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Lesson Plan: Kindness Pop-Out Cards

  • Kids 
  • 120 min
What you need:
For a full list of required materials, refer to the 'Materials Needed' heading down below.

Lesson Overview

Did you know that World Kindness Day is celebrated on November 13 all over the world? This year, cultivate kindness in your classroom with a sharing activity that inspires your students to complete acts of kindness for others. It's fun, easy and it's catching on! Random acts of kindness bring a smile to others and show them that you care. Your students will colour & create a collection of fun pop-out cards to share kindness with everyone around them.

Teaching Focus Year Level

Years 3-4 (Middle Year Primary).
This activity can be easily adapted to suit a F-2 class or to go further with Years 5 & 6.

Australian Curriculum Connections

Year 3: English
Listen to and contribute to conversations and discussions to share information and ideas and negotiate in collaborative situations (ACELY1676).

Year 4: English 
Use interaction skills such as acknowledging another’s point of view and linking students’ response to the topic (ACELY1688).

Years 3 & 4: Health and Physical Education
Describe how respect, empathy and valuing diversity can positively influence relationships (ACPPS037).

Resources & Downloads

Prepare these helpful resources before the lesson begins.

Large Display Board: For filling with students' inspirational kindness ideas.

Word Kindness Day: Online Information

Device capable of playing videos. Use a selection of these short videos to inspire your kindness lesson.

Downloadable Pop-Out Template
 
A selection of drawing templates for colouring, including a heart, a rainbow, a sun and the words 'You Are Awesome'.

A selection of paper pop-out templates. 1 copy per student. Print on A4 cardstock or thick paper.

Click here to download!

Materials Needed

Gather these items before your session begins for an easy, stress-free lesson. 

  • Faber-Castell colour pencils
  • Faber-Castell Connector Pens or other Faber-Castell colour markers
  • UHU Glue Stics
  • Paper squares for student ideas, for use in the kindness brainstorm
  • Push pins or sticky dots, for the kindness display board
  • Scissors
  • Paper envelopes, C5 & C6 sizes
  • Cardstock or thick coloured paper, A4 or A5, 150-250 GSM
  • Kindness Pop-Out Template, printed on cardstock or thick paper 
  • Variety of paper colours, templates & textures for card making

Lesson Part 1: Kindness Ideas Board

 

Step 1: Brainstorming

Random acts of kindness generate happiness and positive wellbeing when given and received. To start, watch one or several of the short videos provided to inspire the theme of kindness. Ask the students to brainstorm brilliant ideas about ‘What is Kindness?’. Invite them to share their ideas with the group and write these ideas on a whiteboard. Extend the discussion to include ‘How do we share kindness to others?’.

 

Step 2: Kindness Brainstorming Board

Give out paper notes for the students to write their ideas on. Encourage them to add their ideas onto a big kindness display board with sticky dots or push pins. Then, go further and introduce the idea of a classroom kindness project, where the students create kindness cards for others and share them on World Kindness Day. 

Lesson Part 2: Kindness Cards

 

Step 1: Collaboration & Choosing Recipients

To begin, organise students into pairs to work on a card together. Let them work together to choose a person from another classroom or school faculty (office staff, canteen staff, cleaners, volunteers) or a person from a wider community group (health care facilities, sports clubs, environmental groups) to create a kindness card for. The student pairs will then discuss and agree on the card’s design and message. Sharing ideas and making cards together is an important part of creative collaboration.
An animated GIF showing four outlined images getting coloured - a heart, a rainbow, a sun and the words 'You Are Awesome'.

Step 2: Colouring Pop-Out Designs

The students each choose a design from the kindness templates—words of affirmation, happy sunshine beams, the caring heart or the rainbow of connection. One design will be used on the inside of the card as the paper pop-out and the other will be added flat on the front of the card.

Encourage the students to add their own creative ideas to the chosen designs. Unique collages, colours, patterns and designs are guaranteed to bring sparkle into someone's day. Now it's time to get busy and create!

An animated GIF showing five images wiggling in place - a strip of paper with dotted lines for folding, a heart, a rainbow, a sun and the words 'You Are Awesome'.

Step 3: Cutting Pop-Out Designs

Make sure each student has a pair of scissors—it’s time to cut out the designs! Encourage them to concentrate and to cut their designs slowly and carefully. 

One both designs are cut, your students will also need to cut out the dotted paper strip, as this will be used to create the ‘pop out’ in the card itself.
An animated GIF of a concertina-folded paper strip being attached to the back of a piece of paper that reads 'You Are Awesome'.

Step 4: Preparing the Pop-Out

Fold up the dotted paper strip along the lines in a zig-zag fashion so it mimics a concertina shape. Glue one of the tabs to the back of the design that will ‘pop out’ from the inside of the card. Leave to dry.
An animated GIF of a rainbow being glued onto the front of a folded yellow card.

Step 5: Creating the Card Base

Fold a piece of A4 or A5 cardstock in half to create a folded A5 or A6 card. Glue the second kindness design on the front of the card. Leave to dry.
An animated GIF of a concertina-folded paper strip attached to a piece of paper that reads 'You Are Awesome' being attached to the inside of a yellow card.

Step 6: Gluing the Pop-Out Inside

On the first kindness design, apply glue to the tab furthest away from the design. Open the card, and glue the tab to the inside panel, making sure it’s the right way up.
An animated GIF of the inside of a yellow card. It reads 'You Are Awesome'. Child-like text is then written on the card: 'Dear Cleaners, Thanks for keeping our school nice :)'

Step 7: Writing Kindness Messages

Once everything is dry, give students some extra time to write an additional message on the inside of the card around the pop-out design. For example, ‘You're awesome, Thanks for being you!’. 

An animated GIF of a yellow card with a rainbow on the front being placed inside an envelope and then sealed.

Step 8: Kindness Card Delivery

Carefully close the card, making sure the pop out is folded down properly. Place it into an envelope and address it for delivery! Then, choose a day to give out or mail the cards. It could be on World Kindness Day (13 November), or a few days before or after.

Terrific Tip

Use this activity throughout the year—it's a vibrant way to spread kindness, happiness and a little bit of cheer. The act of giving is wonderful for social and emotional development and wellbeing connections.

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