Community - day 3 - my supports
These activities can be done alone, but work best with one or more friends on a video chat like Skype, Zoom, Facetime, etc.
Grades K-3
Mindfulness Activity:
Trivia question: Every summer, Calgary hosts a large 10-day rodeo. What is it called?
Mindfulness Activity:
- Put your palms together at chest height.
- Push your hands against each other as hard as you can.
- Which muscle gets tired first?
Community Helper Paper Hats
Supplies:
- Paper
- Markers
- Crayons
- Tape
- Scissors
Help your child make different community helper hats (e.g. Police cap, doctor/nurse hat). Draw, decorate and cut them out, making sure to leave a strip of paper at the bottom of the hat so it can go around a child’s head. Secure the back of each hat with tape.
How do these types of community helpers support kids? What other types of community helper hats can you create?
Play with your community helper hats. Act out some of the different ways these helpers work with people in your community.
Communities and Supports
Supplies:
- Paper
- Scissors
- Markers or crayons
Watch a video about all the different types of communities and supports you’re a part of.
Have your child cut out 6 circles that increase in size. From smallest to largest, they represent:
- Citizen (your child)
- Home
- School
- Neighbourhood
- City
- Country
Decorate each circle. Talk about the different community supports in each layer and write down some of the supports that are most important to you. It could be a sibling, a teacher, a neighbour or the library.
Where In My Neighbourhood I Spy
On your next neighbourhood walk or drive, play "I spy" and focus on locating different community supports. For example, I spy:
- The fire station
- A school
- Our community association
- The library
- The recreation centre
- A hospital or doctor’s office
- Construction sites
- Grocery store
Review Questions
Ask your child:
- How does it make you feel to know that there are lots of community supports available to help you and your family? (Feel)
- What do you think is the most important community support for you? (Think)
- How can you and your family show your appreciation for these community supports? (Act)
Mindfulness Trivia Answer
Answer: The Stampede
Grades 4-6
Mindfulness Activity:
Trivia Question: What has hands but can't clap?
Mindfulness Activity:
- Sit down so you're comfortable. Notice your thinking.
- In your head, tell yourself to relax.
- Notice what happens next. Are there any more thoughts popping up inside your head? Are they negative or positive?
My Support System
Supplies:
- Notebook
- Paper
- Pencil/pen
Everyone can face different challenges and difficulties. Have your child make a directory of people who can support them.
Make sure to include their names and contact information. In your directory, answer these questions:
- Who should I call?
- When I have a problem at school I can talk to/call…
- When I have a problem at home I can talk to/call…
- When I am feeling lonely I can call…
- If I need someone to talk to I can call…
- If I need someone to encourage me I can call…
- If I need someone to remind me how special I am I can call…
- When I am home alone and there is an emergency I can call…
My Feel Better Plant
Supplies:
- Colouring items
- Paper
Recognizing your strengths can help you handle tough moments.
Have your child think about things that make them feel calm and people that can support them. Just like a plant or flower, we need things that make us feel better (water), people that support us (roots) and our own strengths (flower or plant).
Have your child draw a plant, flower or tree that represents them. Inside the plant, write things that make you unique and beautiful. Then draw water droplets and write the things that make you feel better inside them. Below the plant or flower, draw the roots with the name of people that support you.
Who can solve my problem?
Sometimes we can solve the challenges we face by ourselves. Other times, we need help and support.
Have your child make a list of 5-10 problems they are having or have had in the past. Then work together to rate them on a simple scale:
- No Problem - something to let go.
- Easy Fix - problems with easy solutions.
- Kid Fix - problems that kids can fix by themselves.
- Kid Fix with Adult Help - problems that kids are in charge of, but adults might be able to help solve.
- Adult Help - problems kids should not fix on their own, but ask an adult to fix.
- Emergency - problems that need to be solved immediately by an adult.
Review Questions
Ask your child:
- When do you feel the most supported? (Feel)
- Why is it important to have a support system? (Think)
- Can you be a support system for somebody else? Who? (Act)
Mindfulness Trivia Answer
Answer: A clock.
Grades 7+
Mindfulness Activity:
Trivia Question: What province do we live in?
a) British Columbia
b) Alberta
c) Manitoba
Mindfulness Activity:
- Put your palms together at chest height.
- Push your hands against each other as hard as you can.
- Which muscle gets tired first?
Friendship Necklace
Supplies:
- Cardboard
- Scissors
- String
- Beads
- Markers or crayons
Have your child draw and cut out a heart on a piece of cardboard. In the middle of the heart write "best friends." Decorate the heart.
In a zig-zag motion, cut the heart in half (now you have two pieces). Make a hole at the top of each piece. Use string to create a necklace for the two pieces. Add beads or other decorations.
Keep one piece of the heart for yourself and give the other piece to your best friend.
Five Finger Friendship Challenge
Supplies:
- Paper
- Markers or pencil crayons
Help your child trace their hand onto a piece of paper and decorate it. Choose 3 of the fingers to write 3 things that make you a good friend (e.g. Keep promises, I am kind).
For the rest of the fingers, write down the answer to the question: What could I do better? (e.g. Tell the truth, show gratitude). Call a friend and ask them to do the same activity so that you can share your hands with each other!
Friendship Wands
Supplies:
- Sticks
- Beads
- Ribbon or yarn
On your next walk, have your child collect a few sticks they think would make a good wand.
Decorate the wand using whatever materials you have at home such as beads, ribbon, or yarn.
Create a "twin" wand that you will give away as a gift. Package the wand nicely and either mail or deliver the friendship wand to someone special in your life. You can create new magic spells together over the phone!
Review Questions:
Ask your child:
- How do you feel when you play with your friends? (Feel)
- What do you think are important qualities in a friend? (Think)
- How can you show support to your friends even when you can’t play with them in person? (Act)
Mindfulness Trivia Answer
Answer: Alberta