Wrinkled Heart Activity: Powerful Anti-Bullying Lesson with Crumpled Paper
Inside: Instructions, video, and free crumpled paper activity pdf for the Wrinkled Heart Activity. Learn how a crumpled piece of paper becomes an impactful bullying lesson for elementary students.
The Wrinkled Heart Activity or Crumpled Paper Bullying Lesson is a powerful way to teach children about the lasting effects of bullying.
This simple activity is a valuable friendship lesson that shows students how difficult it is to undo the damage from unkind words and actions!
Who could imagine that a single sheet of scrunched up paper could be so effective in demonstrating the devastating impact thoughtless words and actions can have on people?
The crumpled heart activity is a powerful low-prep friendship activity for teachers. It's quick and easy as it just requires some paper or a paper heart (download here). It's a big hit with elementary and middle school students as an engaging demonstration that can have a long-lasting effect, but I will offer a word of caution.
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When using this activity, students often become excited when they stomp on the paper because it requires them to be active and it's fun. However, teachers should be careful to rein in their enthusiasm and have students focus on the message. This activity should not be turned into a fun game instead of the powerful life lesson it's intended to be.
Use the Enemy Pie Lesson After the Crumpled Heart Activity
to Reinforce Kindness and Caring
I believe this anti-bullying experiment was originally used by a teacher in New York who used scrunched up paper to show her students the lasting impact cruel or nasty behavior can have.
When I used the wrinkled heart activity during an assembly at a school, it was obvious it had quite an impact. I substituted a plain piece of paper for a red paper heart for younger students and a cut-out of a person for older students.
I have included instructions for my version below along with a link to print the wrinkled heart lesson template mentioned above.
If you're working with high school students, use the crumpled paper bullying lesson as shown in the video below by Tony Brent.
The Crumpled Heart Activity
This bullying activity is an immensely powerful way to deal with bad behavior in a group or grade. It can really help a bully to understand just how hurtful their words and actions can be and the lasting impact it can have on someone's mental health and self-esteem.
Why This Activity Works
Kids are visual and hands-on learners, and that’s what makes this activity so powerful. When you crumple a piece of paper or wrinkle a paper heart, it gives them something they can actually see and feel.
The crumpled paper shows what happens when someone is hurt by unkind words or actions. Even if you try to smooth it out, the wrinkles stay. Just like how someone's feelings might still be hurt, even after you say sorry. It’s a simple but really meaningful way to show how bullying or name-calling can leave a mark that doesn't just go away.
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This moment often hits home for kids. They get quiet and thoughtful after the excitement of stomping on the paper. You can tell they’re really starting to understand. They see that words have power and being kind truly matters. It’s not just about following rules. It’s about protecting someone’s heart.
So, when students ask, "What does the crumpled paper mean?" or "Why do we do this?", here’s what you can say.
"The wrinkles are a reminder that even when we say sorry, the damage can still be there. That’s why we need to be gentle with our words and actions from the start."
Instructions for The Crumpled Heart Activity
- 1Download the instructions and print the heart templates onto red or pink paper. You'll need one for each student. Choose between two designs: one with pre-written text and space for a name, or a blank heart where kids can add their own message. Have students cut out their own hearts to save time and build motor skills while getting them more involved!
- 2Ask kids to look at how beautiful and perfect their heart is and imagine it's their own, real heart. Now they have to trust their heart with the person standing beside them. As they hand it to their neighbor, they ask them to love and care for their heart as if it was their own.
- 3Instruct students to say mean things to the heart they were given. Crumple it up into a tight little ball, throw it on the ground, and stomp on it. There should be a lot of laughter about now which is fine but center students again by reminding them how hurtful it is to be the person receiving an insult.
Teach Students Skills to Manage Emotions to Helps
Them Respond with Kindness Instead of Frustration
- 4Have students pick up the little crumpled ball, look at the child who owns the heart, and say they're sorry. Turn their attention back to the crumpled ball and apologize. Say they didn't mean to be so thoughtless; they didn't know what came over them and could they please forgive them? While apologizing, carefully uncrumple the paper heart. Place it on a table and try to smooth it out.
- 5Ask your students to return the heart they have to its owners. Have each person hold up their crumpled heart and ask them how it looks. Does it still look as beautiful as it did before they gave it away? Did the person they trusted it with care for it? How do they feel about the person who didn't take care of their heart?
- 6Explain that every time a person hurls abuse, belittles, talks behind someone's back, bullies, writes unkind things on social media, etc., they are responsible for adding a wrinkle to someone's heart.
- 7Even though they may apologize later, that wrinkle cannot be smoothed out. Sure, it may fade over time, but the heart will never really be the same and the scars can remain for a lifetime.
- 8Take the opportunity to talk about the responsibility we all have to care for other people and their feelings. Explain that being unkind has a lasting effect on the hearts and minds of the people they are mean to. It changes the way people feel about them and can give them a bad reputation.
Teach Students to Lift Others Up with Compliments
Instead of Criticism!
If taught well, this activity can be highly effective. But again, I want to caution teachers to be mindful of the serious nature of the crumpled heart activity. I was told that in one class, some students thought it was okay to repeat mean things they'd heard others say during the activity. They told their parents it was okay because it was just a game.
If you do not believe your students are mature enough to understand the lesson the activity delivers, please do not use it.
If you've used the crumpled paper activity, I'd love to hear about your experience. Please get in touch and let me know how successful it was!
Pin The Crumpled Paper Activity for Your Next Lesson
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Updated: 22 May, 2025