Our Final Buddy Project

Our final get together with our grade 6/7 big buddies was last week

and we designed our own puzzle.

I picked up the puzzle at a thrift store and taped it together on the picture side

so it could be numbered and moved easily from classroom to classroom.

The tape was removed when we were ready to start.

We decided to do the puzzle about the alphabet

so each buddy pair was given one piece with the letter written on the back.

They coloured the piece anyway they wanted.

Then they used a sharpie to print their letter on the piece.

So many pieces!

There are 26 for each letter of the alphabet plus pieces that make up the border.

It was a challenge putting it together since the pictures 

didn't give us clues.

But we worked on it for a bit and got a few pieces together.

Then we had to leave for our big buddies to finish.

It has now been re-taped and is hanging on a bulletin board in the hallway.

Ball Roll Painting

I was given this huge box and my first thought was marble painting.

But I thought, it's too big for our little ones to use

so we needed help from our big buddies.

After giving a bit of instruction, asking the big buddies to kneel so

they would be at the same level as their little buddy,

they enthusiastically started rolling.

Look at the concentration and focus on their faces.

They were encouraged to move the box up and down,

side to side.

Gripping the box and using their muscles to control where the ball will roll

was a new experience for some.

Getting a closer look at the ball then adding more paint

 then painting continued.

We also set up smaller boxes for one or two buddy pairs to try.

We used a variety of balls.

My favourite was this prickly ball and the design it left on the paper.

All done and time to take our art work inside

and get cleaned up.

It's great when we can share are buddy work with the whole school.

I snapped this photo of a group of big buddies enjoying the painting process.

Very cool!

Buddies' Riddles

Last week the big buddies created an activity for their little buddies.

Each of them were given an egg, a little animal and a card.

Their task was to think of four clues to describe their animal.

They wrote them out and numbered their card to match the number on the egg.

Ms. Smith, their teacher, checked to see if the big buddies could guess the clues.

When done we were ready to get together.

We met in the gym and after singing a song to warm up the buddy pairs

settled in all around the gym.

Each pair had an egg and the matching clues.

The big buddies read the clues while the little buddy tried to guess what was in the egg.

The big buddies read the clues and helped the little buddy guess.

They didn't rush, they encouraged and they had fun.

Then after guessing and opening the egg they put it altogether and moved to a new egg.

The little buddies showed great patience waiting to open the egg.

They listened, they focused and they guessed.

They were rewarded by playing with the toy with their big buddy.

I was impressed, as I'm always am, with how the big buddies 

help the little buddies feel comfortable.

This is a drop in program and most visits the big buddies have a new

little buddy which makes it very difficult 

to build relationships.

But they have learned wonderful skills that allow them to relate

with each new buddy they meet.

The parents and grandparents have been very impressed.