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Extending Learning at Home

Surrey Schools is committed to ensuring educational excellence for all students. During this pandemic teachers will continue to communicate with students and families and provide learning experiences that are aligned with BC curriculum.  Literacy and numeracy will continue to remain foundational across all areas of learning, as well as the development of our learners' social and emotional well-being. 

Families play an important role in supporting children's growing awareness, understanding and development of competencies that are essential for deep, lifelong learning. The following suggested learning opportunities take into consideration Surrey's diverse group of learners. These are not meant to be a replacement for classroom instruction, but rather examples of extension activities and resources to help students stay intellectually, personally, socially and emotionally engaged while at home.

Literacy

Language experiences that are enjoyable and occur naturally in family life help children develop their literacy skills. Writing notes, reading out loud, thinking out loud, talking about what you read, sharing ideas and opinions, and playing with your children all contribute to literacy growth. The following oral language, reading and writing suggestions involve adults and young children in activities and conversations that draw upon literacy skills.

  • ORAL LANGUAGE

    (Infant/Toddler)

    Listening and speaking in any language is one of the most important things you do with your child. This builds on your connection while it supports their reading and writing skills.

    • Engage with self-talk. Describe what you are doing and what is going on around you, even if they are too young to understand.
    • Model bigger sentences by building upon what your child says. For example, if your child looks at their shirt and says, "one dog," you can respond by saying, "You have one dog on your shirt."
    • Clap along while singing songs and reading to draw attention rhythm and sounds in words.
    • ORAL LANGUAGE

    (Pre-School)

    Listening and speaking in any language is one of the most important things you do with your child. This builds on your connection while it supports their reading and writing skills.

    • Encourage your child to talk about past events and things that might happen in the future. "Do you remember the last time we played at the park?" "What did we do?" "What might we do this time?"
    • Create a 'story bag' for you child by gathering a small number of items (people/lego figures, animals, textured materials, sticks, coloured mats/paper etc.) in your home that are related to a theme. Encourage your child to use the items to tell you a story. Extend this activity by asking them to write their story down (scribble writing is okay) or capture with a drawing.

    READING

    • Share lots and lots of stories with your child. Try to do it every day and make it a special time that everyone will look forward to. Remember to give your full attention, as this creates positive associations with reading for life.
    • When it's time to read, let your child choose the books. Children are much more excited to engage with reading when they have choice in the process.
    • WRITING

    WRITING

    • Provide opportunities for your child that help build find motor skills such as playing with playdough, painting with fingers or Q-Tips, pouring juice into a cup, buttoning shirts and doing puzzles.
    • Use environmental print to help you child engage with text. This includes identifying and talking with your child about the letters, shapes, numbers and colours found in common objects such as street signs, cereal boxes and store signs.

  • ORAL LANGUAGE

    Listening and speaking in any language is one of the most important things you do with your child. This builds on your connection while it supports their reading and writing skills.

    • Talk with your child about:
      • what you see around your home, out the window, outdoors
      • what they are feeling
      • the best part of their day
      • what was hard about the day
      • what they are looking forward to tomorrow
    • Talk with your child while:
      • you are cooking (or anything you do)
      • you are reading
      • you are watching movies
      • you are driving
      • at every opportunity!
    • Sing familiar songs and perhaps learn some new ones - Click here for a library of sing-along videos.
    • Play language games
      • I Spy... (Pick an object within view and give a clue "I spy something that is red" or "I spy something that is round." or "I spy something that starts with (letter sound)", etc.  Allow your child to guess what it might be.
      • 20 Questions (Pick an animal or other object) Allow your child to ask questions that can only be answered by "Yes" or "No".  For example, "Does it have four legs?"  "Can it fly?"  "Does it live in a jungle?")

    READING

    • Read with your child daily. Books, magazines, newspapers, or websites create interesting reading experiences.
    • Encourage young readers to choose books or materials that are interesting to them.
    • Read aloud to your child and ask comprehension questions:
      • What are you picturing in your mind?
      • What are you wondering about?
      • What has happened so far? What have you learned so far?
      • What does the book remind you of?
      • Does this book remind you of another book?
      • How would you feel if this happened to you?

    WRITING

    • Provide a meaningful opportunity for your child to draw and/or write daily:
      • shopping lists
      • thank you notes / cards
      • a book inspired by something you read
      • meal plans or menu
      • recipe with directions
      • family stories
      • create a book together. Fold pieces of paper in half or staple them to make a book.
      • have your child label their pictures or encourage your child to write sentences on each page and add illustrations.

    Click here for helpful videos for parents supporting their children with writing at home.

  • ORAL LANGUAGE

    Listening and speaking in any language is one of the most important things you do with your child. This builds on your connection while it supports their reading and writing skills.

    • Chat about the day- share thinking, wonders and feelings together
      • what do you see around your home, out the window, outdoors?
      • how do you feel?
      • what is the best part of your day?
      • what was hard about today – what did, or might help make it a little bit better?
      • what are you looking forward to tomorrow?

    • Play First Letter, Last Letter. This is a chain game, two or more players.
    1. Choose a topic - places, music, animals etc. 
    2. Player 1 says a word in the category out loud.
    3. Player 2 listens for the last sound/letter in the word and uses that for a starting letter for the new word in the same category.
    4. Play until you run out of words in that category.
    5. Be flexible and help each other out - if players can't think of a word that begins with the last letter, let them to back up one or two letters.
    • Play Charades. Help your child choose a fun topic, simple enough for your children to play (Disney movies, characters from books, games, toys). One player acts out clues while the others try to guess

    READING

    • Read daily.  (Books, magazines, blogs, recipes etc.)
    • Talk to your child about what you like to read (magazines, news articles, books, blogs, etc.). Share why you enjoy those forms of reading (information, connection, entertainment etc).  Ask your child about their favourite reading – what do they like about it?
    • Play Who, What, When, Where, Why, How.
      • Carefully look at the pictures and writing on the cover of the book.  Help your child to ask a question about the book that begins with who, what, when, when, where or how.

    WRITING

    • Diary Entries
      • Encourage your child to keep a diary or journal using words and or pictures.  Are there parts they want to share?
    • Descriptive Writing: The Senses
      • Help your child use interesting and descriptive words about different sights, smells, sounds, tastes and feelings. Some ideas include: the look of the sky before a thundershower; the smell of a dog's wet fur; the sound of fighting cats; the taste of lemonade on a hot day; the feel of a paper cut. Draw and describe their picture. 
    • Writing Dialogue: Comic Strip Script
      • Encourage your child draw a short comic strip with speech bubbles.
      • After drawing, encourage them to describe the action occurring and write the speaking parts in dialogue.

  • ORAL LANGUAGE

    Listening and speaking in any language is one of the most important things you do with your child. This builds on your connection while it supports their reading and writing skills.

    • Watch a movie or show together. Discuss important messages in movies that you watch together.  Talk about a big idea. Reinforce the idea that movies, like books, are more than just a series of events that happen to characters. Talk about a big idea or issue that you noticed and was important to you. Did you notice ideas about friendship, loyalty, perseverance, appearances versus reality, etc. Was there something that you noticed, liked or disliked about a character in the story? Why?
    • Critique video games. If your children play video games, ask them to pick their Top 3 and their Bottom 3 video games. Push their thinking further by asking them to identify and explain the reasons for picking these. Video games are often based on stories or scenarios with characters.  Encourage your child to talk about the story and/or the characters. What did they like or didn't like about them and why?
    • Play Charades. Identify age-appropriate themes that will be simple enough for your children to play (movies, sports teams, characters from books and movies, etc.). One player acts out clues while the others try to guess.
    • Connecting and learning with Friends: Encourage children to connect with their friends and discuss what they are reading and viewing with them. Ask them to share their thoughts and ideas, ask questions etc.

    READING

    • Read daily.
      • Encourage them to read what they like (books, magazines, news articles, sports stories, blogs, comics, graphic novels, etc)
      • Share what you like to read (magazines, news articles, blogs, etc).  Talk about why you enjoy these forms of reading (information, entertainment, connections).  
    • Reading Fiction
      • Encourage children to consider the following questions while they are reading?
      • Ask questions that get them "reading between the lines" and make inferences?
      • Why do you think the character did that in the story? Why do you think they made the decision they did or act the way they did? Could they have done something differently? What might that be?
      • What would you have done? Why?
      • What connections are you making when reading - to yourself, other texts (books and/or movies, games) and the world?
      • What do you think was the big idea or main point of the story? Why?
    • Reading Non-Fiction
      • Talk to your child about the clues that signal something is important. In their Science or Social Studies textbooks, for example, important features to consider include: titles, table of contents, heading/subheadings, pictures, captions, diagrams, labels, tables, maps, bold print or italics and glossaries.
        • Talk about why these are included in the reading? 
        • What additional information do these provide?  How do they help you understand the topic better?
        • What connections are you making when reading - to yourself, other texts (books and/or movies, games) and the world?
    • Use Sticky Notes(Post Its)
      • Encourage your children to bookmark important ideas, events, characters, words, phrases, and questions with sticky notes. Ask them about what they bookmarked- what makes it important to them? Ask them to write down the connections they are making (to themselves, to other readings/movies/shows, and the world). This will help them record their thinking as they are reading.

    WRITING

    • Diary or Journal
      • Encourage your child to keep a diary or journal to record what they are thinking, feeling and experiencing. This could be in done in images and words. Ask them there are parts that they would like to share.
    • Writing Assignments
      • Before your teenager starts their writing assignment, ask how you can help.  Make sure they understand the assignment.  Ask them to explain the assignment to you. If they can't ask to see the assignment and work with your child to figure it out.
      • Brainstorm ideas to help teens get started on their writing assignments.  Creating list or web of ideas and talking through their thoughts is very helpful.
      • Spending some time (approx. 15 min) writing anything and everything about the topic can lead to the ideas they need to get started.
      • Help your teenagers clarify what they going to write about – what is their main point? One way to do this is to ask them to explain their ideas verbally; this will make the writing easier. As they explain their ideas ask them to give you examples of how they are going to support their main point. Help them think their ideas through.
      • After they have finished their writing assignment, encourage your teens to review their work. Ask them to read it out loud, to pay attention to how it sounds and to make the revisions based on what they think.
      • It is important to respect your teen's writing.  What and how to revise is their choice. Offer suggestions, but remember they must learn to do the thinking and writing. This will give them ownership of their learning.


  • Surrey Schools Digital Resource
    www.surreyschools.ca/digitalresources
    Username: sd36bc Password: sd36bc 

    CBC Curio (English) | K - 12
    Streaming video service with educational videos, audio files and television programs from CBC / Radio-Canada. Includes News in Review and National Geographic.

    CBC Curio (French) | K -12
    Service de vidéo en continu avec des vidéos éducatives, des fichiers audio et des émissions de télévision de CBC / Radio-Canada. Inclut L'actualité en revue et National Geographic.

    Tumble Books | K -6
    Digital picture books and novels with storybook animation and narrations.

    Follet Shelf E-Books | K -12
    Select your school from the list to search for e-books in your library catalogue. More than 1000 fiction and non-fiction e-books.

    Tab-Vue E-Book Library (English) | K - 7
    Non-fiction e-books on Canadian topics

    Tab-Vue E-Book Library (French) | K - 12
    Une collection de livres numériques non romanesque en français. Pour y avoir accès, il n'est pas nécessaire d'utiliser une autorisation d'accès.

    World Book – Early Learning | K - 2
    Fun learning platform from World Book. Voice overs for navigation buttons and activities make it easy to use for young children. Includes classic nursery rhymes and songs, learning activities, video clips and guided e-books.

    World Book – Kids | 3 - 9
    Children's encyclopedia, with articles, images, videos, games, science projects and illustrated dictionary and more.

    Surrey Schools Digital Resource
    www.surreyschools.ca/digitalresources
    Username: sd36bc Password: Surrey@19

    EBSCO Digital Magazines (General) | 6 - 12
    Articles from popular magazines on a variety of topics. Includes: Consumer Reports, Saturday Evening Post, Popular Science, PCWorld, Hockey News, Dog World, Rolling Stone, Canadian Gardening, Smithsonian, Today's Diet & Nutrition and more.

    EBSCO Digital Magazines (For Kids) | K - 7
    Articles from popular children's magazines on a variety of topics. Includes: Jack and Jill, Highlights, Science World, Scholastic News, Spider, Junior Scholastic, Scholastic Math, Creative Kids, Ladybug, Boys' Quest, Dig & more.

    EBSCO Digital Magazines (For Teens) | 8 - 12
    Articles from popular teen and general interest magazines on a variety of topics. Includes: Current Events, Cats, Scholastic Choices, BMX Plus, Elle, Dance, Teen Tribute, Rolling Stone, Horse & Rider, Current Health, Cicada, Scholastic Action and more.

    EBSCO Digital Magazines (Spanish) | 4 - 12
    Spanish language magazines: Ahora, Que tal. Articles on popular topics.

    EBSCO Digital Magazines (French) | 10 -12
    Permet d'explorer des revues en français pour différents niveaux d'apprentissages de la langue.

    Academic Search  Premier | 8-12
    Multidisciplinary research database with citations and full-text access to journals, magazines and other valuable resources across the academic subjects.

    Reading Rockets – When School is Closed: Resources to Keep Kids Learning at Home | Pre-K - 3
    Provides ideas and different ways to get kids reading, writing, exploring and learning at home
    https://www.readingrockets.org/article/when-school-closed-resources-keep-kids-learning-home

    Scholastic: Learn at Home | Pre-K - 9
    Day by day projects and activities to keep kids reading, writing and learning
    https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html

    Epic! | K - 7
    Fiction and nonfiction books (leveled) for readers at all stages.  Includes the function to send 'just right' books to each reader – free for educators to sign up and invite families to explore until June 30
    https://www.getepic.com/educators

    JBrary | K - 3
    YouTube library of songs, rhymes, fingerplays, and oral stories curated by two local children's librarians
    https://jbrary.com/youtube-playlists/

    Unite for Literacy | K - 7
    Variety of early learning books available for narration in 43 languages.
    https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/



Numeracy

Opportunities for numeracy experiences are common, and it is helpful for families to take advantage of these moments. Whether it's playing games or normal routines around the home, children can make connections to mathematics in meaningful ways. 

Most important are the conversations and connections students make as they notice and wonder about the world around them in terms of quantity (how many, how much), patterns (is this a pattern, what happens next), shapes (what shapes do you see, what can we measure), data (what does this graph tell us, how is this information represented), and problem solving (how can I approach this problem, can I solve it more than one way).

  • Patterns

    Talk about math as part of your daily routines. For example, if you are on a shopping trip you can have discussion about how things are the same or different, pointing out shapes and sizes, talking about patterns you notice and counting the items you pick up.

    Numbers

    • Young children like to use tools, so ask them to measure things around your house using a ruler or tape measure. How tall is the dog? How long is your couch? You can also encourage your child to do this with found objects in your home. How many 'shoes' long is the kitchen counter?
    • Play simple board games that require your child to count and move from one position to the next.

    Shapes

    • Collect objects from inside your home or outside (buttons, rocks, sticks, blocks). Once collected, help you child sort them by shape, colour and size.
    • To teach spatial concepts, use words that give direction if you ask your child to something. For example, "Look under the table." "Put it beside the couch."
    • Remember that your recycle bin is full of 2-D and 3-D shapes to explore. Use the items you would normally put in there to engage with every day math. Ask questions as you explore such as: "Do the boxes roll, slide and stack?" "What about the cans?" "How can you describe the shape of that container?"

    Data

    • Talk about math as part of your daily routines. For example, if you are on a shopping trip you can have discussion about how things are the same or different, pointing out shapes and sizes, talking about patterns you notice and counting the items you pick up.
    • Build things together with blocks, Lego or recycled items and have discussions about shapes, sizes, widths and heights while you are building.
    • Collect objects from inside your home or outside (buttons, rocks, sticks, blocks). Once collected, help you child sort them by shape, colour and size.
    • To teach spatial concepts, use words that give direction if you ask your child to something. For example, "Look under the table." "Put it beside the couch."
    • Remember that your recycle bin is full of 2-D and 3-D shapes to explore. Use the items you would normally put in there to engage with every day math. Ask questions as you explore such as: "Do the boxes roll, slide and stack?" "What about the cans?" "How can you describe the shape of that container?"
    • When you are doing laundry, have your child help you sort it into categories (colour, size, shape, type, person it belongs to)

  • Patterns

    • Explore repeating patterns. Use items in your home (e.g., small toys, buttons & beads, crayons, coins, etc.) to have your child build patterns.
      • Ask your child questions such as: What repeats? What comes next? What comes before? What comes way down the line? How do you know?
      • For example: red, red, blue, red, red, blue, … small, large, small, large, … 5¢, 10¢, 15¢, … ABBCABBCABBC...
    • While doing laundry, have your child help to sort socks. Discuss the patterns on each of the socks. Mix the socks up and try to match the socks. Ask your child to make different sock patterns. For example:
      • White, coloured, coloured, … Solid, striped, solid, striped,... Big, small, big, small, ...
    • Discuss the patterns your child notices that occur naturally in the world (e.g., day and night, 24 hours in a day, four seasons, days of the week)

    Numbers

    • Estimate how many steps from one place in your house to another, or how many pushups or jumping jacks you can do. Then do an actual count. How close were you? Combine this activity with your daily exercise/walk.
    • Roll some dice (1, 2, or more) and ask your child to figure out how many dots show up. This can also turn into a game – who has the most with each roll, or who can reach 100 first.
    • Ask your child to estimate, and then count a number of items. Ask how did you count? Can you count your collection in another way (eg. by 2s, 5s, 10s)? Examples of counting collections include:
      • How many toys?
      • How many pieces of Lego?
      • How many grapes?
      • How many cans in the cupboard?
    • Try skip counting with your child.  For example, you and your child can count out loud by 5's (e.g. 5, 10, 15, …).
      • You can also try counting backwards.    

    Shapes

    • Go on a treasure hunt. Draw a map. Use directional terms such as over and under.
    • Have your child cut a small piece of string or yarn. Ask them to find items that are longer, shorter or about the same size as the string.
    • Provide your child with a small item (e.g., a can of soup). As them to consider how heavy it is. Ask your child to find items in the house that are heavier and lighter than their object. Discuss what they noticed and wondered (e.g., Some items may be bigger but also be lighter)
    • Complete puzzles or draw a picture and cut it up and see if you can put it back together.
    • When you look up at the clouds, what shapes do you see? 

    Data

    • Look at the weather each day and draw a picture (e.g., a sun for sunny, clouds, or rain drops) Keep track of the weather for a week or two. Ask what do you notice?
    • Sort toys or other objects into groups.  Talk about attributes/rules you used to sort?  Line up the objects in each group.  Ask: Which has the most?  Which has the least?  How much more? How much less?

  • Patterns

    • Start an increasing or decreasing number pattern and ask your child to keep the pattern going. 
      • For example: 2, 4, 6,… 4, 7, 10, … 101, 99, 97, …
    • Open a calendar to a particular month. Ask your child what patterns they can find. How do these patterns help us in our daily activities?

    Numbers

    • Ask your child to estimate, and then count a number of items. Ask how did you count? Can you count your collection using groups? (eg. by 2s, 3s, 5s, etc)? Examples of counting collections include:
      • How many pieces of Lego?
      • How many grains of rice?
    • There are many opportunities to explore number when preparing a snack or meal with your child. For example, how many or how much each would get when sharing? Which pieces represent fractions? What would 1/4 of this item be?
    • Ask your child to describe the members living in your house using fractions. (e.g., ½ of the people are adults, or ¼ have four legs).

    Shapes

    • Choose a measurement (eg. 1 inch, 30 cm, 1 kg). Ask your child to find things around the home that are about that measure.
    • Use toothpicks, blocks or cardboard to create shapes.  What shapes can you name? What shapes can you create from other shapes? Which shapes have symmetry? Can you create a 3D shape? Create a picture or sculpture with your materials.  Which shapes did you use?
    • Create art or build something using measuring tools that you have at home (ruler, tape measure, comparison to other objects).  Discuss how to measure accurately. Practice drawing/building both 2D and 3D shapes.

    Data

    • Read a book/website that has numerical information about a topic (animal speeds/sizes, planets, sports information).  Look for graphs and charts in books, websites, magazines that you are reading.  Ask: How do we represent data in different forms?

  • Patterns

    • Explore a grocery flyer. Ask your child to choose an item and how much it would cost for 1, 2, 3, etc of them. Ask how many they could get for $10, $50, etc.
    • For upper elementary students, look at a visual pattern from Fawn Nguyen's website. http://www.visualpatterns.org/     Discuss what they notice about each pattern. Then ask if they can try to determine the pattern rule.
    • Look for patterns in the books you are reading (charts, tables, graphs).  How are patterns represented in these ways?

    Numbers

    • Determine a 2 or 3 digit number. Play 20 questions with your child to see if they can determine your mystery number. They can ask questions such as "Is it less than 150? Is it odd? Is it even? Is there a 3 in ones digit?
    • Take a recipe and ask your child to tell you the ratio between 2 different ingredients (e.g. ratio between sugar and milk).  Alternatively, you can ask your child to re-create the recipe for a smaller/bigger group of people.    
    • Have your child assist you with a recipe. Discuss the fractions in the recipe. What if you needed to double the recipe, what measuring cups could you use?
    • When going for a walk around the block, have your child predict when they have walked half way. On a second day, bring a watch and time the walk around the block.  Ask your child to determine at what time they walked one fourth of the way. This can be done with indoor activities as well.

    Shapes

    • Have your child cut a piece of string or yarn (between 10 and 30 cm). Ask them to make a shape that surrounds the largest number of something (eg: M&Ms, buttons, dice). What shape surrounds the least number? What length of string is needed to surround a number of something (eg: 20 buttons).
    • Find or create a shape that you can trace. Use the shape as a template to create a pattern or design.  Ask them how the shapes are related to each other: Turn (rotate), flip (reflect), slide (translate).  This activity can be done using plain or grid paper.
    • Practice drawing circles: freehand, using a pencil and string, using a compass (if you have one at home).

    Data

    • Read a book/website that has numerical information about a topic (animal speeds/sizes, planets, sports information).  Look for graphs and charts in books, websites, magazines that you are reading.  Ask: How do we represent data in different forms?

  • Patterns

    Numbers

    Shapes

    • Math 8:
      • Pythagorean Relationship - https://vimeo.com/358355935
      • Surface Area and Volume - https://vimeo.com/358356079
    • Math 9:
      • Spatial Proportional Reasoning - https://vimeo.com/358363583

    Data

    • As representations of data come up in media. Ask questions such as:
      • What is this graph representing?
      • What is the importance of the numbers?
      • How do these two graphs compare?
      • What do you think will happen next?
      • What is the largest value?

  • Games for Young Minds | https://www.gamesforyoungminds.com/
    This site is designed to help parents mathematize games and includes questions to ask and adaptations for younger children. There is everything from board games that families may already have at home to paper/pencil and dice/card games.

    Math Before Bed | https://mathbeforebed.com/
    This link leads to a collection of prompts that can inspire mathematical discussions that families can have before bed, at dinner or anytime. Each prompt shows children a problem that may have more than one answer. The purpose of each question is to generate a discussion about HOW the answer was determined.

    Math for Love | https://mathforlove.com/who-we-help-parents-kids/
    This site supports parents and kids by exploring mathematical ideas through games.  A "short list" of a number of math games is provided; this includes pencil and paper games, card games, games involving special decks, board games, puzzle games, and other resources.

    YouCubed | https://www.youcubed.org/
    This website includes many activities that focus on visual math and growth mindset. This site also includes a free student course for parents/ guardians and kids to do together.



Social & Emotional Learning

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
- CASEL (Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning) casel.org

  • Conditions for Learning

    Stay Connected!- connect with family, and with friends, connect with your school, connect with the community- even virtually and through physical distancing staying in touch with people provides comfort, security and support. Reaching out to others help prevent anxiety and depression. Relationships help keep us happy and give us purpose and meaning to the current reality of school.

    4 Tips for Social and Emotional Learning at Home

    1. Rituals and Routines

    Maintain or co-create and practice daily routines and rituals

    Routines and rituals:

    • help to create structure, purpose and meaning to the day/week
    • build community and connections
    • encourage independence, and provide opportunity to practice life skills
    • provide a time to share and to process emotions and feelings, and to practice mindfulness, gratitude and appreciation

    2. Voice and Choice

    Depending on the age of your child:

    • Allow them to have some choice around activities and expectations throughout the day/week to build ownership and engagement
    • Allow for flexibility in the structure and timing of activities
    • Co-create goals for your child to create a purpose and something meaningful to work toward

    3. Move!

    While practicing physical distancing,

    • Add movement, sports, or games and other physical activities to the day/week
    • Think about physical activities as "brain breaks" from other activities that require children to sit for long periods of time
    • Get Outside! Being active supports the overall health and wellness for children

    4. Be Creative!

    • Build in activities that allow for creative expression and critical thinking
    • Read daily, watch a range of movies (e.g. documentaries), talk, write, create, build, or cook
    • Please see the links to suggested SEL activities in the next sections

    Discover

    Target Competency: Identifying Emotions
    Naming Emotions

    Any time you are reading a story with your child is an opportunity to name, explore and normalize emotions. For example, while you are reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears, you might ask, "how is Goldilocks feeling when she sees the bears have come home?" "How do you know?" "A time I felt this is when …" "When is a time you have felt that way?"

    This week, read or listen to a story with your child while making explicit the emotions that live within it. Be sure to check-in several times as you read to draw awareness how the character's emotions change throughout the story.

    • At bedtime, or any spare moment in the day, reading a book with your child can be invaluable for building relationships, learning and providing a safe space to talk about big ideas.

    Connect

    Target Competency: Identifying Emotions
    Make a Face

    Spend some time with you child playing this simple game that will help they learn to identify emotions.

    • Begin by telling your child that you are going to make a face or movement and you want them to guess the way you are feeling.
    • After they guess correctly, confirm the emotion and describe something that makes you have that feeling. For example, "That's right! I'm smiling because I'm happy. I feel happy when …"
    • Repeat this process with your child as the leader.
    Everything Changes
    • From: Let's Play! (BC Ministry of Education)
      • Share this experience with your child to learn about change.
    • Create the Environment
      • Talk to your child about changes that happen every day such as the weather, flowers blooming, leaves falling or things about themselves such as nails growing.
      • Talk about how some changes are big and some changes are small. Sometimes, they may feel happy about changes and sad about others, and that all feelings are okay.
    • Sharing Experiences
      • Go for a short walk with your child or ask them to look around and find one thing that has stayed the same and something else that has changed. Maybe the sunny sky of the morning is still sunny. Maybe a bird you saw outside has flown away. Ask your child, "What do you see?"
    • Note: You may wish to use this as an opportunity to discuss changes that are occurring in their lives right now, such as being away from school. Ask them how these changes are making them feel and discuss ways that may make the experience easier to manage.

    Move

    Target Competency: Identifying Emotions
    If You're Happy and You Know It

    This classic song is a fun way to get your child moving and displaying different types of emotions. After practicing the original version, substitute the word happy for different emotions and actions. After a few rounds, see if you child can come up with the new ideas. For example:

    "If you're happy and you know it … shout, 'hoo-ray!'"
    "If you're sad and you know it … make a frown."
    "If you're tired and you know … make a yawn."
    "If you're surprised and you know it … say "oh my!"

    Unfamiliar with the tune? Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5015skRvqs8

    Heartbeat Exercise

    • This activity is designed to get your child up and moving and also begin to develop focusing skills needed for mindfulness.
      • Ask your child to jump up and down or do jumping jacks for one-minute.
      • After one-minute, have your child place their hand on their heart and focus on how their heartbeat and breathing feel.

  • Conditions for Learning

    Stay Connected!- connect with family, and with friends, connect with your school, connect with the community- even virtually and through physical distancing staying in touch with people provides comfort, security and support. Reaching out to others help prevent anxiety and depression. Relationships help keep us happy and give us purpose and meaning to the current reality of school.

    4 Tips for Social and Emotional Learning at Home

    1. Rituals and Routines

    Maintain or co-create and practice daily routines and rituals

    Routines and rituals:

    • help to create structure, purpose and meaning to the day/week
    • build community and connections
    • encourage independence, and provide opportunity to practice life skills
    • provide a time to share and to process emotions and feelings, and to practice mindfulness, gratitude and appreciation

    2. Voice and Choice

    Depending on the age of your child:

    • Allow them to have some choice around activities and expectations throughout the day/week to build ownership and engagement
    • Allow for flexibility in the structure and timing of activities
    • Co-create goals for your child to create a purpose and something meaningful to work toward

    3. Move!

    While practicing physical distancing,

    • Add movement, sports, or games and other physical activities to the day/week
    • Think about physical activities as "brain breaks" from other activities that require children to sit for long periods of time
    • Get Outside! Being active supports the overall health and wellness for children

    4. Be Creative!

    • Build in activities that allow for creative expression and critical thinking
    • Read daily, watch a range of movies (e.g. documentaries), talk, write, create, build, or cook
    • Please see the links to suggested SEL activities in the next sections

    Discover

    Target Competency: Identifying Emotions
    Naming Emotions

    Any time you are reading a story with your child is an opportunity to name, explore and normalize emotions. For example, while you are reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears, you might ask, "how is Goldilocks feeling when she sees the bears have come home?" "How do you know?" "A time I felt this is when …" "When is a time you have felt that way?"

    This week, read or listen to a story with your child while making explicit the emotions that live within it. Be sure to check-in several times as you read to draw awareness how the character's emotions change throughout the story.

    • At bedtime, or any spare moment in the day, reading a book with your child can be invaluable for building relationships, learning and providing a safe space to talk about big ideas.

    Connect

    Target Sub-Competency: Self-Efficacy
    Personal Stories

    Adapted from, Let's Play! – BC Ministry of Education

    Help your child think about emotional expression and storytelling by discussing a routine or experience that that they find challenging. This can be anything from getting ready for bed, going to the doctor, getting ready for school … etc. Have your child write or draw one idea per page that explores the emotions, situations and perspective during the routine.

    For example, if your child wants to write about getting ready for bed, possible sentence starters could be:

    When I get ready for bed I feel ________.

    While I get ready, I like to …

    I can ask for help if …

    My parent will be proud of me when …

    Have your child draw pictures for the pages and assemble them into a book and then read the story to each other.

    Our Relationship with Our Community

    • Share this experience with your child to learn about community relationships:
      • Create the Environment
      • Talk to your child about the idea of community. Brainstorm different places and people in your community and why they're important and if possible, use technology to find your community on Google Earth.
      • In your discussion, you may wish to draw attention to examples of community support at the moment, such as the hearts in peoples windows to support health care workers.
    • Sharing Experiences
      • Take a few moments to get outside and go for a walk with your child around your community. As you walk, discuss the following questions with your child:
      • What are your favourite places in our community? Can you take me there?
      • How does our community help us?
      • How can we help our community?
        • Adapted from: Powerful Understanding, Adrienne Gear

    Move

    Target Sub-Competency: Self-Management
    Square Breathing

    This is a strategy that you can teach your child to develop greater self-management, reduce stress and improve concentration. It has four steps:

    1. While sitting upright, breathe in slowly through nose for four seconds
    2. Hold the breath for four seconds.
    3. Breathe out slowly through the mouth for four seconds.
    4. Hold for four seconds and then repeat.

    Heartbeat Exercise

    • This activity is designed to get your child up and moving and also begin to develop focusing skills needed for mindfulness.
      • Ask your child to jump up and down or do jumping jacks for one-minute.
      • After one-minute, have your child place their hand on their heart and focus on how their heartbeat and breathing feel.

  • Conditions for Learning

    Stay Connected!- connect with family, and with friends, connect with your school, connect with the community- even virtually and through physical distancing staying in touch with people provides comfort, security and support. Reaching out to others help prevent anxiety and depression. Relationships help keep us happy and give us purpose and meaning to the current reality of school.

    4 Tips for Social and Emotional Learning at Home

    1. Rituals and Routines

    Maintain or co-create and practice daily routines and rituals

    Routines and rituals:

    • help to create structure, purpose and meaning to the day/week
    • build community and connections
    • encourage independence, and provide opportunity to practice life skills
    • provide a time to share and to process emotions and feelings, and to practice mindfulness, gratitude and appreciation

    2. Voice and Choice

    Depending on the age of your child:

    • Allow them to have some choice around activities and expectations throughout the day/week to build ownership and engagement
    • Allow for flexibility in the structure and timing of activities
    • Co-create goals for your child to create a purpose and something meaningful to work toward

    3. Move!

    While practicing physical distancing,

    • Add movement, sports, or games and other physical activities to the day/week
    • Think about physical activities as "brain breaks" from other activities that require children to sit for long periods of time
    • Get Outside! Being active supports the overall health and wellness for children

    4. Be Creative!

    • Build in activities that allow for creative expression and critical thinking
    • Read daily, watch a range of movies (e.g. documentaries), talk, write, create, build, or cook
    • Please see the links to suggested SEL activities in the next sections

    Discover

    Uncertain times, can be challenging mentally and emotionally.  For some, finding personal meaning in quotes or words can be a way to connect with emotions, foster hope and develop mental strength.

    Together with your child(ren), discuss some challenging emotions that you are feeling (i.e. worried, scared, frustration). 

    • Explore the link below or other "three word quotes"
    • Have your child(ren) identify 5 (or more) quotes that they connect with that bring them a sense of hope or speak to their big emotions in this time. 
    • Get a blank sheet of paper, in the centre draw a circle and surrounding the circle (like rays of sun)
    • Write their quotes and create a poster to inspire them in this challenging time

    Together, explore three word quotes online. https://www.laughteronlineuniversity.com/three-word-quotes/

    Read a book together (or watch online)

    Reading a book with your child at any age is so valuable for building connection, inquiry and reflection.  Together, read or watch "What does it Mean to be Present?" online. This book talks about the concept of being present (some will call it being mindful) and ways to focus your awareness with your senses in everyday life. 

    Book: What Does it Mean to Be Present?
    Author: Rana DiOrio Illustrator: Eliza Wheeler
    Electronic Links:

    https://www.sourcebooks.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-present.html
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stnz10c2tt0

    Suggested Questions:

    • What ways of being present in the book did you have a personal connection with? Share your own.
    • Have you practiced ways to be present or mindful at school?  If so, what?
    • What ways do you think we could practice being more present at home? Make a plan to do this.

    Activity Add-Ons:

    • Do activity "Connecting with Our Senses"
    • Do activity "Mindful Movement"

    Read Together (or watch online)

    • Reading a book with your child at any age can be invaluable for building connection, encouraging reflection, and providing a safe space to talk about emotions and build empathy.

    Book: Whimsy's Heavy ThingsWhimsey.png

    Electronic Links:

    Conversation starters:

    • What does it mean to feel heavy?
    • What things make you feel weighed down? (Listen to and acknowledge your child's thoughts and feelings, without disagreement or trying to fix their challenges.)
    • Share what weighed you down when you were your child's age.
    • How did Whimsy feel lighter?
    • What ideas could we take from Whimsy's strategy of breaking things down and making them more manageable?
    • Are there any other ways that could help us not feel weighed down?

    Connect

    Did you know that you can strengthen and grow your brain? Through different intentional practices (like mindfulness -see previous activities) we can develop different neuropathways in our brains.  This process is called neuroplasticity.  Another way to do this is to intentionally work towards learning something new.

    This activity involves watching a video on Neuroplasticity and reading the book "My Fantastic Elastic Brain".  After you have done these, make some goals to challenge yourselves in learning something new.

    Electronic Links:

    Neuroplasticity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELpfYCZa87g

    My Fantastic Elastic Brain

    https://shop.sourcebooks.com/your-fantastic-elastic-brain.html

    https://vimeo.com/160036161

    Book: My Fantastic Elastic Brain
    Author: JoAnn Deak
    Illustrator: Sarah Ackerly

    Suggested Questions or Topics to Discuss:

    • How is your brain similar or different from muscles in your body?
    • What are your brain's strengths?
    • Have you ever made a mistake and learned from this?
    • Tell me about a time that something was hard, but you kept going? Share an example from your own life with your child.
    • What is something you would like to work on that is challenging for you?  Together, create a goal or a plan to do this

    Activity Add-Ons:

    Download App: The 3D Brain, look at different parts of the brain discussed in the book to explore where they are in our brains and their function (amygdala, pre-frontal cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum).

    Connecting with Our Senses

    When you have time during the day take a moment to connect with your child either in your home or in nature and intentionally be present with the world surrounding you.  When we practice being aware of ourselves and our surroundings, our brains create new pathways that help alleviate stress.

    This week, focus on paying attention to your senses.

    Activity:

    Go for a walk or an outdoor space.  Discuss the concept of being present and aware of your surroundings (see activity on "Discover what it means to be Present" prior). 

    When outside do a scan of your environment and find:

    • 3 things that you can feel
    • 3 things that you can smell
    • 3 things that you can see

    If time allows, write down or draw out what you noticed during this time. 

    Activity Add-Ons:

    • Take time each day to focus on different aspects of your senses and be intentional on seeing, listening, smelling, tasting and feeling

    When you eat together, have family members take time to eat mindfully.  Paying attention to the different tastes and textures of the food. 

    Intentional Time Together

    • When you have time during the day take a moment to connect with your child, either at home or in nature, try to be present and undistracted, fully immersed in the world surrounding you and in listening to and being with your child.  When we intentionally practice being present and aware of ourselves and surroundings, our brains create new pathways that help alleviate stress.
    • Focus on listening intentionally.
    • Activity:
      • Go for a walk or open a window.  Invite your child to close their eyes or look down towards the ground.  Then together listen carefully for a small amount of time (30 seconds).  Once the time is up, discuss all of the different sounds that you heard.
    • Activity Add-Ons:
      • Take time each day to focus on different sounds (trees, musical note or chime, birds, wind, music, silence etc.).
      • Ask your child what they feel after you have listened intentionally for 30 seconds.  Share with them what you hear and feel when you do this activity (see if it changes as the week goes on).
      • Extend the amount of time you listen intentionally.

    Move

    This week be intentional about taking "brain breaks" with your child(ren).  Physical activity brings blood flow and oxygen to the brain, which helps aid in greater focus and gives opportunities to look at our work with fresh eyes.  Take time for you and your child(ren) to shift focus away from a task and do something to move your bodies.  Not everyone needs extreme physical exertion to benefit from brain breaks, it may involve small focused movements.  Play the game "Would You Rather" with physical movement in brain breaks.

    Would You Rather Sample Movements:

    Do 10 jumping jacks    
    OR
    Balance on one foot for 30 seconds, switch sides

    Do 10 jump squats
    OR
    Take 5 deep breaths (breathe in for 4 seconds, hold breath for 3 and out for 5 seconds).

    Do 5- 10 Burpees
    OR
    Do a 1-minute wall sit challenge together

    Run on the spot for 1 minute
    OR
    Move into downward dog, alternate lifting heels or rock hips forward and back slightly for 1 minute

    Run up and down the stairs 4 times
    OR
    Do a 30 second plank challenge

    Do 10 wall push-ups
    OR
    Do 2 stretches for 30 seconds each

    Do high knees for 1 minute
    OR
    Tense upper body muscles for 10 seconds and release (describe as muscles melting). Do this 5-times.

    Moving Mindfully

    This week activities are focused on being present or mindful.  Take this time this week to explore mindful movement with your child(ren), meaning paying attention to our bodies through movement. When we do this, it helps relieve stress and creates neuropathways that calm our brains. 

    Do one activity in the link below each day with your child(ren) and then check in to see how they feel both before and afterwards. 

    Mindful Movement by Children's Wisconsin:

    https://www.healthykidslearnmore.com/Healthy-Kids-Learn-More/Educator-Resources/Take-5ive/Mindful-Movement-K4-8

    Mind and Body Challenge

    • This activity is designed to get you and your child moving and developing a growth mindset! It is also a time to build your relationship through facing challenges!
      • Together, choose a physical challenge (squats, push-ups, sprints, wall sits etc.) and set a number-per-week or time goal for the week. Possibly increase the time or number of exercises as the week goes on.  Come up with a plan together and make a commitment to do the activity each day.
      • Before you do the activity, talk about what that little voice in our head says when things are difficult (you can't do this, why even bother, it's too hard etc.).  Together with your child, come up with a statement that will combat these negative thoughts (This is hard, but I'll keep going, anyone can do something for 30 seconds, I CAN do this etc.).

  • Conditions for Learning

    Stay Connected!- connect with family, and with friends, connect with your school, connect with the community- even virtually and through physical distancing staying in touch with people provides comfort, security and support. Reaching out to others help prevent anxiety and depression. Relationships help keep us happy and give us purpose and meaning to the current reality of school.

    4 Tips for Social and Emotional Learning at Home

    1. Rituals and Routines

    Maintain or co-create and practice daily routines and rituals

    Routines and rituals:

    • help to create structure, purpose and meaning to the day/week
    • build community and connections
    • encourage independence, and provide opportunity to practice life skills
    • provide a time to share and to process emotions and feelings, and to practice mindfulness, gratitude and appreciation

    2. Voice and Choice

    Depending on the age of your child:

    • Allow them to have some choice around activities and expectations throughout the day/week to build ownership and engagement
    • Allow for flexibility in the structure and timing of activities
    • Co-create goals for your child to create a purpose and something meaningful to work toward

    3. Move!

    While practicing physical distancing,

    • Add movement, sports, or games and other physical activities to the day/week
    • Think about physical activities as "brain breaks" from other activities that require children to sit for long periods of time
    • Get Outside! Being active supports the overall health and wellness for children

    4. Be Creative!

    • Build in activities that allow for creative expression and critical thinking
    • Read daily, watch a range of movies (e.g. documentaries), talk, write, create, build, or cook
    • Please see the links to suggested SEL activities in the next sections

    Discover

    5 Simple Lessons for Social and Emotional Learning for Adults – by Elena Aguilar

    The COVID-19 Pandemic has and will have a massive impact on students in transition.  Our grade 10s are becoming seniors, 11s going into their last year of high school ever, and 12s going on to an entirely new and different world of work and post-secondary school. These changes are occurring in a vacuum of relative isolation devoid of rites of passage and celebrations like grad and dinner dance and may, because of this, become sources of fear and anxiety, rather than excitement and joy.  It might be helpful for older students to explore these emotions so they don't become too powerful and overwhelming and so they can practice managing difficult emotions in difficult times.  Elena Aguilar—author, speaker, consultant, and trainer in the field of adult learning—has developed 5 strategies for adults to develop "emotional awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management."  Students—you can practice these at home, on your own, using a journal, and/or through conversation with an adult you live with.  Parents—you can help your child in these by modelling the skills and examples Aguilar gives us and by conversing with your child a bit each day.  See the activities online at:

    https://www.edutopia.org/blog/five-social-emotional-learning-lessons-for-adults-elena-aguilar

    Contemplative Reading and/or Writing provides opportunity for children to explore personal thoughts, emotions and ideas. It helps to build reflective practices and allows students to respond to what they're reading, watching or listening to in a meaningful way.

    See links for more information:

    https://ggie.berkeley.edu/practice/contemplative-writing/#tab__3 OR https://ggie.berkeley.edu/practice/contemplative-reading/

    Reading, watching, listening ideas:

    Legends of the Kwakwaka'wakw

    https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/legends-of-the-kwakwaka-wakw-1.2913500

    Netflix: The Kindness Diaries

    Poem: Remember by Joy Harjo https://poets.org/poem/remember-0

    During Contemplative Reading, allow children to have choice over what they would like to read. Also, during writing children can "free" write about whatever they choose or they can read, watch or listen then respond in writing about their thoughts, ideas, and opinions.

    VIA Character Survey

    Research by Carol Dweck* and others shows that enhancing and appealing to teens' sense of status and respect among peers and adults can motivate and engage them.  During a time like this when there is so much beyond our control, it is important to help teens to become more self-aware and to improve their sense of agency in their own learning and lives—to feel seen, heard, and respected.  The organization, VIA, dedicated to character development using positive psychology, has a free survey for teens and adults—a tool that can be used to help us identify our strengths.  After taking the survey, help your child to put their best qualities to use by doing something intentionally every day with that quality: For example, if a student wants to capitalize on kindness as a strength, he might perform a random act of kindness for a peer, write a thank-you note to a teacher, etc.  Take the survey online: https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/surveys/takesurvey

    See the research online: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318166019_Why_Interventions_to_Influence_Adolescent_Behavior_Often_Fail_but_Could_Succeed

    Stress and Coping

    The COVID-19 outbreak may be a stressful time for many people. Taking care of yourself and others can help reduce the stress.  Understanding the facts and actual risks to yourself and your family can also help you cope. The Centre for Disease Control's website below has all the facts and information for parents and teens about how to take care of yourself and others.  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html

    The Purpose Challenge

    • This 4-day activity, of just 15 minutes each day, culminates in an optional writing for a university application essay. Regardless of whether or not you wish to write at the end, the activity is both engaging and rewarding. The Challenge encourages older students to explore their thoughts, emotions, and values, and how those might impact their behaviour and life choices.
    • Students' online access: https://purposechallenge.org/toolkit/#step=1
    • Parents' online access: https://purposechallenge.org/parents/

    Connect

    The COVID-19 Pandemic a stressful time for many. But it can also be seen as an opportunity to do things differently and to do different things. Some of us have found our lives on pause, with time to do some things we don't usually have time to do, but which can enrich others' lives and our own and contribute towards some of the bigger things in older students' lives, like graduation, employment, and work. One of the things we can do that will improve the quality of our own lives and others is to volunteer.  Volunteer work can introduce older students to civic participation and lifelong involvement in the world around them, helping them to understand that they are active participants in what happens in their lives, rather than passive recipients.  This sense of control can reduce stress and increase feelings of joy, fulfillment and self-actualization.

    Visit Volunteer Canada online: https://volunteer.ca/index.php?MenuItemID=419&lang=en

    Since Social Distancing and Self-isolating started there has been a multitude of resources shared to guide us and support us in the current reality we are all living, working and learning. Check out these:

    Institute for SEL- https://www.instituteforsel.net (See REALM blog post)

    CASEL- https://casel.org/covid-resources/ Guidelines for Parents and Caregivers

    Education First- https://education-first.com/covid-19/

    SFU http://www.sfu.ca/olc/blog/my-ssp/mental-health-wellness-tips-quarantine

    Another tip: First you, then others! Make sure you're taking the time to provide care for yourself. When you're rested, eating well, and being physically active then you have the energy and positive mindset to look after and connect with others.

    Now that you've read the ideas of others from above, spend some time reflecting on your life at home. What is working for you to remain healthy, safe and thriving? How are you looking after you? How are you connecting with others? Write down your top tips for self-isolation at home. Then, stay connected with your friends and share your tips, get them to do the same and then compare ideas and resources to help each other thrive and not just survive during your time at home.

    Relationships and Social Media

    We have relied on Social Media for many things in the last month—for information about the Coronavirus, communication with employers, friends, and family, and even for humour to relieve the anxiety we might feel. But as we stay in more and go out less, we may feel that our relationship with Social Media is becoming more and more complicated.  It is an important one to examine as it shapes our views of the world and of ourselves. See this 23-minute documentary, called "Social Me," in French with English Subtitles, to prompt your thinking and rethinking about Social Media and its impact on you and your relationships.  Follow it up with conversation with your parent/child about your own relationship with Social Media and an evaluation of its work in your life—the positives and negatives. "Social Me" online access: https://www.nfb.ca/film/social_me/

    Care-mongering

    • Amid a fury of negative information has emerged the concept of "Care-mongering"—other-directed, community minded, acts of kindness and care for members of our community. Here are some examples of kindness and care for others during the COVID19 Pandemic: https://www.mindful.org/an-outpouring-of-kindness-amid-the-covid-19-outbreak/
    • Join the 7pm Tribute to front-line health care workers:
      • Every evening at 7:00pm, exhausted health care workers change shifts and are exiting and entering hospitals.  Let them know you care by remotely joining friends and family in playing loud music, banging pots and pans, or making other raucous sounds in a serenade of thanks.
        • Parents: talk with your child about the experiences of health care workers right now.  Help your older child to empathize with others and think about the rights and responsibilities we have in our society and in making a public health care system work.
    • Get to know your own community's needs.
      • Over dinner or another time of day, talk with family members about your neighbours.  Do you know them? Their names? Their needs or challenges?  Can you safely check in with them with respect to social distancing and isolation measures to check in on them or see if they need help with groceries, etc.?

    Move

    Mindful Movement by Pure Edge – Week 3

    This is part 3 of 7 sessions in a "Mindful Movement" series. Its goal is to ultimately promote a greater sense of peace and wellbeing through encouraging practitioners to explore their mental, physical, and emotional processes with kindness and patience.

    Week 3's New Link on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/401437808

    Taking daily walks or riding your bike out in nature or even throughout your neighbourhood provides exercise but it can help also activate creative opportunities too. If you have a phone, tablet, or camera spend time looking at the world around you as you go. Snap some photos of life in your world. Focus on the positive. Focus on what gives you joy. Share the images on social media and with friends. If you don't have a camera- take some paper and a pencil and draw what you notice.

    OR try a

    Selfie Scavenger Hunt: https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/106467978670967767/

    (remember social distancing practices)

    Check out how photography has been a powerful tool for other teenagers:

    https://kidshelpphone.ca/get-info/youth-stories-indigenous-kids-on-the-power-of-photography/

    Mindful Movement by Pure Edge – Week 2

    This is part 1 of 7 sessions in a "Mindful Movement" series. Its goal is to ultimately promote a greater sense of peace and wellbeing through encouraging practitioners to explore their mental, physical, and emotional processes with kindness and patience.

    Week 2's New Link on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/401436743

    Mindful Movement by Pure Edge

    This is part 1 of 7 sessions in a "Mindful Movement" series. Its goal is to ultimately promote a greater sense of peace and wellbeing through encouraging practitioners to explore their mental, physical, and emotional processes with kindness and patience.

    On Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/401435274

    Walk this Way

    This 10 minute activity is designed to help you leave your thoughts behind and get you up out of the house.  Mindful walking will encourage you to be fully present—no thoughts about the past or worries about the future—and to patiently explore your body's movement and interaction with the environment.

    To access the simple set of instructions online, visit: https://www.mindful.org/walk-this-way/

  • CASEL - Resources for Parents and Caregivers | https://casel.org/covid-resources/


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