january
be good to yourself
This month we want to focus on practicing healthy self-talk. Change that negative mindset to one of positivity and give yourself some grace.
This month, our curated resources include ideas for hands-on learning, family crafts and activities to enjoy together.
We hope you enjoy our resources this month and every month during our Year of PLAY!
Personalized Learning = Active You
Want to print this month's poster? Click here to download.
january FAMILY BUCKET LIST
Go get ice cream or make your own! All you need is a baggy and 15 minutes.
Make a collage with magazine cut outs. What makes you excited? What do you love doing? What are you proud of? Find images and cut them out. Glue them on to a piece of construction paper. Take turns sharing why you selected the cut outs and what they mean to you.
Go to a park and swing on the swings.
Movie night popcorn bar! Cook popcorn the old fashioned way and then let everyone in the family add some candy to the bowl. Mix it up and enjoy it while you watch a movie.
JANUARY Family Movie: ZOOTOPIA
The film’s signature song “Try Everything” is more than just a catchy tune. It relays the message that even when you fall, you’ve got to get up and try again!
INDOOR GAME OF THE MONTH
Catch the Compliment
"Catch the compliment" is a self-esteem boosting game designed to help kids think positively about themselves and others, not to build a sense of entitlement. It demonstrates how being loved simply for who you are is what truly matters, and that one's value is not dependent on meeting the expectations of others.
The easy-to-learn game can be played with people of all ages. All you need is yourself, your child, and as many other people you wish to involve.
How to Play
Gather the players into a circle.
Players take turns tossing one ball to different players in the circle. As each toss is made, the tossing player gives the receiving player a compliment.
The receiving player then tosses the ball to someone else, again, giving a compliment as the ball is released.
If desired, gradually add more balls as play continues. This will increase the pace and the level of challenge to players as they try to think of compliments to give.
At the end of the game, take time to ask players what the hardest, easiest, and funniest aspects of the game were for them. Ask players to explain what they had to do to be successful at the game. You will find that listening, looking, thinking, and other skills will be mentioned.
7 C's ACTIVITIES
Be part of a CARING COMMUNITY, COMMUNICATE to build friendships, CONNECT with themselves and others, have CONFIDENCE and self-esteem, COPE with disappointment and conflict, CELEBRATE themselves and others!
january: recommended reading
HAVE SOME FUN WITH WRITING
Download and print these fun writing activities for elementary and secondary students.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
UNSTRUCTURED PLAY: tire swing
Build a tire swing (or find one at a local park) and let the fun begin!
STRUCTURED PLAY: capture the flag
How to Play: Start all players at a neutral location on the edge of the playing area. When the game begins, players try to cross into opposing teams' territories to grab their flags. Some teams might strategize beforehand and designate some players as seekers (who will go on the offense to try to find the other team's flag) and others as guards (who will protect their own flag).
Teams should not guard their flags too closely. One way to do this is to disallow players to be within 10 feet of their own flag unless an opposing team's player is present.
When a player is in an opposing team's territory, they can be captured by that team's players. If they tag the player, the player must perform a task—say, five jumping jacks or three push-ups—before returning to their own territory.
Players are safe and can't be captured any time they cross back to their own team's territory.
The game ends when one team has successfully grabbed the flag(s) from the other team or teams and returned to their own territory.
For all the rules and variations check this out!
FUN HANDS-ON LEARNING ACTIVITIES
ELEMENTARY
Silly Animal Toast
These easy breakfast and snack ideas for kids are super quick and healthy! Fun toast ideas that only require a handful of ingredients (bread, nut butters and fruit). Make them into silly animals or anything you can imagine.
FUNNY riddles FOR KIDS
A doctor and a boy were fishing. The boy was the doctor’s son, but the doctor was not the boy’s father. Who was the doctor?
His mother.
What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
The letter M.
What belongs to you, but is used more by others?
Your name.
A plane crashes on the border of the United States and Canada. Where do they bury the survivors?
Nowhere. You don’t bury survivors.
If, having only one match, on a freezing winter day, you entered a room, which contained a lamp, a kerosene heater, and a wood burning stove, which should you light first.
The match of course.
What comes down but can never go up?
Rain.
What can be as big as an elephant but weigh nothing?
The elephant’s shadow.
In a one-story pink house, there was a pink person, a pink cat, a pink fish, a pink computer, a pink chair, a pink table, a pink telephone, a pink shower– everything was pink! What color were the stairs?
There weren’t any stairs, it was a one story house.
Two mothers and two daughters went out to eat, everyone ate one burger, yet only three burgers were eaten in all. How is this possible?
They were a grandmother, mother and daughter.
Imagine you’re in a room that is filling with water. There are no windows or doors. How do you get out?
Stop imagining.
The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they?
Footprints.
Name four days of the week that start with the letter “t”?
Tuesday, Thursday, today, and tomorrow.
I’m full of keys, but can’t open any door. What am I?
A piano.
