a Healthy Future

d and copyrighted

permission of the

rt of a larger set of

 6 years old. The set

 Character Cards, an

music CD, Know Kit

ook. All of these

 help get your child

cations, contact the

ntal Health Services

l Clearinghouse for

mation at 1-800-729-

amhsa.gov.
Kit Cards. They 

ou boost your 

rengthen good 

p-start ways to 

alking now to help 

healthy influences 

6 categories: 

ard you will find a 

ally Bear and 

h you and your 

 answers to this 

ard, Talk About It

hat explore and ex- 

duced on the front 

gives simple activi- 

o indoors and out.

Important materials to have on hand: • Old magazines that can be cut up • Safety scissors • Glue

• Markers and paper • Odds and ends: buttons, yarn, cotton balls, scraps of cloth, etc.

How to use the cards:There is only one rule to this game: Listen and share.When to use the cards:Anytime is a good time, whenever you and your child have a few moments alone. The questions don’t have to take a lot of time to discuss and you can follow through with Try This at a later time.Tips: Pick a “My Feelings” card if your child is sad or hurt; or a “My Self” card to talk about all the wonderful things about him or her. Choose a “My Body” card if your child is not eating or sleeping well. Family issues, such as helping around the house, could call for a “My Family” card.

Talk About It:

Who can you tell? When do you

take medicine? What do you do

if a friend offers you some

medicine?

Try This:

Learn to recognize the poison

symbol. Help make “Don’t Touch”

symbols to place on child-proof latched cabinets.

Talk About It:

When do you brush your teeth?

What can you eat that will help

your teeth grow strong and

healthy? When did you get your

first tooth? How many teeth do

you have now?

Try This:

Make faces in the mirror to

show your healthy teeth and

gums. Draw or find and cut out

from magazines large, toothy

smiles and open mouths. Practice

brushing the paper teeth using an old toothbrush.

Talk About It:

What’s your favorite thing to do

outside? When do you play

outside? What do you do to get

ready for bed? When do you go

to sleep?

Try This:

On 2 large clock faces, 1 for

morning and 1 for night, label

times for sleep and play. Draw

pictures of yourself sleeping and yourself playing. Place the correct picture on your bedroom

door to show what you’re doing.

Talk About It:

What’s your favorite breakfast?

Lunch? Dinner? What are your

favorite foods for snacks? What

do you like to do to help in the

kitchen?

Try This:

Plan a menu and help shop for

the ingredients. Make a snack or part of a meal for the whole family.

Talk About It:

How do you feel when you wear

the hat Thurgood wears? How

would you feel if you put on the

_______________ hat? Are

there other hats you’d like to

wear? Tell me about them.

Try This:

Draw a picture of yourself and

dress it with hats cut from

magazines. Talk about each hat.

Talk About It:

Who is in your favorite story?

What’s your favorite part of the

story? Tell me why. Where do

you like to read best? When do

you like to read most?

Try This:

Go to the library and look

through picture books to find

ones that are like your favorite

stories. Check these out. Dress

up like your favorite character.

Act out the most exciting part of the story.

Talk About It:

Tell me how you do what you do

best. When do you do it? Do you

do it alone or with other people?

Try This:

Teach your friends or family

members how to do what you do

best. Show them step-by-step.

How can you help them learn to do it even better?

Talk About It:

What favorite clothes have you

outgrown? What used to be your

favorite toys? What new things

have you learned to do? Tell me

how you learned.

Try This:

Measure and record your height

and weight. Compare the

numbers on your next birthday.

Go through your clothes or toys

to find those that you no longer

use. Pack them away for a

younger brother, sister, cousin,

or friend.

Talk About It:

What does the dragon look like?

What would the dragon say to

you? What would you say to the

dragon? Does the dragon scare

you? Tell me more.

Try This:

Act like a dragon. Make a dragon

with cotton balls, like the clouds.

Add bits of paper, string, buttons, and other things found around the house.

Talk About It:

What makes you angry? Is it

okay to be angry? Tell me why.

What does “angry” feel like

inside of you? What do you look

like when you get angry? How do

you stop being angry?

Try This:

Make angry faces in the mirror.

Tell the story of “angry” to friends or family.

Talk About It:

Who makes you happy? How?

Who do you make happy? How?

What do you do when you’re

happy? How do others know

when you’re happy?

Try This:

Draw a picture of yourself happy. Tell someone a happy story.

Talk About It:

How do you feel when:

• Something you want to do is

easy?

• Something you want to do is

hard?

• Something you want to do

takes too long?

• Something you want to do

takes 2 people?

Try This:

Create ribbons or medals for

yourself and others to say “good

job” when you’ve learned

something new.

Talk About It:

What if the grownup in the

house can’t come to the

phone? What if the stranger

says she’s mommy’s friend?

What if the stranger asks you

questions about yourself and

your home?

Try This:

Role play telephone conversations with a grownup to

practice ways to answer the

phone and end a call.

Talk About It:

Where do you find animals?

What animals do you like most?

Do some animals scare you?

Try This:

Play “I’m an Animal”: Run like a

dog; leap like a cat; eat like a

squirrel; sing like a bird; wiggle

like a worm; creep like a spider.

What other animals can you be?

Take a walk with a grownup.

Write down all the animals you

see—dogs, cats, birds, insects,

spiders. How many different

animals do you see? What

animals do you see most?

Talk About It:

Where might you get separated

from a grownup? How can you

keep from losing the grownup

you’re with? What’s your full

name? What’s my full name? If

someone asked you what I

looked like, what would you say?

Name other people in your

family.

Try This:

Everywhere you go, point out the

people who could help you if you

were lost—store people, police

officers, teachers, mothers with

other children. Learn to

describe them and what they are wearing.

Talk About It:

What are some of the ways you

have fun indoors? What are your

favorite things to do outdoors?

Where do you like to play

outdoors?

Try This:

Pretend the TV is broken. Name

3 things you and your family

could do together. Try one.

Talk About It:

What do you do to help your

family? What would you like to

be big enough to do? How do

others help you?

Try This:

Draw pictures to show jobs you

do. Use crayons to mark each

time you’ve finished a job. Cut

out magazine pictures of the

tools your family uses in your

home—broom, dust cloth,

sponge, etc. Glue pictures on

refrigerator magnets. When a

job needs to be done, put the

magnet on the refrigerator.

Remove the magnet when the job is done.

Talk About It:

How many people are in your

family? Who lives in your home?

Name one special thing you like

to do with each family member.

Try This:

Group family pictures: brothers/

sisters, pictures with 3 people,

etc. What are people doing?

Arrange photos from oldest to

most recent. What changes can

you see? Glue copies of family

pictures onto cardboard. Draw

connected shapes on the back,

like puzzle pieces. Cut these out.

Then, ask your family to put the

puzzles together. How is your

family like a puzzle?

Talk About It:

What’s your favorite game to

play together? Where’s your

favorite place to go with your

family? What’s your favorite

thing to do at home with your

family?

Try This:

Go to an older family member

and say: “Tell me about a time

before I was born or when I was

just a baby.” Start a family

story about playing together.

The story doesn’t have to be

true. The first person starts the

story and says “and then....” The

next person adds to the story

and finishes with “and then....”

Talk About It:

What do you like best about

each person in your family? How

have you made someone in your

family happy? Have you ever

made someone in your family

mad? What did you do to

make up?

Try This:

Give a piece of paper to each of

the older people in your family.

Ask them to write 3 things they

like about you. Put these proud

words on your bedroom door.

Each day, make sure to do at

least 1 of these good things.

Draw pictures of ways you make

younger people in your

family happy.

Talk About It:

Who could help you get your toy

back? What would you say to

your friend? How could you

share your toy?

Try This:

Practice ways to talk to your

friends about sharing toys: “Can

we play with this toy together?”

“You can play with my toy later.”

Draw a picture of you and your

friend playing with one of your

favorite toys. Draw a picture of

yourself playing with your toy

alone. What do you like about each picture?

Talk About It:

Do you like to be the leader?

Who do you like to follow? What

do they do that you like? Would

you follow them anywhere?

Would you follow everybody?

Tell me why.

Try This:

Play “Simon Says.” Take turns

being Simon. Remember, don’t

move unless “Simon Says.” Play

“Follow the Leader.” Take turns

being the leader. Try a game of

“Repeat After Me.” Repeat what

someone says. Then, have the

person repeat what you say. Try to make it hard for them

to follow.

Talk About It:

Who are your friends? Where

do you play with them? How do

you play with them? What do

you like best about each of

them?

Try This:

Use pipe cleaners to make

different people shapes. Glue

the shapes to paper and tell

someone the story about how

the friends like to play together. Draw balls, toys, and other

things you like to play with

around the friend shapes. Use

paper, glitter, old buttons,

ribbons, etc., to make awards

for each of your friends.

Talk About It:

Do you ever talk to an imaginary

friend? If you did, what would

you talk about? What games

would you play with your

imaginary friend? Can you

introduce me to your imaginary

friend?

Try This:

Cut out different color shapes—

squares, rectangles, triangles,

and circles. Glue the shapes on a

large sheet of paper to build

your extraordinary, imaginary

friend. Now, make up stories about your friend.