Kidpower Trash Can for
Throwing Away Hurting Words
Irene van der Zande, Kidpower Executive Director and Founder
Illustrated by Amanda Golert
Trash Can Power Safety Sign
Copyright Notice. Adapted from the Kidpower and Fullpower Teaching Kits which have extensive
social stories and detailed lesson plans. Copyright (c) 2013 Irene van der Zande. Special Permission
given to Autism Speaks to make available to their members for their personal individual noncommercial use ONLY, as long as this notice and all other information about Kidpower stays as is including
this cover sheet. Prior written permission is required before copying or sharing any part of these
copyrighted materials in any printed or electronic form for any other purpose. For permission to use
information, please contact [email protected].
Kidpower Trash Can and
Heart Power Safety Signs
Trash Can Power
Put a hand on your hip and pretend the hole it
makes is your personal trash can. Use your other
hand to catch hurting words and throw them.
Heart Power
Scoop up kind words and take them into your
heart. Protect your heart. Use your heart to be
kind to others.
A publication of Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International www.kidpower.org
For permission to copy, contact [email protected] Page 2
Kidpower Real
Trash Can
My words are
important!
Mei Lin catches mean words like “Shut Up!” and throws them into a
real trash can. She tells herself that her words are important.
A publication of Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International www.kidpower.org
For permission to copy, contact [email protected] Page 3
Kidpower
Trash Can
I look
GREAT!
Mike catches the word “Ugly” and throws it into his Fullpower Trash
Can. He makes a Fullpower Trash Can by putting a hand on his hip
and imagining that the hole it makes is a trash can. Mike uses his
other hand to throw the word“ugly” away and tells himself that he
looks great.
A publication of Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International www.kidpower.org
For permission to copy, contact [email protected] Page 4
Mini-Trash Can
I am
SMART!
Rosa makes a Mini-Trash Can by curling up her fingers on one hand.
She pushes the word “Stupid” into the little hole her hand makes
with her thumb to throw it away. She tells herself that she is smart.
A publication of Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International www.kidpower.org
For permission to copy, contact [email protected] Page 5
One-Handed
Trash Can
I am
POWERFUL!
Talib uses his arm to throw the words “Big Wimp” away. He tells
himself that he is powerful.
A publication of Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International www.kidpower.org
For permission to copy, contact [email protected] Page 6
Introducing the Kidpower
Trash Can
Step 1: Put a trash can in the center of
the circle. Start by reminding children
that you are pretending so that they can
practice.
Suppose I call you
a mean word like
“Stupid.”
That
word
hurts!
Step 2: Extend your arm and grab the
air with your own hand. Tell the children
that their hands are their “Mean Word
Catchers”.
Get your Mean
Word Catchers
READY!
That can hurt
your feelings!
That is
not nice!
Step 3: Catch with your own hand and
coach children to catch with their hands.
Now catch
the word
“Stupid”...
Step 4: Tell children that they can throw
from where they are sitting because
everybody is perfect at throwing when
they are doing Kidpower.
Now throw the
word “Stupid” into
the trash can.
Step 5: Replacing a mean word with a
compliment is an important part of the
Now everybody
practice.
say “I am smart”
and put those
I AM
words into your
SMART!
heart.
I AM
SMART!
Step 6: Tell children to put a hand on a
hip and pretend that the hole it makes is
their Kidpower Trash Can.
Suppose I say,
“You are BAD”.
Catch that word
‘BAD’ and throw
it in your Kidpower trash can
and say, “I am
GOOD!”
I AM
GOOD!!
A publication of Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International www.kidpower.org
For permission to copy, contact [email protected] Page 7
Practicing the
Kidpower Trash Can
Let each person pick words to practice throwing away and saying nice things to themselves.
Step 1: Model and practice making a trash can
with your body.
Put your hand on
your hip!
Step 3: Show and practice catching mean words
together.
Catch the mean words...
Step 2: Show that the hole formed by your arm
makes a trash can.
Now you have a
trash can!
Step 4: Show and practice throwing mean
words into the trash can together.
... and throw
them into the
trash can...
A publication of Kidpower Teenpower Fullpower International www.kidpower.org
For permission to copy, contact [email protected] Page 8