Fairness is often thought of as giving everyone an equal chance, yet it is not always practiced equally. Unjust laws, bias, and unequal systems continue to affect schools, workplaces, and communities. Research shows that as children grow older, their understanding of fairness becomes more nuanced—they consider effort, need, and equality together.
The Fairness Worksheets teach clients the value of treating others equally and making just choices. Through the Fairness In Action worksheet, they get to reflect on how fair they are in various situations, decide how to handle issues with friends, school, and community, and evaluate situations that benefit from fairness. The Practicing Fairness worksheet lets them review examples of fair and unfair actions, assess how often they act fairly, and think about why fairness is needed in the environment they selected.
Kids and teens answering these worksheets will be reminded that fairness shapes how others trust them. Learning to pause and evaluate their own motives can guide them back to making fairer choices.
Caring adults can openly discuss situations where fairness was not practiced, whether in school, at home, or in the wider community. Honest conversations may also help them see that being fair is not about pleasing everyone—it is about standing for what is right.
These worksheets pair well with our All About Fairness handout.
*This item is an instant digital download. A link to download your files will be emailed to you once payment is confirmed.
Want more resources like this? Check out our full catalog of Character Education worksheets.
References:
- Grütter, J., Barth, C., Karki, I., Sims, R. N., & Killen, M. (2024). Children’s and adolescents’ reasoning about distributive fairness and educational inequalities. International Journal of Behavioral Development. https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254241308503
- Kaufman, E. M., & Killen, M. (2022). Children’s perspectives on fairness and inclusivity in the classroom. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 25. https://doi.org/10.1017/sjp.2022.24
- Li, J., Wang, W., Yu, J., & Zhu, L. (2016). Young children’s development of fairness preference. Frontiers in Psychology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01274
- Mazzoli Smith, L., Todd, L., & Laing, K. (2017). Students’ views on fairness in education: The importance of relational justice and stakes fairness. Research Papers in Education, 33(3), 336-353. https://doi.org/10.1080/02671522.2017.1302500
- Rizzo, M. T., Elenbaas, L., Cooley, S., & Killen, M. (2016). Children’s recognition of fairness and others’ welfare in a resource allocation task: Age related changes. Developmental Psychology, 52(8), 1307-1317. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000134
