Connecting & Community
This free printable is centered around the idea of encouraging children to write a simple story about anything they want and send it to a friend (or grandparent) in 3 parts.
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Suggestions:
- Print 3 copies and follow the suggestions on the free printable page.
- Use as a school project to do with your students and mail it to a grandparent or family member.
- If you have family friends with children of similar ages, mail each other the stories and then enjoy the shared experience.
- For children who can handle a longer challenge, create longer stories and mail weekly or monthly (make sure to send the copies as you will probably want to keep the originals).
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A special gift to create your own game and play together!
Suggestions:
- Print and glue a card stock behind all the cut images of the ladybugs so that you cannot see through them.
You should finish with 16 rectangles.
- Use this game as an opportunity to spend time together and connect.
- Use as an example of a memory game and make your own.
Instructions:
- The game starts with all the cards face down and players take turns to turn over two cards.
If the two cards have the same picture, then they keep the cards, otherwise they turn the cards face down again. The winner is the person with the most cards when all the cards have been taken.
Enjoy this special time!
A special gift from parent (grandparent, family member, teacher...) to child. The gift of one-on-one time with no interruptions.
Simply cut these gift cards and indicate the duration of each gift in the space provided.
Suggestions:
- Hide in special places.
- Staple together to make a little book or give only the ones you want to do.
- Add individuals "us time" cards to other gifts.
- Inspire yourself to create your own gift of time.
Enjoy this special time!
How about encouraging more sending of greeting cards and letters this year?
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This free greeting card (and mini card) is there just for that!
Suggestion:
- Use to share some love and kindness in your community. Send a greeting card to family members and friends. Drop one off at your neighbors to share your appreciation.
- Use as a family, community, group, classroom and share ideas together of what you can write.
- Use as a birthday or festive card.
- Use to say thank you.
- Use to bring kindness and love in the world.
- Use anonymously or not.
From poet Andrea Hope.
This plea for action and reflection makes a poignant and powerful starting point for conversations around race, privilege, social change, education, and action.
Suggestion:
- Read with your children and students and discuss.
- Use as a reflection tool for your own actions.
How about encouraging random acts of kindness in our homes, classrooms and communities?
These heart-shaped notes can be left behind after each kind act. Share a beautiful inspiring quote, wish someone a good day, or simply ask them to pass it forward. Let’s share a little bit of love with each other!
Suggestion:
- Use to share some love and kindness in your community.
- Use as a family, community, group, classroom and share your experience all together with this service project.
- Use to get to know friends better.
- Use to bring kindness and love in the world.
- Use anonymously or not.
It is time to open our doors and get to know the wonderful people we share this beautiful planet with. A simple invitation to use to share love, food, conversations and our hopes for the year to come.
Suggestion:
- Use to get to know your neighbors around a nice potluck meal.
- Use to get to know friends better.
- Use to bring unity and peace in the world.
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A small pouch of good wishes...
Suggestions:
- Have a bowl of good wishes at your next gathering.
- Send wishes to family members and friends far away.
- Give them to guests at your party.
- Say thank you to a special teacher or friend.
- Create one for your own deepest wishes.
- There is no text on this pouch so it can be used in any language.
Three colorful love keepsakes to help our children learn the importance of connecting and sharing love. These can be used to show gratitude, kindness, and love. They will make great memories.
Suggestions:
- Make some nice simple gifts with these by adding your personal touch.
- Use with pictures of people who have passed on to create a personal memory of love.
- Use as gifts for different occasions.
- Use in the classroom for special projects.
- Use to show teachers your appreciation.
Two pouches to assemble, decorate and fill with lovely words of appreciation and gratitude.
Suggestions:
- Use as a special gift for a teacher and write down all the things that make that teacher special.
- Use to help boost the self-esteem of a child by reminding them why they are special.
- Use on someone's birthday and have all the guests write something to add to the pouch.
- Use as a class activity, where each person has a pouch and everyone writes one thing about what makes that person special. You can have the children work on a different person's pouch throughout the year and give it to them at the end of the year.
Who is part of your circle of love?
Suggestions:
- Sometimes, it helps to be reminded that we are not alone. These cards can be filled and decorated and they will look awesome in your home or as part of a book of love.
- Have fun with these and create a visual reminder of LOVE.
- Create a card for the people in your community.
- Use as cards to provide emotional safety and security for children who need that reminder that there are people they can count on.
- Use as information cards for children with special needs to identify certain key people in their lives.
- Use in the classroom as a fun activity to help student realize that they have people around them that love them.
Have fun and join or create a circle of love!
A series of service projects to do with your class, your family or on your own.
Suggestions:
- Talk about service and how service helps us become better leaders, be more compassionate and attentive to the world around us and allows us to connect with one another.
- Come up with ideas in groups or individuals.
- Write the date by which you will accomplish this act of service.
- Think small because every action counts.
- Get your friends or community involved.
- Do in class and share your ideas.
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Birds are symbols of peace, joy, and a great way to share beauty and happiness.
Suggestions:
- Write a nice message under the wing. Color, cut, decorate and glue on card or make a double-sided bird.
- Share as a way to foster friendships, to encourage generosity and to spread joy and good wishes.
- Print these out to make as a craft in schools or in groups.
Learning to say thank you or share a card is a great way to connect with others and to build ties.
Suggestions:
-Color, cut, and write a nice note inside.
- Say thank you for gifts or visits by offering a small token of appreciation.
- Say thank you to friends for being great friends.
- Have them handy so you always have some
ready made cards to give out.
Kids love to share and what better way to encourage them to share (and read) than by letting them lend their books out to friends and classmates. I created this for my daughter and her friend who wanted to share books.
Suggestions:
- Use in class to encourage children to read and share their ideas about books.
- Have your child pick some books to lend to their friends.
- Have fun and use your own way.
Halloween is about something different for each of us, but it's possible to plant those seeds of MINDFULNESS while having fun and placing spider webs around the house.
Here is a fun discussion guide to help you as a parent or teacher. As easy as spelling HALLOWEEN
H for Helpful - Discuss helping siblings and friends get ready and lending out costumes
A for Aware - How do we show respect for ourselves and others through our choices?
L for Loving - Showing love in everything we do.
L for Luminous - 1 or 2 ways of handling this one. What makes for a luminous personality? And yes, talk about safety too. Let the lights shine!
O for Observant - Be watchful, be safe. Be the person who sees and complements the little goblins and fairies
W for Welcoming - How do we practice it?
E for Empathetic - That's a BIG one! Let's discuss special needs, allergies, friends who don't celebrate...
E for Enthusiastic - Joyfulness is a virtue people, let us not forget it!
N for Nice - The world can definitely use an extra dose of nice.