Positive Word Activities for Kids: Oh, My Word! Week 1

Featured Book: Oh, My Word! by Donna Boock

Oh, My Word! is now Free to read with Kindle Unlimited! or just $3.99 without*

November is the perfect month to focus on gratitude—and on the words we choose to share with the people around us. Whether it’s a “thank you,” a compliment, or just a kind word at the right time, our words have the power to lift others up and shape how we see ourselves, too.

That’s exactly what Zander learns in my chapter book Oh, My Word!, when his class is challenged to choose one word to describe who they are and who they want to become. His answer—boomerang!—doesn’t come out quite as planned, but it leads him to discover that our words can come back to us in wonderful ways.

So this month, our REACH theme is "Positive Word Activities for Kids” Each week, we’ll share a new activity or craft that helps families and reading partners explore how words can spread kindness, confidence, and gratitude.

*No Kindle? No worries! Oh, My Word! is free on Kindle Unlimited and readable on iPhone, iPad, Android, or computer with the free Kindle app. Paperback available too!

REACH Reflection Questions

• What kinds of words make you feel most thankful?

• How do your words affect how you feel inside?

• How do the words of others affect how you feel inside?

• How do you think your words affect how others feel?

This Week's Positive Word Activity for Kids: The Word Jar Challenge

What You’ll Need:

• A jar, box, can, or container (any size)

• Magazines or newspapers

• Scissors

• Glue or Mod Podge + paintbrush/foam brush

• Markers, stickers, ribbons, or washi tape (optional)

  
  

Step 1: Decorate Your Jar: Cut out words or pictures from magazines that make you feel happy, thankful, or inspired. Glue or Mod Podge them onto your container. Add stickers, drawings, or other decorations to make it your own.

Step 2: Start Your Word Collection: Each day (or each time you read together), write one positive, kind, or thankful word on a small slip of paper and drop it into your jar. Your word might describe how you’re feeling, something you noticed, or something someone said that brightened your day.

Examples: “Grateful,” “Brave,” “Kindness,” “Laughter,” “Friendship,” “Dog snuggles,” “Family dinner,” “Helping hands”

Step 3: Share Your Words: At the end of the month, open your jar together and read your words aloud. You’ll be surprised at how full it gets—both the jar and your heart!

🧡 REACH Connection Tip

As you’re reading Oh, My Word! together (available free on Kindle Unlimited), pause after each chapter and see if you can find a word that fits what Zander is learning. Add it to your jar!

As November unfolds, let’s fill our homes, classrooms, and hearts with words that lift others up and remind us how much we have to be grateful for. The more we practice choosing our words with care, the more those words come back to us—just like Zander’s “boomerang.”