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Helping Your Child Be Healthy and Fit - Feelings, Smile
Quilt of Many Feelings
Traditionally, making quilts has been a way for people to express themselves through the use of color
and pattern in a practical way. A quilt of faces can help your child understand how emotions are
conveyed through facial expressions.
What you'll need
Colored paper
Markers or crayons
Paste or glue
Large piece of paper (poster paper, a large paper bag cut and laid out flat, wrapping or computer
paper)
What to do
- Using different colors (pastel colors work best), cut the paper into 6" x 6" squares.
- Have your child draw faces representing feelings they have had:
happy loved
sad special
good jealous
bad lonely
pained
- Have your child label these emotions.
- Paste the squares together on a large piece of paper to resemble a patchwork quilt.
Drawing pictures is one way children have of expressing themselves without feeling self-conscious or embarrassed.
My Folder
A folder with your child's name on it can help your child get organized while enhancing self-image.
What you'll need
Dark crayon or marker
Large sheet of paper What to do
- Have your child write his or her name or initials many times on a large sheet of paper.
- Fold the paper in half to create a folder.
- Place pictures, work from school, or drawings that are important to the child in the folder.
Names are very important to children. Just think of how upset they get when they are called names.
Talk with your child about his or her name. Is there a favorite nickname? What does the name mean?
Was your child named for someone? This is an opportunity for you and your child to talk together to
build a strong self-image.
This Is the Way We Wash Our Hands
Children have to be reminded to wash their hands. This is a way to turn the reminder into fun.
What you'll need
Paper or cardboard
Small slice of soap or a sample soap bar GlueWhat to do
- Have your child trace around his or her hand on a piece of paper or cardboard.
- Cut a small slice of soap from a large soap bar or use a small or sample sized bar of soap.
- Glue the soap onto the paper hand.
- Hang the poster in the bathroom over the sink to remind your child about hand washing.
Washing your hands is one of the best ways to avoid spreading germs to prevent disease. It is
especially important when eating or handling food.
Smile If You Like Me
Make a game out of introducing your child to new foods.
What you'll need
Paper
Round object
Felt tip pen
New foods for your child to sample
What to do
- Cut paper into three 3"x 3" squares.
- On each piece of paper, trace around the bottom of a round object with a felt tip pen.
- Have your child draw three different kinds of faces in the circles: a face with a smile, an
unhappy face, and a face with a straight line for a mouth to show "I don't care".
- Ask your child to try a new or different food. Emphasize that not all the portion has to be eaten:
simply try the food and talk about likes and dislikes.
- Tell your child to give you one of the faces that reflects the feeling about the new food.
- Post a chart to record new foods your child tries.
- Set a goal, such as trying one new food a week.
- Reward your child for trying the foods by writing "Good job!" on the chart, putting stickers on
the chart, or celebrating by taking a trip to the local zoo or library when the chart is complete.
This activity gives your child a chance to enjoy and learn about a variety of foods without the pressure of having to "clean your plate" at mealtime. One point to remember when doing this activity is to try not to use food as a reward or bribe.
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