Bucket Hat
This activity is designed to help children recognize and understand that everyone has a bucket. It helps them to focus on others instead of themselves. It is easy to fill our friend's bucket, but what about a person we don't often play with or know very well? What if we get a new student in the classroom?
For Younger Students
Materials:
Construction paper long enough to fit around a student's head (roughly 23" long x 5 " high)
The pattern for the bucket (see below)
Markers, glitter, crayons, or paint to decorate construction paper and bucket
Activity:
Play the song, "Everybody Here Has a Bucket".
Give each student long construction paper and have them draw stars and hearts to decorate on the one side. Remind them that they are making hearts and stars because they are the symbols used for filling a bucket.
Give each student a copy of the pattern for the bucket and have them fill the bucket with hearts and stars. Then have them write thier name on their bucket. *See below for more ideas about name writing.
Glue bucket in the middle of the long construction paper. Wrap the long construction paper around the student's head so it fits snug and staple the two ends together (just like making a birthday crown).
Students wear their crown with attached bucket for the day so that others may see their bucket and yet they are not looking at their own bucket that is on their head.
While students are still wearing their bucket crowns, play the song again and teach students the motions to go along with the songs.
*Have students write their name on their bucket with glow in the dark paint. Hold the painted name under a lamp light for about 30 seconds to a minute. Once everyone is wearing their bucket crown, play the song, "Everybody Here Has a Bucket" and when the second line is sung, "Everybody's bucket shines bright", switch the light off so that their names glow and continue to play the song. You can do the motions to the song during this time.
For Older Students
Materials:
Have student's bring in a cloth headband (sweatband).
Tongue depressors
The pattern for the bucket (see below)
Tape
Activity:
Play the song, "Everybody Here Has A Bucket".
Have each student pick or draw a name from a class list. It should not be their name.
Give each student the pattern for the bucket.
Using glitter, markers, etc., decorate the bucket filling it with hearts and stars. Then write the student's name that they were assigned on the bucket.
Underneath that person's name they should write a word or a few words that describes that person. Examples: "always happy" "caring" "kind' "strong artist" excellent mathematician" "helpful"
Tape the bucket to the top of a tongue depressor.
Have all students put their headbands on.
Each student should then slip the tongue depressor with the bucket into the headband of the student whose name they were assigned, without that student seeing what was written about him/her.
Every student must then guess what was written about them by going around and asking other students for clues. When giving clues you cannot say the word or words that are written on the bucket. Describe the word without saying the word. Two things are happening, the students are trying to find out what was written on the bucket about them and they must think of clues for the other students around them. It is nice to find out what other people think of you and fun to help out your friends.
