How to Teach Perspective Taking and Empathy Skills at the Elementary Level
Hey there, counselor friend! If you have ever found yourself mediating the same peer conflict for the third time before lunch, you are not alone. I see so many school counselors and teachers working tirelessly to help students pause, think, and respond more thoughtfully to one another. Perspective taking and empathy are at the heart of those moments, and the elementary years are the perfect time to intentionally build these key social emotional skills.
Perspective taking activities help students slow down their reactions, consider how others might be feeling, and respond with more understanding. When we give students structured opportunities to practice seeing situations from another point of view, we are laying the groundwork for stronger relationships, fewer conflicts, and a more connected classroom community.
Hi, I’m Rachel Davis! I’m a former school counselor with over 8 years of experience in the classroom. I specialize in creating easy-to-implement strategies for busy school counselors, and I am the counselor and curriculum designer behind Bright Futures Counseling, a community designed to offer counselors the support they need to feel confident serving their students well.
Let’s walk through what perspective taking really means, why it matters so much in elementary school, and practical perspective taking activities for kids that you can start using right away in your elementary counseling sessions.
What Is Perspective Taking and Why Does It Matter?
Perspective taking is the ability to understand a situation from someone else’s point of view. It asks students to step outside their own thoughts and feelings and consider how another person might be experiencing the same moment. Empathy grows naturally when students practice this skill regularly.
In elementary school, perspective taking supports key social emotional skills such as emotional regulation, problem-solving, and social awareness. Instead of reacting impulsively when they feel hurt or frustrated, students learn to pause and ask questions like, “How might the other person be feeling?” or “How can I react in a positive and productive way?”
These are big skills for little humans, and they take time, modeling, and consistent practice. The good news is that perspective taking activities do not need to be complicated or time-consuming to be effective.
Start by Making the Language Kid Friendly
Before diving into perspective taking games or activities, it helps to explicitly teach the language. Elementary students do not need textbook definitions. They need simple explanations they can actually use.
You might explain empathy as understanding how someone else feels, even if you do not feel the same way. Perspective taking can be introduced as trying to see a situation through someone else’s eyes.
Sharing concrete perspective taking examples makes these ideas stick. Talking about how a character in a book might feel, or how a classmate might feel during recess, helps students connect abstract ideas to real-life situations.
Normalize Different Feelings and Viewpoints
One of the most powerful lessons we can teach is that it is normal for people to experience the same situation differently. This understanding alone can reduce a lot of peer conflict.
Simple class or group discussions can go a long way. In a small group setting or tier 1 instruction, you can integrate role-play activities to help students put themselves in others’ shoes. Ask students how two people might feel differently about the same event, such as losing a game or being called on in class. These conversations help students realize that disagreements do not mean someone is wrong. They simply mean people have different perspectives.
This is an important foundation for all future perspective taking activities.
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Use Visual Tools to Support Emotional Awareness
Visual supports are incredibly effective for elementary learners. Tools like feelings charts or emotion boards help students identify and name emotions before they can consider how others might feel.
When students can label their own emotions, they are better equipped to recognize emotions in others. This creates a natural bridge into perspective taking activities for kids, especially those who struggle with emotional awareness.
Encourage students to notice facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice. These cues help them begin to understand what someone else might be experiencing internally. I love using this Emotion Recognition and Feelings Recognition SEL Lesson for Kindergarten students!
Bring Perspective Taking to Life Through Games
Perspective taking games are a wonderful way to engage learners in concepts through hands-on learning! Games make learning feel safe, engaging, and accessible.
Emotion charades is one of the most effective perspective taking activities for elementary students. As students act out different emotions and guess how others are feeling, they practice reading social cues and discussing possible reasons behind those emotions.
Role play is another powerful tool. Acting out real life classroom or playground scenarios allows students to experience both sides of a situation. Switching roles helps them understand how their actions impact others and encourages more thoughtful responses in the future.
These perspective taking activities work best when followed by gentle reflection. Ask students what they noticed, how it felt to be in each role, and what they might do differently next time.
If you are looking for a done-for-you resource, you may like these Empathy Perspective Taking Counseling Games and Foldable Activities that are a part of my larger Empathy Curriculum Bundle.
Use the Environment to Teach Perspective Taking
If you are feeling short on time or don’t have the capacity to prep a game or activity, sometimes the simplest perspective taking activity is also the most memorable. Having students stand or sit in different parts of a room and describe what they notice can be a powerful way to show that perspective changes based on where you are standing.
This concrete experience helps students grasp the idea that people see and experience the world differently. It opens the door for meaningful conversations about how perspective taking applies to friendships, group work, and conflict.
Explore Hidden Feelings and Inner Experiences
Another important part of perspective taking is understanding that we cannot always tell how someone feels just by looking at them.
Visual analysis activities invite students to make guesses about how someone might be feeling based on outward behavior, followed by a discussion about what might be happening internally. This reinforces the idea that emotions are complex and not always visible.
These activities build empathy and reduce assumptions, which is especially helpful for students who struggle with impulsive reactions or misunderstandings.
Use Optical Illusions and Media to Spark Discussion
Optical illusions are a fun and effective way to show that different perspectives can exist at the same time. When students see different images within the same picture, they learn that there is often more than one way to view a situation.
Watching short video clips or movie scenes can also support perspective taking lessons. Pausing to ask students how a character might be feeling before revealing more of the story encourages prediction, reflection, and empathy.
These activities work well as whole class lessons or small group discussions.
Photo Credit: Unsplash.com
Model Empathy Every Single Day
One of the most important perspective taking examples students will ever see is how adults interact with them and with each other.
Students are constantly watching how we respond to frustration, conflict, and mistakes. When teachers and counselors model active listening, calm responses, and respectful communication, students learn what empathy looks like in action.
Creating a classroom culture where every student feels seen and valued makes perspective taking feel safe and achievable.
Why Perspective Taking Matters Beyond Elementary School
Teaching perspective taking activities for kids is about so much more than reducing conflicts in the moment. These skills support emotional regulation, stronger relationships, and self awareness well beyond the classroom.
When students learn to consider others’ viewpoints, they become better communicators, collaborators, and problem solvers. These are skills they will carry with them into middle school, high school, and adulthood.
As school counselors, our time is limited. Choosing perspective taking activities that are simple, engaging, and easy to implement allows us to support both students and teachers without adding more to an already full plate.
You do not need a perfect lesson or a full counseling block to make an impact. Small, consistent moments of empathy and reflection add up over time.
When we help students practice seeing the world through someone else’s eyes, we are giving them tools that will serve them for life.
Photo Credit: Unsplash.com
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