15 WAYS TO FOSTER COMPASSION IN YOUR CHILD

According to Psychology Today, the ideal age for kids to learn about compassion 

is between five and seven years old. To ensure that your children can develop the necessary 

empathy, they must begin learning about kindness at a young age.

 

 

 

 

There are many ways you can teach your kids how to be compassionate, including guiding them  

with useful phrases like "I am sorry" and "I care." Children also need physical activities to develop 

their sense of empathy. 

 

These activities need to be interactive and have the child constantly contributing to 

the task.

 

 

Activities to Help Foster Compassion in Your Child

1. Art Projects

Many art activities can be created for kids during the learning process of empathy. 

One of these art projects is a finger painting picture called "The Circle of Compassion."

The circle generally has the child grouping together all the rainbow colors in one place--

that way, when you're coloring in, you're bringing the colors together. Bring a child into 

this project with you, help you color in the group of colors, and then tell them what the 

project is about.

This visual art project is a fun way to get children thinking about compassion. Showing 

this sort of imagery to children and explaining it is an excellent start toward developing 

understanding. The more they can connect with empathy, the more likely they will exhibit 

it in their daily actions.

 

 

2. Color By Numbers

Another productive way to teach children about compassion is to use a color-by-number 

book. It can be fun and encourage the child to think about what colors go well together. 

Some colors you may want the child to notice are blue, yellow, red, and orange. You can 

also find books showing how all the colors go together, which will help in encouraging 

your children to show compassion by using other colors.

3. Sculpting

Sculpting is another excellent art activity that can help teach kids about compassion. 

For example, you can use clay and let the child shape a picture of something that he or 

she knows or sees, like a bunch of people sitting together in peaceful harmony. It will 

give your child away to show compassion when he or she sees something similar.

4. Finger Painting

Another great way to encourage children to exhibit compassion is to get the whole family 

involved in finger painting together. It can be done with any homemade picture and is a 

great way to teach empathy to children.

 

 

5. Writing Letters

Another way to teach children about compassion is to have them write letters on how they 

feel for others. Explain that the letter should be from them but written for someone who 

needs someone to listen or help them out. It helps children see life from someone else's 

point of view, which allows them to understand what it means to be compassionate toward 

another person.

6. Singing

Singing is a great way to encourage your children to feel empathy for others. You can 

allow them to choose songs they want to sing and then help them understand what the 

song is about. If they're singing "I care," for example, discuss with them that they are 

showing compassion through the music. It will allow children to learn empathy in a fun 

and engaging way.

7. Games

Another effective way of teaching children about compassion is by playing games with 

them that teach them about it in an educational way. You can ask them to color a match 

or make up a new game that teaches compassion. To make sure that children learn the 

lesson about kindness, you'll need to explain it after playing the game.

 

 

8. Make A Movie or Book

To help your child learn what compassion is, you can have them read or watch a movie 

about it. It will allow children to connect with empathy in a fun way while also teaching 

them about how they can contribute to their community to help out those around them.

9. Writing Poetry

Another great way to teach children about compassion is through a poem. You can ask 

the child to write a short poem that leads him or her about compassion for others. They 

can also write a book of poetry that they enjoy while showing the child how it is similar 

to how they would feel if it were their brother or sister who was in trouble.

10. Talk To Children About Compassion

To help your children understand compassion, talk to them about it in everyday 

conversations. You can explain to them the concept of empathy and learn about it in a 

fun way. You can also teach them points of reference for compassion, such as their feelings 

for others and the times they have helped someone out. It helps children understand what 

compassion is and what they can do to be compassionate.

 

 

11. Tell Stories

Another effective way to teach empathy is by telling stories. You can use it to teach 

compassion and how people can help each other out. You can also encourage your 

children to write stories for you that they feel similar to charity. For example, children 

can write their version of "The Three Little Pigs" while showing them what the story 

is about. They can then explain to the child what they did to help the wolves in the story, 

which will make their reading lesson about compassion more enjoyable and valuable.

12. Talk About Needy People

Another powerful way to teach kids about compassion is to talk about different people 

who could use it. You can talk about children at school who may be feeling sad or lonely, 

or even talk about older people in the community who do not have many friends. When 

you speak to your child, ensure that you are always cheerful and kind in the conversation 

to show your child how they can treat others with compassion as well.

13. Have Children Write What They've Done For Others

Another effective way to teach children about compassion is to have them write down 

what they've done for others. For example, you can tell your child that they should write 

down what they did for a friend who felt sad or even asked them to mention what they 

did for a teacher when they felt angry. It will help children understand another person's 

point of view and how it could relate to their own, which will help them become more 

empathetic in the future as well.

14. Make Kindness Bracelets

Another great way to help teach children about compassion is by making them kindness 

bracelets. You can have your children make up a list of all the things they like to do for 

others and then tie them together with a bracelet. It will allow children to wear their kindness 

around their wrist in a fun way while also teaching them what being empathetic is all about. 

15. Make an Empathy Jar

Another powerful tool for teaching compassion to kids is by making an empathy jar. 

You can take a clear glass jar and write down a variety of different emotions on sticky 

notes. Then you place each letter on the inside of the jar representing how that person is 

feeling, which will help teach kids about different emotions. You can then explain to them 

why people feel those ways and teach them how they can be empathetic towards those 

feelings.

 

One of the most important things you can do as a parent is to help your child become 

more empathetic. It will allow your child to understand better what being empathetic is all about, 

which will enable them to be more kind and compassionate in the future. With that being said, 

the above methods are just some of the many ways that you can teach your children about 

compassion. 

 

 

 

 

 

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