This character building lesson about helpfulness provides the building block for teaching kids about this important trait.
This is my character building education series where there are oodles of lessons on 52 different traits to work on with kids, one for every week of the year. See all of the character qualities we work on here.
While this series is written by a Christian mom, there are lessons available no matter what your belief system. If you believe it is important to teach your kids to be helpful, you are in the right place.
Following this initial lesson, just click on my helpfulness tab to discover a number of lessons to build on this idea. Today’s lesson simply lays the foundation for talking about how to be a helpful person.
Character Building Lesson About Helpfulness
Subject: Helpfulness
Objective: Kids will learn the meaning of helpfulness and learn a Bible verse about this topic. They will also understand why helpfulness is important.
Helpfulness Verse
“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to sin; but through love serve one another.” – Galatians 5:13
This Bible verse is given as a memory verse for our character building week of helpfulness. Work on it every day with your kids so that at the end of the week they know it by heart.
Helpful Definition
Read the following definition to your kids :
help·ful meaning [help-fuhl]– adj. giving or rendering aid or assistance; of service
Ask the following questions:
- What are some examples of how people demonstrate helpfulness?
- Why is it important for people to be helpful?
- What are some ways you can be helpful?
Reason Helpfulness was Chosen
It’s important to teach kids how to be helpful and serve others. Teaching them to show kindness through helpfulness helps them feel better about themselves as they make other people around them happy. We want to raise kids with a helpful spirit so that our world can be changed for the better.
Character Building Activity: Creating a Word Ring for Helpfulness
At the beginning of each week of lessons, the craft will be exactly the same because we will simply be adding a new word to our already established word ring. As with all the 52 words we are working on for the year, the first task will be making a word card for our word ring and learning the Bible verse.
Materials Needed to Make Word Ring for Helpfulness
Colorbok Designer Paper Pad, 12Sunmns 328 Pieces Glitter FoamLETION 66 A4 Paper Trimmer3Inch (12 Pack) Loose LeafOfficemate 1- Hole Punch, 5
How to Make a Word Ring for Helpfulness -Character Building Activity
Have your kids chose a paper style and sticker letter they think will look good together. Then, have them sound out the word “helpful.”
My kids took turns finding the letters we needed and sticking them on the paper…they’re kids – the letters will not be stuck on perfect.
Assist kids in cutting the paper to 9.5 x 3 inches.
Next, punch a hole in the corner and place the word paper on your binder ring.
Each week, a new word will be added to the clip in similar fashion.
Next, write the Bible verse on the back. I did it for my kids since they were still young. If your kids are older, have them do it themselves.
The is the first day of our helpfulness week. We will spend this week learning the word, meaning and memorizing the scripture. There will be supporting lessons and activities to help develop a helpful attitude in children.
Note: This post was originally written in 2012, but it has been updated with better formatting and description for the reader’s benefit.