Course 1

Course 1

Dear Parent/caregiver

  • As you introduce the theme to your child show him/her some pictures of people expressing different emotions. An example of this is shown by the picture provided. (You may even refer to the famous emoji’s on your cellphone) Use your mirror and experiment with different facial expressions asking your child what he/she thinks the expression means.

Use the following open-ended questions to spark further thoughts and discussions about emotions:

  • What makes you happy? Why? What makes you sad? Why?
  • What other feelings or emotions can you have? How are you feeling today? Why?

Activity 1:

Creative Activity: Constructing Opposites Emotion Face Stick Puppet

Duration: 20-30 minutes

What do I need?

  • Scissors 
  • 2 Paper plates or 2 circular paper /or cardboard shapes (*Parent to prepare this selected option beforehand)
  • Glue 
  • Wool/cotton wool
  • Crayons
  • Marker
  • Googly eyes (optional)
  • 2 Ice-cream sticks Pre- traced circle 

What to do:

  1. *Explain to your child that he /she will be making opposites emotion face puppets. Say that one will be happy and the other, sad. Discuss that these are opposite emotions. Explain that it is almost like: hot and cold or dark and light (to try and make the concept more clear)
  2. Have your child form the face and emotions by focusing on the shape of the eyes and mouth. Then intentionally attempt to form or draw the opposite expression on the other head. (considering ; Happy/sad…i.e. a mouth curving upward to represent a happy face and a downward curved mouth to show a sad expression)
  3. Have your child draw the eyes on using the marker or simply glue the googly eyes onto the plate 
  4. Your child can then glue the wool/cotton wool on as hair as well as glue the stick on behind the circles 

*Helpful hint: How to teach about opposites: Teach the concept pairs. Present the opposites in related pairs. Do this by using pictures, magnets, or real objects that represent the concepts. Teach the meaning of each word and how the two opposite words are related by concept—for example, in/out (space), early/late (time), wet/dry (condition), happy/sad (emotion).

*Understanding the concept of opposites is important so that children can be successful with listening, speaking, reading, writing, and math.

Activity 2

Sensory Activity: Making a wacky sack 

Duration 15-20 minutes 

What do I need?

  • Balloon
  • Marker 
  • Sand 
  • Empty bottle 
  • Flour 
  • Funnel (To make your own funnel – cut some tin foil and mould it into the shape of a funnel)

What to do:

  1. *Caregiver is to measure out ¾ of a cup of flour and have your child pour it out into a bottle, using a funnel. (See above hint on how to make your own funnel at home if you do not have one.
  2. Next, instruct your child to try and blow the balloon up a little bit (*caregiver to assist if necessary) and then put it over the neck of the bottle 
  3. Making sure some air stays in the balloon, transfer the flour from the bottle into the balloon.
  4. Once all the flour is in the balloon, remove the balloon from the bottle and slowly let the remaining air out of the balloon. If you go too fast, the air could blow too much of the flour back out 
  5. Assist your child with tying a knot on the balloon
  6. Lastly, have your child draw a face on his/her wacky sack, remembering to draw any emotion he/she wishes to. Suggest some options to your child (example: angry, sad, happy or frightened)

Activity 3 

Donkey Kicks 

Duration of activity: 10-15 minutes

What to do:

  1. Instruct your child to get onto all fours. 
  2. Then simply have him/her kick legs out and up. 
  3. For a fun challenge, stack some pillows or cardboard boxes and use your donkey kicks to knock them over.

*Donkey kicks are great for strengthening your child’s core (trunk) and shoulder muscles, since the entire body has to remain stable while lifting legs.