My New Home and Me: Fun Activity Ideas

Create a personalized box to store drawings of things we carry inside our hearts. Discussion Tip: Ask your child what traits like kindness or bravery feel like when they keep them inside.

Instructions:

1. Watch the book read along video together.

2. Discuss the theme of what makes us friends from the inside.

3. Decorate the cardboard box using construction paper and glue.

4. Draw pictures of positive traits like kindness, love, and patience to place inside the box.

You will need:

• Book and read along

• Recycled cardboard shoebox

• Construction paper and glue

Cook a simple dish from a different culture to explore how food brings people together. Discussion Tip: Talk about how trying new things can feel scary at first but often becomes a delightful surprise.

Instructions:

1. Watch the read along video to identify the new foods the children encountered.

2. Choose a simple, kid-friendly recipe from a global cuisine you have not tried.

3. Work together to prep and cook the ingredients safely.

4. Enjoy the meal and discuss how our internal happiness grows when we share experiences with others.

You will need:

• Book and read along

• Assorted fresh vegetables

Paint portraits of one another focusing on internal beauty. Discussion Tip: Ask your child to point out one kind thing they have seen in you lately and you do the same.

Instructions:

1. Watch the read along video.

2. Sit across from one another with paint supplies.

3. Paint a portrait of each other, and include a symbol or color that represents a kind quality they possess.

4. Share the paintings and explain why you chose those symbols.

You will need:

• Book and read along

• Watercolors and paper

Act out scenes where characters move to new homes and overcome worries. Discussion Tip: Use this to help your child identify what words make them feel welcome in a new environment.

Instructions:

1. Watch the book read along video to gather story details.

2. Build a fort using blankets and pillows to represent a new, unknown house.

3. Take turns acting as the 'visitor' who is nervous and the 'friend' who makes them feel at home.

4. Practice using inviting language like 'Would you like to sit?' or 'I am so glad you are here.'

You will need:

• Book and read along

• Old blankets and pillows

Write down worries on paper, then rewrite them as positive thoughts about new adventures. Discussion Tip: Explain that even when we are scared, we can find joy if we look for the good in others.

Instructions:

1. Watch the read along video to discuss how the characters managed their initial fears.

2. Write worries on strips of paper and place them in the jar.

3. Take out one worry at a time and brainstorm a way to change that fear into a positive expectation.

4. Write the positive thought on the back of the strip and place it back into the jar.

You will need:

• Book and read along

• Glass mason jar or recycled plastic container

• Markers and paper strips