What Is Social-Emotional Learning?
Social-emotional learning (SEL) helps children develop essential life skills like self-awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, and positive relationships. These skills support academic success, mental health, and resilience. Whether you’re looking for activities, lesson plans, or printables, here are some free resources to make SEL a fun and educational part of your homeschool day.
SEL Curriculum
The ones that you must request access for are definitely designed for classroom use and would have to be adapted.
Harmony Curriculum – required making a free account (choose organization when prompted and write name of your homeschool there), K-6 but some resources could be used for 7-12. Designed for classroom use.
Choose Love – K – Grade 12, must request access with a form. There are sample lessons to download though.
Overcoming Obstacles – K-Grade 12, you can download the curriculum for free. Designed for classroom use so has to be adapted.
SEE Learning – Social, Emotional, Ethical Learning. Sign up for the workshop to learn the program, then download the free resources.
Start With Hello – K-Grade 5 and Grade 6-Grade 12. Must request access.
Erika’s Lighthouse – Grades 4-12, must request access.
Be Good People – K-Grade 12, anyone can use online (no downloads) but they ask that you fill in a simple form to use it.
The Compassion Project – I couldn’t find an age range. You have to request access and it asks for your school name and state. It says you can choose homeschool teacher though so just put your homeschool name (or last name if you don’t use one) and you can probably pick a random state if outside of US. I haven’t tried it yet. Digital and Offline Lessons
Missouri State School Counselling Curriculum – lesson plans are all available online to download and use as you want. You can pick and choose what you want to use.
Handbook of Activities on Lifeskills – 124 page PDF teaching wide variety of skills (social, thinking and emotional) from American India Foundation (this looks cool!) NEW
Lessons or Activities
Second Step SEL Activities – a few downloadable activities for K-Grade 12.
Centervention – 95 free SEL activities
Positive Action – links to 200+ free SEL activities elsewhere on web so some links may not work.
Everyday Mental Health Classroom Resources – laid out strange, but click on a skill, then find a practice and then try.
Heart Mind Online – educator resources, in a blog type format
UBC Learning for Life – Grades 4-7. You must fill in a form to access the three resources. Includes name and email but you can click to NOT receive emails from them.
Random Acts of Kindness – K-8, plus Highschool. Download as Zip files.
SEL Aware Weekly Lessons – Grades 6-8, includes videos and discussion/writing prompts
Think Give Project – free lessons but you have to give contact details to download.
Social Emotional Worksheets – not separated by grade
Talking Tree Books – SEL worksheets
Carson-Dellosa – SEL worksheet freebies
Mental Health Lessons for Junior High – from CMHA and Teachers of Alberta NEW
Other Resources
Zones of Regulation Free Resources – start up guide, poster and book suggestions
Free Resources on TPT – some great, some meh. You gotta sort through. Needs free account.
Take Home SEL Packet – a sample of worksheets from different TPT authors.
Social Emotional Activities Workbook – (74 pages), doesn’t have grades but I’d recommend Grade 5+
Career-Life Workbooks – from NWTLiteracy, downloadable workbooks on Personal Management, Communication Skills, Career Development Manual, Job Success Strategies, Dealing with Conflict,
Getting the Job, Soft Skills for Work, Planning Your Career, Dealing with Stress and Goal Setting Workbook