The Red Bike

We had a great time last week at our second play group One Hen! We read the true story of Kojo and how a microloan led to a hen that changed the lives of a family, community, and country. We were able to take a trunkful of high-need supplies to Community Action House. I’m so thankful for all the families that have taken the time to come out to the park this summer. Above you can see a talented group of egg balancers!

So many sweet world changers.

We really hope to see you this coming Tuesday evening, June 30 at 6:00 pm. (Kollen Park, on the east side of the public bathrooms.)

We will be reading The Red Bicycle about the journey of one red bike!

If you are able please bring $1.00 for World Vision USA to purchase bicycles for girls needing safe transportation to school!

Bring along a scooter, bike, skateboard, stroller! Anything with wheels! We’ll be having a bike parade around the upper sidewalk loop of Kollen Park.

After our Make Difference Bike Parade come over for play stations! Bubbles, sidewalk chalk, sack races, world volleyball, hula hoops, and a bicycle craft.

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If the World Were a Village

Two and a half days of school left for us. After another year, I know how important it is to love- beyond what you feel, others response, the deepest challenges- you don’t let go. You refuse to break. Jesus asks it of us and we have a beautiful life when we can do our best to give that love others. A very beautiful life.

For the next five weeks it’ll be about Summer Serve Play Groups! I’ll share the upcoming play group details, and later in the week share photographs from our evening together. We begin next week, but I’ll start now and leave this one up a little longer.

 

Here is the post with printable PDFs for all the groups.

Join the Facebook Event Page here.

Do you have kids 10 and up that might like to serve by helping with a play station for the younger kids? Sign up here. 

 

We are so excited to meet you all and join together in community to learn and make a difference together! I’ve been waking in the early morning hours, which means a little bit of nervous and also a chance to pray for God to establish our work.

Our first group is June 16 at 6:00 pm at Kollen Park in Holland. (Parking in the Kollen Park lots and the streets surrounding.) If rains happens (don’t happen) I’ll let you know on the Facebook Event Page by 5:00 if we’ll go ahead or need to cancel.

We will be reading portions of If the World Were a Village from CitizenKid Books.

Here is a Printable PDF of If the World Were a Village group.

We will be welcoming the kids of ACTs to share art from the book! Our play stations will be a coloring page, bubbles, world volleyball, soccer, sidewalk chalk, and sack races.

 

We would love for families to contribute to our serve project supporting the local ministry of Holland Rescue Mission. The mission’s volunteer director shared these ideas. This is a great opportunity to talk to your kids about need in the community and how we can respond, while gathering supplies together. You can work together with another family to bring a donation too! Just bring it along and we will gather them all together for the mission.

Ideas for Kid Kits for the Holland Rescue Mission:

Rescue Mission Welcome Kit:

• travel size shampoo, soap, and lotion
• kids size toothpaste and toothbrush
• small comb
• small crayon pack and small pad of paper
• sippy cup, or kid-size cup with top and straw
• bedtime story book
• stuffed animal (beanie boo or beanie baby sized)
• Packaged in a bag
• Include a welcome card with each kit (hand-drawn picture)

Birthday Kit:

• Balloons
• Birthday Candles
• Cake Mix
• Frosting
• Gift Wrap
• Small Childrens Toy or Book
• Packaged into a bag

Stepping Stone Daycare and Rock Day Camp:

Snack Kit:

• Granola Bar
• Fruit Snack
• Pre-Packaged Cracker Pack (Goldfish, Cheez-Its)
• All Packaged together in a large sized Zip-Loc bag

Daycare Kit:

• Puffs Tissues
• WetOnes
• ColorWonder Paper and Marker Supplies

Email me with any questions! aboutproximity@gmail.com

For all those not in Holland, hold tight… my hope is for this to be a full resource for families and groups to use in the future. So thankful for all of you!

#TalkJustice: Clean Water

#TalkJustice: Clean Water  Last week we talked Hunger. Clean water is another great justice topic to start with for kids. They understand thirst. Beyond, thirst we can teach them that unclean water makes people sick. We can talk about water scarcity and how that affects everyone on the planet.

Whenever we talk to our kids about justice issues we can be positive, because there are so many ways we can help! Even though the topics can be heavy, we can make a difference, and that’s something to be excited about. Help your family go deeper:

• Do we use more than our share of water?
• Imagine using unclean water for laundry, showers, drinking, cleaning dishes.
• What dangers might occur trying to transport clean water to your home? Might it make you vulnerable? Would you have time to attend school?
• Without water could anything survive?
• More and more people face water scarcity. How could that affect everyone on the planet?
• If you had to walk thirty minutes to get clean water, how would you use water differently?

Kids Books About Clean Water: 

Clean Water for Elirose: by Ariah Fine 

A Long Walk to Water: by Linda Sue Parker

Ryan and Jimmy: by Herb Shoveller

One Well: by Rochelle Strauss

Mimi’s Village: by Katie Smith Milway

19 Ways to Take Action!

• Take the Can You Imagine quiz together from Ryan’s Well Foundation.
• Work through the 30 Ways to Conserve Water Worksheet from Ryan’s Well Foundation.
• Participate in World Water Day March 22
• Watch the video Water is our World. 
• Give a Birthday Gift of water through Water.org
• Watch numerous video from Water.org on their YouTube Channel
• Use Water.org curriculum PDFs in the home and classroom.
• Use the Water Project Lesson Plans for home or classroom.
• Challenge your family to take the Water Challenge. 
• Downloadable Kids Activity Booklets from Project Wet Water Education
• Use the H2O for Life STEM guide 
• Try the National Geographic Water Footprint Calculator together.
• Download a Prayer for Water Guide from Living Water International.
• 100 Ways to Use Your Water Wisely.
• Use the study guide Water Flows in Niger with World Renew for older children.
• Watch the Story of Bottle Water from the Story of Stuff.
• Watch What Clean Water means for Lusiya.
• View the Story of Water Photo Galleries from Blue Planet
• Learn more about Water Scarcity from The World Wildlife Federation

A Clean Water Twitter List to Follow.

Follow our About Proximity #TalkJustice Pinterest Board.

Introducing #TalkJustice Summer Serve Play Groups! Come over to our Facebook Event Page to learn more. We will be exploring topics and making a difference in community, using a series of books donated to us from CitizenKid. Hosted by About Proximity (that’s me) and my Mom, a public school family advocate for two decades.

I LOVE to hear from you! Did you try any hunger or clean water activities? What conversations came up in your family? 

Next Up: Education

Water

One Well: The Story of Water on Earth     By: Rochelle Strauss

One Well is a book from the Citizen Kid Series: A collection of books that inform children about the World and inspires them to be better global citizens.

With colorful paintings, author Rochelle Strauss tells the story of water on earth: all water is connected, water supports life, and some people in the world do not have clean water. This books is an excellent resource for families.

A Long Walk to Water     By: Linda Sue Park 

A Long Walk to Water is based on a true story. The book alternates between the story of Salva Dut and Nya. Salva’s story begins in 1985, at the age of eleven, when he is separated from his family in Sudan due to war. He traveled on foot for miles through war-torn areas, starvation, animal attacks, and disease. Arriving in Kenya, Salva led 150 boys to safety. Many of these boys were air-lifted to the United States. There he was able to learn English and attend college. The entire course of Salva’s story is extraordinary, but his choice to return home to Sudan to make a difference finds courage at its finest. Salva returned to Southern Sudan and created a foundation that digs deep water wells for areas that have never experienced clean water.

Nya’s story takes place in 2008 in Sudan. She must walk twice a day, on a two hour trek to gather water for her family. The story of Nya and Salva intersect with the establishment of his foundation.

A Long Walk to Water can be a powerful parent-child read for children fifth grade and up.

Practical Application: an excellent article on 100 ways to conserve water from Water- Use it Wisely. 

Read about other organizations that establish clean water globally.