About This Lesson
The holidays can be a joyful yet stressful time for students, teachers, and families alike. This activity invites classrooms, families and to pause, reflect, and create a Positivity Portfolio: a personal collection of items, memories, songs, or pictures that spark feelings of joy, gratitude, and hope.
Inspired by Barbara Fredrickson’s research on positive emotions, Positivity Portfolios help students mindfully notice and savor the good in their lives. By building a visual or written collection of what makes them feel happy, calm, or connected, students strengthen emotional resilience and learn practical ways to boost their positive emotions during the busy holiday season.
In this Happiness for the Holidays mini-bundle, school community members and families can use a community bulletin board and a newsletter shoutout to reflect on what brings them happiness during the holiday season and spread that positivity throughout their school or home community.
Here’s what you’ll get
- Printable Positivity Portfolio Board templates and prompts
- Newsletter shoutout section instructions
Why you’ll love this bundle
- Encourages gratitude, connection, and community sharing during the holidays
- Combines classroom SEL learning with real-world family engagement
- Flexible format works for teachers, support staff, or family coordinators
Ways to use
- Create a “Happiness for the Holidays” bulletin board to display positive moments from students and staff
- Feature a Positivity Portfolio Shoutout in your classroom or school newsletter
- Invite families to share joyful stories, photos, or gratitude notes for inclusion
- Use as a staff morale or gratitude-building project before winter break
What is a Positivity Portfolio?
A Positivity Portfolio, inspired by Barbara Fredrickson’s book Positivity, is a mindful intervention designed to help you cultivate positivity and happiness in your daily life. It’s a curated collection of items, memories, songs, or pictures that evoke one or more of the 10 essential positive emotions—joy, love, inspiration, serenity, amusement, awe, pride, interest, gratitude, and hope.
Building and savoring your Positivity Portfolio for just 15 minutes a day can boost your wellbeing, enhance life satisfaction, and help you flourish.
Science of Positivity Portfolios:
Positivity Portfolios are an evidence-informed tool rooted in Barbara Fredrickson's Broaden and Build Theory of Positive Emotions. Positive Emotions like joy, gratitude, and hope expand awareness, boost creativity, and enhance problem-solving skills. Over time, these emotions help build lasting mental, social, and emotional resources.
In the classroom, Positivity Portfolios foster individual growth and encourage positivity resonance—shared moments of connection and care. These shared experiences strengthen peer relationships, create a supportive classroom culture, and promote collaboration.
Positive Emotions feel good, and they are good for you! People who regularly feel positive emotions experience:
- Increased wellbeing and life satisfaction
- Increased attention, awareness, and memory
- A boost in learning, creativity, and mental flexibility
- Stronger relationships
- Less perceived stress
- Lower depressive symptoms
- Improved sleep and sleep quality
- Improved cardiovascular function
Looking for more Positivity Portfolio Resources?
Explore the free Positivity Portfolio Unit Study, which includes teaching slides, additional worksheets and activities, and even IEP and BIP recommendations tailored specifically to students with autism.
Proof Positive’s resources are and will always be free. Be well!
Bonus access to full lesson plans and unit studies on the skills of happiness at our Skill Center.
