Showing posts with label health and wellness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health and wellness. Show all posts
Meet the Mermaids: Hi, I'm Jenny by Lois Petren
Multicultural Children’s Book Day is an online children’s literacy event
that occurs on the last Friday of every January. Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen
created Multicultural Children’s Book Day (MCBD) several years ago
as a way to celebrate diversity in children’s books while getting diverse books
into the hands of young readers, parents, teachers, and librarians. Each year
authors and publishers from around the world donate books to MCBD for bloggers
to read and review. This year I received the book
Meet the Mermaids: Hi, I'm Jenny.
Meet the Mermaids: Hi, I'm Jenny... Hi, I'm Jenny for short... by
Lois Petren is about a mermaid who wants to teach readers about positivity and
self-confidence. Keep reading to learn more about this book!
What Happens If You Don't Brush Your Teeth?
Several months ago I wrote a blog post about a children's book called Dragon's Breath
by Michael Gordon. In Dragon's Breath, there is a dragon named Joe who
refuses to brush his teeth because he thinks dragons aren't supposed to brush
them. By the end of the story, Joe finally brushes his teeth... but what would
have happened if he didn't? What would have happened to his teeth? This fun
science - STEM experiment shows what happens when dragons... and children...
choose not to brush them. Keep reading... the results are gross!
Native American - Indigenous Immune Boosting Pine and Cedar Tea
Winter is here... and so is cough and cold season! As teachers, we are exposed
to all of the germs our students bring into the classroom. What is a teacher
to do?
In today's guest post, Stevie Rae is sharing her recipe for a traditional,
immune-boosting tea that many Indigenous people drink during this time of
year. This tea is loaded with vitamins and other nutrients that can help ward
off and/or lessen the severity of some illnesses. The ingredients for this tea
can be purchased online or at local health food stores. If you are confident
in your foraging skills, you may be able to find some of these ingredients in
your own backyard. Keep reading to learn more!
Legal Disclaimer: This recipe is for informational or educational
purposes only, and does not substitute professional medical advice or
consultations with healthcare professionals. Do not drink this tea if you
have known allergies to any of the ingredients. Consult your healthcare
professional if you are on prescription medications that may interact with
any of these ingredients. Disclosure:
Affiliate links
to Amazon are included in this post.
15 Reasons Why Children Need Recess
In February 2014, The Learning Network conducted an interesting
survey about recess in schools. They asked children in middle school and high school... 13 years old and
older... to read an article called The Students Who Lose Recess Are the Ones Who Need It the Most
by Jessica Lahley. After reading the article, the children were asked to respond
to some questions and give their opinions. These are their responses in
their own words. Read on to see what these children had to say!
How Soap Works: Pepper and Soap STEM Experiment
Are you looking for an activity to show children why it's important to use
soap when they wash their hands? This pepper + soap STEM experiment is a
favorite among early childhood and elementary school teachers and shows
children exactly why they need to use soap. It requires very few
materials and... chances are... you already have them in your kitchen.
Keep reading to learn more!
Disclosure:
Affiliate links
to Amazon are included in this post.
Working with Worry by Melissa L. Kilbride and Samantha C. Sweeney
I usually write about children's books and activities on this blog, but every
once in a while I find a resource that parents should know about. I
recently learned about Working with Worry: A Workbook for Parents on How to Support Anxious
Children by Melissa L. Kilbride and Samantha C. Sweeney and wanted to share it
with you. Working with Worry is a tremendous workbook written for
parents whose school-age children... preschool to high school... are grappling
with anxiety and worry. It's packed full of resources, activities, and
strategies that can be implemented easily. Keep reading to learn more
about Working with Worry to see it's something you'd like to read!
Disclosure:
Affiliate links
to Amazon are included in this post.
I Have Ants in My Pants by Julia Cook
Using children's literature in the classroom can be a powerful strategy to
talk with students about difficult topics in a gentle, non-threatening,
manner. For example, children's literature can help you and the students
talk about behavior problems that pop up in the classroom without calling
children out. It allows you to focus on a specific character's behavior
in the book and analyze the behavior and the effects of that behavior.
It can also lead to discussions about what could the character have done
differently and how your students can apply what they learned to their own
lives.
I Have Ants in My Pants by Julia Cook is a newly released children's
book that would be a good book to read if you have wiggly and restless
students in your class. It's about a little boy Louis who has difficulty
managing his body. I Have Ants in My Pants depicts some of his
behaviors in a lighthearted way, the effects of his behavior, and offers
strategies for him to try. Keep reading to learn more about
I Have Ants in My Pants, what can cause children to feel restless, and
for strategies you can use to help them.
Disclosure:
Affiliate links
to Amazon are included in this post.
Dragon's Breath by Michael Gordon
February is National Children's Dental Health Month... a month-long
observance that raises awareness of dental health and promotes the importance
of proper oral hygiene. During this time, early elementary school
students learn and practice the right way to brush and floss their
teeth. Quite often dentists will visit their classrooms as guest
speakers and pass out toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental floss. Fun
times!
When We Stayed Home by Tara Fass and Judith A. Proffer
It's wintertime in the northern hemisphere and the COVID-19 pandemic is still
going strong. Even though scientists are making progress in manufacturing and
distributing vaccines, it's going to be some time before life goes back to
normal. During winter, children are often cooped up inside their homes due to
bone-chilling temperatures and poor weather conditions. Now that it's winter
and we are living through a pandemic, children will be cooped up even more so
than usual. It can be boring for them to be in the house day after day. What's
a child to do? In their book When We Stayed Home, authors
Tara Fass and Judith A. Proffer offer some suggestions of things children can
do. Keep reading to learn more about When We Stayed Home and for a
quick language arts minilesson to go with it.
My Sister Emma by Gina Conger
Autism... also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD)... is a diagnosis consisting of a wide variety of symptoms and/or characteristics. There are four different types of autism that fall under the ASD umbrella, and no one person experiences it in the same way as someone else. General characteristics of autism may include challenges in verbal communication, repetitive movements, and difficulties with social skills. Since autism is a spectrum disorder, some people will be significantly impacted by it and require lifelong support, whereas others will be highly skilled and able to live independently with minimal or no assistance.
My Sister Emma by Gina Conger is about a little girl Emma who has autism. She does not 'suffer' from it... she has family and friends who love her and is able to live a full and happy life with the help of a few supports. What kind of supports does Emma use and how do they help her? Keep reading to find out!
Disclosure: Affiliate links to Amazon are included in this post.
Kelly Stays Home: The Science of Coronavirus by Lauren Block and Adam Block
The United States had its first reported case of coronavirus back in January 2020 and life has changed dramatically since then. We've needed to change the way we do everything... where we can go... who we can see... what we wear on our faces... how far apart we can stand from other people... etc. It's a lot to take in and the reasons why we have to do these things don't always make sense to children. As teachers, we know children will come to us to ask their questions, and sometimes their questions are hard to answer. Lauren Block MD-MPH and Adam E. Block Ph.D. wrote Kelly Stays Home: The Science of Coronavirus to help children find the answers to their questions and to give them the explanations they need. Keep reading to learn more about their book and how we can use Kelly Stays Home in our classrooms.
Disclosure:
Affiliate links
to Amazon are included in this post.
10+ Children's Books About Mindfulness
Last month, I wrote several posts about
recognizing signs of anxiety in children
and how
mindfulness techniques
can help alleviate some of the anxiety children feel. Mindfulness
is about staying in the present moment... not worrying about what already
happened and not anxious about what might happen in the future... just staying
here in the now. Listed below are 11 books about mindfulness that were
written for children. They teach children about recognizing their
feelings, how to manage those feelings, and how they can practice staying
present in the moment.
Disclosure:
Affiliate links
to Amazon are included in this post.
Mindfulness and Sensory Bottles in the Classroom
For years, preschool teachers and homeschool families have used mindfulness
bottles (also called 'sensory' and 'calming' bottles) with their
students. They use mindfulness bottles to help a child who is
experiencing anxiety or other overwhelming feelings to calm their
emotions. What are mindfulness bottles and how are they made? How
are they used? How can they be used in the classroom? Read on to learn
the answers to these questions!
Lucy's Mask by Lisa Sirkis Thompson
The school year has started and things are looking different than they had in
the past. One of the most obvious changes is that teachers and students
must wear facemasks when they are in close proximity to other people. In
some school districts, they are required to wear them at all times besides
lunch and break. By now, most people are used to wearing
facemasks. They may not always want to wear masks, but they do so
because they know it's the right thing to do.
There will be days when students... and teachers... will feel frustrated by
having to wear masks for so long. They may take off their masks and not
want to put them back on. It's normal for them to have those feelings,
but not OK to act on them. If this happens and tensions start to rise
because of it, sometimes taking a break and reading a story can help.
Lucy's Mask by Lisa Sirkis Thompson is a fun, lighthearted story
that reminds children why it's important to wear their facemasks and even lets
them know they can be superheroes when they wear them! How fun is that?
Disclosure:
Affiliate links
to Amazon are included in this post.
Right Now, I Am Fine by Dr. Daniela Owen
There is a lot of talk these days about mindfulness. It's the latest craze in health and wellness. We see memes about it on social media, books about it in stores and libraries, videos about it on YouTube, etc. We often told to be more mindful and to help our students and children become more mindful. But what does that mean? What is mindfulness? Why is it important? How do we do that? Right Now, I Am Fine by Dr. Daniela Owen answers these questions and more. Keep reading to learn Right Now, I Am Fine.
Disclosure:
Affiliate links
to Amazon are included in this post.
Germs vs. Soap by Didi Dragon
Handwashing is a vital skill for children to learn. Their hands come
into contact with countless germs each day. This is especially
problematic when children put their hands in their mouths or touch their
eyes. Handwashing is the best defense against spreading germs.
Germs vs. Soap by Didi Dragon is a fictional story based on
facts. It teaches children why they need to wash their hands and the
right way to wash them. Keep reading to learn more about this
entertaining and educational story!
If you are looking for the handwashing (pepper + dish soap) activity, it has
been moved to its own blog post. You can find it at
Pepper and Soap STEM Experiment. Disclosure:
Affiliate links
to Amazon are included in this post.
10 Children's Books About the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
The beginning of the school year is here and, for the first time in recent
history, students and teachers are going back to school in the midst of a global
pandemic. No one really knows what to expect this school year and everyone
feels anxiety on some level. Listed below are 10 children's books about
the coronavirus (COVID-19) and some of the issues children have to deal
with.
Disclosure:
Affiliate links
to Amazon are included in this post.
Recognizing Anxiety in Children
It is normal for children to feel anxious at times. Examples of 'normal
stress' include the beginning of the school year, having to stand up to
present a report, or getting called on to answer questions in class.
However, 'bad stress' occurs when children feel anxious for prolonged periods
of time and aren't able to effectively manage what they are feeling.
When this happens, the anxiety they feel can interfere with their school work,
social interactions, class behavior, and self-esteem. As teachers, we
need to know what the symptoms of anxiety in children are, recognize when the
children become anxious, and help them manage how they feel.
Disclosure:
Affiliate links
to Amazon are included in this post.
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