Posts Tagged ‘life skills’

Willie and Nellie Learn About Hiking

Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014

Coach Campbell is in the “Can Do” Center equipment closet, working on some things that Willie and Nellie do not recognize.

Hey Coach, what’s up…what-cha’ got there?

Oh, hey guys, this…this is my hiking gear.

Huh? Hiking gear – what is that?!?

It is what I take with me, what I wear, when I go out hiking in the woods. I was hiking this past weekend, and I am just cleaning it up a bit so it stays in good shape. I also want to make sure it is “good to go” when I hit the trails again this weekend for National Trails Day.

Hiking, you mean like walking around? Isn’t that…boring?

Well, not to me it isn’t. Yes, it is walking. But, there is so much to see, and hear, that is far from boring. Plus, it is nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, to go somewhere and be able to hear birds sing, and be able to hear the breeze rustle the leaves of a forest and to smell the clean, cool greenness of the air.

Sounds nice. Can anybody do it? I mean, can we do it?

You bet anyone can do it. That is one of the things that make hiking so great; you can start out young and do it for the rest of your life. It is timeless and ageless.

Cool, so what kind of stuff do you have in your “hiking gear”?

Well, let’s see. I have a first aid kit, some bug-spray and sun-block too. I also make sure I have two big bottles of water with me, especially since I am carrying water for both me and Delmar.

Delmar goes with you?!?!

Of course he does. He’s my hiking buddy.

Oh wow! Does he have fun?

He has a blast! He loves it.

How does he drink this water though? I mean, dogs can’t drink out of a bottle, can they?

Sure can’t, not without spilling about half the bottle anyway. No, Delmar has a little collapsible bowl I carry with me that he drinks out of.

Now, let’s see. Oh yeah, I also have a compass. I don’t really need that when I am hiking local parks, but when I go upstate and get out on some long day hike trails, the compass is important to have with me, along with the trail maps too. Last thing you want to do it to get lost, so making sure you know where you are on the trail is very important.

You know how to use a compass? You can read a map? Why not just GPS, like in a car?

Sure can, learned how to use a compass and read a map when I was in the Army. It is not that hard, and sometimes GPS doesn’t work, so you need to be able to take care of yourself without technology, just to be safe.

Cool, you think you can teach us? Yeah, you think we could go on a hike with you?

Well, sure. Why not. We will start out easy, with a walk through a local park one nice afternoon. Of course, we will have to have your parents/grandparents permission first, but I would love to take you guys out.

Even me Coach – says Nellie….

Yes, even you Nellie. Hiking is totally OK for both boys AND girls. No problems there at all.

COOL!! Anything else in your hiking gear?

One last thing, a rain jacket and rain pants. Sometimes the weather can change real fast, and I might be a few miles from my truck, so the rain gear is important. Getting soaking wet is no fun.

What about Delmar, what does he do when it rains?

Well, he gets wet.

National Trails Day hiking

http://www.americanhiking.org/national-trails-day/

Story By:Ned Campbell, a coach and teacher in Brooklyn, NY. He is the voice of Coach Campbell in the “Can Do” Street programs.

Parent Note: Coach Campbell has a post for parents on this same subject at http://candostreet.com/blog-parents/

Pocket

Tags: Can Do Kids, comfortable shoes, compass, Good Choices, hiking, hiking gear, hiking trails, life skills, Nellie, rain hat, rain pants, water, Willie
Posted in Hiking | No Comments »

Maria Needs to Listen Better

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

Sometimes Maria doesn’t listen carefully when her parents, grandma, teachers and friends speak with her.

When Maria doesn’t listen, she makes mistakes. Sometimes she misses out on fun; sometimes she makes others miss out on fun.

Last week, Maria was invited to join Kathy, Annie, and their grandma, Grandma Maureen, for the new movie opening at the “Can Do” Theater on Saturday. When Kathy invited her, she said, “Maria, we will meet you in front of the theater at 2 PM. The movie starts at 2:15 PM. Be sure to ask your mom if you can come and call me and let me know.”

Maria was so excited about being invited to the movies, that she only half listened to Kathy’s directions. When Maria got home, she asked her mom if she could go to the movies on Saturday. Her mom said yes and she called Kathy and gave her the good news.

When Saturday came, Maria reminded her mom that she needed a ride. She needed to meet Kathy and Annie and Grandma Maureen at 2PM. When they got in the car, Maria’s mom asked where Maria needed to meet everyone. Maria thought a minute. She wasn’t quite sure, but she told her mom they were meeting at Grandma Maureen’s house.

When they got to Grandma Maureen’s, Maria’s mom waited in the car while Maria went up to the house and rang the bell. Grandpa John answered and looked surprised to see Maria. “Why Maria, you are supposed to meet Grandma Maureen and the girls in front of the movie theater. It’s 2 PM now, and the movie starts at 2:15 PM. You are going to make everyone miss the opening of the movie. You better hurry. I will call Grandma Maureen on her cell phone and tell her you are on your way”

Maria ran back to the car and told her mom that she got the directions wrong. They drove to the theater and saw Grandma Maureen and the girls waiting for them.

As Maria kissed her mom goodbye, her mom told her they would have a talk about taking directions when she got home from the movies.

Maria ran up to everyone and apologized for being late. Kathy turned to her and said,”Maria, if you made us miss the opening of the movie, because you didn’t listen to my directions, I am going to be so mad at you!”

When they got into the movies, the coming attractions of other movies were still being shown. Lucky for Maria that she didn’t make everyone late for the opening scene of the movie they came to see.

When Maria got home, her mom sat her down and they went over what had happened that day because Maria hadn’t listened to directions. Her mom said,”To understand what people are telling you to do, you have to be a good listener. You must listen carefully to directions if you hope to remember them and use them successfully.”

Then Maria’s mom gave her these hints on being a careful listener:

Don’t talk when you are supposed to be listening. Your ears work best when your mouth is closed
Look at the person giving you directions. When your eyes and ears work together, it is easier to understand things.
If you don’t understand what is being said to you, ask questions. It’s better to ask when being given directions than make a mistake later.

Maria listened carefully to her mom. She promised to practice careful listening and use the tips her mom gave her about listening to directions.

Pocket

Tags: Can Do Kids, directions, Good Choices, life skills, listen, listening, Maria, movie, movie theater, paying attention
Posted in listen | No Comments »

Telling the Truth

Saturday, April 5th, 2014

Miss Pat couldn’t help but overhear one of the Can Dos saying something that wasn’t true. That was the second time this week that she had heard one of her students not tell the truth.

She thought to herself…time to tell a story about what can happen if you come to be known as a kid who doesn’t tell the truth.

“Please take your seats class, said Miss Pat. I want to tell you a story and then I am going to ask you to write a paragraph about what you learned from the story.”

The Can Dos took their seats and Miss Pat began her story.

“There once was a boy, the same age as all of you, who had a problem. His name was Jimmy and he didn’t always tell the truth.

Sometimes Jimmy told stories about his adventures with monsters and such.

If he knocked something over or dropped something, he never took the blame. He always said someone else did it, or bumped into him and made him do it.

Jimmy’s friends stopped believing what he said because they couldn’t tell when he was telling the truth or when he was making things up, exaggerating, or just plain lying. Then they stopped playing with him.

One day, Jimmy made a mistake in class and his teacher asked him to tell the true story of what happened. Jimmy told the teacher what happened, not what he wished or wanted to have happened, but what really happened.

Then his teacher smiled at him and said, “Sometimes it’s good to use our imagination, but most times people want to hear what really happened. It is important to tell the truth.”

From then on, Jimmy told the truth, no matter how hard it was to take the blame for something he did, or didn’t do. Every time he told the truth, he felt better about himself.

Soon his friends began to trust him again, and included him in games and activities.”

Miss Pat looked around the room and saw that a few of the Can Dos had faces that were red, and a few others looked a little worried. “Class,” she said, “please write a paragraph about what you learned from the story I just shared with you.”

The room got quiet as the “Can Dos’ began writing. When all the papers were in, Miss Pat allowed the Can Dos to color, while she read their paragraphs. Miss Pat was pleased to see that the class got the message of the story…it is always better to tell the truth.

What about you, boys and girls? Do you think it is always better to tell the truth?

Pocket

Tags: Can Do Kids, exaggerating, Good Choices, life skills, lying, miss pat, t, teacher pat, truth
Posted in telling the truth | No Comments »

Grandma Hattie Helpers

Monday, March 24th, 2014

Willie and Nellie knew there was something wrong when Grandpa Dooley met them at the door. “Willie, Nellie, Grandma Hattie fell and sprained her ankle today.

She is resting in the living room,” said their grandpa. “Nellie asked,”Is she going to be okay?” Grandpa nodded ad led them into the living room.

There was Grandma Hattie, her foot propped up on a cushion, with her ankle wrapped. Nellie and Willie were careful not to touch her ankle when they hugged her.

Grandpa asked Willie and Nellie to sit down as he needed to talk with them about how they were going to have to be Grandma Hattie helpers until her ankle was better and she could walk on it again. Grandpa reminded them that he had to drive the school bus every morning and teach a music class in the afternoon. He would be out when they were getting ready for school, and would be out when they got home from school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Willie and Nellie looked unsure, but nodded in agreement. Willie said, “I’m supposed to got to Orrie’s for a play date tomorrow. Can I still go?” Grandpa shook his head no, and told Willie he was needed around the house. Grandpa suggested that Willie call Orrie and explain why he couldn’t come over the next day.

After Willie called Orrie, grandpa sat with him and Nellie and went over their helper chores while Grandma Hattie couldn’t walk. There were beds to be made, breakfast dishes to be done, waste paper baskets and trash to be emptied, the table set and cleared and the laundry folded and put away. Willie’s eyes got bigger and bigger with each chore grandpa named. “Wow,” he said,” that’s a lot. What are you going to be doing grandpa?” Grandpa Dooley chuckled and said,”I will clean the house, wash your clothes, iron your clothes, cook the meals, do the grocery shopping and take care of grandma.” Willie answered,”I never realized how much grandma did around here!”

As they were talking, the doorbell rang. There stood Grandma Maureen, a dinner casserole in one hand and a list in the other. In she marched, checked out Grandma Hattie, sat down and began to read from the Grandma Hattie Helpers list.

Grandma Frances, Grandma Sue and some of the ladies from the senior group would drop off dinner meals each night. Grandma Maureen would do the ironing once a week, and look in on grandma each morning when grandpa was driving the school bus and Willie and Nellie had left for school.

Some of the “Can Do Kids, who live nearby, signed up to help Willie and Nellie with their after school chores.

When Grandma Maureen finished reading from the list, Willie burst out saying,”Yeah for the Grandma Hattie helpers!”

Pocket

Tags: Can Do Kids, chores, friends, Good Choices, Grandma Hattie, helpers, life skills, Nellie, Wille
Posted in Grandma Hattie | No Comments »

The Junior Fire Marshall Quiz by the US Fire Administration

Saturday, March 1st, 2014

Be a Junior Fire Marshall! Be safe and help your family be safe from home fires. Ask a family member to help you take this quiz from the US Fire Administration for Kids. Circle the right answer.

Quiz:

Smoke alarms need brand new batteries at least:
a. Once a month
b. Once a year
c. Once every two years
d. Once every ten years

When escaping from a fire:
a. Take time to find your favorite toys
and pets.
b. Get out fast.
c. Hide.
d. Call 9-1-1.

Heaters are hot so be sure to:
a. Ask an adult to turn them on and off for you.
b. Turn them on and off yourself.
c. Leave them on all the time.
d. Place wet clothes to dry over them.

A working smoke alarm can warn you early to escape
when a _____ happens.
a. Fire
b. Thunderstorm
c. Flood
d. Earthquake

You should plan to have __________ escape routes
from each room in your home.
a. Zero
b. One
c. Two
d. Three

Electricity can be very dangerous. Never play with:
a. A pocket video game
b. A television remote control
c. Electrical cords, outlets or wall sockets
d. A flashlight

Smoke alarm batteries need to be __________
once a month to make sure they are working.
a. Cleaned
b. Shined
c. Disconnected
d. Tested

Call 9-1-1 or the fire department only if:
a. You need a ride home from school
b. There is a scary thunderstorm
c. There is an emergency
d. You have a question about fire safety

Only ______ can use fire safely.
a. Kids
b. Kids and adults
c. Teenagers
d. Adults

If you see matches or lighters in a room:
a. throw them away
b. tell a grown-up right away
c. hide them
d. pick them up

The Junior Fire marshal quiz
answers: 1) b 2) b 3) a 4) a 5) c 6) c 7) d 8) c 9) d 10) b

Be sue to check out the US Fire Administration for kids at www.usfa.dhs.gov/kids/html/marshal/

Pocket

Tags: Can Do Kids, Good Choices, home fire safety, Junior Fire Marshall, life skills, preventing a home fire, US Fire Administration for Kids
Posted in Be Safe | No Comments »

Posts Tagged ‘life skills’

Willie and Nellie Learn About Hiking

Oh, hey guys, this…this is my hiking gear.

Cool, so what kind of stuff do you have in your “hiking gear”?

Maria Needs to Listen Better

Sometimes Maria doesn’t listen carefully when her parents, grandma, teachers and friends speak with her.

Then Maria’s mom gave her these hints on being a careful listener:

Don’t talk when you are supposed to be listening. Your ears work best when your mouth is closed

Look at the person giving you directions. When your eyes and ears work together, it is easier to understand things.

If you don’t understand what is being said to you, ask questions. It’s better to ask when being given directions than make a mistake later.

Telling the Truth

Miss Pat couldn’t help but overhear one of the Can Dos saying something that wasn’t true. That was the second time this week that she had heard one of her students not tell the truth.

“There once was a boy, the same age as all of you, who had a problem. His name was Jimmy and he didn’t always tell the truth.

The room got quiet as the “Can Dos’ began writing. When all the papers were in, Miss Pat allowed the Can Dos to color, while she read their paragraphs. Miss Pat was pleased to see that the class got the message of the story…it is always better to tell the truth.

Grandma Hattie Helpers

Willie and Nellie knew there was something wrong when Grandpa Dooley met them at the door. “Willie, Nellie, Grandma Hattie fell and sprained her ankle today.

As they were talking, the doorbell rang. There stood Grandma Maureen, a dinner casserole in one hand and a list in the other. In she marched, checked out Grandma Hattie, sat down and began to read from the Grandma Hattie Helpers list.

When Grandma Maureen finished reading from the list, Willie burst out saying,”Yeah for the Grandma Hattie helpers!”

The Junior Fire Marshall Quiz by the US Fire Administration

In This Blog

Pages

Older Posts