Joy Snacking: Building Small Moments of Strength and Connection

Pre-Work: Framing Joy (5 minutes)

• Introduce the idea: “A “joy snack” is a small, brief moment that brings a sense of comfort, delight, connection, or calm.”
• Clarify:
  • It does not need to be big
  • It does not need to cost money
  • It does not ignore hard things
  • It supports us so we can stay engaged
• Explain: “Just like food snacks give our body energy, joy snacks give our nervous system support.”

Warm-Up: Noticing Small Joys (5–10 minutes)

• Ask students to respond quietly to:
  • What are small moments that make you feel even slightly better?
• Examples you might model:
  • Listening to a favorite song
  • Sitting in sunlight
  • Laughing with a friend
  • Stretching
  • Watching something funny
• Students list 5-10 possible joy snacks.

Core Activity: Designing a Joy Snack Plan (10-15 minutes)

• Ask students to create a simple plan:
  • “When I feel stressed, I might…”
  • “When I need connection, I might…”
  • “When I need quiet, I might…”
• Encourage realistic, accessible ideas.
• Optional extension:
  • Identify one joy snack that can be done in under 2 minutes.

Optional Pair Share (5 minutes)

• Invite voluntary sharing:
  • One joy snack that surprised you
  • One that feels especially doable
• Emphasize:
  • Sharing is optional
  • No evaluation of others’ choices

Reflection & Closing (5 minutes)

• Students complete an exit reflection:
  • “One joy snack I will try this week is…”
  • “One time I might need it is…”
• Optional group question: “Why might joy be important when learning about difficult topics?”

Educator Support

• Facilitation Tips
  • Model simple, non-performative examples
  • Avoid turning this into forced positivity
  • Acknowledge that joy can coexist with difficulty

• Differentiation
  • Allow drawing instead of writing
  • Provide sentence starters for students who struggle to identify examples

• Assessment
  • Completion of joy lists or plans
  • Reflection responses

• School Support
  • This activity is low-intensity and safe for most contexts
  • Can be used before or after heavier content