Week of May 13th
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 15: Explore Your Universe: Love Learning to the Moon and Back In this episode, children will:
|
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 16: Ellie and Grace Learn Life Skills in Mexico In this episode, children will:
|
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 17: Discover the Superpower of Kindness In this episode, children will:
|
Kindness Rocks Activity
Creating painted Kindness Rocks is a great opportunity to practice thinking about and encouraging others, and spreading positive thoughts. Click on the picture to get ideas on some positive messages you can write on your Kindness Rocks. Once the kindness rocks are made, you can hide them around neighborhoods, stores, and other places for people to find. You can even make a “Kindness Rocks” basket and leave it on your front porch for delivery drivers! |
Week of May 6th
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 13: Do Your Best and Reach for Everest! In this episode, children will:
|
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 14: Kestrel ROCKS at Climbing! In this episode, children will:
|
Wheel of Fortune
Draw a wheel divided into SEGMENTS. In each segment, write important categories in your life: Family, Friends, School, Tennis, etc. Then choose one category that you would like to focus on first. For this category, write out each goal you would like to accomplish in a set period of time (this year, for example). For instance, if the category is “Tennis,” you might write that you would like to practice at least three times a week, improve your forehand, and learn to serve. Next, talk to your someone about the steps you will take to achieve these goals and what obstacles you may encounter along the way. If you do encounter these obstacles, what will you do to overcome them? Color and decorate the wheel however you would like, then hang it somewhere prominent. As you reach your goals in one segment of the wheel, do something to CELEBRATE, then repeat the process above for each additional segment. |
Week of April 29th
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 11: Be Strong Like Smriti and Rise to the Challenge! In this episode, children will:
|
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 12: Big Life Kids Stories: Izayah’s Hospital Trip Made Him Stronger! In this episode, children will:
|
Make an "I Can!" Can
Print out strips of paper that have the sentence starter “I can,” written on them. Then fill in the blanks. Put the strips in a can, and add more strips any time you learn a new skill or conquer a new challenge. Next time you are worried you won’t be able to accomplish a task, remind yourself of all the things you can do using an “I Can” can. You can also revisit the “I Can” can, asking yourself,, “Have you always been able to do this? How did you learn to do this? How did you get better at this skill?” This reinforces the point that none of your abilities have been acquired overnight, and it may give you the courage and motivation to try something new. |
Mindfulness Activity: Going on a Safari
Going on a Safari is another creative mindfulness activity that helps redirect the focus away from stress and anxiety. Physical activity is a wonderful way to infuse positive energy back into the body. You can go outside on an exciting adventure on your next walk. As you walk, put all of your senses to work by paying close attention to your environment. Notice the feel of the air on your skin, notice the sound of the ground as you walk and pay attention to all of the little movements and sensations. As you walk, you can also try picking up a small rock or touching a plant or flower. Notice the bugs or the birds. Take a moment to kneel down and touch the earth. Walk mindfully paying close attention to everything. Make sure you walk in silence because you want to notice all those little details. Walking is a wonderful stress-relieving activity because it helps clear the mind and sparks creative ideas. Try going on a safari the next time you get frustrated and you might be surprised at how well this works. |
Week of April 22nd
Create a Glitter Jar - Fun Mindfulness Activity
Children of any age can create a glitter jar. You can also use a snow globe. The glitter jar is a great activity to use when your child is worried, upset, nervous or angry. The glitter in the jar represents your child's thoughts, rushing around in a mad dash. The next time your child is upset or anxious simply have them shake the glitter jar and remain quiet and still while the glitter is settling. As they breathe deeply they can watch the glitter float around in the jar and finally settle on the bottom. Steps to Make Your Own Glitter Jar
The jar is like the child's mind, and you can even encourage your child to think about how their thoughts are like glitter. As the glitter settles down into the bottom of the jar, the mind becomes calmer as well. |
“Just One Breath” Breathing Mindfulness Activity
Find a relaxing place where you and your child will not be disturbed. Sit in a comfortable posture, either with your legs folded or any comfortable posture. This activity can be done in as little as one minute, but you can also do it for longer periods of time. Begin by setting a timer for one minute. Start breathing deeply in and out. Notice how the breath feels as it moves in and out of your body. Notice how the air feels on your skin. Pay attention to any sensations that you notice or any sounds that you hear. Take another slow deep breath and see if you can imagine how the breath moves down into the lungs and then back up again. Thank your body and breath for giving you life and keeping you healthy. Take one more deep breath and hold the breath for a moment - then release it. If thoughts become intrusive, try and imagine your thoughts immersed in a white, puffy cloud and push the thought cloud out of your awareness. Afterward, notice how you feel after taking this one-minute break. |
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 9: Celebrate Your Uniqueness In this episode, children will:
|
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 10: Peyton Celebrates Who She Is In this episode, children will:
|
Week of April 15th
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 7: Discover How GRATITUDE Can Change Your Life In this episode, children will:
|
Gratitude Activities
|
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 8: Big Life Kids Stories: Joshua Helps the Community In this episode, children will:
|
Week of April 1st
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 5: Be the Kid Who Never Gave Up In this episode, children will:
|
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 6: Big Life Kids Stories: Josh Learns Persistence In this episode, children will:
|
Create a Family Bucket List
1. Gather your family together, grab a piece of chart paper and some markers, and start brainstorming. 2. As a family, discuss what you would like to do, experience, and achieve over a specific time period (example: over the next year) 3. Once you’re done brainstorming, put this list up somewhere where everyone can see it often (for example, by the kitchen table). Throughout the year, your family will have tons of fun accomplishing items on the list and checking them off. As the year progresses and you start to notice several items remaining, you can talk about if you still want to accomplish each of these goals or if your family’s goals have changed. If you still want to accomplish them, how can you go about doing so? What steps will you need to follow? Research shows that in addition to learning through play, children also learn effectively through experience. Keeping track of and planning toward goals will be a valuable learning experience for your child, and it’s a fun way for your family to bond as well! At the end of the year, you can look back over all of the things your family has accomplished. You may even make creating an annual bucket list into a new family tradition! |
Week of March 25th
New collection in Epic student account - Growth Mindset
When we read stories, whether true or fictional, that show others facing their problems and overcoming obstacles, we are helping to develop the same mindset in our children. One of the most effective ways is to surround children with books and stories that promote resilience and whose characters have grit. We have selected books for your child to read that demonstrate a growth mindset. You can find the collection in your mailbox in your Epic student account. Enjoy! |
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 3: “How to Turn Failures into Robots” In this episode, children will:
|
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 4: “Emma Bounces Back from a Setback” In this episode, children will:
|
9 Activities to Build Grit and Resilience
(click the title to access link)
|
Week of March 18th
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 1: “Discover Growth Mindset and How to Believe in Yourself” In this episode, children will:
Growth Mindset Mad Lib
This Mad Lib is about Leo, one of the main characters in The Big Life Kids Podcast.
The Big Life Kids Podcast
Episode 2: “Grissom Believes in Himself” In this episode, children will:
Create a Jar of Awesome (mentioned in Episode 2: “Grissom Believes in Himself”) to celebrate the small wins that move your child closer to their dream! It can make all the difference in how they feel about their progress and will help them stay motivated. Every time they feel unmotivated or discouraged, re-read the wins from their jar. It will help them to keep going!
|