Activity: Being Different is A-okay!

Growing your child's social maturity is so important! It's not always easy to accept others at first glance. Opportunities that might ease feelings about people that are "different" can promote tolerance and understanding.

Materials:
Favorite age-appropriate biographies (See suggestions in "Directions" section below)

Directions:
Introduce your child to historical figures who have helped fight slavery and racism in America. Age-appropriate books about Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederick Douglas, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., can be found at local libraries and bookstores. Discuss what life was like for these great social reformers, how they made a difference for others, and why it is important for young minds to learn about them still today.

Take It Further: Share a story about yourself with your child. Then encourage your child to share a personal story with you. This is a great time to also express why you love each other and what qualities and character traits make each of you so unique.

With a Group: Enjoy any one of Clifford's television episodes with a group of friends. Then encourage each child to talk about how Clifford and his friends showed respect for each other, other's property, and how they managed to get through whatever challenge they faced in the story. Help children identify with ways that they might have handled themselves in the same situation. Finish by drawing a picture of Clifford and his friends.