Life Lessons Preschool: Make the World a Happier Place

--Life Lessons Preschool--  

Everything I want my children to know before they start school

Lesson 4

"You can make the world a happier place for everyone around you."


Now, just how does one teach this to children?  By living it, I guess, just like everything else.  My kids definitely already do this.  They are constantly thinking of others.  If I bake something, they say, "Let's take some of this to our neighbor."  If we draw something, they usually want to turn it into decorations for a party and even make invitations to invite our friends.  Yesterday, when we were heading out to the library, Guy grabbed a pile of pass-along cards that he had gotten from the missionary display at church.  I didn't even know that he had them.  But he brought them to me and said, "Hey, Mom, I'm going to give these to people at the library, ok?"


They are all so good at spreading joy to people in their circle of influence, and I am happy to encourage them to continue to do this, even as they head off to a new world of classmates, bus drivers, teachers, and friends.


A simple smile, a joke, a high-five, a compliment or words of sympathy can go a long way.


As part of our lesson today, we are going to practice saying kind/encouraging words to each other to demonstrate the many ways that they can make the world a happier place for others.

--Busy Work--

Fun, Cheap, and Slightly Messy Educational Activities to Do At Home

Awesome Maps

I found this National Geographic map collection at my local thrift store for $3.94.

A steal.

It has maps of every region in the United States.  I think there are 15 of them.

Plus a full U.S. map, a city look-up book, and maps of other regions of the world, like Afghanistan and Antarctica.

It also came with this neat tool that allows you to measure the time it will take to get from one point to another on the map, depending on your average speed.

Guy just loves these maps.  He pours over them whenever they are out.  He likes to start some place and follow the roads to another place with his finger.  He lays them all out on the playroom floor until he has one huge map.  And folding them back up when he's finished is another challenge in itself.


As part of putting them away, he has to put them in order according to the number found at the top of each map.  He enjoys laying them out and figuring out which number goes before and after the maps he has already put in place.

The maps are made of very sturdy material, so they are also very durable.

Be on the lookout for a similar map collection next time you are at a thrift store.

Maps are a treasure unto themselves.