Meet My Family Activity- Part 1
This is a fun activity to do with young students, I loved hearing from my three year old what a family is and what traits determine a person to be a mother or father.
First, we made a spider diagram with the word family in the center of the circle.
Second, I asked who was in her family. Val told me that her family is Mommy, Daddy, and Baby Belle.
Thirdly, we made three more spider diagrams. Each one had a family member's name in the center. For example: Under "Mommy" she said that a mommy takes care of Baby Belle, kisses boo boos, makes food for everyone, dances with her, and cleans up messes.
Fourthly, we wrote down each trait that she thought made me her mother, what made Nick her father, and what made Belle her sister. These responses were quite humorous and I wrote down every answer she gave, even if it was far-fetched.
Fifthly, we read together Mercer Mayer's book This is My Family (see references below) and we discussed the similarities between the family in the book and her family. She loved it when the baby brother was being described, it reminded her of Baby Belle.
What are some of the responses you heard? Isn't funny what children perceive to be family traits? I know it was hard not to bust up laughing while listening to Val point out my motherly traits, although Belle's traits were the best since "Baby Belle came out of your big tummy tummys. She is my sister because that's what happened when I was in your big tummy tummys, you are Baby Belle and Valorie-Baby Belle's Mommy".
Valorie-Baby Belle- Val calls herself this instead of referring to herself as Belle's big sister. I take it as one of the ways she copes with her new little sitter.
References:
Mayer, Gina, and Mercer Mayer. This Is My Family. Golden Books Pub. Co., 1999.
