Depending on where you live in the United States, you likely take a bus or car to school. If you live in a city, you might even walk on your own or with friends. In other parts of the world, children use different methods of getting to school — and some of them are VERY unique!
MANY CHILDREN DON’T GET THE CHANCE TO ATTEND SCHOOL
For many children around the world, school is a privilege. They will go to great lengths to get there, sometimes even travelling for a few hours every morning and every evening. This might happen if they live somewhere that has few people or little money and, therefore, no access to schools. Another reason may be what is called the geography of the area, meaning things like the mountains, rivers and lakes that are present there.
Why do you think kids might work so hard just to get to school?
Although we might take it for granted, learning things like reading and writing in school is really important if you want to be ableto express yourself and work to earn money as a grown up. So, theymake the trip no matter how hard it is.
THE MOST UNIQUE WAYS KIDS GET TO SCHOOL
PLANES - In small island communities, planes may need to be used to reach ferries that will bring children to a larger, more populated island for school.
BOATS - In areas with rivers or waterways, like in Peru or Guatemala, kids may take boats or ferries to get to school.
CABLE CARS - This is like a small train that has only one car. It is attached to a cable above it that helps to propel it forward. In Venezuela, cable cars are used by children to traverse difficult terrain and dangerous neighborhoods.
RICKSHAWS - A rickshaw is a small compartment on wheels that can be pulled by a person or bicycle. In the Philippines, some children will ride a rickshaw to school!
LADDERS AND HIKING - When travelling through mountainous areas on the way to school, some children will need to traverse obstacles using tall (sometimes REALLY tall) ladders and hiking up steep inclines.
SNOWMOBILES - In places that get heavy snow, even in our own country, some children may need to use a snowmobile to get to school because cars are no longer able to drive through tall drifts.
For some children, their morning and evening commute are a few hours long, which makes it difficult to complete homework and go to bed before waking up to do it all over again. What would you do if you didn’t live near a school and needed to get there in a unique way? Do any of these forms of transportation sound fun to you?
Raise your hand if you are a shy kid who, well, never raises their hand in class! You aren’t alone. Many kids in all grade levels will label themselves as shy or say it is difficult for them to speak up and make friends in school. But that doesn’t mean you need to spend the school year alone.
HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU MAKE SOME GREAT NEW FRIENDSHIPS THIS YEAR!
BUILD YOUR CONFIDENCE
Sometimes, we can have trouble speaking up for ourselves because we have low self-esteem. Do you feel
like hiding behind your parents when you are somewhere new? Do you get all sweaty and nervous when it’s time to speak up? This might make talking to new friends difficult, too! Nothing is wrong with you, it just means that you might need to build up your confidence.
What does it mean to you to feel confident? Are there certain things you do really well? Can you focus on these things more? Identifying your strengths is a great way to boost confidence. Talk to a trusted grown up or friend about your best qualities.
JOIN AN ACTIVITY
Do you have any hobbies or interests? If so, why not follow your curiosity and join an activity
or after school club? Many schools offer opportunities for students to get involved and, by joining a club, you will likely find friends who have the same interests as you!
PRACTICE SOCIAL SKILLS
Making friends doesn’t come easily to everyone. Just like with other subjects in school, sometimesit takes a little extra practice.Aska grown up to help make a script that you can rely on for meeting new friends. After introducing yourself, have three questions on hand that you can ask someone to learn more about them. Some examples include:
• What do you like to do on the weekends?
• Do you have a favorite movie/TV show/book?
• Do you have any pets?
BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF
It’s okay if you don’t make friends on the first day of school … or even in the first month! Just be patient with yourself and remember that the right friends will come along at the right time. Keep yourself open to new possibilities, but don’t push yourself too hard.
Do you ever wonder how in the world you are supposed to get everything done? From schoolwork to chores, hanging out with friends and afterschool activities, kids these days have a LOT to manage. It might even feel like you are trying to juggle many things at once.
Time management is a great skill to learn. What does it mean? It refers to the ability to organize your time so that you can fit what is really important (as well as things you LOVE to do) into each day.
Do you ever wonder how in the world you are supposed to get everything done? From schoolwork to chores, hanging out with friends and afterschool activities, kids these days have a LOT to manage. It might even feel like you are trying to juggle many things at once.
Time management is a great skill to learn. What does it mean? It refers to the ability to organize your time so that you can fit what is really important (as well as things you LOVE to do) into each day.
HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR TIME?
Good time management doesn’t mean just rushing through everything. It is important to take your time and finish tasks carefully. What time management helps you do is feel like you have plenty of time to do that. Here are some tips that might help you this school year!
UNDERSTAND
TIME - It might seem silly, but the first step is understanding time! Do you know how to tell time and how many hours are in the day? What about how many hours you are asleep and awake daily? Answering these questions will help you understand how many hours you have to work with every day.
CREATE A ROUTINE - A routine or schedule is a tool that helps you to set aside specific times every day for specific tasks, such as eating, bathing, sleeping, school, etc. Maybe your grown up has already helped you create a routine. If not,
have your grown up help you write out all of the things you need to do every day. This can even include your homework, chores and after school activities. There are some tasks that may be more important than others, and these are called PRIORITIES.
Make sure you know how long each task will take. Then, have your grown up help you organize your day. You may even want to write the different activities and tasks on strips of paper or sticky notes if it makes it easier for you to see them and put them in order. You may have different routines for different days of the week.
When you are all done, make sure to put it on the fridge or in your bedroom where you can see it!
BE FLEXIBLE
- Some things are out of our control such as catching a cold, getting extra homework or family events. Just remember that this is okay, and you can always get back on task tomorrow!
Managing your time by creating a routine, estimating how long tasks will take and then being flexible about all of it is a great way to head into your school year!
Do you have a morning routine now that school is back in session? Getting into the swing of things feels easier if you know what to expect on weekday mornings and evenings. There are some things you can add into your routine to help you feel even better and more energized for school and other activities.
Sure, you have probably heard your parents, teachers and maybe even your doctor talk about the importance of eating your vegetables and getting your sleep. But has anyone ever told you why these things are good habits? And what if we told you there were a few more that might make you feel even better?
HERE ARE SOME OF OUR FAVORITE WAYS TO FEEL HEALTHY EVERY DAY!
EAT
THE RAINBOW
Your body runs on vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. They helpyour cells repair damage, growat asteady rate and maintain all of yourbody’s functions. When it comes to ahealthy diet, eating plentyof variety is the best way tobe sure your body gets everything it needs. This means trying all different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Make it a game by seeing ifyou can pack in a few foods of every color of the rainbow in one week. And by color we definitely DON’T mean food dyes. Aim for foods that come straight from the earth, like oranges, bananas, apples, celery, carrots, beets and blueberries!
GO SCREEN FREE
Video games, YouTube, Roblox… it’s all great fun! But did you know itcanimpact your brain negatively? Screensare exciting for our brains,and sometimes that means we can get overstimulated. It is important to recognize when your body needs abreak. See if you can find one day a week to go screen free. If you aren’t used to it, you may wonder what in the HECK you will do with the time.
GET YOUR SLEEP
Sleep is important part to being a healthy kid. Did you knowthat while you sleep, your brain isbusy organizing everything you have learned that day? This is whyyou feel better the morning after a good night’s rest. If you have trouble getting to sleep,ask a grown up to help come upwitha routine that will ease you into bedtime. That might includereading a book before bed, listening to relaxing music or sharing a cup of tea.
No matter how you slice it, being a super-powered kid requires building healthy habits into your daily routine. Try these three big ones and see if they help you feel better this school year and beyond!
But no worries, we’ve got your back. Here are some fun, screen-free activities you can try:
• Build a fort
• Go biking with a friend
• Make a recipe you have been wanting to try
• Learn to crochet or knit
• Take up a fun new sport, like Pickleball, GaGa Ball or frisbee
• Have a spa day with friends
• Write a short story about what your dream day would look like
APPLE DONUTS
Have a grown up help you core an apple and then slice it into discs. Now, top them with your favorite nut or seed butter. Then, you can add more decorations, like raisins, shredded coconut or even chocolate chips!
After school hangries kicking in? We have just the thing to help. Not only are these snacks healthy, but they don’t require much grown-up assistance, which means YOU get to be the chef!
FRUIT & YOGURT PARFAIT
All you need is your favorite yogurt, some granola and berries or chunks of fruit for this one. We like greek yogurt because it has extra protein for growing brains and bodies. First, choose a bowl, or cup. Then, create a layer of yogurt, followed by granola and fruit. If you want to be extra fancy, you can make two layers of each so it looks like stripes!
BANANA SUSHI
Take a tortilla and spread it with your favorite nut butter. Then, peel a whole banana and place it at the end of the tortilla. Roll it up, covering it with the tortilla as you go. Now, using a knife (or having a grown up help you), slice the tortilla-banana roll into discs. Use chopsticks to snack on this treat for an extra dose of fun!
MINI PIZZAS
Have a craving for pizza after school? Try this easier version: First, grab an english muffin, bagel, piece of bread or even a pita. Then, have a grown up help you toast it. Next, spread it with tomato sauce and top with cheese. You may even want to have an adult help you put it back into the oven until the cheese is melted and gooey. Yummy!
ANTS ON A LOG
Plain celery can feel bland, but top it with peanut butter and raisins and you have a filling, healthy and delicious snack. You might need a grown up to help you slice the celery. If you don’t like raisins, try topping your ants on a log with chocolate chips!
Personalizing your back-to-school supplies can make even the most mundane math lesson feel special. Try this craft to create your own pencil case using duct tape. There are so many fun designs out there that it may be difficult to choose! You can also use a solid color and then top it with mini rolls of duct tape or washi tape for a more intricate look.
• Scissors
• Duct tape
• Quart-size plastic bag with zipper closure (Ziplocs with a sliding zipper work great)
This craft is pretty easy. The trickiest part is making sure the duct tape goes around the edges so that everything is sealed. That way, it will be less likely to rip or tear. Make sure to leave room at the top so the zipper can slide back and forth!
1. Place a piece of duct tape on the front of the bag, just below the zipper, wrapping it slightly around the edges. Do the same on the other side, allowing the ends to wrap slightly around again.
2. Repeat the same thing for rows two and three, moving down the bag. You can make this pencil case as shallow or deep as you would like.
3. When you have reached the depth you want, cut off the bottom of the plastic bag that is still sticking out.
5. Your final row will go beyond the new bottom of the bag. Cut the final row of tape, leaving about ½ inch to create a sealed bottom.
6. Now, decorate with more duct tape or washi tape around the sides, bottom, front and back!
BACK-TOSCHOOL BLAST
SUPPLIES | SPORTS | SCHOOL BUS | FRIENDS
LUNCH | TEACHER | MATH LESSON | PRINCIPAL
BICYCLE | SNACKS | STUDY | FRUIT | LIBRARIAN
HOMEWORK | VEGETABLE | STUDENT
BOOMERANG BOOKSHELF
THINK IT OUT: HOW TO PLAN AHEAD
SLOANE HUGHES
A SMART GIRL’S GUIDE: GETTING IT TOGETHER: HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR SPACE, YOUR STUFF, YOUR TIME, AND YOUR LIFE
ERIN FALLIGANT
GERMY SCIENCE: THE SICK TRUTH ABOUT GETTING SICK (AND STAYING HEALTHY)
EDWARD KAY
DA SCHOOL LIKE MINE: A UNIQUE CELEBRATION OF SCHOOLS AROUND THE WORLD
DK PUBLISHING
GROWING FRIENDSHIPS: A KID’S GUIDE TO MAKING AND KEEPING FRIENDS
EILEEN KENNEDY-MOORE
ARE YOU WHAT YOU EAT?
DK PUBLISHING
SAVE ME A SEAT
SARAH WEEKS AND GITA VARADARAJAN
Can you find all of the following items hidden around the classroom?
Try setting a timer to see how fast you can find them all!
Become the healthiest generation ever!
When you know more about your health and how to take care of it, you can be more, do more and have more fun — starting now!
