Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Monday, February 9, 2026
Activity Set: Learning About Friendship 🌟 Core Principles for Teaching Friendship
Activity Set: Learning About Friendship
🌟 Core Principles for Teaching Friendship
The goal is to move beyond the simple idea of "being nice" and help children develop the foundational skills for healthy relationships: empathy, cooperation, communication, and conflict resolution.
Activity 1: "What is a Friend?" (Building a Friendship Vocabulary)
This activity helps children articulate the qualities of a good friend and recognize friendly behaviors.
Main Activity: "Friend Recipe" Chart
Read a Story: Start with a book about friendship (e.g., "Stick and Stone" by Beth Ferry, "The Rabbit Listened" by Cori Doerrfeld, or "How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends?" by Jane Yolen).
Brainstorm: After reading, ask: "What ingredients do we need to make a good friend?" Write their ideas on a large paper shaped like a cooking pot. Guide them toward concrete actions: "Helping," "Sharing," "Listening," "Saying kind words," "Playing together."
Create & Display: Title the pot "Our Recipe for Friendship." Keep it displayed in the classroom as a visual reminder. Children can draw pictures of the "ingredients" to add to it over time.
Follow-up Game: "Friendly or Unfriendly?"
Use simple picture cards or act out short scenarios (e.g., taking a toy without asking vs. asking to join a game). For each one, children give a "thumbs up" for friendly or "thumbs down" for unfriendly, and discuss why.
Activity 2: "The Friendship Toolbox" (Practicing Friendship Skills)
This activity provides children with tangible "tools" (strategies) they can use to build and maintain friendships.
Main Activity: "Our Friendship Toolbox" Craft
Introduce the Tools: Explain that just like builders have tools, friends have tools too. Introduce 3-4 key tools:
The Listening Ears: To hear what your friend is saying and feeling.
The Kind Words Hammer: To fix problems and build people up (e.g., "Can I play?" "I'm sorry." "Good job!").
The Sharing Saw: To take turns and share things.
The Helping Hand: To assist a friend in need.
Craft the Tools: Children create these tools from craft materials (e.g., cut-out paper ears, a cardboard hammer decorated with kind words, a paper hand).
Role-Play: Practice using the tools. Present a common problem ("You both want the same swing"). Ask, "Which tool could we use here?" Act out the solution using the Kind Words Hammer ("Can I have a turn after you?").
Adaptation for Kathmandu: Connect the tools to local concepts. The "Helping Hand" can be linked to the community spirit of "Parma" (reciprocal labor help in Nepali communities). Discuss how friends help each other, just like neighbors do during festivals or farming.
Activity 3: "We Are Better Together" (Cooperative Play & Teamwork)
These activities force interdependence, showing children that some tasks are more fun and successful when done with friends.
Game 1: The Blanket Ball Lift
Objective: Work together to achieve a common goal.
Setup: Place a light ball in the center of a large blanket. Four to six children hold the edges of the blanket.
Challenge: "Can you work together to make the ball bounce on the blanket? Can you bounce it 5 times without letting it roll off?" This requires communication and synchronized movement.
Game 2: Cooperative Musical "Statues"
Objective: Practice physical cooperation and nonverbal communication.
Setup: Play music. When the music stops, instead of freezing alone, call out a number and a shape (e.g., "Make a group of 3 in a triangle!" or "Make a group of 4 in a square!").
Outcome: Children must quickly find friends, hold hands, and form the shape together. No one is "out."
Activity 4: "Mending Friendships" (Understanding & Repair)
This crucial activity teaches that conflicts happen and gives children a simple, respectful process for making amends.
Main Activity: "The Peace Bridge" Practice
Introduce the Concept: Use two toy figures. Have one accidentally knock over the other's block tower. Explain that friendships sometimes get a "crack" in them, and we have a special way to fix it.
Teach the "Peace Bridge" Steps: Draw a simple bridge on the ground with chalk or use two rows of tape.
Step 1 (One side): The person who caused hurt walks to the middle and says how the other might feel. "I see you are sad/angry because I knocked your tower."
Step 2 (Other side): The other child can then say what they need. "I need you to help me rebuild it."
Step 3 (Meet in Middle): They agree on a solution, say "I'm sorry," and cross the bridge together.
Practice with Puppets/Scripts: Use puppets to act out common conflicts and guide children through using the Peace Bridge steps to solve them.
✨ Key Tips for Facilitators
Narrate Positive Behavior: When you see children exhibiting friendship skills, name it. "I saw you use your Listening Ears when Avi was talking. That made him feel important!"
Use Literature: Books are safe ways to explore complex social situations. Ask, "How was the character a good friend? What could they have done differently?"
Model Apologies: When you make a mistake as a teacher, model a genuine apology. "I'm sorry I interrupted you. That was not good listening. Please finish what you were saying."
Celebrate Friendship: Have a "Friendship Day" where children make cards for a classmate, do all the cooperative games, and share a special snack, emphasizing the joy of community.
Activity Set: Our Families, Our World ❤️ Core Principles for Teaching About Families
Activity Set: Our Families, Our World
❤️ Core Principles for Teaching About Families
The goal is to celebrate all family structures and help each child see their own family reflected and valued. Activities should foster a sense of belonging, identity, and understanding that families are connected by love and care, not just by traditional roles.
📝 Activity 1: "My Family Story" (Identity & Representation)
This foundational activity validates each child's unique family structure through storytelling and creation.
Main Activity: "Our Family Portrait"
Discussion & Book: Start by reading a simple, inclusive book about families (e.g., "The Family Book" by Todd Parr, "Who's in My Family?" by Robie H. Harris). Discuss how all families are different and special.
Creative Task: Provide children with diverse art materials (paper, crayons, fabric scraps, yarn, glue). Do not provide pre-drawn "mother-father-child" templates. Instead, give them blank paper or frames.
Instruction: Ask each child to create a portrait of their family. They can draw, collage, or use provided materials. Emphasize: "Include the people and even pets who are family to you. What makes your family special?"
Sharing: Create a "Our Family Gallery" wall. Let children share their portraits if they wish, using simple prompts: "This is my [sister/brother/grandma/etc.] Name. We like to activity together."
Adaptation for Kathmandu: Encourage children to include elements that show family in Nepali culture. They might draw their family receiving tika during Dashain, sharing a meal, or at a local temple. You can introduce words like "परिवार" (parivaar - family), "दाई" (dai - older brother), "बहिनी" (bahini - younger sister).
🧩 Activity 2: "Family Roles & Helping Hands" (Roles & Responsibilities)
This activity moves beyond "what families look like" to explore "what families do"—how they function, help each other, and share love through actions.
Main Activity: "Our Family Helper Chart"
Brainstorm: In a circle, ask children, "What are some jobs people do to help their family at home?" List ideas (e.g., setting the table, watering plants, putting away toys, helping a younger sibling).
Create: Give each child a paper "helper chart" template with days of the week. They can draw or write (with help) one small helping task they did or will do each day.
Connect to Culture: Discuss how helping is a part of family culture everywhere. Share examples: "In some families, children help make rotis or sort rice. In others, they might fold laundry or feed a pet. All help is important."
Follow-up Activity: "Act It Out!" (Family Charades)
Write simple family actions on cards (e.g., "reading a story," "cooking dal bhat," "fixing a bicycle," "celebrating a birthday").
Children take turns picking a card and acting it out silently while others guess the helping action. This reinforces vocabulary and understanding of diverse family roles.
📚 Activity 3: "Family Trees & Stories" (Heritage & Connections)
This activity gently introduces the concept of family history and intergenerational connection in a simple, tangible way.
Main Activity: "Handprint Family Tree"
Concept: Explain that families are like trees, with roots (past generations) and branches (current and future family).
Art Project: Provide a large tree trunk outline. Each child traces and cuts out their own handprint on green paper (the leaves). On their handprint, they write (or an adult scribes) the first names of people in their immediate family/caregivers.
Assemble: Children glue their "family handprint" onto the class tree's branches. The resulting display shows that while each family (hand) is unique, they are all part of the strong, supportive community (tree).
Alternative for Simplicity: "Family Story Stones"
Collect smooth stones. Children can use paint or markers to draw a simple symbol for each family member on a different stone (e.g., a heart for mom, a book for a sibling who loves to read). They can keep the stones in a pouch and use them to tell stories about their family.
👨👩👧👦 Activity 4: "A Family for Every Child" (Inclusivity Project)
This culminating project explicitly celebrates diversity and ensures every child feels seen.
The Activity: "Our Class Family Album"
Process: Create a physical or digital book for the classroom.
Each Child's Page: Includes their Family Portrait from Activity 1, a dictated sentence ("My family is special because..."), and a photo (sent from home with permission).
Teacher's Pages: Include pages that represent diverse family structures explicitly: single-parent families, grandparent-led families, families with two moms or two dads, multigenerational joint families (common in Nepal), families with foster or adoptive children. Use simple language: "Some families have one parent. Some families have two moms. All families give love."
Use: Keep this book in the reading corner. It becomes a powerful tool for children to see their own family and learn about others in a matter-of-fact, positive way.
✨ Key Tips for Facilitators
Use Inclusive Language: Always ask, "Who is in your family?" instead of "Do you have a mom and dad?" Use terms like "grown-ups," "caregivers," and "guardians."
Prepare for Diversity: Be ready for a child to say, "I live with my baje (grandfather) and aama (mom)." Celebrate that. "How wonderful you have your grandfather with you!"
Partner with Homes: Send a note to families explaining the project, assuring them it celebrates all structures, and inviting them to share a simple family tradition if they wish.
Focus on Love & Care: The ultimate message is that a family is made of people who love, care for, and support each other.
Activity Set: Fun Foundations of Sports (Core Principles for Teaching Sports to Young Children)
Activity Set: Fun Foundations of Sports
⚽ Core Principles for Teaching Sports to Young Children
The goal is skill development through play, not competition. Activities should be cooperative, inclusive, and focused on building confidence, basic motor skills, and a lifelong love for being active.
Activity Group 1: "Movement ABCs" (Fundamental Motor Skills)
These activities focus on the basic movements that form the foundation for all sports.
1. Animal Relay Races
Objective: Develop agility, coordination, and imagination.
Setup: Create a short course (10-15 meters) using cones or markers.
Activity: Children move from one point to another mimicking different animals.
Bear Crawl: Walk on hands and feet.
Frog Jumps: Squat and jump forward.
Crab Walk: Sit, place hands behind, lift hips, and walk backwards.
Penguin Waddle: Walk with a small ball held between the knees.
Adaptation: Turn it into a fun "Follow the Leader" game instead of a competitive race.
2. Color & Shape Dash
Objective: Practice running, stopping, and listening skills.
Setup: Scatter different colored hoops or mats in a play area. Place matching colored beanbags in a central bucket.
Activity: Call out a color or a simple instruction ("Touch a blue hoop!", "Find a circle!", "Stand next to something red!"). Children run to complete the task. Progress to more complex commands ("Hop to a yellow hoop, then skip to a red one!").
Activity Group 2: "Ball Sense" (Introduction to Ball Handling)
These non-sport-specific activities teach children how to control, track, and receive a ball.
1. Rolling Rally
Objective: Develop hand-eye coordination and cooperative play.
Setup: Children sit on the floor in pairs or in two lines facing each other, with legs open in a "V" shape.
Activity: They roll a soft ball (or a rolled-up sock) back and forth to their partner, trying to keep it within the "lane" made by their legs. Encourage them to use both hands.
2. Target Toss
Objective: Practice underhand throwing and aiming.
Setup: Use hoops, buckets, or draw circles with chalk on the ground as targets. Place them at varying, short distances.
Activity: Children take turns tossing beanbags or soft balls into the targets. Let them choose their distance. Celebrate all attempts. Ask, "Can you hit the closest target? How about the farthest one?"
Activity Group 3: "Mini-Games & Team Play" (Introduction to Rules & Cooperation)
These simplified versions of sports focus on teamwork and basic rules.
1. Tunnel Ball Soccer
Objective: Introduce kicking and teamwork without the pressure of a goal.
Setup: Create two lines of 3-4 children each, standing with their legs wide apart to form "tunnels." Place a soft foam ball at the head of each tunnel.
Activity: The first child in line kicks the ball through the tunnel. The last child collects it, runs to the front, and starts the sequence again. The team works together to move the ball down the field.
2. Catch & Cheer Relay
Objective: Practice overhand throwing, catching, and positive team support.
Setup: Divide children into small teams (3-4 per team). Mark a throwing line and a catching line a short distance apart for each team.
Activity: The first child throws a soft ball to the next teammate. The rule: Before the catcher can throw to the next person, their whole team must shout one word of encouragement (e.g., "Yay!", "Good!", "Go!"). This turns focus from speed to encouragement.
Activity Group 4: "Creative Sports Festival" (A Culminating Event)
A non-competitive event to celebrate skills learned and foster community.
The Setup: Organize 4-5 activity stations based on the skills practiced (e.g., Animal Move Station, Target Toss Station, Tunnel Ball Station).
The Event: Small groups of children rotate through each station. There are no winners or losers—each child receives a "participation ribbon" (handmade paper medal) at the end for their effort in each activity.
Special Kathmandu Twist: Incorporate a local element. For example, name the teams after local flora/fauna (Rhino Team, Lali Gurans Team). Play traditional dohori or folk music during the activities. Include a simple "Sack Race" but call it "Bhakari (jute sack) Race" for local familiarity.
Key Safety & Success Tips
Emphasis on Participation: Use phrases like "Great effort!" and "I saw you trying your best!" instead of "You're the best!"
Modify for All: Adapt equipment (softer balls, larger targets) and rules so every child can experience success.
Safety First: Ensure the play area is clear of hazards. Use soft, lightweight equipment appropriate for the age group.
Keep it Short & Fun: Sessions for this age should be 30-45 minutes maximum, with plenty of water breaks.
Activity Set: Our Wonderful World of Cultures (Core Principles for Teaching Culture)
Activity Set: Our Wonderful World of Cultures
Core Principles for Teaching Culture
Before diving into activities, it's crucial to approach cultural teaching with respect and accuracy. The goal is to foster curiosity, appreciation, and a sense of connection—not just to learn "fun facts." For young children, always connect new cultures back to their own lived experience.
🌏 Activity 1: "My Home, Your Home" (Exploring Homes & Daily Life)
This activity helps children understand how basic human needs like shelter, food, and clothing are met differently around the world, while celebrating their own unique home context.
Main Activity: "A Home for Every Climate"
Explore: Show pictures or simple videos of different types of homes from various cultures—a stilt house in Bangladesh, a yurt in Mongolia, an adobe house in the Peruvian Andes, a modern apartment in Tokyo, and a traditional Newari home in Kathmandu.
Discuss: Ask guiding questions: "Why do you think this house is on stilts?" (floods), "Why are the walls so thick here?" (hot days, cold nights). Connect it to Kathmandu: "Have you seen houses with carved wooden windows? What are they called?" (Newari architecture).
Create: Provide craft materials (clay, cardboard, paper, natural items). Let children choose a type of home to build a simple model of, or draw their own house and label its special features.
Follow-up Activity: "A Day in the Life"
Use simple story cards or pictures showing daily routines of children from other places (e.g., a child helping fish in Senegal, a child practicing calligraphy in China, a child going to a market in Mexico). Compare and contrast with their own day: "Do you also help your family? How? Do you go to a bazaar? What do you see there?"
🍛 Activity 2: "Festival of Flavors & Stories" (Exploring Food & Celebrations)
Food and festivals are joyful, sensory entry points to culture. This activity moves beyond "foreign food day" to explore meaning and tradition.
Main Activity: "The Story on Your Plate"
Share a Story: Read a picture book like "Dumpling Day" or "What's Cooking, Jamela?" or a local story about food ("The Story of Yomari" during Yomari Punhi).
Taste and Map: If possible, offer a small, safe taste of a simple food from a different culture (e.g., flatbread like roti or naan, a type of bean, a fruit). Use a large world map or globe to place a sticker where the food is commonly eaten.
Create a Class "Festival Passport": For every major Nepali festival (Dashain, Tihar, Holi) and a few global ones (Diwali, Lunar New Year, Thanksgiving), create a passport page. Children can draw a symbol of the festival, a food eaten, and how people greet each other (e.g., "Shubh Deepawali," "Happy Thanksgiving").
Adaptation for Kathmandu: Create a "Newari Baji" Collage. Provide pictures or real (safe) items from a typical Newari platter—baji (beaten rice), ayela (lentil patties), choila (spiced meat), etc. Children glue them to a paper plate and discuss when this meal is shared (feasts, family gatherings).
🎨 Activity 3: "Hands Around the World" (Exploring Art, Music & Language)
This activity focuses on expressive culture—how people create beauty, music, and communicate.
Main Activity: "Global Greetings Gallery"
Learn to Say Hello: Teach children how to say "hello" in 4-5 languages, including local ones. Practice the words and the accompanying gestures (bow, handshake, namaste, waving).
Nepali: Namaste (with palms together)
Newari: Jwajalapaa (with slight bow)
Japanese: Konnichiwa (with bow)
Spanish: Hola (with wave)
American Sign Language: The sign for "hello"
Create Greeting Cards: Children choose a greeting, write it (or trace it), and decorate a card for a friend or family member, explaining what it means.
Follow-up Activity: "Rhythm and Pattern"
Music: Listen to short clips of distinctive music—Scottish bagpipes, West African drumming, Indonesian gamelan, and Nepali folk music like Damphu or Madal rhythms. Let children move to the beat.
Art: Study traditional patterns—Polish paper cuttings (Wycinanki), Native American weaving patterns, Maori koru designs, and Nepali mandalas or thangka art borders. Provide tools for children to create their own patterned art inspired by these styles.
📚 Activity 4: "We Are All Storytellers" (A Culminating Project)
This project-based activity helps children synthesize what they've learned by becoming creators and sharers of culture.
The Activity: "Our Class Culture Book"
Each child (or small group) contributes a page to a class book titled "All About Us: The Children of [Your School's Name]."Page Prompts: "My name means...", "A food my family loves is...", "A festival we celebrate is...", "A special tradition in my home is...", "How I say 'I love you' to my family is...".
Process: Children can draw, use photos (with permission), or write with teacher help. Include pages about the local Kathmandu/Newari culture as part of "our" culture.
Share: Bind the book and place it in the class library. Host a reading for parents. This validates every child's background as a valued part of the whole class culture.
✨ Key Tips for Facilitators
Start Local, Then Expand: Always begin with the child's own culture (Kathmandu, their ethnic group, their family traditions) before exploring others. This builds identity and a frame of reference.
Use Authentic Resources: Seek out books, music, and artifacts created by members of the culture. Avoid simplified or stereotypical representations.
Invite Community Sharing: If possible, invite parents, grandparents, or community members to share a song, story, or craft from their heritage.
Emphasize Similarities and Differences: Use a "windows and mirrors" approach. Some activities should be "mirrors" where children see themselves reflected. Others should be "windows" into new experiences. The goal is to appreciate both what we share and what makes each culture unique.






















