Compassion Worksheets: Printable Exercises to Teach Kids Kindness

Compassion allows kids to understand other people’s emotions and choose kindness. When children learn to be compassionate early on, they develop stronger relationships, handle conflicts more effectively, and become more thoughtful members of their communities.

Compassion worksheets give children the space to reflect and build skills they can immediately apply at home, in the classroom, and beyond.

What Is Compassion?

Compassion is when you notice that someone is having a hard time and you want to help make things better for them. It's more than just feeling sorry for someone; it's about caring enough to do something kind or supportive.

When a friend falls on the playground, and another child asks if they're okay, that's compassion.

When a sibling shares their favorite toy with a younger brother who's upset, that's compassion, too.

At school, it might look like inviting a classmate who's sitting alone to join a game, or at home, it could be helping a parent carry groceries without being asked.

Benefits of Teaching Compassion to Kids

Research shows that compassion begins early. Preschoolers respond with empathy and helping behaviors when they see someone in clear distress.

Kids with secure attachments and the ability to understand others’ feelings show higher levels of compassion. Older preschoolers also display more empathy than younger ones, which suggests that compassion grows with age and emotional awareness.

Teaching compassion helps children build stronger friendships, as they learn to notice and respond to the needs of others. It also reduces conflicts by encouraging understanding, patience, and cooperation in social situations.

Compassion benefits the person who gives it, too. A meta-analysis of 54 studies found a clear positive link between compassion for others and overall well-being. People who show compassion tend to experience better psychological, social, and cognitive health, along with more positive emotions [*].

Beyond individual benefits, compassion can strengthen communities. When people practice self-compassion and receive compassion from others, they feel safer, more connected, and supported socially.

In a broader sense, this sense of social safety can strengthen relationships, trust, and cooperation within communities, which makes them more resilient during crises [*].

Compassion Worksheets

These 2-page printable worksheets make compassion easy to understand.

They guide kids to reflect on their actions, build empathy, and learn how to treat themselves and others with kindness. This makes compassion easier to practice at home, in school, and with friends.

You can check out the Compassion worksheets by clicking here. The set includes 2 complementary pages:

Compassion in Action

This worksheet gives kids a practical way to understand compassion and apply it in real situations. It has two main parts: Self-Compassion Check and Compassion Practice Plan.

Self-Compassion Check: This first section helps kids look at how they treat themselves. Kids check the boxes that match what they already do.

Then they answer a short reflection question about which part of self-compassion feels hardest and why. This helps kids see that compassion starts with how they speak to themselves.

Self-compassion matters because kids can’t offer kindness to others if they stay harsh or critical toward themselves. When they understand their own feelings, mistakes, and struggles, they gain a clearer sense of what others go through.

Compassion Practice Plan: The second section guides kids to show compassion to others. They choose from simple actions such as showing respect or listening without judgment. Kids pick three to practice during the week.

Kids also get reflection prompts to help them think about real-life situations and understand how compassion works in daily life.

Practicing Compassion

This worksheet helps kids understand what compassion looks like in real situations. It guides them to spot compassionate choices and reflect on how they can respond with kindness.

The first section lists common everyday actions. Kids check whether each one shows compassion or not. This helps kids see the difference between caring actions and hurtful ones. It builds awareness of how their choices affect others.

The second half gives short scenarios that kids often experience at home, school, or in public. Each prompt asks them to write how they can show compassion. Kids learn how to notice someone’s feelings and decide on a supportive response.

BONUS: All About Compassion Handout

The All About Compassion handout gives kids a quick, easy snapshot of everything they need to know about compassion. It breaks down the definition, shows clear examples, and explains why compassion matters, all on one page.

It also covers self-compassion, which helps kids connect kindness toward themselves with kindness toward others. This makes the handout a helpful reference that kids, parents, and teachers can use anytime, even after they finish the worksheets.

The Bottom Line

Teaching compassion helps kids grow into caring, thoughtful, and socially aware individuals.

Compassion worksheets give children practical ways to notice feelings, reflect on their actions, and practice kindness daily. By learning to be compassionate toward themselves and others, kids not only improve their own well-being but also contribute to stronger, more connected communities.

You can explore these and other character education worksheets here.

References:

1. Zhuniq, M., Winter, F. & Aguilar-Raab, C. Compassion for others and well-being: a meta-analysis. Sci Rep 15, 36478 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-23460-7
2. Matos M, McEwan K, Kanovský M, Halamová J, Steindl SR, Ferreira N, Linharelhos M, Rijo D, Asano K, Márquez MG, Gregório S, Vilas SP, Brito-Pons G, Lucena-Santos P, da Silva Oliveira M, de Souza EL, Llobenes L, Gumiy N, Costa MI, Habib N, Hakem R, Khrad H, Alzahrani A, Cheli S, Petrocchi N, Tholouli E, Issari P, Simos G, Lunding-Gregersen V, Elklit A, Kolts R, Kelly AC, Bortolon C, Delamillieure P, Paucsik M, Wahl JE, Zieba M, Zatorski M, Komendziński T, Zhang S, Basran J, Kagialis A, Kirby J, Gilbert P. Compassion Protects Mental Health and Social Safeness During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across 21 Countries. Mindfulness (N Y). 2022;13(4):863-880. doi: 10.1007/s12671-021-01822-2. Epub 2022 Jan 4. PMID: 35003380; PMCID: PMC8724602.