Dhruva - The Montessori School

Effective Parenting Program an initiative by
Dhruva The Montessori School

Games for kids #03

Button, Button, Who’s Got the Button?:

Played inside or outside, the group sits or stands in a circle and holds their hands together in front of them. One person takes the button and goes around the circle, pretending to put the button in someone else’s hands. They actually deposit the button in one person’s hands, but then continue the rest of the way around the circle, pretending to put it in everyone else’s hands. Then going around the circle, each player tries to guess who has the button now. Before each person’s guess, the group asks together, “Button, button, who’s got the button?” Then the player can state their guess. Once the player with the button is finally guessed, that person distributes the button during the next round. Because a button is used in this game, be sure that all the kids playing are old enough so as to not choke on the button. In another version of this game (and the one that I am more familiar with), one child stands in the middle of the circle, and the button gets passed around the backs of the rest of the group. Those without the button pretend to pass it. When the passing stops, the player in the middle has to guess as to who actually has the button.
Number of Players: Any size group.
Equipment: A button.

Bed time story #04

The Boy who cried Wolf

Once there was a shepherd boy who had to look after a flock of sheep. One day, he felt bored and decided to play a trick on the villagers. He shouted, “Help! Wolf! Wolf!”
The villagers heard his cries and rushed out of the village to help the shepherd boy. When they reached him, they asked, “Where is the wolf?” The shepherd boy laughed loudly, “Ha, Ha, Ha! I fooled all of you.
I was only playing a trick on you.”
A few days later, the shepherd boy played this trick again.
Again he cried, “Help! Help! Wolf! Wolf!” Again, the villagers rushed up the hill to help him and again they found that boy had tricked them. They were very angry with him for being so naughty.
Then, some time later, a wolf went into the field. The wolf attacked one sheep, and then another and another. The shepherd boy ran towards the village shouting, “Help! Help! Wolf! Help! Somebody!”
The villagers heard his cries but they laughed because they thought it was another trick. The boy ran to the nearest villager and said, “A wolf is attacking the sheep. I lied before, but this time it is true!”
Finally, the villagers went to look. It was true. They could see the wolf running away and many dead sheep lying on the grass.
Moral:
We may not believe someone who often tells lies, even when he tells the truth.

Games for kids #02

Hopscotch: Use some sidewalk chalk and make a hopscotch grid. Number the squares from one to nine. Pick a rock that is good for tossing. Small ones can bounce too much, and larger ones are hard to throw. Start by tossing the rock onto Square 1. Hop over the rock and hop with a single foot or both feet (to follow the hopscotch pattern) all the way to the end. Turn around and come back, stopping on Square 2. Balancing on one foot, pick up the rock in Square 1 and hop over Square 1 to the start. Continue this pattern with Square 2. And so on. If you toss your rock and miss the correct square, your turn is over. This game can be played with any number of people, but only one person can go at a time.

Bed time story #03

A Lesson to the Greedy

Krishnadevaraya's mother was a very orthodox woman. She had visited many holy places and had performed religious rites; she had given much in charity. Once she wanted to give fruit in charity and informed so to her son. Krishnadevaraya who had great respect for his mother immediately got delicious mangoes from Ratnagiri. But on the auspicious day when she was to present those fruits to Brahmins, the king's mother died.
The religious rites connected with her death went on for several days. Meanwhile, the king called a few Brahmins and said, "My mother's last wish was to offer mangoes to Brahmins. But she died before the wish could be fulfilled. What should I do now that she might earn the merit for giving away the fruits?" The greedy Brahmins replied: "Your Highness, only if you offer mangoes made of gold to Brahmins will your mother's soul rest in peace."
Ramakrishna came to know of this. The next day he went to the houses of those Brahmins, and asked them to come to his house next to perform his mother's ceremony.

The Brahmins came to Ramakrishna's house after receiving the gold mangoes from the king. Ramakrishna's servants closed all the doors of the house. They brought red-hot iron bars and stood before the Brahmins. The Brahmins were taken aback. Then Ramakrishna told them that his mother had knee pains and as remedy wanted Ramakrishna to burn her with red hot rods. But she died before he could do it. So he now wanted to execute her wish. When the Brahmins said he was unjust towards them, Ramakrishna says there is nothing unjust because they had just taken golden mangoes from the king.
Then the Brahmins understood their folly and left the golden mangoes at Ramakrishna's house and left.

Later when Krishnadevaraya asked Ramakrishna why he had behaved like that with the Brahmins, Ramakrishna said the palace treasury should not be exploited by these selfish people. It is not there to feed lazy follows. It is there to serve the people.

Bed time story #02

THE CABIN BY THE LAKE
Ananya, Karthi, Kavya and Krishna were camping out with their parents. They would be living in the cabin by the lake for three days and the children were very excited.
When they got to the lake, they gazed in wonder at the water sparkling in the sun, at the bright blue sky and the trees standing along the lake. The cabin stood a little distance away, sitting right in the middle of the trees. It was made of wood and looked just right, almost like a part of nature.
While their parents unloaded the cars and started unpacking, the children ran down to the water.
“Be careful, children, don't get into the water until we come.”€ The two mothers shouted together.
“We won't.” They replied and stopped at the water’s edge. They saw a swan and her babies swim to the other side of the lake, they saw a kingfisher dive in and scoop up a fish, and in the distance they saw a deer come to the water and drink thirstily.
Once their parents joined them they were allowed into the water and swam happily for a long time, until hungry and tired.
Their rooms were tiny but their beds were very comfortable and the children slept peacefully through the night.
They woke to the sound of birds chirping loudly and ran to the window to look out. Birds of all shapes and sizes flew around busily looking for their breakfast. The sun was peeping over the trees and Ananya and Karthi saw their parents walking along the lake side.
“Mummy, daddy, wait, we’re coming too,”€ they yelled, and all four scrambled into their clothes and ran outside.
Kavya and Krishna’s parents sat in two comfortable chairs outside, but when the children joined them, they too walked down to the lake with them.
The children were happy during their holiday, and made their parents promise that they would return next year too, to the cabin by the lake.

Games for kids #01

Kick the Can: This game is a variation of tag and hide & seek. One person or a team of people are designated as “it” and a can is placed in the middle of the playing area. The other people run off and hide while the “it” covers his or her eyes and counts to a certain number. “It” then tries to find everyone. If a person is tagged by “it”, they go into a holding pen for captured players. If one of the un-captured players manages to kick the can, the captured players are released. The game is over once all the non-”it” players are in the holding pen.
Number of Players: Ideally at least three.
Equipment: A metal can.

Bed time story #01

The witty Tenali Raman was now known to all as King Krishna deva Raya's favourite courtier and was also now known to be a wealthy man as he received lot of valuable gifts from the king. This made Tenali Raman an easy target for thieves.

One summer night , when Tenali Raman and his wife were relaxing in their courtyard, his sharp eyes caught a movement in the leaves in his garden. There was not even a faint breeze ,so Raman presumed that there were intruders in his house. He was right - a couple of thieves were hiding there.

" My dear," said Raman quite loudly to his wife , "I've heard that far too many robberies are taking place in our neighbourhood. So let's hide our jewels in the well."

A little later , Raman and his wife came out lugging a heavy box, and dropped it into the well. It fell with a mighty splash. They went back in to the house , as if to sleep.

The thieves waited for a while and stealthily began to draw water from the well.They hoped to empty the well and get the treasure.The whole night , the two thieves drew water and poured it out as quietly as they could. They got the trunk out and to their dismay found huge stones inside them. By morning they were completely exhausted and very miserable knowing that they were outsmarted by the witty Raman.

Tenali Raman came out in the morning and saw the thieves.

"Thank you for watering my garden . You have saved me a lot of trouble," he called out.

The two men begged Tenali Raman for forgiveness and hobbled away as fast as they could.

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