The Happiness Project a la Sixth Grade

I finished reading Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project at the end of last summer.  It provided much fodder for me to consider as I looked for ways through my 40s.  One night early in the school year, while in the process of deep-breathing myself to sleep, it occurred to me that, if the ideas Rubin explores have been demonstrated by various studies to aid adults in improving their level of life satisfaction, why not try some of them, particularly those revolving around music and art, with elementary school students?  It would seem that one could argue for starting this sort of life exploration sooner rather than later.  I know I wish such an opportunity had been available to me when I was an elementary school student.

Using this reasoning, I embarked on a twist to the sixth grade Open Library program I had been hosting for several years prior.  In previous years, I had simply opened the library once a week to sixth graders during their recess and allowed them free time on the computers to play games, encouraged book checkout, provided a place for socialization and respite from harsh winter weather, and so forth.  Now, this year, I would provide a program of more structured activities ranging from origami to string and board games to art appreciation via online research and the coloring of black-line versions of famous paintings from around the world.

To my great delight, the program has developed a life of its own.  Several staff members have generously donated materials for us to use.  The P.E. teacher has stopped by for visits and offered to teach several weeks of dance lessons for the kids and me.  One of the students shyly asked me if she could teach drawing lessons, since she believes, rightly so, that her peers think of her as a talented artist.  We enjoy listening to different styles of music as we take part in the activity of the day.

It would seem the students and I have begun to expand our experiences into areas to which we had not necessarily been exposed previously.  I think they and I have grown more courageous and less self-conscious about trying something new than when we first started.  And, relationships and improved social and emotional awareness have developed.  Indeed, our happiness levels seem to have been elevated.

I'm thinking it might be appropriate to expand this program into other areas besides the arts.  Do any of you have additional suggestions for other activities that would fit into this program of exploration of life satisfaction?