The Kids and Consent Curriculum: 25 Whole-Classroom Lessons to Teach Boundaries, Collaboration, and Respect

In elementary and middle school, conversations around consent tend to focus on sexual abuse prevention. But if we want kids to value consent as a practice for navigating relationships with mutuality and respect, instead of thinking of it as simply a legal term, we need to expand the way we understand and talk about consent.

That’s why consent educator Sarah Casper decided to write The Kids and Consent Curriculum. Filled with 25 ready-made lesson plans, this skills-based curriculum teaches kids ages 8 to 13 how to practice consent in all areas of their lives. With its playful classroom activities and discussion questions, this social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum goes beyond describing what consent is to instead teach kids the “how” of practising consent, including how to:

• Notice what they want
• Ask for permission
• Recognise their limits
• Advocate for their boundaries
• Handle rejection with grace
• Be accountable when they misstep

Telling students what consent is isn’t enough to create lasting change. It is only by practising consent that they can learn how to create safe, healthy, and fun relationships—now and in the future.