Choice Chain

The Choice Chain Challenge is an SEL activity promoting responsible decision-making by creating a visual chain of positive choices, helping children link actions to outcomes and build habits of thoughtful behavior. Families add links daily, celebrating growth as the chain lengthens, which reinforces self-management and relationship skills.​

Materials Needed

• Colorful paper strips or construction paper (cut into 2x10 inch strips).​

• Markers, crayons, or pencils for writing/drawing.​

• Glue, tape, or stapler to connect strips (stick click).​​

• Optional: String or yarn for hanging the chain (swish hang).​

Step-by-Step Instructions

Gather parents and toddlers in a cozy spot, explain the chain represents growing good choices (stretch grow), and model one link like "share toy—pass pass".​

1. Cut paper strips: Prepare 5-7 colorful strips (snip snip) per day, one for each family member.​​

2. Brainstorm choices: Discuss good decisions like "share toy (pass whoosh)," "help friend (high five clap)," "wait turn (patience pat)," or "say sorry (hug squeeze)"—write or draw one per strip.​

3. Link the chain: Loop and connect strips (loop twist, glue stick) into a chain, adding a cheer (hooray hooray) for each link.​​

4. Add daily: Each day, create and attach a new link for a choice made (click connect), hanging the chain visibly (dangle sway).​

5. Reflect weekly: Review the full chain (rattle shake), discuss "How did choices make us strong? (sparkle twinkle)," then start a new one.​

Tips for Success

For toddlers, use pictures and simple phrases with sounds; display on a wall or fridge to track weekly progress. Adapt for one week by aiming for 7 links, praising efforts to encourage repetition (yay grow)