Everyone is Special!
Materials Needed:
- Picture book featuring diverse children playing (boys and girls, various activities)
- Pictures or small toys (e.g., doll, truck, ball, building blocks, crayons, stuffed animal)
- Large paper or construction paper
- Crayons or markers
- Optional: Simple song about friendship or being unique
Introduction (Let's Talk!):
"Hi! Today we're going to talk about something interesting: boys and girls! Have you noticed that people are different? Some have long hair, some have short hair. Some are tall, some are small. Boys and girls can look different sometimes, and they might like different things, but they also like a lot of the same things too! Everyone is special and unique, just like you!"
Story Time (Listen & Wonder):
"Let's read a story together!" Read a simple picture book that shows boys and girls playing happily, perhaps doing different activities or playing together. Pause to look at the pictures. "Look, what is this girl doing? She seems happy! What is this boy playing with? It looks like fun! See how they are both having a good time playing?" Ask simple questions about the characters and their actions/feelings.
Activity 1 (Sorting Fun - What Do You Think?):
Gather the pictures or toys. Show them one by one. "Here's a [toy name]. Who do you think might like to play with this? Maybe a boy? Maybe a girl? Maybe both? That's right! Anyone can play with a [toy name] if they think it's fun! Some boys like [toy name], and some girls like [toy name]. It's okay to like whatever toys you think are fun to play with!" Repeat with different items, emphasizing that preferences vary and are okay.
Activity 2 (Drawing Me!):
"Now it's your turn to be the artist! On this paper, can you draw a picture of YOU doing something you love to do? What is your favorite toy or game? Draw yourself playing!" After drawing, ask the child to tell you about their picture. "Wow, tell me about your drawing! What are you doing? Why do you like it? That looks like so much fun!"
Discussion (Friendly Chat):
"We saw in the book and talked about how boys and girls can play together and like lots of different things. Some boys like building, and some girls like building. Some girls like drawing, and some boys like drawing. Is it okay to be friends with boys AND girls? Yes! It's fun to have lots of different friends. The most important thing is to be kind and have fun together! Everyone is different, and that makes the world interesting!"
Wrap-up (Sing-along):
"We learned that everyone is special, and it's okay to like different things. Let's sing a little song about being friends!" (Optional: Sing a simple, familiar song like "The More We Get Together" or make up a simple one about being unique).
"Great job today exploring and learning!"