Doodling & Conversation Activity
Doodling & Conversation Activity
Hard things help us grow. Mindset matters! Doodle & learn about what Romans 8:28 says about learning through difficult times.
This activity is designed to create space for intentional conversation around what a growth mindset is and how it can help kids take on challenges and work through struggles.
SHARE & PRACTICE THE CATCHPHRASE /// A catchphrase is a concept students can easily remember. It helps them catch onto a big idea to positively impact the way they think and act, and then they can toss it out for others to catch onto too!
THIS WEEK’S FRIENDZY CATCHPHRASE /// Hard Things Help Us Grow
Mindset matters! People with a growth mindset have a different perspective on life’s challenges. They want to know how they can learn and grow from their experiences, and they understand that intelligence and talent can be developed if effort and willingness are applied. In this season we can practice a growth mindset at home together!
God is in the process of growing us. He works in our successes and failures. The Apostle Paul reminds us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28).
START DOODLING /// Print out these doodle cards for your child to color and decorate it. Hang it in your front window as a way to spread the encouragement to neighbors or delivery people that pass by.
READ WHILE DOOSLING /// Aesop’s Fable: The Tortoise & The Hare
There once was a speedy hare who bragged about how fast he could run. Tired of hearing him boast, Slow and Steady, the tortoise, challenged him to a race. All the animals in the forest gathered to watch.
Hare ran down the road for a while and then paused to rest. He looked back at Slow and Steady and cried out, “How do you expect to win this race when you are walking along at your slow, slow pace?”
Hare stretched himself out alongside the road and fell asleep, thinking, “There is plenty of time to relax.”
Slow and Steady walked and walked. He never, ever stopped until he came to the finish line.
The animals who were watching cheered so loudly for Tortoise, they woke up Hare.
Hare stretched and yawned and began to run again, but it was too late. Tortoise was over the line.
After that, Hare always reminded himself, “Don't brag about your lightning pace, for Slow and Steady won the race!”
CONVERSATION ///
Why do you think the hare thought he could win the race?
The hare believed he could win because of his talents, he did not think he had to work at winning. This is called a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset is when you think your intelligence, talents and abilities are fixed and won’t change.
Why do you think the turtle did not give up?
He believed he could win the race and was willing to try. This is called a growth mindset which means you believe your intelligence, talents and abilities can improve with effort.
Are you more like the turtle or the rabbit?
How do you feel when you fail? Why? How can you practice looking at failures as opportunities to get stronger?
Read Romans 8:28. If God works in “all things,” does that mean He works in our failures too?
DOODLING CAN LOWER OUR STRESS LEVELS /// When we doodle and color, our brains actually relax. Psychologist Gloria Martinez Ayala noticed that when we color we activate both sides or our brain hemispheres. This type of dual brain function is a great way to manage stress. Ayala also clarified that the process of doodling incorporates the areas of the cerebral cortex involved in vision and fine motor skills. The brain “relaxation” that it provides lowers the activity of the amygdala, a basic part of our brain involved in controlling emotion that is affected by stress. Our bodies benefit from coloring and doodling.