Hand Print Art for Kids

HAND PRINT ART 

Children gain so much from being creative!

Give them some paint (lots of bright colours!) and large pieces of paper and they can let their imaginations go wild!

Use the examples below to give you inspiration!

WHAT YOU NEED:

• 6 Paper plates
• Liquid tempura paints - (make it sloppy with more water if necessary)
• Bits and pieces for added decoration (feathers, googly eyes, stickers, pipe cleaners, crayons, coloured paper, etc.
• Large sheets of paper (A3 is great!)
• Paper towels or wet-wipes to clean hand between colours.

WHAT TO DO:

1. Give each child a sheet of paper.
2. Pour a different coloured paint into each paper plate.
3. Talk about what to do.....
4. Let the creativity begin!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Your Hidden Potential

YOUR HIDDEN POTENTIAL 

The story below illustrates how we can underestimate the potential within our grasp.

“Colonel Harland Sanders was born is 1890. His father died when he was just six. Young Harland took care of his younger brother and sister and did much of the family cooking while his mother went to work. Aged ten, he started his first job on a farm; and at twelve he left home for another farm job. He had several jobs over the next few years. He was a streetcar conductor, a fireman and a soldier. Later he studied and practised law. He sold insurance, operated a steamboat ferry, sold tyres and operated service stations. When he was forty, the Colonel began cooking for hungry travellers who stopped at his service station in Corbin, Kentucky.

Over the next nine years he perfected his secret blend of eleven herbs and spices and the basic cooking technique that is still used today. In the 1950’s a new highway was built, bypassing the town of Corbin. It destroyed the Colonel’s business. After he had auctioned off his operations and paid his bills, he was forced to live on social security.

In 1939, Colonel Sanders gave the world a taste of his famous creation. He began franchising this business at the age of 65. Since then the KFC® business has grown to be one of the largest fast food systems in the world; and more than a billion of his “finger-licking good” chicken dinners are served annually (in more than eighty countries).

The Colonel had a multi-billion dollar idea growing inside him for most of his life. Still he lived an average life until a crisis stirred up a passion within him. Take one simple idea – a secret recipe of herbs and spices – add some energy, loads of courage and hard work and we end up with a huge business empire.”

• Would you think that one of your ideas or recipes would have the potential to create a billion-dollar empire?
• Was the KFC empire started by a crisis that forced an old man – living on social security grants – to finally do something great with his recipe?

Think about the enormous potential that lies within you!

Will it remain dormant?

Will it take a crisis to spark you into action?

Too many of us spend our time and effort focusing on what went wrong in our lives and who is to blame.

Instead, we should focus on what we CAN do to improve the situation. 

Sometimes, the biggest crises are the things that ‘make’ you!

 Take the control back.

 If you want something to be better in your life, then YOU have to make it better. 

Life will be better – WHEN YOU make it so!

Thinking Skills for Kids

Tips for getting Children to think critically and solve problems:

In order to help children to view themselves as problem solvers and thinkers ~ you should use ever opportunity to ask them open-ended questions. 

Rather than automatically giving answers to the questions your child asks, help him to think critically by asking questions in return: "What is your idea about that? What do you think is happening there?"

Respect your child's response (even if you don't agree!) 

You could say: "That's interesting. Why do you think that." 

Use phrases like "I would love to hear what you think about that."  "How would you solve this problem?"  "Where do you think we might get more information about it?"

Beyond Potential Story Books are specially written and illustrated with Thinking Skills in mind. 

E.g. In “The Goofy Gosling” the questions about the page opposite could include: 

“Who is flying past in the sky?” 

“What do you think he is doing there?” 

“What do you think Goz (the goofy gosling) is talking to the tadpole about?” 

At the back of each book is a whole section of enrichment exercises to get those little brains BUZZING!

A Story Book and Exercises to help kids THINK about Self awareness and Acceptance of others.

Excerpt from Beyond Potential STORY BOOK: “I Have Toes!”

(By Janet Knight & Illustrated by Danielle Schwartz)

Look! I have toes,

Five on each foot

In two little rows.

One, two, three, four, five.

Six seven, eight, nine, ten!

Ten little toes

Toes in rows!

I have a nose,

you have a nose,

His nose looks like

a big red rose!

What does he do with a

rosy nose?

Sniff, sniff.

Of course!

Smell the rose I suppose!

All people have knees…

Thin knees, fat knees,

smooth knees, knobby knees.

You have knees that look like trees!

Are your knees trees?

Look! She has a belly.

You have a belly.

He has a belly that

shakes like jelly!

Hey mister!

Is your belly jelly?

 

His hair is long.

My hair is curly.

Your hair is straight,

Her hair is whirly.

Long…. Curly…Straight…. Whirly!

Hand, wrist, elbow, shin.

Thumb, finger, shoulder, chin.

Teeth, tongue, eyes, grin.

This is my shin…

And my chin… 

….and my grin!

(More verses and pictures - all about self awareness - are to be found in the rest of this Beyond Potential Story Book.)

ENRICHMENT EXERCISES:”I Have Toes!”

THEME ~ “ME”

VALUES ~ SELF AWARENESS & ACCEPTANCE OF OTHERS

1. Self-concept: One of the first steps in healthy emotional development is for your child to develop self - awareness.

~ As you read the story-book point out your child’s own little toes, nose, shin, chin.                                 

~ Talk about people you know and discuss their knees or belly.

2. Self-esteem: Sources of self-esteem are both internal (the child experiences pleasure at having accomplished a task), and external (positive feedback from parents who recognize the child’s achievement.)

~ Ask your child to point at the toes, the rose and the nose, the knees, and so on. Let her repeat the words, and show her that you are pleased at her achievement.

3. Body awareness: Play a game with your child like “Simon Says” and see if she can mimic your actions.  ~ As you say: “Simon says, ‘Put your hands on your head’”, do the action as well. (Go through all the body parts so that your child learns all names.)

4. Awareness of others: Go through the family album and point out grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends. Talk about them, their relationship to your child and about things they do; e.g. “This is uncle Albert, he is a policeman.” Or “This is your cousin Barney, remember when he came to your birthday party?”

5. Differences: Compare the pictures of people in this book. Talk about the colours of their clothing, their hair styles, their facial expressions, their ages and sizes.

6. Fantasy and reality:

~ Look at the picture on page 16. Ask: are pigs really green and red and purple?

~ Look at the picture on page 18. Ask: Do trees have hair? What is green and hangs down? (Leaves.)           Do trees have brown toes? (Roots.)

7. Pronunciation:

~ Play a game with your child and repeat all the rhyming words in the story. Listen carefully to hear if your child is pronouncing the words correctly. DO NOT CORRECT your child, just say the words again and allow her to practice.

The Buzzi Bodies Story

Twelve years ago, a group of enthusiastic teachers began to work on a programme of lesson plans and resources for pre-school and primary school children. They saw the need for a high quality, challenging and structured programme that would enhance and enrich Early Childhood Development in South Africa.

In 2012, “Buzzi Bodies” was developed as a gross-motor development programme.

Our Mission:

• ·         We aim to equip pre-school, foundation phase and intermediate phase children with the skills they need to excel in a wide variety of sport codes offered in both private and public primary schools.
• ·         To teach children the specific skills and terminology needed to participate and excel in these sport codes while building confidence and most importantly while having fun.
• ·         To incorporate the teaching of colours, numbers, names of sport apparatus, good listening skills, and the ability to follow instructions into the Buzzi Bodies programme.
• ·         To optimise the potential of children by providing a comprehensive age-appropriate and structured programme of stimulating activities.
• ·        To prepare children for life by focussing on the values and skills needed for success and fulfilment in the future.

The Buzzi Bodies Focus:

•  ·         Physical Development / Physical Literacy. (Gross and fine-motor development, Locomotor and non-locomotor movement [balance and co-ordination], Manipulative movement [hand-eye coordination], Fitness, Brain gym, Exercise, Growth, Nutrition, Health.)
• ·         Cognitive Development. (Acquisition of knowledge, experience, thinking skills, problem solving, analysing.)
• ·        Emotional Development. (Self-esteem, security, EQ– emotional intelligence.)
• ·         Social Development. (Interaction, moral principles, values, conflict resolution, negotiation, etc.)
• ·         Perceptual Development. (Spatial orientation, fine & gross motor skills, directionality, recognition, the senses, comprehension, sequencing, etc.)

The Buzzi Bodies Programme Creator and Facilitator:

Brett Adam taught in both the Foundation phase and Intermediate phase for seven years. Apart from teaching various subjects, he was primary school counsellor and sports coach. He is the Marketing Manager of ‘Beyond Potential’, and also developer and facilitator of the “Buzzi Bodies” physical education and gross-motor development programme.

Brett taught PE in the Foundation and the Intermediate Phase for a prestigious private school. He has the following qualifications: BEd (Unisa), Level 1 First Aid, Level 1 Bakers Cricket coaching qualification, Numerous counselling and grief and bereavement certificates/courses, and an ITE (CTI) Information Technology Engineering Diploma.

The Buzzi Bodies Physical Education – Gross Motor programme:

Children enjoy a 30-45 minute Buzzi Bodies lesson every week at their school. (2 coaches – 5-15 children)

Each lesson is broken into three parts:

·         Warm up and description of activities

·         Lesson content / actual activities / practicing actual skill

·         Conclusion / feedback and cool down

Each lesson is well prepared and is designed to achieve at least one specific gross motor development goal.

Coaches take notes throughout the lesson for assessment purposes. Any issues or achievements are noted and a full 10 page report will be given to the parents three times a year.

The Buzzi Bodies programme starts with simple fun lessons and progresses to more difficult activities as each child becomes more confident.

Buzzi Bodies goes the extra mile:

·         Buzzi Bodies coaches run free holiday workshops every term for children on holiday care.

·         The Buzzi Bodies Coaches are more than willing to organise and run sports / family fun days at schools (Send information to parents, organise sponsors and provide entertainment for the children.)

·         We also run workshops for teachers, giving them ideas for Gross-Motor activities that could be done during class time. Teachers can don their “takkies” and participate in many of the activities we usually do with the children!  

Edible Cars, Thinking Hats, Easter Pets and … Geometry!

Edible Cars, Thinking Hats, Easter Pets and … Geometry!

BP Newsletter ~ 15th March 2013 

For great ideas, activities and templates   ~   request our previous newsletters:

Good day,

This newsletter is packed with food for thought …. and fun things to do!

In this issue you will find:

1.    Why is exercise or physical activity important for my child?

2.    Make a Geometry Car.

3.    Edible cars, planes and rocket ships.

4.    Think about it!

5.    Easter lamb card.

6.    Easter bunny pets.

7.    Edward de Bono’s 6 Thinking Hats.

Science and Love in the Air

Articles and activities from previous newsletters...

14th February 2013:

Happy Valentine’s Month!

Our newsletter today contains some cute and amusing poems for kids about love, and also has excerpts from both the “Buzzi Brains” perceptual and “Buzzi Bodies” sports programmes to help you and your family go “Beyond Potential”.

Topics in this edition are:

1.      ‘Science activities for children’.

2.      ‘How to explain sinking and floating to children’ - explores both basic physics concepts and helps with demonstrating water safety.

3.      ‘Bathtub Science’ lets kids learn about their world through play.

4.      ‘A clean way to get messy!’ (Art in the bath AND Slime baskets.)

5.      ‘Porcupine Valentine’

6.      ‘My puppy punched me in the eye!’  - A funny poem for kids about pets.

7.      ‘Hug O’ War’ – A love poem for kids.

8.      ‘Precious Gifts’- reminds us to see God’s treasures through someone else’s eyes.

9.      ‘Why children need physical education’ – an amazing list of the benefits of PE!

Wishing you a truly love-filled month!

(…From all of us at Beyond Potential.)

 "This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind... let it be something good."