<p>The impact of the boarding school milieu on the psychological development of children has garnered considerable attention. Scholars have especially expressed apprehension regarding the potential adverse effects of boarding on familial bonds. Addressing this concern, certain primary schools in Yunnan Province have implemented a Kinship boarding system, wherein older students are entrusted with the care of younger ones. The present study explored the progression of sharing behaviors among children in boarding environments and the mechanisms underlying these behaviors. Utilizing methodologies such as story completion, the dictator game, and motivational ranking, this study compared the sharing consciousness and behaviors of children under different administrative approaches: kinship boarding, class boarding, and day school. Additionally, we examined the roles of moral reasoning and empathy in how boarding styles influence sharing behaviors. The results revealed that children in kinship boarding exhibited more sharing consciousness, as well as both proactive and reactive sharing behaviors, compared to their counterparts in class boarding or day school settings. Furthermore, affective and cognitive empathy function as mediators in the relationship between boarding styles and children’s sharing behaviors, with sharing consciousness serving as a moderating factor.</p>