So many times you may make yourself crazy thinking of new activities to do with your child(ren). Think no more! If you know me, you already know that I spent years on the school Reading Team and took those years and used that knowledge while creating the books for the Characters of Character. This past year I took it a step further! I hosted fun Mommy & Me Painting Classes. This activity brought together the child and their mama to listen to a short story and discussion on the character trait. Then, we painted the character on canvas! Working together the child and adult got to make a memory and a masterpiece, not to mention a visual reminder to have good character. Bonus, Art work for the home!
Spending time with your children is important, put down the phone, the book, the paper and talk with them, get creative with them and let them use their imagination, and let them know that you also have an imagination, too! Before you know it they are playing on their own, making play dates and participating in other activities without you. Something so fun and simple can be done with your little ones at any age and as they continue to grow and find an interest in painting, you will find classes in your own community that you can both continue to participate in.
What will you get out of this activity?
Can you honestly say that a textbook is going to teach your preschooler age-appropriate and life lessons or character strengths? Personally, this is one of my favorite ages. They are so interested in learning and can be taught right from wrong, and what good choices are. When I taught preschool, one of the words that was very visible in my classroom was ‘choices’ and this made the children think twice before making a decision, all the while knowing that there are consequences to be had, good or bad.
First, we teach them good behavior, how to be respectful of themselves and others as well as how to use polite words and portray good manners. Not to mention healthy habits, perseverance, responsibility, kindness, self-esteem, how to be a friend, and basic character traits. All the while they are learning this, we teach them about the five senses: touch, sight, smell, hearing and taste.
At this young age especially, children are tactile. They use their sensory skills to learn and explore the world around them. As a parent, you get to enjoy their reactions while learning different subject matters. Take for example baking; you can teach measurements, math, and basic chemistry by baking and introduce them to new tastes, textures, smells and even new sights. How about baking some yummy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies? Show them how to measure the ingredients with the measuring tools needed. Share the feel of the ingredients, the roughness of raw oats, the stickiness of a raisin, the soft feel of flour and the chocolate chips hard texture in the beginning and then their gooeyness after they melt into the cookie. Point out the smell of the ingredients prior to baking and then while they are baking.
Finally, taste the cookie, and enjoy your preschoolers pride in what they helped you to bake and their reaction when they bite into that delicious warm, tasty cookie.There are some things that just need to be experienced!
Children learn from example, they listen to what we say, they look at what we do and they model what they observe and notice us doing. At the preschool age most parents are teaching their child about good characteristics, teaching them to love who they are and all the special qualities about them. Each child is unique in their own way and should feel proud of who they are. Can you teach feelings from a textbook, or do you need to experience these feelings?
Feelings can’t be taught from a textbook, they are heartfelt. At such an early age, children will become familiar with the good feelings they acquire for having good behaviors, making good choices, helping others, and feeling good about themselves. Hopefully, this will continue to become a part of who they are. Can this be taught in a textbook? I use the phrase daily in my classroom, – Is that a good choice? The children understand that what they are doing or saying isn’t the best choice in the situation and will change it. I emphasized on a daily basis to my preschoolers that when they made good choices, my heart did the ‘happy dance’ . this is how I captured their attention when they would use kind words or helped each other and were making good choices. These are the good feelings children remember and focus upon rather than being a bully. Again, feelings are something that needs to be experienced.
Preschoolers are explorers, they want to learn, they want to touch, see, feel listen and taste the beauty that surrounds them. While a textbook is a wonderful resource in teaching, can it fully allow your child to express different experiences? You can show them a picture of water, but, how do you explain to them that it is wet, cold, hot, rough, or smooth? Let them touch the water, splash the wter, float, or run in the water because they need to touch it and have with it to truly understand it.
What is the old cliché’, “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin,
These my friends, are words to live by.
