Why Move More?
Explore the benefits of getting kids moving every day.
- Ask, “Why is it important for kids to move?” Have parents share their ideas with the group, elaborating on their thoughts and giving examples. Write their ideas on chart paper (you can draw connections between similar thoughts and overlapping ideas).
- Ask parents to name challenges to moving and exercising with kids, and share how they overcome those challenges. On another sheet of chart paper, write their responses in two columns (challenges and solutions).
- Distribute the printable and ask parents to read through the list. Ask which of these are also true for them as adults. Discuss how their original ideas fit into, build off of, or add to the list you’ve handed out (for instance, if a parent named “exercise helps kids sit still more” as a benefit, you might talk about ways this benefit aligns with number 7 or number 8).
- Ask parents to share ways that they encourage movement and exercise in their homes and outdoors with their children. These could include games they play, routines they do at home, or ways they help get kids moving. Write those ideas on chart paper, too.
Sleep Struggles... and Successes
To Like or Not to Like
Like most children, Cookie Monster’s niece is a little… choosy. Check out his strategy for helping her try a new food!
Go To Sleep, Elmo!
Handling a middle-of-the-night monster moment.
Cookie Monster’s Beach Day
When children are in the hospital, their imagination can become a valuable tool in soothing themselves.
Listen, Feel, and See with Elmo
When children are in the hospital, this mindfulness game can help them soothe themselves.
Questions, Questions
Wellness visits are important moments to check in about your child’s growth and development, and good conversations are the cornerstones of each visit.
Today, Tonight, and Tomorrow
It takes a special kind of patience to handle children’s middle-of-the-night wakeups! Read about how a Monster-Fairy family manages it.
