A Family's Role in Developing Feelings and Images at Home

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The following activity for families and children introduces the idea of using theme-related projects that take place in the classroom and adapting them for caregivers and children to do at home.  Another goal for this activity is to provide caregivers with a developmentally appropriate learning experience based on the same or similar experiences children have had in schools with their teacher.  This activity also encourages verbal interaction between parent and child and engages children in a low-risk activity.

• Read the book Everybody Needs a Rock by Byrd Baylor.
• Take your child on a nature walk to find a rock.  You might find one around your home, at a nature store, or at a home improvement store.
• Ask your child to hold his or her rock and find a comfortable place to sit.  With quiet instrumental music playing in the background, ask your child to close his or her eyes and listen to the following guided journey.

Imagining Your Rock

Hold your rock gently in your hand and close your eyes.  Use your imagination to see if you can remember the color of your rock.  What shape is your rock?  How heavy  or light is your rock?  Is it as light as a feather, as heavy as a baseball, or as heavy as a book?  Does your rock remind you of anything?  Rub your fingers over your rock and see if you can feel smooth places or lumps.  Hold your rock against your forehead and see if it is cool or warm.  Put your rock up to your ear and see if it makes any sounds.  Keep holding your rock in your hand and use your imagination to see if it looks the same as it did a few minutes ago.  Remember to keep your eyes closed.  Use your imagination to draw a pretend picture of your rock in your mind.  When you are ready, open your eyes and look around until you see me.

• Ask whether your child has anything to say about the journey with the rock.  Allow your child to say what he or she would like to say, but do not force your child to talk.  Some journeys are best kept secret.