Trustworthiness
This is a way to show the younger kids about "building" trust.   Stack blocks on top of each other as you say things that build trust, such as, "Called when going to be late, made bed every morning, came home on time, did homework without being told..." Then, as you say something that broke the trust, knock over blocks.  This will show kids that people need to build a trust and when they break it, they may have to start over again.
Chris Gulotta
Tallahassee, FL

A Wrinkled Heart
I do an activity with my kids that runs along the lines of this "tale".  With the kids seated on the floor I start talking about the difference in the things we say that make people feel good or that hurt them. While talking I am cutting out a big heart.  After I have it cut out, I hold it up and tell the kids that each one of us starts out with a heart that is as pretty as this one.  I ask the kids to start telling me things that a person might say that might hurt another person's feelings.  With each response, I fold the heart (any direction....just put a fold in it).  Eventually the heart is crumpled in my hands.   I tell the children that each time they say something hurtful to someone, they are putting a little wrinkle in that person's heart.  We talk about how someone's heart might begin to look like this crumpled heart if people continue to say mean things to them.  I then have the kids start to tell me things that they might say to someone to make that person feel good.  With each response, I UNfold one of the creases in the heart.  Eventually I have pressed out all of the "hurts"....except, of course, for the fact that the wrinkles can still be seen, even though the heart is now all the way unfolded.  We talk about how we each have those wrinkles in our hearts from things that people have said to us, and how we want to be careful with what we say so as to not add more wrinkles to anyone's heart. We put that heart up in a high corner of a bulletin board and leave it in plain view all year. Frequently someone will mention it....that their heart is wrinkled like that one, etc.  It serves as a great reminder all year long.
Tia Henriksen

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