Hands Not Hitting Lesson Plan
Hands Are Not For Hitting!
Individual Tier 3 Intervention • Pre-K
15 Minutes
Learning Objective
The student will learn and practice alternative ways to express frustration and other strong emotions instead of hitting, understanding that hands are for gentle actions.
Why This Matters
Learning to manage strong emotions and express them constructively is a fundamental skill for social-emotional development. This lesson provides a safe and structured way for the student to explore these concepts and practice positive behaviors.
Prep Checklist
- Review Gentle Hands Slides
- Review Gentle Hands Script
- Print Hands Are For Activity
- Print My Feelings Journal
- Prepare Cool Down Chart
- Gather soft toys or stress balls
Instructional Sequence
1
Warm-Up & Introduction
2 MIN
Begin by asking the student how they are feeling today. Use the Gentle Hands Script to guide the conversation. Introduce the idea that our hands are amazing tools and we'll talk about all the wonderful things they can do, but hitting is not one of them.
2
Exploring Emotions
4 MIN
Use the Gentle Hands Slides to show different emotions. Ask the student to identify feelings. Discuss what feelings might make us want to hit. Emphasize that all feelings are okay, but hitting is not a safe action.
3
Hands Are For... Activity
5 MIN
Brainstorm gentle things hands can do using the Hands Are For... Activity sheet. Model and practice gentle touches with a soft toy. Reinforce the concept of "Gentle Hands" throughout.
4
Practice & Role-Play
2 MIN
Role-play a frustrating scenario (e.g., a toy breaks). Guide the student to practice an alternative action like squeezing a stress ball or taking a deep breath. Use prompts from the script.
5
Reflection & Cool Down
2 MIN
Have the student complete the My Feelings Journal. Use the Cool Down Chart to review gentle choices and provide positive reinforcement for their hard work.
Gentle Hands Slides
Our Amazing Hands!
What do your hands do?
What are hands for?
Teacher Note: Greet the student warmly. Ask about their feelings.
01
How Do We Feel?
😊 Happy
😢 Sad
😡 Angry
😖 Frustrated
It's okay to feel all these feelings!
Teacher Note: Identify the emotions and talk about when they feel that way.
02
Hitting Hurts!
Hitting makes others feel sad or hurt.
Our hands are NOT for hitting.
Teacher Note: Explain that hitting doesn't make things better. Focus on safe actions.
03
Hands Are For...
👋 Waving 'hello'!
🎨 Drawing pictures!
✋ Gentle high-fives!
🤝 Helping friends!
Teacher Note: Practice these gentle actions together. Emphasize "gentle hands".
04
What Can We Do Instead?
Take a deep breath.
Ask a grown-up for help.
Squeeze a stress ball.
Use your words!
Teacher Note: Practice taking a breath or using words for "big feelings".
05
Gentle Hands Make Everyone Happy!
Let's use our gentle hands today!
👋 👋
Teacher Note: Reinforce that gentle hands keep everyone safe.
06
Gentle Hands Script
Gentle Hands Facilitation Script
Instructional guide for one-on-one Pre-K behavioral intervention
01
Introduction & Warm-Up
Teacher Action: Greet the student warmly at eye level.
SAY: "Hi [Student Name]! I'm so glad to see you today. How are you feeling right now? Thumbs up for happy, thumbs down for sad, or a wiggle for 'I don't know'?"
SAY: "That's a great way to show how you're feeling! Today, we're going to talk about something super special: our hands! Look at your hands. Wiggle your fingers! What amazing things can your hands do?"
02
Exploring Emotions (Slides 2-3)
Teacher Action: Point to Slide 2: How Do We Feel?
SAY: "Wow, your hands can do so many things! Let's look at some pictures and talk about how people are feeling. What do you see in this picture? How do you think this person feels? Why do you think that?"
Teacher Action: Advance to Slide 3: Hitting Hurts!
SAY: "Sometimes we feel really big feelings inside, like when we're angry or frustrated. When we have those big feelings, sometimes our hands want to hit. But what happens when we hit someone or something? Does it make things better or worse?"
SAY: "That's right, hitting hurts! It makes others sad and scared. And our hands are not for hurting. Our hands are for gentle things. All feelings are okay, but not all actions are okay."
03
Hands Are For... (Slide 4)
Teacher Action: Hand the student the Activity Sheet.
SAY: "Let's think about all the wonderful, gentle things our hands are for! Can you show me with your hands how you wave hello? Or give a gentle high-five? Now let's draw or think of more things on our special activity sheet!"
SAY: "Look at all these amazing, gentle things our hands can do! We use our gentle hands to help, to play, and to show love."
04
Practice & Role-Play (Slide 5)
Teacher Action: Use a physical prop like a toy or stress ball.
SAY: "Now, let's pretend. What if you're playing with a toy and it breaks, and you feel really, really frustrated? What can you do instead of hitting or yelling?"
SAY: "Remember our ideas? You could take a deep breath (model deep breath), or you could tell a grown-up, 'I'm frustrated!' Let's try it! If you feel angry, what can you do with your hands instead of hitting?"
Wait for student response/action. Reinforce squeezing a ball or making a gentle fist.
05
Reflection & Cool Down
SAY: "You did a great job practicing gentle hands! Now, let's draw in our journal how we feel and one gentle thing our hands can do. You are so good at thinking about gentle hands and making good choices. I'm proud of you! Keep practicing those gentle hands!"
