Social Emotional Learning has become an important attribute to include in everyday care for our kids. Since Star-C started at Stratford Ridge Apartments in January, we’ve been using daily themes as intentional ways to serve the areas of the brain, body, and soul that often go neglected because of busy schedules.
These daily themes are Meditation Monday, Trivia Tuesday, Writing Wednesday, Therapy Thursday, and Fun Friday. The activities we do in our program are fun and intentional ways to serve our kids, while providing extra support to help them be well, overcome obstacles, and heal from trauma they may experience every day.
Meditation Monday
Meditation Monday is our way to create some calm in the room. Every Monday, we do different things that represent or align with the practice of meditation. Whether it’s journaling quietly, sitting in silence, doing yoga, or listening to soft music, meditation is always a way to calm ourselves, redirect our emotions and have an intentional moment to just relax and reflect.
Trivia Tuesday
Trivia is our way of bringing learning to the kids in a fun, competitive way. They LOVE competition and doing things that may result in candy for the winning team. Trivia has become a favorite for the kids, because they get to show off what they know. It requires them to use their brains quickly, and we’re VERY intentional about making them work together – emphasizing teamwork and good sportsmanship.
Writing Wednesday
Writing has been proven to release anxiety, tension, and anger. It’s a universal way of processing emotion and expression. We let our kids be free in their writing without judgment. Not only does it help them express themselves, it helps them work on their spelling, comprehension and storytelling abilities. Some kids get carried away and find solace in being able to write without grading or comparison. It’s simply free expression.
Therapy Thursday
Therapy Thursday focuses on different therapy practices to help us feel better. Some days, we sit in a circle and talk about our feelings and other days, we work on self-image by drawing a self-portrait and writing words that describe who we are. Art therapy, physical therapy, yoga therapy, and talk therapy are all different ways to help us clear out our minds and hearts.
Fun Friday
Fun Friday is all about games and movies. As human beings, it is essential for us to play for no reason. It gives us joy and happiness to just be free to run around, try new things, and laugh at ourselves when we lose. That’s all Friday is about. Letting go and being free with no inhibitions.
*Kudos to Star-C at Stratford Ridge staff, Katia Bowers and Tasha Brandon for developing these impactful themes!