Teaching & SEL
Perseverance Activities for Kindergarten and First Grade
Try perseverance activities for kindergarten and first grade using blocks, drawing, movement, storytelling, and simple reflection with no paid worksheets.
The most useful perseverance activities for kindergarten and first grade are short, physical, repeatable, and emotionally honest. Young children do not need a long worksheet telling them to “never give up.” They need chances to notice frustration, pause safely, change a plan, ask for help, and try one manageable action.
These no-purchase activities connect naturally with *Mr. J and the Tower That Fell* by Dave Joisil, illustrated by Hafsa Asad. In the story, Mr. J does not bounce back immediately when his tower and friendship change. He feels stuck, uses clay, tells the truth, cries, and eventually places one block and then another. That gradual path is developmentally useful: perseverance can be small.
Illustration by Hafsa Asad: a patient shopkeeper listening to a child
Activity 1: One-Block Challenge
Give pairs a small collection of classroom blocks or safe stackable objects. Challenge them to build for one minute, then introduce a gentle setback: remove one available shape, change the height goal, or ask them to move the base. Do not knock down children’s work unexpectedly.
Pause and model: “My plan changed. I feel frustrated. I can breathe, look, and choose one block.” Partners name or point to a feeling, choose a pause tool, and place only the next block. Afterward ask what changed in their strategy—not who made the tallest tower.
This mirrors the tower metaphor while respecting children’s creations. It also reveals that perseverance sometimes means redesigning rather than reconstructing the exact original.
Activity 2: Draw Three Beginnings
Fold scrap paper into three sections. In the first, children draw something that did not go as planned: use fictional choices such as a broken crayon, rainy recess, or a block structure. In the second, they draw a safe pause. In the third, they draw one next action.
Children can dictate captions to an adult or partner. Accept stick figures, symbols, color, and oral storytelling. The goal is sequencing, not writing or artistic detail. Invite sharing but allow a pass.
For an extension, swap the third panels between partners and notice that one setback can have several reasonable next actions.
Activity 3: Stop, Shape, Start Movement
Use open floor space. Call “build,” and children make a tall body shape. Call “fall,” and they safely become a low shape without dropping hard. Call “pause,” and they choose a still or gently moving regulation pose. Call “one block,” and they take one deliberate step.
Repeat with different locomotor movements: tiptoe, march, side-step, or roll hands. As a Health and Physical Education teacher, Dave Joisil’s broader Hey! It’s Mr. J approach often connects movement, mindfulness, and emotional regulation; this game uses that same practical bridge. Ensure movements fit individual mobility needs and offer seated versions.
Ask afterward: “Which signal was hardest? What helped your body switch?” This makes flexible attention part of perseverance.
Activity 4: Clay Pause and Return
Provide modeling clay or invite children to mime shaping it. Set up a simple unfinished building task nearby. Explain that Mr. J works with clay when he cannot face rebuilding. Children shape something for two minutes, then respond to a visual or sound cue and return for one building action.
Discuss: “How can a break help? How do we remember to return?” Young learners may suggest a timer, a teacher check-in, a picture card, or putting the next block beside the project. Avoid teaching that every pause must end immediately; the point is to create a predictable return when it is safe and appropriate.
Activity 5: Help-Seeking Tower
Place blocks labeled verbally with ways to seek support: “Please show me,” “Can we do the first one together?” “I need a short break,” “Which part is mine?” and “Can I try a different tool?” Children repeat or adapt one phrase before adding a block.
Explain that perseverance does not mean working alone. In *Mr. J and the Tower That Fell*, shared work becomes unfair when one friend carries most blocks. Help-seeking should lead toward participation, not quietly transfer the entire job to someone else.
Connect this idea to the lesson on accountability without shame, where children can practice owning their part while still requesting support.
Illustration by Hafsa Asad: the block tower tumbling during a difficult learning moment
Activity 6: The Almost-and-Next Circle
Sit or stand in a circle. Offer a fictional sentence: “A character almost finished a puzzle, but two pieces did not fit.” The next child adds one safe choice. Continue with other low-stakes scenarios. Children may say “pass,” repeat an idea, gesture, or choose from pictures.
Keep the language concrete: “turn a piece,” “check the picture,” “ask a friend,” or “take a stretch.” If a child says “try harder,” ask, “What would their hands or words do?” Turning vague encouragement into observable action is the instructional goal.
Reflect in Thirty Seconds
Young learners benefit from very short reflection. Hold up three fingers for prompts: What did you feel? What helped? What was your next block? Children can point to a face card, demonstrate a movement, and hold up one block instead of speaking.
Repeat one activity across several days with small variations. Familiar structure lowers language demands and lets children notice growth. For a fuller read-aloud sequence, see an SEL read-aloud about starting over. Details about the story and available editions are on the book page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need special blocks?
No. Use paper squares, cups, counters, recycled boxes, magnetic tiles, or fingers. Check materials for age and safety needs.
Should I let a child quit an activity?
Offer a pause and choices. Sometimes stopping is appropriate. The lesson is thoughtful response, not adult-controlled endurance at any cost.
How can I include children who do not speak in groups?
Use gestures, pictures, AAC, partner selection, movement, and passing. Participation should not depend on public speech.
Bring *Mr. J and the Tower That Fell* Home
This book fits early-elementary educators who want a vivid story foundation for playful, low-prep practice with pausing and trying one concrete next step.
Order *Mr. J and the Tower That Fell* on Amazon or visit the official book page to learn more about the story, classroom use, bulk school orders, and author visits.
Dave Joisil—known as Mr. J—is a certified Health and Physical Education teacher and an independent Black male children's author. Supporting his independently published work helps make room for more educator-created stories and Black male representation in children's books.