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Daily At-Home Project: Gratitude Jar

by | May 5, 2020 | At-Home Enrichment | 0 comments

Please find below our daily SolBe Family update letter containing helpful resources and exciting projects to explore while we all do our part to stay home during this pandemic. Subscribe here to receive daily updates.

May 5, 2020

SolBe Families,

Day two on the gratitude train falls conveniently on “Giving Tuesday.”

Any “Friends” fans out there? Remember the episode when Joey and Phoebe are arguing over “selfless or selfish good deeds”? I always think about this episode when I am “selflessly” doing something to improve the state of the world. The reality is: doing good for others and the world FEELS GOOD!

How can we instill gratitude and create a new generation of “helpers”? It starts with conversations and rituals.

A few weeks ago, we created an “I’m bored jar” with activity inspiration and a few notes on feelings. Today, we are going to change the narrative: A gratitude jar! Ask your kiddies what they are grateful for!

Project of the Day: Gratitude Jar

Materials

  • Jar
  • Paper
  • Pen
  • Paints

Step One

Decorate your jar! In keeping with our Montessori theme, lay out specific materials for your child to use in their creation—perhaps you have paint or colored paper. Once the supplies are collected, let the kiddos choose their materials! I designed a heart on a small piece of paper and then fastened it to the front of the jar! This is a perfect opportunity for the kiddos to channel their creativity.

Step Two

What should we put in the jar? This depends a bit on how old your child is. Also, keep in mind this is an ongoing project. They do not need to add everything into the gratitude jar in one sitting. This works well as a guided activity. Perhaps you can create your own jar and brainstorm moments of gratitude together! As you think about people, places, things, moments, etc., that you are grateful for, write them down and pop them in the jar.

Step Three

Rituals or routines are always helpful in solidifying a concept or abstract idea in children. On Tuesday before dinner or once a month, could you spend a few minutes chatting about being grateful? Routines will help spark ideas and conversations with older kiddos! When you have a new idea, write it down and drop it in the jar. To help ingrain this ritual, establish a cadence for reading the notes you’ve written. Perhaps it’s once a week or once a month—that’s up to you! It’s important for us to reflect on the things we are thankful for, especially during these times of uncertainty.

Most important direction, as always: HAVE FUN!  

More resources to follow in the coming days. Feedback and more ideas welcome! 

Above all, be well and stay healthy!

The SolBe Team


Be Supported

We’ve felt the uncertainty that occurs when our children are in the care of someone else. At SolBe, we know you will always be your child’s first teacher; we’re here as a knowledgeable partner in your child’s education.

From our experience, children rise to the intellectual life of those around them, so we are committed to growing as individuals and as a team. You can count on us to provide a warm and engaging learning experience for your little one.

Be Inspired

We’ve spent thousands of hours in classrooms that either overstimulate, underwhelm, or actively prevent educators from delivering the highest-quality education and care. At SolBe, you’ll go beyond the traditional four-walled classroom.

Our award-winning, inventive and uplifting learning spaces stimulate the senses and instill feelings of home-like safety and comfort. They allow for your child’s, and our educators’, changing needs and emotions. They create room for wonder—for learning, and living, outside the lines.

Be Immersed

We’ve seen what’s lost when things are done the way they’ve always been done before. SolBe is an adaptive Spanish exposure program that refuses to accept the status quo.

Our inventive practices grow from the shoulders of giants, with roots in the Reggio Emilia approach, the Montessori method, and well-researched cognitive disciplines that attend to the whole child. We create opportunities to develop character attributes that your child will benefit from for a lifetime. Collaboration. Communication. Independence. Healthy risk-taking. Critical thinking. Emotional awareness. Resilience. Intellectual curiosity. Creative innovation. An authentic love of life and learning.

Be Well

We know what it’s like to forget to feed ourselves—physically, mentally, and emotionally. At SolBe, we understand it’s impossible for you to pour from an empty cup. And we do what we can to keep your cup full.

Our learning ecosystem is designed with children and educators—and you—in mind. Seed-to-table nutrition program. Yoga and mindfulness. An all-inclusive experience so you don’t need to worry about finding time to provide meals, diapers, or wipes (unless you want to). Evening and weekend family programs.