Kikori February Experiential Connection Calendar
- Kikori App - Kendra Bostick & Bryn Lottig
- Feb 1, 2025
- 8 min read
Updated: Jan 30
Celebrate Empathy, Kindness and Connection with Kikori
What if every day in February, your classroom became a place where kindness, empathy, and friendship blossomed? At Kikori, we make it easy for educators to inspire these qualities through ready-to-use Morning Meetings and Advisory activities. With this month's focus on fostering empathy, performing acts of kindness, and building meaningful connections, our February SEL activities help students celebrate what makes them unique while embracing the diversity in their communities.
Whether you’re new to Kikori or already incorporating community-building into your classroom, our February calendar is your chance to see how Kikori transforms classrooms - and students - through experiential social-emotional learning (SEL).
How It Works: Accessing the February Experiential Connection Calendar
There are two easy ways to access the January Experiential Connection Calendar:
Once logged in, navigate to the National Day activity you want.
Click on the Slides in the Materials section.
Play the slides directly for your students - ready to go, no prep needed!
Click below to download the Calendar for Your Grade Level Band
Open the calendar PDF and click into any activity listed for the month.
Each activity includes instructions, materials, and reflection prompts so you can easily guide your students through the experience.
Pk-K Morning Meeting Calendar | 1st-2nd Morning Meeting Calendar | 3rd-5th Morning Meeting Calendar | Middle School Advisory Calendar | High School Advisory Calendar |
With both options, the calendar makes it simple to bring empathy, kindness, and SEL experiences to your classroom every day in February.
Why Empathy? The Power of February’s SEL Theme
February’s theme is more than just a focus on empathy - it’s about helping students understand and value individuality while building strong, inclusive friendships.
Here’s how we break it down:
Empathy: Students practice understanding and sharing the feelings of others.
Acts of Kindness: Small but meaningful actions help build a classroom culture of care and compassion.
Building Friendships: Strengthen peer connections through intentional activities that promote trust and support.
Celebrating Individuality and Differences: Recognize and celebrate what makes each student unique, while embracing the diversity of the group.
By the end of February, students will have a deeper understanding of kindness, stronger friendships, and a greater appreciation for individuality.
Why it works! Research consistently highlights the importance of fostering these qualities in students for their personal development, classroom success, and overall well-being (see below to learn more!).
Explore the February Calendar
Morning Meetings marked with a ⭐ are available for free!
February Week 1
Week 1 SEL Learning Intention: Self-awareness | Accurate Self-perception
⭐Monday, Feb 2: Groundhog Day
⭐Tuesday, Feb 3: American Painters Day
⭐Wednesday, Feb 4: Thank a Mail Carrier Day
⭐Thursday, Feb 5: Optimist Day
⭐ Friday, Feb 6: Pay A Compliment Day
February Week 2
Week 2 SEL Learning Intention: Self-management | Impulse Control
Monday, Feb 9: Nat. Pizza Day
⭐ Tuesday, Feb 10: National Umbrella Day
Wednesday, Feb 11: National Make a Friend Day
Thursday, Feb 12: Darwin Day
Friday, Feb 13: Self-Love Day
February Week 3
Week 3 SEL Learning Intention: Social Awareness | Appreciating Diversity
Monday, Feb 16: Presidents Day
Tuesday, Feb 17: Chinese Lunar New Year
Wednesday, Feb 18: Pluto Day
Thursday, Feb 19: Tug Of War Day
Friday, Feb 20: National Student Volunteer Day
February Week 4
Week 4 SEL Learning Intention: Building Relationships
Monday, Feb 23: World Peace and Understanding Day
Tuesday, Feb 24: National Trading Card Day
Wednesday, Feb 25: Quiet Day
Thursday, Feb 26: Letter to an Elder Day
Friday, Feb 27: International Stand Up to Bullying Day
Bring February Kindness 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.
Choose Kikori for Transformative SEL
Kikori isn’t just a resource - it’s your partner in creating a culture of kindness and connection in your classroom.
Here’s why educators love Kikori:
Daily SEL Activities: Access Morning Meeting slides, National Day activities, and more, all research-backed and easy to use.
Aligned to Standards: Every activity supports CASEL SEL Standards and 21st Century Skills.
Flexible for All Ages: With calendars for Elementary, Middle, and High School, Kikori meets students where they are.
What You Get with Kikori’s February 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 daily National Day theme. This gentle “hook” captures attention, creates anticipation, and helps students transition smoothly into learning mode. Here at Kikori, we believe SEL happens in the world around us, which is expressed through fun National Days!
These engaging themes invite students to learn about the world around them, weaving history, STEM, nature, and storytelling into daily classroom experiences. Whether it’s celebrating "Optimist Day," exploring the science behind "Darwin Day," or reflecting on personal experiences during "International Mother Language Day," each activity fosters authentic connections—with each other and the wider world.
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. January's free greetings include:
🎯 Weekly Experiential Activity (15–25 min)
Each week features an engaging, hands-on activity that strengthens January's CASEL SEL Skill-building learning intentions. Choose the version that fits your classroom:
Tier 1: Builds whole-class community (SEL or Wellness block)
Tier 2: Deepens teamwork and problem-solving (small group counseling)
Tier 3: Challenges students to reflect and stretch individually (individual SSW or counseling sessions)
These activities align with the weekly learning intention and provide meaningful opportunities to practice real SEL skills.
🧰 SEL 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.
How does Kikori ensure these activities build social emotional skills like self-awareness and relationship skills?
Each activity follows the Kikori Experiential Learning Cycle by actively engaging youth and guiding them through reflection afterward.
These questions help youth:
Reflect by building self- and social-awareness (what happened during the activity?),
Connect by making meaningful connections to their own lives (how did what happened during the activity connect to other experiences?), and
Grow by engaging in personal growth (what are they going to take from this activity into their lives?).
BONUS: We understand how important SEL frameworks are so we've aligned each activity with CASEL's Social Emotional Learning standards and 21st Century Skills to make finding the RIGHT activity for your youth easier than ever!
The Research Behind Why Empathy, Kindness & Mixing Matter in SEL
February’s theme is more than just a focus on kindness - it’s about helping students understand and value individuality while building strong, inclusive friendships. Research consistently highlights the importance of fostering these qualities in students for their personal development, classroom success, and overall well-being.
Here’s how we break it down:
Empathy: Practicing Understanding and Sharing Feelings
Empathy is a cornerstone of healthy relationships and emotional well-being. Studies show that when students practice empathy, they are more likely to engage in prosocial behavior and resolve conflicts constructively (Eisenberg, Spinrad, & Knafo-Noam, 2015). Through activities that encourage perspective-taking, students develop skills to understand and relate to the emotions of others, promoting a more inclusive and harmonious classroom environment.
Acts of Kindness: Building a Culture of Care and Compassion
Small acts of kindness have a ripple effect in the classroom, creating a positive and supportive atmosphere. Research from Layous et al. (2012) found that engaging in acts of kindness boosts emotional well-being and increases peer acceptance. When students see kindness modeled and practice it themselves, they experience stronger peer connections and a heightened sense of belonging.
Building Friendships: Strengthening Peer Connections
Intentional activities that foster friendships build trust and a sense of support among students. Research suggests that strong peer relationships positively impact students’ academic achievement, social-emotional development, and mental health (Wentzel, 2005). By engaging in collaborative activities like creating friendship bracelets or participating in team-building exercises, students learn how to nurture and sustain meaningful relationships.
Celebrating Individuality and Differences: Embracing Diversity
Classrooms rich in diversity allow students to recognize and appreciate individuality while celebrating what makes their community unique. A study by Hughes et al. (2010) shows that when students feel their unique backgrounds are valued, they demonstrate higher engagement, self-esteem, and a stronger sense of belonging. Encouraging students to share their stories and honor their differences fosters an inclusive environment where everyone feels seen and appreciated.
Sources Supporting the Importance of Kindness & Empathy in SEL
Empathy: Eisenberg, N., Spinrad, T. L., & Knafo-Noam, A. (2015). Prosocial development. Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science: Socioemotional Processes, 3, 610–656. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118963418.childpsy316
Acts of Kindness: Layous, K., Nelson, S. K., Oberle, E., Schonert-Reichl, K. A., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2012). Kindness counts: Prompting prosocial behavior in preadolescents boosts peer acceptance and well-being. PLOS ONE, 7(12), e51380. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0051380
Building Friendships: Wentzel, K. R. (2005). Peer relationships, motivation, and academic performance at school. In A. J. Elliot & C. S. Dweck (Eds.), Handbook of competence and motivation (pp. 279–296). Guilford Publications.
Celebrating Individuality and Differences: Hughes, J. N., Im, M. H., & Wehrly, S. E. (2010). Teacher-student relationship and peer disliking and liking across grades 1–4. Child Development, 81(2), 480–495. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01404.x