They say laughter is the best medicine, but personally I think a good book can also do the trick! Luckily you can have both with Vanessa Bayer’s “How Do You Care for a Very Sick Bear.” You may know Vanessa Bayer from her work on Saturday Night Live, and now she has written her first picture book, inspired by events from her own adolescence.
When Vanessa was in high school, she was diagnosed with leukemia, and she had a group of friends who stood by her side. Her friends would visit or not visit, depending on how she felt, and they would always make sure she was up to date on the latest gossip. “How to Care for a Very Sick Bear” is a great story for kids and adults alike who have sick family or friends. The words and illustrations are very sweet and are a great way to talk about compassion and empathy.
Check out this booklist for other stories about dealing with physical illness, feeling sad, loss and caring for any sick bears you might have in your life.
Each topic has videos and pictures to explore, as well as games and activities. One of my favorites is the paint by number activity, which even incorporates some math problems. After reading about sea turtles and watching a video of a stingray, I played a sea creatures matching game and did a dolphin paint by number. There’s oodles of fun content, and even a page for grown ups. This invaluable part of the site features lesson plans and Lexile levels to accompany the various stories, and even links to a foldable version of the book that you can print and use at home or in the classroom. They also provide curriculum correlations for early childhood through second grade.
At one of our recent library programs, we made a paper flashlight craft that all of the kids and parents adored. It was so popular that I’ve written up some instructions so you can make this craft at home!
Moon Sand
We all know the truth in the old adage, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.” The great triumph isn’t in arriving at the park with your child; it is in smelling the flowers in the neighbor’s garden, seeing a bluebird’s nest and hearing the wind rustling in the trees. The same principle applies whenever we make art with children. This is called process art! The Museum of Contemporary Art says that “in process art, the means count for more than the ends.” Children learn more through play and experimentation than coloring inside the lines and making cookie-cutter crafts. Below are some fun ideas you can try at home to begin incorporating process art into your child’s play time!
Looking for some 4th of July fun with your little ones that doesn’t involve loud noises and fire? Try making some colorful water-works, a simple experiment that shows the interaction between oil, water and food coloring.