Parents

Dear Parents,
I hope you enjoy reading Jumping Jenny with your children. The book has a number of underlying themes that lend themselves to all kinds of activities, both indoors and out. I wonder what strikes a chord with you and your kids. The themes that come to mind for me are: following one’s passion, that any child can make a difference in the world, the joy (and health) of physical activity, and the importance of helping others, even by doing something we love. The kids in the book also did a lot of creative activities to make the African fair a fun day for all. I have included a few suggestions for activities that you can do with your kids, but would love to share your ideas so I can post them for other parents as well. There is also a Fun Stuff section on the site with a Kid’s Page that includes coloring pages, dress-up dolls, word puzzles and lots more.
Thanks very much,
Ellen

Making a Difference: Family Bake Sale

February 22, 2011

Jenny’s class was focused on helping a school in Uganda that did not have what they needed. Jenny’s teacher mentions books and computers specifically. In reality, money that is sent to the school in Uganda also helps with essentials like fixing roofs so that they can harvest sorely needed rain water and lunch programs so children who are hungry can focus on their studies. Your school or community may already be engaged in some fundraising activities, but there are always people in need, whether it’s an ongoing situation in your own community or a disaster that has affected people many miles away.
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Get Active: Backyard Obstacle Course

February 20, 2011

Jumping Jenny celebrates the joy of movement. Moving is not only fun, but it has all kinds of positive health benefits too, from your heart to your weight to your emotional wellbeing. If you feel that as a family you’re not as active as you’d like to be, there are some simple things you can do to incorporate more physical activity into your everyday. Creating an obstacle course not only challenges your children physically, but also helps build attention and concentration.
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Trivia

February 19, 2011

Test your Knowledge about jumping and health. Have a grown-up print this out for you. When you’re finished with all the questions on paper, come back to this page.  Scroll to the bottom and click to find the answers… the …
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Exercise, Heart and Health: Online Resources

February 19, 2011

There are a plethora of websites that deal with health and exercise for children and adults. This is a small sampling…
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Art Project: African Magazine Beads

February 18, 2011

The book can inspire a host of art projects, from making African style masks to musical instruments to beads. The children in Jumping Jenny contributed to the fundraising fair in all different ways. One of the fun things that they did was make beaded jewelry. Uganda has a tradition of making beautiful beads out of magazines called Mzuri beads. These are fun to make with your children and with some advanced planning, you can even control the color schemes of the paper you use. It is also a great way to recycle your old magazines. Depending on the amount of time you have, and the age of your children, you might want to prepare some of the magazine strips in advance.
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