Back To The Family Dinner Table

Dr. Kenney launches her Back To The Family Dinner Table program, with local community teachers, encouraging families to sit down for dinner several nights per week and extend their dinner hour with family activities.

Monday Night is Discovery Night

Bring the “Discovery Box” to the dinner table. Place unique, familiar or fascinating objects in a box and allow each child to pull an object and talk about it. After dinner go on-line or take a trip to your local library to learn more about topics related to the things in your discovery box.

Tuesday Night is Reading Night

Prepare early readers, by bringing everyday objects to the table that have words or print on them, such as cereal boxes and other items in your cupboard. Play reading and guessing games using the printed materials. Play games with the words, making silly sentences, tongue twisters and fun stories.

Wednesday Night “You are a STAR”

Play find your “Star Word.” Assign one word to each child. That is the word that makes them A STAR at this meal. Frequently occurring words such as “The, and, it, him, her, she, he” are good beginning words. Then have each child bring a book to the table, choose a page, and name how many times their STAR word appears. That number becomes the child’s “Magic Number” for the night and every time he encounters that number for the rest of the evening he gets to make a wish or discuss his current life dreams and aspirations.

Thursday Night it’s Show and Tell

Play show and tell at your family table. Have your children bring an object, a piece of art, a song or something to share. Shine the “spot-light” on one child at a time and allow only him or her to share.

Friday Night is Family History Night

Bring family photos, heirlooms or pieces of family history to the table and talk about your family ancestry and historical family member’s life experiences.

Saturday Night is Game Night

Play board games, cards, chess or checkers at the table after dinner to enhance your family experience.

Sunday Night You’re on Broadway!

Put on a show, dance, sing, do a skit – Laugh and “lift each other up” with genuine compliments, enthusiasm and joy.

Contact:

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