At the end of the week we will take a break from our current Unit of Inquiry. We will re-visit it at several points throughout the rest of the school year, as we feel it is important to continue to touch base on how our health and well-being shape our relationships, learning and growth. Most recently, as you know, we have focusing on ways to become happy and healthy, taking our cues from the 10 Keys to Happiness as set out by the Action for Happiness initiative. So far we have looked at
We then tried a mindful eating exercise. The children were told they were going to be like Spiderman, who has super-senses. To make it interesting, we used a single chocolate chip as the food of choice. I demonstrated how to first look carefully at the tiny piece of chocolate, examining its shape, colour and size. Then I brought it to my nose and smelled it. Finally, I showed how to chew it slowly and mindfully to really savour the taste. When it was time for the children to eat mindfully, again we were impressed by how seriously they took it; first looking, then smelling and finally tasting slowly, purposefully and mindfully. Of course it was exciting because it was a tiny piece of chocolate, but this activity can also be very effectively done with a raisin, as it has an interesting texture to look at and feel with both the hand and the tongue. This morning we continued our journey of being 'aware' of the world around us by going for a walk outside. We took time to look up into the branches of the trees above us, and notice the beautiful colours of the autumn leaves. The children were then asked to collect leaves that were of interest to them, whether due to their shape, their colour or their size. We also made sure to notice what it felt like to walk through the thick carpet of leaves, and also what it sounded like when our feet crunched and swished through them. When we got back to the classroom, the children were asked to draw a picture of themselves and then use the real leaves we had collected to create a collage, as if the leaves were falling down around them. It would be most beneficial to the children if families are able to take time to encourage them be aware, or mindful, in some small way. This could be through mindful eating, or simply taking the time to stop and really notice the colours on a tree or flower, or to smell the bubbles in a bubble bath before stepping in, for example.
1 Comment
yulia
8/11/2019 08:37:44 am
they are all so sweet!!!
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