (carpet
time) and worktables to complete the
activity
Mindfulness moment: Material:
I love! Flipchart paper
Book: The Best Part of Me by
As a continuation of last lesson ask the Wendy Ewald.
students to sit in a circle and in turn tell The best part of me worksheet
the class one thing they really love. Blank 8 1/2 x 11 printer paper

Preschool Competencies: Cross Curricular Competencies:

Competency 2 - To affirm his/her Competency 7- To construct his/her
personality identity.
v Appropriate expression of v Express their feelings and carry
his/her tastes, interests, ideas, out their intentions by imitating
feelings and emotions models or by taking more
Competency 4- To communicate using personal action
the resources of language
v Interest in communication
demonstration of understanding
of the message

Introduction: 10-15 minutes

To start the lesson, talk to students about the importance of loving yourself as
much as you love others. When we love ourselves we respect ourselves and
make the right choices to help ourselves and make ourselves happy.
You show yourself you love yourself by eating well, not taking silly risks, being
kind to others, exercising.
Ask your students to give you other ideas/suggestions.

Lesson: 15 minutes

Read The Best Part of Me to your students. As you read through the pages of
which part of themselves the children love most, focus on the why and because.

Ask the students to start reflecting on their favourite part of themselves.

You may give them further examples as a model:

Ex: I love my hands because they help my mom mix the cookies batter. They get
all messy and sticky but I enjoy eating the extra chocolate chips from my fingers.

Brain break: 3 minutes (Please refer to the Heart and Mind website for the
link.)

Video- Pop See Ko

Activity: 20- 30 minutes
Ask the students to illustrate themselves using their best part of them and why
they chose the particular body part. As they are working on their illustrations
photograph the children using their Best Part of Me.

They must also write out the best part of them on the worksheet.

You will have to compile their work, print the pictures and attach it to their
illustration and writing. Examples on the website- under the Happiness Unit.

Conclusion: 5 minutes
Have a wrap up activity asking the children if they enjoyed the activity and what
they have learned.

Adaptation/ Modification:
1. If you have a child not interested in drawing you can strictly take their
photo and allow them to only write the word.



 Heart and Mind
HAPPINESS: Bucket Filling
Lesson3/3
Lesson Objective : The importance of making your friends and the
people around you happy too.
Lesson duration : 60 minutes Environment: gathering space (carpet
time) and worktables to complete the
activity
Mindfulness moment: Material:
Flipchart paper and washable
Stretching activities markers
Book: How full is your Bucket?
Ask your students to: For kids by Tom Rath and Mary
Reckmeyer.
Stand tall A bristol board with a big bucket
Stretch their arms above their drawn on
head Pompoms to stick on the Bristol
Stretch them in front of their board
chest White glue and scissors
Stretch their arms towards the Bucket handout.
ground
Repeat 3 times

Preschool Competencies: Cross Curricular Competencies:

Competency 2 - To affirm his/her Competency 7- To construct his/her
personality identity.
v Appropriate expression of Express their feelings and carry out their
his/her tastes, interests, ideas, intentions by imitating models or by
feelings and emotions taking more personal action
Competency 3- To interact
harmoniously with other Competency 8- To cooperate with
v Demonstration of openness to others.
others v Recognizing the needs of others.

Competency 4- To communicate using v Recognize that other people have
the resources of language feelings, emotions and interests
v Interest in communication that are different from their own.
demonstration of understanding
of the message

Introduction: 15-20 minutes
Following the Mindfulness Moment, read How full is your Bucket? to your
students.

When reading the story emphasize that it is important to help one another feel
good, happy and safe at school and in general. When someone does something
kid for you it is important to acknowledge it and say thank you. How people treat
us throughout the day can change our whole mood.

Lesson: 15 minutes

Explain to the students that you will start a classroom bucket filling challenge.

Show the bristol board with the bucket drawn on to the students and how you
would like to fill it up to the top! Explain that every good deed and positive action
will receive a pompom in the bucket. Once the bucket is filled to the top your
class can receive a collective reward. (Determine what the reward should be:
extra recess, games day, pj day, pizza party,)

Ask students for examples of good deeds, ways they can make their friends days
better.

Ex: holding the door for them, helping them clean up, asking someone to join in
on a game that does not have someone to play with.
Brain break: 3 minutes (Refer to the Heart and Mind website)

Blazer Fresh- Banana, banana, meatball

Activity: 20 minutes

Gives your students little bucket handouts to illustrate suggestions to be a good
bucket filler.

Ask them to cut out their little buckets and you can display them on the bulletin
board along with the class bucket.

Conclusion: 5 minutes
Ask your students how they feel about the bucket challenge.
Be positive and add a few pomp oms to the class bucket for their active
participation and openness.

Adaptation/ Modification:
1. You can also adapt your lesson my having a digital bucket that you
fill on a tablet, Smartboard or ActivPanel.