10 Best Honesty Activities for Kids

Honesty is a very important aspect of life as it affects everything, from our relationships to our careers. That is why learning this virtue from a young age using tools like honesty activities for kids is crucial. It can be unpleasant dealing with dishonest people in life, and as parents and educators, it is especially challenging when your child is dishonest. So how do we teach children to be more honest people?

Importance of Honesty for Children

The importance of honesty lies in the fact that being dishonest ultimately prevents parents, guardians, and teachers from helping children in the most appropriate way.

Understanding the value of honesty in children can also be better illustrated by explaining the importance of trust. When your child knows they can come to you with the truth, then they feel a greater sense of safety and support.

Being dishonest can also have greater consequences as one grows older, so it is important to teach kids how to tell the truth earlier on in life.

Helping Kids Understand Honesty

To help children understand honesty better, it is better to start teaching it to them even before we think they may have told a lie. Emotions tend to run high when a child’s truthfulness is questioned, and they may defend the lie no matter what. Given that, it is better for us to teach kids why honesty is good and should be practiced.

Rewarding kids for being honest is a great way to encourage them to tell the truth at all times. Rewards help children associate an action as something positive, and in this case, that’s honesty. This will create a more trusting environment at home.

Well-oriented and moderated reprimands can also help children understand the negative consequences of being dishonest. When using this approach, it is important to maintain the trust between you and your child. Avoid calling them liars and instead focus on why the act of lying may not be the best option.

10 Best Honesty Activities for Kids

Teaching honesty, however, is no walk in the park. Parents, guardians, and teachers need patience, tolerance, trust, and the right activities to teach kids about honesty.

1. Honesty Well

This group game can be played by children aged 5 and up together with adults. Take a small container such as a jar and fill it with water. Ask your child to drop a nickel into the middle and explain that it symbolizes a lie. The task is to make up for the lie by covering it with other coins, which symbolize apologies. It will take many coins (or apologies) to cover up the nickel. You can discuss questions after the activity, such as the following:

• Is it easy for people to forget about dishonesty?
• Have you ever been dishonest?
• Has anyone been dishonest towards you? What did you feel?
• How would you react if someone told you the truth?

2. Honest storyteller

For children, fantasy and the truth can intertwine, especially with the things they see on the internet or TV. Tell your child a story with aspects that are obviously made up, then have them identify what is true or false about that story. Explain that while such stories are fun, they don’t necessarily reflect what is true in the real world. Emphasize how telling the truth is always best. This can be done with children aged 4 and up.

3. Honesty handouts

One activity you can try with your kids is to go through honesty handouts. This is something concrete that your child can refer to, and it will help drive the point home. While you go through the handout, it is best to sustain a conversation about why honesty is important. Try to support your child here with words of encouragement. Tell them that the truth is always better than lies and that you won’t stop loving them even if they do something wrong. Honesty handouts are great for kids aged 4 and up.

4. True and false game

Create two signs that say “True” and “False” (or “T” and “F” if your child can’t read yet) using index cards or pieces of paper taped to popsicle sticks. Explain what the words mean, and then say some statements that may be true or untrue. Have your child hold up the sign for what you have said. You can also take turns holding up the signs. This game is a good reminder that we can tell the truth for ourselves, and we should always strive to do so. This game is great for kids aged 5 years and up.

5. Puppet roleplay

Get two puppets and roleplay using them. One puppet can give promises such as “I will put your toys away” or “I will sing you a lullaby.” Make sure you have the puppet perform these acts. Use the second puppet to do the opposite by saying they will do things and then not pushing through. Explain to your child the importance of being truthful about the things we say and do. This activity is appropriate for children aged 4 and up.

6. Button game

This is a game that can teach honesty in a fun way, and it is excellent in class settings. Choose one of your kids to be the “it” while your other children form a circle. The “it” closes their eyes while a button is passed from person to person. When you say so, the “it” can then open their eyes and try to guess who has the button. This game may seem simple, but it can tempt some children to lie when they hold the button and the “it” guesses their name correctly. You can then discuss why everyone should tell the truth and how doing so keeps the game fun for everybody. This game is great for kids aged 5 and up.

7. Chocolate peanuts

Give a chocolate peanut to your child and let them eat it. After they have finished it, ask them to give it back. This may cause your child to feel a bit confused. Explain to them that the peanut symbolizes a lie, and once it is taken in, it is hard to take back. You can ask them several questions to process the activity, such as whether they liked the game, if it is possible to justify a lie, or whether they should hide the truth from someone. This activity is suitable for children aged 4 and up.

8. Consequences game

You can turn a game like Pictionary into an activity that teaches consequences. Using index cards, write down situations that would have children tell the truth or a lie. Examples are “broken mug” or “dent on car” and “paint on wall.” Break up into a guessing team and a drawing team and have the latter draw the situation on the index card. After the guessing team correctly identifies the image, discuss what should be done in that situation and ask questions that will have your child reflect on honesty. You can also supplement this activity with a handout on how to be trustworthy. Kids aged 7 and up can do this activity.

9. Honesty storyboard

Using a sheet of paper, draw four boxes. The first should have a drawing of a child breaking something. In the second panel, illustrate the child telling the truth to their parent. The third and fourth boxes should show how the parent reacted and how they fixed the broken object together. Show this storyboard to your child and ask them to tell you a story based on the pictures. Talk about how difficult it can be to tell the truth. Reassure them that, even though parents may be sad or disappointed by what happened, honesty is still the best policy. This activity is suitable for children aged 5 and up.

10. Honesty word web

This last activity is a fun one for a class. Create a word web for honesty with your students. Group your kids and ask them to brainstorm words and ideas that are related to honesty. This can greatly enhance their understanding of this concept, and the activity can make it easier for them to practice telling the truth. This is great for kids aged 7 and up.

How to Make Honesty Activities for Kids More Fun

Honesty activities can seem a little intimidating because it touches on a delicate subject: telling the truth. By following these tips, you can make these activities more fun for your kids:

• Add tangible rewards, such as their favorite food or toy
• Do games together during family time
• Involve other people — the more the merrier!
• Make use of stories
• Use arts and crafts materials

The Bottom Line

These activities about telling the truth will encourage your child to be more honest and forthcoming, whether what they have to share with you is positive or negative. Teaching your child honesty allows them to develop the ability to be a happy, well-adjusted, and active individual. It forms the foundation of trust and lets your child’s relationships flourish.

You can learn more about honesty and other qualities such as respect, responsibility, and integrity by using our character education posters. Remember that honesty is always the best policy!