Choose Joy
“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day!” – Henri Nouwen
From the desk of Leigh Ann . . .
Learning should be a joy-filled experience, but the demands of each school day can put a damper on things, so the joy vanishes as the stress builds. As the school year marches on, we need to make sure we take the time to insert a little joy into the hustle and bustle of each day.
About a month ago, one of my kindergartners brought in a riddle and asked if she could share it. The children all listened intently as she read and they eagerly worked to find its solution. Another child brought in a riddle the following day and the idea began to blossom. Now we share one riddle a day. This quick repartee builds speaking and listening skills, allows us to explore language, and creates a roomful of smiles.
Here are a few:
How do raindrops tie their shoes? – In rainbows
What did the left eye say to the right eye? – “Just between us, something really smells.”
What gets wetter the more it dries? – A towel
What has to be broken before you use it? – An egg
What goes up and never comes down? – Your age
What does a giraffe have that no other animal has? – Baby giraffes
This has inspired us to write some riddles of our own. Here is the rubric we use to create our riddles:
- Choose a noun. (person, place, or thing)
- Write 3 telling sentences that describe the noun.
- Write 1 question. (What am I?)
- Draw a picture of the answer.
- Fold the bottom of the paper up to cover your answer.
- Share your riddle with a friend.
You can find the template for our riddles here: Riddle Template
Have fun sharing and bring a little joy to the learning day!
What’s the longest word? Smiles – There is a mile between each “s”.
