Relationships - day 1 - perspectives

Mindfulness activity:

Trivia question: What colors make up the Canadian flag?

Mindfulness Activity: Put your palms together at chest height. Push them against each other as hard as you can. Which muscle gets tired first?

Great wind blows

Directions:

• Have the whole family stand in a circle, with one person in the middle. Have each person put a shoe (or other marker) down where they are standing.
• The person in the middle starts by saying “Great wind blows for everyone who…” and then says something that is true about them. For example, if the person loves pizza; they can say, “Great wind blows for everyone who loves pizza.”
• All players who love pizza must run and find a new spot at one of the markers.
• The person who doesn’t find a spot is the new person in the middle.
• Did you learn something new about each other?

Photo challenge

Supplies:

• a camera
• objects to photograph

Watch a different perspectives video

Directions:

• Everyone looks at the world with their own special point of view.
• Choose an object that you use every day and take different photos of it to make it look different. You can try taking photos really close up or far away. What happens when you take a photo above the object, and below?
• Take this further by choosing your favourite photos and getting people to guess what the object could be and what it could be used for.

Draw on my back

This requires two people – decide who will be drawing and who will be guessing the first round. The person guessing will sit with their backs to the person who will be drawing. They will draw an object on their back and the other person must guess what the object is! Try to use simple shapes to start such as a heart or snowman.

Review questions

Ask your child:

• Where you surprised today by anything that you learned about your family? Do you have a lot in common? (Feel)
• Do you think it was easier to be the guessing person or the person drawing on the “draw on my back” activity? (Think)
• It’s important to look at things from another person’s perspective before making a judgement. What are some ways you can practice this at home? (Act)

Mindfulness trivia answer

Red and white

Mindfulness Activity

Trivia question: If it’s 10 a.m. in Toronto, what time is it in Calgary?

Mindfulness activity:

• Get comfortable.
• Place one hand on your belly and the other on your chest (you can also rest your hands in your lap if that is more comfortable).
• Close your eyes and relax your face.
• Breathe in through the nose, and out the mouth. Notice your hands move as you take a few more breathes.
• As you breathe in, think to yourself: “I am alive.”
• As you breathe out, think to yourself, “I am calm.”

Photo challenge

Supplies:

• camera
• objects to photograph

Watch a different perspectives viideo

Directions:

Everyone looks at the world from their own special point of view. Choose an object that you use every day. Take photos of it to make it look different. You can try taking photos really close up or far away. What happens when you take a photo above the object, and below?

Take this further by choosing your favourite photos and getting people to guess what the object is and what it could be used for.

LEGO Challenge

Supplies:

• Building blocks (two sets of ten pieces)

Directions:

• With a partner, have one person create something using 10 building blocks.
• Without showing your partner your finished creation, describe it to them.
• They will have to try to re-create what you have.
• When finished, show off your creations and see how close your partner was to the original .
• Take turns switching back and forth.

Make this more challenging by adding more bricks to the creation and maybe not even telling your partner how many pieces there are in total.

Family pictionary

Supplies:

• Paper
• Pen or pencil

Directions:

• As a family write down different clues for Pictionary that fit under Person, Place or Thing.
• Take turns choosing clues.
• When it is your turn, draw the clue without using words.
• When someone guesses the clue, they get a point.

Review questions

Ask your child:

• How did it feel when you were trying to explain something that wasn’t being understood? (Feel)
• How could you share your ideas if you couldn’t talk about them? (Think)
• What could you do for a friend that is upset? (Act)

Mindfulness trivia answer

Answer: The time in Calgary is 8 a.m. when it is 10 a.m. in Toronto.

Mindfulness activity:

Trivia question: Which is slower:

1. A turtle
2. A snail
3. An alligator

Mindfulness activity:

• Act out what it looks like to eat too fast.
• Act out eating too slow?
• Try eating just right.
• How do you choose the right amount of energy?

Viewpoints

Supplies:

• paper
• pen or pencil

Directions:

• Call a friend or try this with a sibling.
• Choose a debate topic from the topic list below, and have each person choose one of the viewpoints. For example, one person believes winter is better and the other person believes summer is better.
• The objective is to understand each other’s viewpoint and to try to persuade the other person that your viewpoint is better.
• Before you start your discussion use your sheet of paper to make some notes to defend your position during your discussion. Create more topics on your own to continue the discussions with other friends.

Topic List:

• Summer vs. winter
• Dogs vs. cats
• Glass half full vs. glass half empty
• Night person vs. morning person
• Coke vs. Pepsi
• Apple vs. Microsoft
• Mustard vs. ketchup

Do you see what I see?

Supplies:

• 2 chairs

Directions:

• Try this activity with a family member or friend.
• Pick a space in your house that has objects in the background such as your room or backyard.
• Sit across from each other, about 2 metres.
• Take turns saying, "Tell me three things you see behind me," and have the other person name three things they can see.
• Switch sides.
• Once seated in the opposite side of your partner, repeat the activity, and look for things that weren’t spotted in the first round.
• Do a few rounds, and notice how you can start to see the room from the other person’s perspective.

Emotional catch phrase

Supplies:

• list of emotions
• timer or stop watch
• paper or pencil
• plastic cup

Description:

Try this activity with the people you live with.

• Make a list of emotions (minimum 20) listed on a piece of paper.
• Cut out each word separately and put into a plastic cup.
• Have one person to draw a phrase from the cup.
• Their job is to explain the word verbally or physically without saying the actual word.
• Set a timer for one minute for the person and the group to guess the emotion.
• You gain a point if you are able to guess the emotion.
• Switch roles and have everyone take a turn.

Emotions list:

• Anger 
• Fear 
• Sadness
• Disgust
• Surprise
• Trust
• Joy
• Adoration
• Amusement
• Anxiety
• Awkwardness
• Boredom
• Calmness
• Confusion
• Craving
• Disgust
• Empathetic
• Envy
• Excitement
• Fear
• Horror
• Sadness
• Satisfaction
• Sympathy
• Triumph

Review questions

Ask your child:

• How does it feel when you disagree with someone? (Feel)
• What do you think understanding someone’s perspective would be important? (Think)
• What is one way you can consider other people’s perspectives at home? At school? With your friends? (Act)

Mindfulness trivia answer

A snail