Welcome To A New Focal Point, External: "Who Lives Here?"

activities books origins winter Dec 31, 2021

Winter is a great opportunity to bring the magic of the outdoors, indoor with a book. Here are our recommendations for books to help explore our focal point , External as we begin to ponder the question, "Who Lives Here?" Our children can discover the similarities and differences of who they are with the communities and cultures around them, as they dive deeper into this season's Mandala. Here are 3 books to spark meaningful conversations about the world around us. 

The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman

This book is a wonderful way to teach your children that families come in all shapes and sizes. Hoffman explores different personal family scenarios such as holidays, schools, pets, and family trees. This is a great way to celebrate diversity and engage in thought provoking questions with your little ones such as: "What does your family look like?" and "How is your family different from others?"


Kitchen Dance by Maurie J. Manning

This heartwarming picture book rejoices in the values of family through music and joy. The story follows a girl who wakes up in the middle of the night to noises coming from her kitchen. Following her curiosity, the girl wakes up her brother and sneaks to the kitchen to see what was causing the noise. The siblings then find their parents cleaning up the kitchen while they dance and sing. This is a great book because it introduces spanish phrases and the culture of Latin American families. Since this story illustrates the movements of the family's dances, this can be an opportunity for your child to learn about the relationship of music and emotion. Some questions to ask after the book are: "How were the mother and father moving in the book? Can you show me?" and "What are some of the different feelings that music can create?"

 

This book illustrates the culture of the Cherokee people by storytelling their practices through the seasons. By diving into this book, children can learn about Indigenous people, Cherokee vocabulary and the values of family and gratitude. This book also shares historical information referencing the Trail of Tears and the 1839 signing of the Cherokee Constitution. After reading this book, an engaging activity to reflect on this book is by making a list with your children about what they are thankful for. Some questions to ask : "Do you and your family celebrate any holidays that are specific to your community?" and  "In what way is your family similar to the families in the book?" 
 
 
Subscribe to our Youtube channel to stay updated with our monthly video books :