Term 1 Topic - Health and Wellbeing:

Kia Ora Children, Parents and Whanau, 

This term we are exploring good health and well being. Week 4 we explored Yoga poses and mindful meditation, week 5 we explored healthy eating and how our bodies react to healthy and junk foods. Week 6 was all about exploring the way children see themselves through self portraits, and exploring our emotions when we are happy, sad, angry, how to manage these emotions and we also learned what it means to be a good friend. 

Children experience many confusing messages about health and well being in the media, in line at the supermarket and through what they see and hear throughout the day. 

Social and emotional wellbeing is essential for our children's overall health and wellbeing. Being socially and emotionally well means being able to realise your abilities, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively and contribute to your community.

It is important that we have conversations with our children about how to manage their emotions, share and take turns with others, and even how to wash their hands. 

Here are some links for basic hygiene: 

Personal Hygiene

Washing your hands properly

Stop the spread of Germs!

 
Links for emotions:

Controlling your anger

Feeling sad

Guess the emotion

Name that emotion game

Yoga and Meditation Activities:

Yoga with Grover and Elmo

Meditation with Murray and Lena

Exploring your breath

Yoga with animals

I hope you all keep safe and well, remembering to wash your hands especially after visiting the toilet, drink plenty of water, eat good nutritional foods, and get plenty of rest and sleep - just as you can see Puss doing below:

Join us for our next blog where I will list some recipes for safe paint, slime and blocks for children of all ages, a 30 day lego challenge, an inside and outside scavenger hunt list and many more exciting activities and ideas for surviving the home school challenge.

Sending big virtual hugs from Mrs Futcher and her family, to you and your family. :)

Arts And Crafts Activities To Do At Home

Kia Ora everyone!

I thought I would share some links, art ideas and crafts that you can do/make from home, and hopefully send in and share with me. I would love to do a post soon with pictures of all your beautiful faces, family and toys/creations. Also let me know if you would like pictures posted of my girls and I doing fun things at home while we are at home school.

Here is a craft link for making a Caterpillar: 
https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/3d-paper-caterpillar-craft/

This craft idea is great for helping children to develop their motor skills (drawing out the template - if you can't print it, cutting out the template, and gluing or sellotaping thee craft together) and developing perseverance and patience (while the craft dries or working with the fiddly bits). These are all essential skills that children can benefit by learning.

Here is a link for 30 printable fun activities for kids at home (if you have a printer):
https://onemamasdailydrama.com/printable-kids-activities/

Directed Drawing:

The children and I have  been exploring directed drawing lessons in class (over the last few weeks). The children enjoyed learning to draw different characters through shapes, letters and numbers. Therefore, I have included five directed drawing tasks below:

I will update more directed drawing images in the coming weeks. Please share the children's drawings with me, so I can show case them on the blog.

Why are Arts and Crafts important?
According to researchers, the creative arts foster the development of children's cognitive abilities. ... However, the creative arts not only cultivate children's imaginations, so that they become more flexible and inventive thinkers, but also help to develop their physical, emotional, and mental capabilities.

Art and craft activities give kids a sense of achievement and allow them to take pride in their work which builds confidence. ... Kids get to try new things and also develop their “self-regulation skills” (e.g. when waiting for paint or glue to dry). This helps them develop patience, which all kids need help with!

Children learn the following skills through Art: 

• Motor Skills
• Literacy
• Science
• Math Concepts
• Creativity
• Imagination
• Self Esteem

I hope you all enjoy making and creating some of these arts and crafts ideas. Please send me some pictures and/or videos of you and your creations!

As always take care and stay safe. 
Best Wishes and Virtual Hugs from Mrs Futcher :)