Theme

Change

  1. change [cheynj] verb  
    1. to become different  
    2. to move from one position, place, etc., to another  
  2. change [cheynj] noun 
    1. the act, process, or result of changing 
    2. something that is different from what is usual or expected 

CHANGE is all around us.

Have you ever thought about all the things that look and feel different when the seasons change?  Do ever you wonder why you keep having to buy bigger shoes and clothes, or cut your fingernails? Have you ever moved to a new house or city?  

Can you imagine being able one day to pump your legs hard enough to swing yourself, or even being old enough to drive a car? Is there anything you can do to make your neighborhood prettier? Does helping other people make you feel different inside? 

Whether it is tadpoles turning to frogs, or summer turning to fall; whether it is making new friends or learning to love new foods, redecorating your room in your new favorite color or watching a stem push up through the ground and open one day into a beautiful flower, change is all around us and within us. It’s something we can see and feel.   

Does everything CHANGE?

And then again, as much as some things DO change — does everything?  Are you stuck in your ways sometimes?  What about fossils preserved for millions of years?  Is a minute always the same length of time every time you have to wait? Or does a minute feel different when it’s waiting for a favorite buddy to come over or taking a turn on the swings?   

Jumping in to CHANGE.

CHANGE activities will introduce ways to explore the things in your world that change, and maybe a few that don’t.   How does water turn to ice and then back to water again?  If you walk around your block with friends once a week, what kind of changes could you document if you really stop to look closely at the things around you?   

 

Suggested Reading List

  • Perfect Square by Michael Hall
  • The Water Hole by Graeme Base
  • Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
  • Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman
  • Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes
  • Do You Know Which Ones Will Grow? By Susan Shea
  • The Dot by Peter H Reynolds
  • Dot by Patricia Intriago
  • An Awesome Book of Thanks by Dallas Clayton
  • Little Tree by Loren Long
  • Du Iz Tak? By Carson Ellis
  • Froodle by Antoinette Portis

Explore Our Themes

Theme

Our Senses

How do you explore and understand what is around you?  Think about what happens when Mom or Dad tells you that dinner is ready – you can hear them asking you to wash your hands, feel the water and soap against your skin, smell what’s cooking, see your chair at the table and taste the food on your plate. You can do all of that thanks to your senses!
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Theme

Kindness

Whether shining through a smile, the assistance of a helping hand, being patient or using manners, you can spread kindness. What acts of kindness have you seen? Maybe you remember a time that someone was kind to you. Kindness can be contagious, one act causing another and so on.
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Theme

Earth

Earth is the place we call home, and it’s a very special place indeed. From the sky above to the ground at your feet, we are surrounded by creatures and features that inform and influence our lives.
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Theme

Movement

Hey….get moving!  Animal, human, or machine….minuscule or humongous…..seen and unseen…..so many things move.  Think about it for a minute.  Even when you are standing very still, some parts of your body (especially on the inside) are still moving even when you think you’re not.  
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Theme

View

Is there a different way to look at things? From a different angle or from another perspective? Sometimes we are so set in our ways that it is hard to see things from another person’s point of view, or to get a fresh take on a lingering problem. Our experiences, our personalities, our interests and so many other things influence our point of view. The theme of VIEW gives you a new way to look at what’s happening in and around you.
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Theme

World

Do you ever wonder what’s beyond your backyard, or outside the city limits? It’s a wide, wide world.  There is so much that makes every continent, every country, every state, every city, every neighborhood, and even every home, unique.  The WORLD theme offers a way to take a worldly adventure, without ever hopping on a plane.
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Theme

Make

Things are what you make of them, right? Whether you are making something functional, making up your mind, making friends, or trying to make the world a better place, the act of making is one fueled by curiosity, imagination and creativity. Even little people have big ideas, so this theme of MAKE will provide the sparks for getting those wheels turning.
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