Jasmine J.
First Grade Frenchies
Pink Shirt Day is a global movement that encourages kindness and takes a strong stand against bullying.
Pink Shirt Day began in 2007, when two high school students bought and distributed pink shirts to their peers, after another student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt.
The two boys, David Shepherd and Travis Price created a movement that we are all proud to continue.
Celebrated in schools and communities worldwide, this day is an opportunity to empower kids to speak up, spread kindness, and create a culture of respect. If you’re looking for creative ways to bring this message to life in your French classroom, you’ve come to the right place!
In this post, we’ll dive into everything you need to make Pink Shirt Day special and meaningful.
From French children’s books about bullying and kindness to vocabulary resources and freebies, I’ve got you covered.
Plus, we’ll explore ways to weave these resources into lessons that resonate with kids and encourage thoughtful conversations.
I don’t know anyone who is even asking this question (haha) but I wanted to point out that bullying is still very much alive today, just as it was in the past. With new generations, come new problems, and new things to be bullied about.
Bullying affects millions of children around the world every year. It impacts self-esteem, mental health, and academic success.
For French classrooms, integrating lessons on kindness and anti-bullying offers a unique opportunity to combine language learning with essential life skills.
Pink Shirt Day is about raising awareness, giving students the tools they need to foster kindness, recognize bullying, and take action.
Through the power of stories, role-playing, and interactive activities, we can help children embrace empathy and inclusion.
Using books is one of the most effective ways to introduce complex topics like bullying to children. Here are some recommended French children’s books that highlight the importance of kindness, inclusion, and standing up for what’s right.
This charming story follows a seed that has a bad reputation. Labeled as a "bad seed," he lives up to the title until one day, he decides he doesn’t want to be bad anymore. This transformation is a perfect metaphor for how we can choose kindness over negativity.
And we can choose to be good instead of being bad. It’s an excellent discussion starter for kids who feel stuck in certain behaviours or patterns.
Speaking of this book, I’ve got an entire book companion that goes along with it! Students will practice retelling the most important parts of the story and engage in a variety of reading comprehension and reading strategies, such as making predictions, visualizing and making connections.
There is also an adorable craft that goes along with the story.
This is an amazing picture book that challenges gender stereotypes by showing that pink is a color for everyone, not just girls. The book encourages children to express themselves freely and embrace their individuality.
It promotes inclusivity and acceptance, reminding us all that colours, like all things, should be for everyone.
Words are powerful. This book reminds the reader that the words we choose can spread kindness, love, and encouragement or cause hurt and sadness. Through simple yet impactful illustrations and messages, the book teaches our students the importance of using our words thoughtfully and always with kindness.
A book that explores what it truly means to be kind. Through simple yet meaningful examples, the book shows how small acts of kindness can make a big difference in the lives of others. I love how it uses simple enough language and promotes students to practice empathy, generosity, and compassion in their daily lives.
This poetic book celebrates the beauty of being human, including our mistakes and our capacity to grow. It’s perfect for fostering self-compassion and encouraging kids to embrace kindness in their daily interactions. Plus, I’m a huge fan of all books by Peter. H. Reynolds!
This is a story about self-acceptance and embracing our natural beauty. A young girl learns to love her curly hair despite facing negative feelings. While not explicitly about bullying, I think it’s so powerful to show our students that we should love ourselves, forever and always. Encouraging confidence, self-love, and kindness towards ourselves will then reflect onto others.
This is another book that I’ve made a book companion for. I just love the story so much and I read it to my class every year (no matter what grade). I also like reading this book in February specifically, as we can amplify black book characters during Black History Month through the texts we choose to read.
Although this is a wordless picture book, there are so many meaningful conversations that can come from this book. And in fact, because it is wordless, it would be perfect for all levels of French learners. The book highlights the importance of kindness and how one act of support can create a ripple effect of inclusion, empathy and fostering a welcoming community.
Books are just the beginning. To truly engage students, pair these stories with fun, hands-on activities that reinforce the message of kindness and inclusion.
Kick off your Pink Shirt Day lesson with a free pack of French anti-bullying colouring pages! These would be awesome to display around your school or as an early-finisher activity to do on Pink Shirt Day or the week of.
Transform your classroom into a kindness hub by creating a "Wall of Kindness." Give each student a pink sticky note or card and ask them to write one act of kindness they’ve done or will commit to doing. Arrange the notes on a bulletin board shaped like a heart or a pink shirt.
We love doing these in my class! I have all of my students sit in a circle on the carpet. If you are teaching junior grades and don’t have a carpet, you can do this by sitting in a circle with chairs. Students will stick both of their legs out. Pick one student to start. They will give a classmate a random compliment.
It can be something that the other student did, an observation, something about their personality, truly anything! Once a student receives a compliment, they tuck their legs back in and now it is their turn to give out a compliment to someone who still has their legs sticking out.
Continue until everyone’s legs are tucked in, meaning everyone has received a compliment!
It’s such a powerful yet simple activity, and it truly warms my heart every time. The more you do this, the more creative you’ll notice that your students get with the compliments, and they no longer say generic things like “ NAME is really nice”.
Help students practice standing up to bullying through role-playing. Create scenarios where one student plays a bully, another plays the target, and others act as bystanders. After each role-play, discuss how different actions can de-escalate the situation and promote kindness.
When we talk a lot about bullying, it’s only natural that students may begin to overuse the word. I have definitely had my fair-share of moments where a student complains that another student was bullying them. Once I got to the bottom of the issue, it was clear that it was simply a conflict between friends, and not a case of bullying.
If your students often confuse the two, try out this SCOOT bullying activity. Students will read the statement on the task cards and write if it’s a case of bullying, a conflict or a mean moment.
If your students are younger and not capable of reading the task cards, you may wish to read the scenario out loud and translate for students first.
Pink Shirt Day is a great opportunity to expand your students’ French vocabulary. Here are some keywords and phrases to teach your class:
You could have them practice making simple sentences using some of these vocabulary words or creating some anti-bullying art with these words on it! 💡
Let students express themselves by designing their own pink shirts. Provide blank shirt templates and encourage them to add positive messages like "Soyons gentils" (Let’s be kind) or "Dites non à l’intimidation!" (Say NO to bullying!).Writing PromptsIncorporate creative writing into your Pink Shirt Day activities. Here are a few prompt ideas:
Display the students’ finished pieces on a bulletin board or create a class book to revisit throughout the year.Revisit the Message Throughout the YearWhile Pink Shirt Day is an amazing starting point, the lessons of kindness and anti-bullying should continue year-round. Here are some ideas to keep the message alive:
Pink Shirt Day is more than just wearing pink—it’s a chance to inspire real change in your classroom and beyond. By combining French books about bullying, interactive activities, and meaningful discussions, you can create a powerful learning experience that sticks with students for years to come.
Don’t forget to download your French Pink Shirt Day Colouring Pages and explore the list of French books and ideas to foster some great conversations around la journée du chandail rose.
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