PERSEVERANCE
Completing What You Start
Our Special Garden- Younger
*Science
*Following Directions
*Comparing and Evaluating Evidence
Everyone enjoys watching seeds sprout and come up
through the earth. When they don't, we can start again.
The important point is that this activity helps children
get practice in finishing a project they start. You
need two or three packets of seeds, small pots or
milk cartons cut down, a ruler, and depending on the
season and your household space, a sunny windowsill
or outdoor garden.
Buy seeds or use seeds you have saved. Empty a few
on the table beside each packet. Ask your child to
look at the seeds and examine their size and color.
Feel how hard they are. Talk about the differences.
Ask children to fill each pot with about two inches
of soil. Plant a few seeds in each. Place the pots
on a sunny windowsill. Together read the directions
on the seed packet. Talk about what you have to do
to be sure the seeds grow.
Water the seeds as the directions say. Then, day
by day, watch for the seeds to begin to sprout. Seeds
grow slowly. It will take about ten days to see them.
Plants have a way of saying, "We love you and
we care." Share one or more of these homegrown
plants with a sick friend, a neighbor, or an older
person in a nursing home.
Exercise Plan- Older
*Thinking
*Researching Information
*Organizing a Plan
Children spend a great deal of time sitting, and
it's bad for their health. It takes some effort to
plan and carry out a family exercise program. This
activity can help. All you need are thinking minds.
Willing bodies come later.
Together talk about what would be a realistic exercise
plan for the family. Think about these questions:
Do you prefer to exercise alone or with other people?
Do we prefer to exercise indoors or outdoors? How
much time can we spend on exercise daily?
List one or two exercises each person can do regularly.
Example: Jog 15 minutes daily in front of the TV set.
Take the stairs at the office instead of the elevator.
Think of what you do that may hurt your health: Smoking?
Drinking? Not eating fresh fruits and vegetables?
Can you name one thing you will try to start doing?
Make up a plan for a weeklong, practical exercise
routine. Figure out a reward if you stick to the plan.
Then plan for the next week, and the next. Children
will be inspired by your perseverance.
