Kikori December SEL Calendar
- Haley Burns, Team Kikori
- Nov 29, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 30, 2025
Celebrate, connect, and create magic in your classroom this December - here’s how.
December is here, and it’s your chance to make the classroom sparkle! This month isn’t just about holiday decorations or winter cheer. It’s about creating connection, celebrating diversity, and inspiring gratitude. With Kikori’s December Experiential Connection Calendar, bringing magic to every day is easy. From hands-on crafts and storytelling to acts of kindness and culture-rich activities, each lesson is designed to help students connect, reflect, and grow while exploring the traditions that make their communities special.
Why December is Perfect for Experiential Learning
Use these daily activities to help students share their stories, discover new traditions, and take action to make a difference. December is all about togetherness and ending the year on a high note - with fun, kindness, and purpose baked in. ❄️✨
December Weekly Focus & Learning Intentions
Week | SEL Focus | What It Looks Like in Your Classroom |
Week 1 | Self-Awareness 💫✨🦁 Demonstrate Self-confidence | Students recognize their skills and unique strengths through interactive activities. |
Week 2 | Self-Management 🧘♀️🌿😌 Manage Stress | Deep breathing, and positive self-talk help students navigate seasonal excitement or stress. |
Week 3 | Social Awareness 🤝🌍💗 Demonstrate respect | Explore and honor cultural traditions around the world; foster empathy and community. |
Week 4 | Family & Community 👨👩👧👦❤️🏡 Quality time with Loved Ones | Encourage students to engage in family traditions, express gratitude, and recharge for the new year. |
What You Get with Kikori’s December Calendar
Daily routines designed to increase engagement, strengthen SEL skills, and reduce classroom management challenges (while having FUN!)
Kikori’s Experiential Connection Calendar gives educators simple, consistent practices that boost belonging, focus, and readiness to learn. Each component is intentionally designed to produce measurable outcomes - academically, socially and behaviorally.
🌀 Start Your Day with a Strong Morning Meeting or Advisory
Morning Meeting and Advisory daily sessions are aligned with the Responsive Classroom framework and sets the tone for connection and learning. With a consistent structure, students know what to expect, feel safe, and begin the day grounded and ready.
Welcome Message (1–2 min)
Begin with a warm, joyful message tied to the day’s theme. This gentle “hook” captures attention, creates anticipation, and helps students transition smoothly into learning mode.
Sharing (3–5 min)
Daily sharing gets every student thinking, speaking, and connecting—which boosts engagement for the rest of the day. Each day offers a different style to support diverse learners:
Monday – Popcorn: Low-risk way to encourages initiative and confidence.
Tuesday – Partner Share: Strengthens communication and peer bonds.
Wednesday – Round Robin: Ensures every voice is heard.
Thursday – Journal Write: Gives space for reflection and quieter expression.
Friday – Small Group: Builds collaboration and connection.
When sharing becomes a habit, participation becomes the norm—not the exception.
Greeting (3–5 min)
Start with joy. Fun, inclusive greetings invite movement, eye contact, and social connection - helping students feel seen, welcomed, and ready for the day.
🎯 Weekly Experiential Activity (15–25 min)
Each week features an engaging, hands-on activity that strengthens collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication.Choose the version that fits your classroom:
Tier 1: Builds whole-class community (SEL / Wellness block)
Tier 2: Deepens teamwork and problem-solving (small group counseling)
Tier 3: Challenges students to reflect and stretch individually (individual SSW / counseling sessions)
These activities align with the weekly learning intention and provide meaningful opportunities to practice real SEL skills.
🧰 Tools to Use All Week
These flexible, plug-and-play tools support smoother transitions, better self-regulation, and stronger focus, leading to more instructional minutes and less redirecting.
Check-In: Helps students name their feelings and identify what they need to be ready to learn.
Energizer (brain break):A quick movement burst that resets attention, boosts mood, and supports executive functioning—perfect between lessons.
Calmer: Mindfulness and grounding practices that help students refocus after high-energy moments.
Call & Response: A fun, community-building way to get attention quickly and reset focus during transitions.
🔄 Weekly Closing Circle (5 min)
End the day the same way you started—together. Students reflect on their growth, celebrate small wins, and reconnect to the weekly intention. Closing circles create a sense of completion that smooths the transition home and prepares them for the next day.
These the great resources that bring the Kikori Calendar to life!
Ready to get started? Download December Social Emotional Learning Calendar Week 1 For FREE Below
Click to download the Kikori December Calendar below
December Week 1: Self-Awareness – Demonstrate self-confidence
Dec 1: Rosa Parks Day
Dec 2: Special Education Day
Dec 5: International Volunteer Day
December Week 2: Self-Management – Manage stress
Dec 9: Lost and Found Day
Dec 10: Nobel Prize Day
Dec 11: Int'l Mountain Day
Dec 12: Gingerbread Decorating Day
December Week 3: Social Awareness – Demonstrate respect
Dec 15: Bill of Rights Day
Dec 16: Chocolate Covered Anything Day
Dec 17: Wright Brother's Day
Dec 18: Flake Appreciation Day
Dec 19: Look for an Evergreen Day
December Week 4: Spend time with loved ones!
Dec 22: National Cookie Exchange Day
Dec 23: HumanLight
Top 3 Tips for Helping Students Celebrate Differences and Build Community:
Encourage Storytelling & Sharing Personal Experiences 🌍 Create opportunities for students to share their unique backgrounds, traditions, and perspectives. Activities that include cultural storytelling foster curiosity and mutual respect while allowing students to celebrate their individuality.
Highlight Diverse Role Models & Perspectives 🌟 Incorporate books, videos, and lessons featuring people from various cultures, abilities, and experiences. This not only broadens students' understanding but also shows that differences enrich our world. Choose resources that emphasize inclusion and showcase how diversity leads to success.
Promote Collaborative Activities 🤝 Use group projects or peer learning to emphasize how diverse skills and viewpoints strengthen outcomes. Activities that involve solving challenges with input from all team members help students see the value in their differences and build empathy.
Success Stories: Real Educators, Real Impact
The Lower Yukon School District saw remarkable growth in student caring behaviors, attendance, engagement, and confidence in just four weeks using Kikori’s experiential learning curriculum.
Why it works: Students learn problem-solving, collaboration, and self-regulation in ways that feel playful and meaningful, not forced.
Bring December Magic to Your Classroom
Kikori offers flexible options for individual educators or whole schools.
Are you an individual educator?
Kikori Pro Memberships give individual educators access to all Morning Meeting and Advisory slides, printable activity resources, and playlists curated to support student growth.
Are you and other educators in your school using Kikori?
Kikori's School-wide Solution provides every educator in your school with the platform, training, and bonus resources for school-wide culture-building.
The Research-Backed Magic Behind Kikori
Each activity follows Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle:
Engage – Students actively participate in hands-on experiences.
Reflect – Guided reflection questions develop self-awareness and empathy.
Connect – Students relate learning to real-world experiences and relationships.
Grow – Activities encourage personal growth, problem-solving, and leadership.
Through this structure, students develop essential life skills, while educators experience ease, joy, and impact in their classrooms.
Your Turn: Join the December Celebration!
What’s your favorite December activity to connect students and celebrate differences? Share it in the comments, and we’ll feature it for educators around the world!
What is your favorite activity to play in December with your students? Let us know in the comments below - and we can help you share it with other educators around the world on the Kikori platform!
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