Category:
- Mental Wellness 🧠
- Spiritual Wellness 🙏
Age Groups
- Grade 4-6
Introduction
“A Pat on the Back” is a concept of giving praise or approval for a job well done. For example, someone says you deserve a pat on the back for making the honour roll or you did a great job of one of your chores, so give yourself a pat on the back! When you get a “pat on the back” how does it make you feel? When someone acknowledges that you have done well at something, how do you feel? Being appreciated is great motivation for us to keep trying to do a good job!
Objective
Learn to express appreciation to members of a group as a sign of respect for their contributions to the group.
Materials
- Paper
- Markers
Steps
- Place one hand flat on the paper. Trace your hand using a marker.
- Pick a person that you want to give a “pat on the back” to and think about why they have earned one.
- In the outline of hand, write down why you want to give a person a “pat on the back”.
- For example: For your mom, “Great job making cookies” or for a friend, “Your science project was awesome”.
- Now draw another hand and pick a second person to give a “pat on the back” to.
- Hang the “pats on the back” around the room.
Reflection
- Think about the statement: “Being appreciated makes people want to try to do a good job”. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
- What did you feel when you were making a “pat on the back” for a friend? What was your friend’s response when you shared the “pat on the back”?
- What should you say when someone gives you “a pat on the back”?