Activity Tips — Managing Emotions, Routines, and Exercise Through Play
Week #2 — March 30, 2020
Dr. Rosemarie Truglio, PhD. Senior Vice President, Curriculum & Content, Sesame Workshop.
Sesame Workshop is here to support families at a time when everyone is trying to create a new sense of normalcy. This week, we are offering three “Play & Learn” activities that grown-ups can use to help young children manage their emotions, add playful learning activities to daily routines, and get some healthy exercise. And, after families watch Sesame Street and Esme & Roy segments on PBS Kids and HBO, we have four related “Watch and Learn” strategies to help extend the learning beyond the screen.
Play & Learn Activities
Glitter Jars (Help Children Manage Emotions)
As adults coping during this global health crisis, it can sometimes be hard to manage our own emotions. So, imagine how difficult it is for young children, who might not have the vocabulary to express big feelings. Children need a toolbox of self-regulation strategies to be able to understand, express, and manage their emotions — the good news is, many skills are easy to learn. You and your child can watch Abby Cadabby share the “calming down” strategies that work for her — from a great big self-hug to a deep, calming breath.
Another useful tool families can use at home is a sparkly glitter jar.
What Exactly is a Glitter Jar?
Just what it sounds like: a simple, sealed jar filled with water and brightly colored glitter. When you shake it, the glitter whirling around the inside of the jar represents how your child is feeling inside. Have her watch the glitter swirl and take deep belly breaths while the glitter slowly drifts to the bottom. When it finally settles, the two of you will be able to see through the clear water, symbolizing that your child has achieved a calmer state and giving you the opportunity to talk about the big feeling she was experiencing. When you do talk, embrace “feelings words” like angry, scared, frustrated, disappointed, and worried. Having a word to label the way they are feeling is an important first step for children in managing a big emotion.
Make Your Own
Glitter jars are easy to make and can be great fun for the whole family. Start with a plastic bottle or jar with a lid for each family member, and the possibilities to personalize them are endless!
Download the Making a Glitter Jar instructions here.
This activity is from Ready for School! A Parent’s Guide to Playful Learning for Children Ages 2 to 5.
Potty Time (Add Playful Learning to Daily Routines)
Parents around the world suddenly find themselves home-based with their families. Many are using this time to start potty training with their preschoolers. Here are some tips to help guide the process.
Empowered by Pretend Play
Your child can practice potty training skills by “training” a stuffed animal, doll, or another “lovie.” Why not use a box as the “friend’s” potty, and ask your child to decorate it? As she learns the steps and messages, you’ll be delighted to see your conversations being passed on to the newly empowered “Master Potty Trainer!”
Move & Groove (Make Time for Healthy Exercise)
Everyone needs exercise! Dance is a simple and fun way to keep your body strong and healthy — and you can do it in a small space. So pick a fast-paced song and move your bodies to the tempo — just like Abby Cadabby!
Play Freeze Dance with Abby Cadabby.
This dance game helps develop focused attention skills. Children learn to listen for when the music stops and to follow the direction to “freeze” — controlling their bodies by keeping still until the music starts again.
Variation — add musical instruments for a creative twist. Bells, maracas, a tambourine — even wooden spoons to clap together. This time, when the music stops, the rule is “freeze your body but you can still make sounds with your instrument!”
Watch & Learn Activities
Here are some easy ways to extend the learning after viewing episodes of Sesame Street and Esme & Roy with your child.
1) In Sesame Street: Bath Time for Blanky, Abby Cadabby brings Rudy to the laundromat to wash his stinky blanky. Grover is the new laundromat attendant, but he doesn’t know how to use the machines. Luckily, Chris brings in his dirty clothes, too — and shows them all how to use a washing machine and dryer.
Extend the learning! Children learn best through play — so why not add playful learning moments to routine chores like doing laundry?
Children love to help sort laundry into piles before washing: dark colors, light colors, and whites. When clothes come out of the dryer, kids can help sort by type (pants, shirts, socks, underwear) or size (kid-size vs. parent-size). Sorting tasks help build science and math skills!
You and your child can also “pretend play” laundromat. One of you can be the laundromat attendant; the other can be the customer. Pretend to wash, dry, and fold the clothes. Have fun!
2) In Hey! Sesame Street News! Cookie Monster is a reporter for Abby and Big Bird’s newspaper. He solves the mystery of Chris’ missing belt buckle by asking the five W questions: who, what, where, when, and why.
Extend the learning! You and your child can make your own newspaper about things you did during the day. You can write the story and your child can draw the pictures. Have fun!
3) In Esme & Roy: A New Chapter, Simon is excited to read his new book with Esme and Roy, only to find his friend Grammy inadvertently took it. Simon is very disappointed — but using a Glitter Jar helps him calm down and transition to a fun play activity: making up his own story! The friends all pretend to be characters from Simon’s new book and act out the story, which helps them pass the time until Grammy returns.
Extend the learning! You can promote creativity and literacy by making up your own stories and acting them out as a family.
4) In Esme & Roy: Monster Mash, Esme and Roy have a dance party with Tillie, Hugo, and Simon. But Simon’s wiggly arms get in the way every time he tries to dance! Simon is sad that he can’t dance along with his friends — but deep Belly Breaths help him calm down. And Esme and Roy cheer him up by creating “The Simon Dance,” giving him a dance pattern he is able to follow.
Extend the learning! Plan a dance party or game of freeze-dance. Invite your child to be the choreographer and make up a new dance pattern — then have the family follow the steps and dance along!
These are stressful days for families everywhere, and Sesame Workshop is here to help. With 50 years’ experience in early childhood education and in helping children and their caregivers face challenging times, we’ve created an online hub of resources that parents can use at home to spark playful learning, offer children comfort, and focus a bit on self-care, too. Each week, as we roll out new content, a Sesame Workshop early childhood development expert will contribute a column here with strategies to help families find ways to breathe, laugh, and play together.
