What is self-awareness and why is it important for preschool children? Experts define it as "a cognitive process requiring integration of information from both external reality and inner experience;" "the capacity to perceive the self in relatively objective terms whilst maintaining a sense of subjectivity;" "an acknowledgement of one's strengths and limitations;" "a unique type of consciousness which is not always present;" or "a mental picture we have developed about ourselves." Spiritualists will call it "a virtue," "a journey towards self-discovery." Regardless of how one defines it, self-awareness, or "insight," is essential for social communication and competence. 

Building self-awareness is a crucial but not an easy process for young children. "They are [just] beginning to understand things about themselves that are unique to them... They are learning things about themselves and beginning to compare themselves to others," explain Carol Seefeldt and Barbara A. Wasik, experts in early childhood education. Parents are usually great in helping their children develop the concept of "physical self" through activities that encourage body self-awareness. We teach children to point to their body parts in front of a mirror, we play Simon Says, and we love to sing (and perform) Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes with them. Developing children’s perceptions of their bodies is vital to their development and cannot be underestimated. Practicing self-reflection is of equal importance but it is often overlooked. It is certainly not an easy task to teach children about feelings, beliefs, characteristics, natural inclinations and tendencies. After all, even adults have a hard time understanding the concept of "whole self," determined both by physical appearance and inner personality.

There are many children's books that can help the young ones explore their "selves." Quick as a Cricket has to be one of my favorites. After reading it with Dominik and Filip several times, I asked the boys to tell me how they perceive themselves through the lens of the main character (using less complicated language, of course :). To do so, we went through the book page by page and I listed the boys' self-descriptions after each statement. It was an insightful but also fun-filled exercise. At some points we laughed quite hard, for example when Filip stated that he was "as mean as a fossil" or "as cold as a toothbrush!" At other points, it was somewhat surprising to learn what's on their minds. For example, I did not know that Dominik had been concerned about "bad guys who trap animals in cages." I also did not know that Sponge Bob was brave; in fact, we hardly ever watch that cartoon!  

Try this activity with your child. It is quite fascinating to hear what they have to say!

My children and I LOVE fresh strawberries. In fact, I will eat them in any shape and form: in jams, cakes, salads, smoothies, and sandwiches - you name it. Two days ago, for example, I mixed fresh strawberries with vanilla yogurt and ate them with leftover noodles - yum!  As experts at the World's Healthiest Foods point out, "the fragrantly sweet juiciness and deep red color of strawberries can brighten up both the taste and aesthetics of any meal." So true!

Regretfully, our plan to go strawberry picking this year fell through, but we enjoy them pretty much on a daily basis. When it comes to berries, I always try to select the organic kind. They not only taste better; they are proved to be much healthier.  

According to the Environmental Working Group's 2012 report "Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce," cited by the World's Healthiest Foods, strawberries are among the 12 foods on which pesticide residues have been most frequently found. Additional research in 2011 has also shown non-organically grown strawberries to contain a high number of pesticide residues, including residues from 14 different pesticides. Otherwise, strawberries are super healthy: they are loaded with vitamin C, folate, fiber, potassium, and are exceptional as a source of antioxidants.  

When Audrey and Don Woods were announced as featured authors / illustrators for the Virtual Book Club for Kids, I could not resit purchasing The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear. In this lovely book, first published in 1984, the resolute little mouse finds a delicious strawberry and does everything in her power to save it from the big, hungry bear. The Little Mouse... is a beautifully illustrated, suspenseful, and highly entertaining story, which skillfully discusses the idea of sharing and cleverly introduces basic math concepts: at the end of the book the little mouse cuts the strawberry in half and shares it with the reader. 

We did not do any exceptionally creative activities associated with the book, but sometimes even simple tasks turn out to be a lot of educational fun. What is great about strawberries is that they are soft and can be easily cut with a plastic or a dull knife. And that's what we did. We pretended to be little mice, and we sliced our strawberries, counting the pieces and talking about division.   

When I announced it was time to eat the strawberries, Dominik run to his play area and gathered all the plush and puppet bears in sight. And just like that, our bears got their share of strawberries before we ate them...  

Here are some of my favorite (and easy) strawberry recipes.

Thank you so much for stopping by! If you enjoyed this post and would like to join the Smile Play Learn community, please follow us on Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest. We would be honored and very happy if you stayed connected! Please visit the following blogs for more Don & Audrey Wood - related activities. Happy reading and creating!