If you stare up at the sky, there are many types of clouds that you might see given the day. Clouds are formed as droplets of water rise with warm air and cool as they combine with other droplets in the air. They get their white color from the reflection …
Repetition refers to one object or shape repeated, while pattern is a combination of elements or shapes repeated in a recurring and regular arrangement. Patterns appear in many art forms around the world, from geometric motifs to symmetrical patterns on blankets to the contemporary art designs. Every culture has its own …
Every four years we add an extra day to February known as Leap Day. This day is added to make sure that the calendar stays in line with the Earth’s rotation. The associated “mascot” of Leap Year is the frog, whose hopping is easily recognizable. Our plan this week was …
Humans have five basic senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. These send information to the brain and helps us associate and understand the world around us. Exploring these senses are an important component to practicing mindfulness and focusing attention, especially with younger children. We wanted to practice this with …
We have recently received a generous donation that we used to obtain art supplies for our students. Many of the schools we teach at are stretched for art materials, and most of our students do not have their own. Because of this, we like to do our best to present …
Giving students opportunities to have a personal interaction with concepts we are teaching allows them to learn better, grasp ideas faster, and have an overall more fun experience. Since we brought in a violin last week, we wanted to build off of this. We brought in one of our volunteers, …
Sometimes kids need a little help learning how to take deep breaths. There are a lot of benefits that come from knowing how to properly take deep breaths and slow down, so we want to integrate this into our classroom. By taking deep breaths, we are able to help get …
Meditating is the act of thinking deeply or focusing one’s mind for a certain amount of time. This can have many benefits, especially in the business of daily life and stress. One of the most popular uses for meditating is to reduce stress, but it also enhances self awareness, lengthens …
Background Ojo de Dios is Spanish for the eye of God. It is a weaving of yarn and wood and has been used as an ancient, contemplative practice that is a combination of Hispanic and Indigenous Peoples in the Americas cultures. The four ends of the sticks represent the four …
This week, we celebrated Chinese New Year’s coming up on the 25th. However, we also want our student to practice mindfulness and activities that will allow them to relax and calm down after school. With our younger class, our first activity was mindful breathing. We practiced breathing in and out …
