Kindness Week

For this week's lesson we are going to talk about the reason for being kind to others. Preschool children have a hard time being kind to one another because they are still more concerned with their own happiness than with others. They feel as though it is perfectly acceptable to take another child's toy from them because it makes them happy, it doesn't much matter that it hurts the other child. If a child takes their toy away, oh man! The world has ended. So, in an effort to help them think about the other person's feelings, we are going to focus on kindness and the teachings of Jesus about being kind.

Matthew 7:12
¹² So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

John 13:34-35
³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Kindness is contagious! Contagious means it passes quickly and easily from person to person. If you are kind to someone, it can inspire them to be kind to someone else. In this way, we can spread kindness around to everyone! This is an experiment you can try anytime! Be kind to someone and see how the kindness spreads.

CIRCLE TIME 

In your circle, have everyone hold hands. Sing the song "Peaceful Friends" and feel the love spread from person to person!

PEACEFUL FRIENDS
(to the tune of  “I’m a Little Teapot”)
We come to school and like to say,
“Care for one another every day.”
We learn together and we play
Peacefully, every day.  

(I found this song, as well as many other awesome Kindness Week ideas, on http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/school-activity-ideas/2064-activities-for-preschool)


SCIENCE

Optical Illusions

Sometimes we have disagreements because each of us see things in different ways. Something may seem understandable to you, but to your brother it seemed like you did something very mean! An interesting way to show that you can see things in different ways it to look at optical illusions! If you look at them one way you may see one thing, then look at it again and it will look completely different! Sometimes we need to try to see something the way our friend is seeing it in order to understand their feelings.

Check out ScienceBob.com to see some really neat optical illusions! http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/illusions.php

I especially like the one called "Mother, Father and Daughter". It really demonstrates how things can look different depending on how you look at it.

Do you see a musician or a girl?






ART/CRAFT

ART - Forgiveness Stones


Materials Needed:
Smooth stones suitable for painting (can be bought or found)
Paints (tempera work great)
Paintbrushes

The children will paint a stone that can be used to remember to “make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Colossians 3:13 (or forgive those who have wronged us as the Lord did).

CRAFT - Friendship Hands

Materials Needed:
Construction Paper
Pencil
Scissors
Glue

Allow the kids to choose their color of paper. Trace their hands on the paper and cut out. Make sure to write the child's name on their hands. Then make a circle with the kid's hands and allow everyone to help glue them together. This is your circle of friendship hands!

From DLTK.com

MATH

Pom Pom Number Toss

Materials Needed:
Ice cube tray or egg carton
Marker
Craft Poms

Write the numbers 1-12 in the bottom of each cup. Team the kids in 2's and give each team one color of pom poms. Each team will have 2 tries to toss the pom poms into the cups. The team will then need to count to the numbers they landed on. If you have older kids, they can also add the 2 numbers they landed on together. 

READING/BOOKS

On Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Heartprints-P-K-Hallinan/dp/0824954505/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373229488&sr=1-1&keywords=heartprints


 In this delightful and warm book, the author weaves a story of children helping others and leaving heartprints all along the way.

On Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Berenstain-Bears-Golden-Living-Lights/dp/0310712475/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373229829&sr=1-2&keywords=golden+rule


The Berenstain Bear series helps children learn how God wants them to live every day. When the Bear family practices going to church, praying, and being kind, plus remembering how much God loves them, their lives are much more joyful. Should Sister Bear ignore the new girl at school just because her friends do? The Berenstain Bears and the Golden Rule shows children how choosing to be kind may not always be the easy choice. But it is always the right one.


FINE MOTOR

Beads in an Egg Carton

Materials Needed:
Egg Cartons
Paint or Markers
Multi-Colored Beads
Bowls
Spoons

Prep the cartons by painting each cup in the cartons a different color to match the colors of beads you have. Depending on the size of your class, divide the kids into teams of 2-4. Each team will need 1 egg carton, 1 spoon and a bowl of different colored beads. As a team the kids will need to separate the beads in the bowl into like colors in the egg carton using only their spoons. They should take turns with the spoon so that each child has a chance to help. This is great for teamwork and fine motor skills, as well as sorting skills!


COOKING

Edible Necklaces

Ingredients:
Ring cereal, such as cheerios or fruit loops
Mini Pretzels
Yogurt or Chocolate covered Mini Pretzels
Mini Fudge Stripe Cookies
Whatever else you can think of!

Set out a bowl of each item. Give each child a length of yarn or twine that will fit loosely around their neck when tied together. The children should string whatever yummy treats they want onto the yarn until it is about 2 inches from each end. You have to have some room to tie it! They can wear these to watch the fun movie below!


MOVIE

The Berenstain Bears - Kindness, Caring & Sharing

A great movie, perfect for our lesson this week! You can find it on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KEHAEY