Kids love music! And we love John Farrell’s song “How Would You Feel If That Happened To You?” that teaches empathy and perspective taking. You can listen to the song herehere are just the lyrics. And here’s the sheet music for those of you so musically inclined. (And if not, here are just the lyrics.)
 
It starts out:
 
As a small boy walked home one rainy Halloween
Two big kids were waiting on the dark side of the street
Those big kids came over and knocked that boy down
Took all his candy and left him there on the ground.
 
How would you feel if that happened to you?
What would you say and what would you do?
Stop for a minute and stand in his shoes.
How would you feel if that happened to you?
 
Give kids the opportunity to listen to the song all the way through and sing along and have fun with it. Then follow up with a discussion. How would you feel? How could you help someone else who was in that position? What could you say or do to help a friend or classmate?
 
Reinforce the idea that we can care for others who are going through a hard time by thinking about how they might be feeling.
 
Oh, and a disclaimer. Don’t blame us if this song gets stuck in your head!