Activity Cards
Sometimes we find things hard because we haven't done them before and we need to practice. When you practice, everything becomes easier. And practicing is fun!
Why are some things so hard to do?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS How does it make you feel when you are doing something that is very hard (e.g., learning to ride your bicycle, buttoning your coat, learning dance steps, etc.)? What do you need to do when you are finding something very hard to do? Who can help us when we are finding things hard to do? How does it make you feel when you finish something that was hard to do? How could we make something easier for our friends (e.g., showing them how to do it, being supportive, etc.)?
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Activities You Can Do in the Classroom: Below are some suggestions for how the theme of doing hard things can be incorporated into areas of play.
| AREAS OF PLAY | ACTIVITIES / EXPERIENCES |
|---|---|
| Ìý | |
| Physical Play | Try a new skill, like catching, throwing, balancing, hopping, skipping, dancing, etc. You can learn to hop by practicing hopping on two feet and then going on to practice hopping on one foot Obstacle course |
| Ìý | |
| Large/Small Group Time | Play games that encourage persistence, e.g., Simon Says, Hide and Seek, Watch and Copy, etc. |
| Ìý | |
| All Areas | Create opportunities for children to problem solve for themselves - e.g., build a bridge with wooden blocks, complete a difficult jigsaw, etc. Remind children that some things require more practice than others |
| Ìý | |
LINKS WITH PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES:
Talk to children about other hard things they've gotten better at with practice: dancing classes, pedaling a bicycle, putting on a coat and doing up the buttons, getting dressed, pouring milk/water into a cup, learning to walk (compare to a baby) and playing an instrument
