Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes – Back to School Activity for Teaching Colors and Empathy
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes is one of those books that never fails to grab my students’ attention—every time I read it, they ask to hear the song again and again! It has become one of my favorite books to use at the beginning of the school year. It’s upbeat, fun, and carries messages that young children really connect with. Each time I read it aloud, my students are completely engaged—and they always ask to hear the song again!
Over time, I’ve developed a classroom activity to go along with the book that brings together color vocabulary, empathy, and creative expression. It works really well with Pre-K and Kindergarten, especially during the first few weeks of school.
How I Use It in Class
After reading the book, I give each student a shoe template and ask them to color it using their favorite color. This opens the door to a short conversation about colors and helps reinforce color names in a natural, enjoyable way.
Once everyone has finished coloring, I invite them to share their shoes with the class. This is usually a simple show-and-tell moment, but it helps start a meaningful conversation. I like to point out that while we all have shoes, we choose different colors—just like people, we’re all alike in some ways and different in others. We talk about the importance of respecting those differences.
To deepen the discussion, I give the students a page where they can draw a picture of how they can show empathy to others. This could be helping a friend, sharing materials, or using kind words. These drawings spark great classroom conversations and help build a supportive class community
Fine Motor Skills Extension
We do a simple Pete the Cat craft. Cutting, gluing, and assembling the pieces gives students a chance to practice their fine motor skills. It’s a quiet, focused activity that helps balance the more reflective parts of the lesson.
Displaying Student Work
I often display their shoe drawings and empathy pages on a bulletin board. It’s a way for students to take ownership of what they’ve learned, and it makes them feel proud when they see their work on display. It also helps reinforce the ideas we’ve discussed in a visible, everyday way.
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You can find the full project in my Teachers Pay Teachers store if you’d like all the slides, step-by-step instructions, and materials I used in this lesson.
