Favorite Little Things

Favorite Little Things is a participatory activity that invites people to share the small, everyday things that bring them joy, comfort, or curiosity. It creates a warm and open environment, encourages appreciation of ordinary moments, and fosters human connection through emotional reflection and storytelling. The activity can be adapted to in-person or virtual settings, and used in education, wellbeing, or community-building spaces.

Preparation

1. Define the purpose:
   • Foster emotional presence and connection among participants.
   • Encourage mindfulness and gratitude for the small things in life.
   • Reveal personal values and joys through storytelling.
2. Gather materials:
   • Paper, cards, or sticky notes
   • Markers or pens
   • Board, poster, or digital space for displaying responses
3. Set the tone:
   • Let people know there are no wrong answers—any small detail is welcome.
   • Invite honesty, creativity, or humor, depending on the group tone.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Introduction
   • Ask participants to think of a small, specific thing that brings them joy, calm, or comfort.
   • Give a few fun or poetic examples, such as “The smell of books,” “The sound of rain on the window,” or “The first sip of coffee.”
2. Individual sharing
   • Each person writes one or more “favorite little things.”
   • Optional: include why it matters or how it makes them feel.
3. Group collection
   • Display all contributions on a board or screen.
   • Group similar themes and notice shared joys.
4. Optional expansion
   • Create a visual wall, mural, or digital board with the shared “little things.”
   • Use the responses as creative prompts (for poems, collages, drawings, etc.).
5. Closing
   • Invite each person to share something someone else said that made them smile.
   • Optionally, take a photo or save a record of the shared board.

Purpose

To build emotional connection and presence by recognizing and celebrating the small, everyday things that bring joy, peace, or wonder.

Required materials

• Paper or cards
• Markers or pens
• Board, wall, or digital space for responses
• Optional: digital tools like Questiory, Jamboard, Miro, Padlet

Platforms

• Questiory
• Mentimeter
• Padlet
• Mural

Practical recommendations

• Start by sharing your own favorite little thing to set the tone.
• Allow people to write or speak, depending on their comfort.
• Use this activity as an opener, mid-point check-in, or closer.
• Capture what’s shared to revisit in future sessions or team rituals.

Inspiration

Examples of favorite little things

• The first sip of coffee in the morning.
• The smell of wet earth after the rain.
• Hearing your favorite song unexpectedly on the radio.
• A short but refreshing nap.
• When a pet comes to snuggle with you.
• Receiving an unexpected message from someone you love.
• Finding forgotten money in a pocket.
• Watching foam form in a cup of tea.
• The sound of dry leaves crunching underfoot in autumn.
• A long and sincere hug.
• Waking up and realizing you still have time to sleep.
• Watching an ice cube melt in a drink.
• The comfortable silence shared with someone you trust.
• Finishing a book you loved.
• Putting on clean and soft clothes.
• The exact moment bathwater reaches the perfect temperature.
• Someone’s contagious laughter.
• Crossing paths with a butterfly or hummingbird.
• Finding an empty bench in the shade.
• The smell of freshly baked bread.
• When someone saves you a seat without being asked.
• Hearing the ocean from afar.
• Seeing a plant bloom.
• The texture of a soft blanket in winter.
• Hearing thunder while feeling safe at home.
• Receiving a sincere compliment.
• Watching the sky change colors at sunset.
• Singing alone while cooking or driving.
• Taking a breath of fresh air after being indoors for hours.
• When someone laughs at your bad joke and tops it with a worse one.

Creative variations for Favorite Little Things

• Today’s little thing: Invite participants to share something that brought them joy that same day, cultivating mindfulness and daily gratitude.
• In pairs: In duos, guess each other’s favorite little thing based on clues or gestures.
• Sound version: Ask participants to represent their favorite thing with a sound, song, or audio effect.
• Illustrated version: Instead of writing it, draw it on a card or digital board.
• Collective collage: Create a visual group piece using cut-outs, textures, and words that represent the shared little things.
• Secret little thing: Write it anonymously and let the group guess who it belongs to.
• Sensory favorites: Sort by category: favorite sounds, smells, textures, tastes.
• Collective poem: Use the responses to create a group poem or a series of haikus.
• Gratitude chain: Share a small thing that someone else in the group made happen (e.g., “When you greet us cheerfully in the morning”).
• Future little things: “A small thing I’d love to experience soon.”
• Daily photo: Invite people to capture a photo of their favorite little thing in real life over the next few days.
• Emoji-only version: Share using only one or several emojis, then explain their meaning.
• Emotional frame: Link the favorite little thing to a specific emotion (calm, laughter, tenderness, energy, etc.).
• Forgotten little things: Share something small you no longer experience but remember fondly.
• Weekly challenge: Keep a weekly log where a different favorite little thing is noted each day.