Post Seven - Echoes of Caring

Welcome to my seventh blog, featuring caring. It includes creative activities by Aimee, Buddy, Jed, and Cara, who are the characters in my stories. This blog focuses on "Fee Bee," the second story in my second book, “Little Echoes.” When children learn the value of caring, they'll want to reach out to others to put smiles on faces, fostering their confidence and sense of worth.

“Nana’s Heartwarming Tales,” a three-book series, Tiny Whispers, Little Echoes, and Mighty Ripples, is based on the fifteen virtues from

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV. 

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

The Bible passage 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is a powerful, comprehensive resource for parents and teachers seeking guidance on teaching virtues, values, and positive character traits to children ages 5 to 9.

Eight of the fifteen virtues mentioned in the passage refer to behaviors that children are not encouraged to demonstrate or model. I have rephrased these virtues to convey their opposite meanings, which encourages children to focus on what they can do rather than what they cannot. For example, the opposite of “It does not envy” is “being content,” and the opposite of “It does not boast” is “being thoughtful.” The virtues marked with an asterisk (*) below represent opposite themes.

Tiny Whispers

Love Is…

Being Patient

Being Kind

*Being Content

*Being Thoughtful

*Being Thankful

Little Echoes

Love is…

*Being Friendly

*Being Caring

*Learning Self-Control

*Learning Forgiveness

*Showing Goodness

Mighty Ripples

Love is…

Being Truthful

Being Protective

Having Trust

Having Hope

Always Perseveres

What is Caring and Why is it an Echo?

Children who show echoes of caring listen, offer a helping hand, or share their time with others. When they understand that their words and actions affect those around them, their behavior becomes an echo that tugs at their hearts.

When children care about others, they engage in caring behaviors which lead to positive character traits such as:

·        Building friendships

·        Gaining the respect of others

·        Developing self-assurance

·        Increasing decision-making skills

·        Discovering a sense of purpose and self-worth

Cory is checking on the newly hatched baby bird named Fee Bee.

 Enrichment Games, Crafts, and Stories that go with the story, "Fee Bee."   

Aimee’s Mystery Bag Game

Aimee's Mystery Bag Game is perfect for children aged 5-9. You can modify the difficulty of clues or objects to suit different ages or classroom sizes, ensuring all children stay engaged and have fun learning about caring.

Just put a safe toy or object in a bag. Make sure it’s not visible to the players. Have one child describe it without naming it, giving clues, while everyone else eagerly guesses. Younger children might need assistance coming up with clues from you or older children.

This engaging activity isn’t just fun; it also enhances listening skills because everyone must pay close attention to the clues given. Additionally, it encourages teamwork.

Aimee hopes you'll play Cherades and enjoy listening to the laughter and excitement around the room! Let the fun and guessing begin!

Buddy’s "I Care" Activity

Buddy enjoys guessing how the people around him are feeling by observing their actions. By closely looking at what others do, he gains a better understanding of them. It’s like being a detective of feelings!

When Buddy’s bored or needs an activity to do with his pals, he plays the “I Care” game. First, the Pals read an engaging scenario, then have fun answering the questions below by brainstorming different ways to uncover why kids act the way they do. Their goal is to become I Care Detectives to improve kids’ lives.

Join the Pals and discover the importance of paying attention to body language, what it means, and how to be a caring kid.

SCENARIOS

Someone wasn’t chosen for:

1.     The team

2.     A music solo

3.     A part in a play

4.     A leadership role

5.     A reward

6.     Attending a party

7.     Participating in a special activity  

Someone is:

1.     Sitting alone

2.     Crying

3.     Scowling or pouting

4.     Not talking

5.     Not hungry

6.     Angry with everyone

7.     Damaging other people’s stuff

Someone is embarrassed after:

1.     Making a mistake and not scoring for the team

2.     Forgetting something important

3.     Receiving a bad grade

4.     Tooting

5.     Breaking something they didn’t own

6.     Giving the wrong answer

7.     Showing up late to an important event

 QUESTIONS

·        What could the child or person be feeling?

·        How and why do you think the scenario happened?

·        How could you help?

·        If this happened to you, would you want someone to talk to, and why?

·        What is the person doing that shows they aren’t happy?

 Jed’s Kiddo Swap Meets

As Jed grows, his hobbies and abilities change. With adult supervision, he loves to organize Kiddo Swap Meets. During these events, he has fun exchanging his outgrown books, toys, and clothes for new treasures from his classmates, neighbors, or family friends.

By hosting a Swap Meet, he refreshes his wardrobe with clothes as good as new, adds books in tip-top condition to his shelves, and discovers toys he's always wanted.

 Jed and the adult helper select a date and time for the Swap Meet. Jed then reaches out to his classmates, friends, or neighbors to inform them about the event, decorating homemade invitations. He also provides price tags or stickers in the amounts of $1.00, $0.50, and $0.25 for them to use. On the day of the Kiddo Swap Meet, a few pals help him set up tables at a location suggested by the adult helper, who is often the event's cashier.

Jed’s Kiddo Swap Meet activity demonstrates that he cares about the community by understanding that people’s needs are forever changing.

Cara's Charades Game

One of Cara’s favorite games is Charades because it brings everyone together for fun and laughter.

Setting up the game is simple. Just gather friends or family in a circle in a comfortable space. Make it fun, not competitive, so everyone develops skills in caring for one another, such as turn-taking, patience, and teamwork. Cara enjoys pairing up with a younger child to help them participate more.

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The objective is for the group of children to guess a variety of feelings by acting out words with large gestures and expressions, without speaking.  Encourage the children to cheer each other on to build self-confidence.

There’s no single “right” way to act out a word. Action words for feelings are a tried-and-true category because they involve body movements that children often use and see every day.

Cara selected these caring words about feelings for you:

Calm, Happy, Silly, Excited, Proud, Loved, Confused, Sad, Tired, Hurting, Disappointed, Scared, Shy, Worried, Left-out, Mad, and Surprised

Celebrate all the children’s attempts to help the game along. If someone doesn’t know what to do, model actions for them and move on. Rotate so that everyone gets a turn. Cara hopes the children playing this game love Charades as much as she does.

Cory’s “Love A Lot” Stories

Discover these engaging, kid-friendly books that explore caring! They help children appreciate caring as an essential character trait. Each story provides valuable lessons to inspire young minds to understand the importance of being caring.

A World of Kindness: A Story about Caring, Sharing, and Helping Others by Dr. Barry Stockhamer 

A Jar of Laughter by Joy Yi

Caring Ninja: A Social Emotional Book for Kids About Developing Care and Respect for Others by Mary Nhin

Caring (Berenstain Bears Gifts of the Spirit) by Mike Berenstain

Cavie’s Caring Crew (Cavie Tales) by Julie Huetsch

Thank you for joining Cory, the Pals, and me on this exciting journey as we strive to make our lives shine with true virtues. We can’t wait to share our next post on self-control—stay tuned!

Sharing love,

Nana/Vicki