Buddy Bench A4 Workbook.pdf

8/18/2019 Buddy Bench A4 Workbook.pdf

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/buddy-bench-a4-workbookpdf 1/16

Buddy Bench Workbook 1

Buddy Bench

WorkbookTHIS WORKBOOK BELONGS TO



Buddy Bench Aware Program Workbook 2016Written by Jeffrey GormlyIllustrations by Ross Stewart© Buddy Bench Ireland

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmittedin any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic ormechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

www.buddybenchireland.ie

Buddy Bench Workbook2



A message from

Buddy Bench Irelandto you:

You are a special child of the universe.

You are needed, you are loved

and there is no-one on earth who is just like you.

We know you can find the power inside yourself

to dream your dreams and make them all come true,

because we at Buddy Bench Ireland believe in you.

And remember:Look up.

See those around you that might need a friend.Remember

being different means being uniquenot the odd one out.

L K UP, L K AROUND,L K OUT FOR EACH OTHER!





A child was sitting on a bench…

What is the child’s name?

Where does the child go to school?

What class is the child in?

What is the child’s teacher’s name?

What is the child’s favourite colour?




Draw a picture of the child



On Monday,

a child sat on the bench,when along came a fox.

She was slinking along,head down, ears back,nose to the ground.

As she passed the child,the fox stopped for amoment and looked up.The fox was curious.

“What are you doing?”asked the fox.

“I am just sitting here,”said the child.

“Just sitting?” said the

fox.

“I am thinking,” said the child.

“Ah,” said the fox. The fox understood thinking, because the foxwas always thinking of ways to get her next meal.

“I like thinking,” said the fox. “A penny for

your thoughts.” And she looked long, longinto the child’s eyes. The fox’s eyes were adeep dark pool in the woods. The fox’s mindwas a forest. Birds sang in the distance there,and the wind ruffled leaves in the treetops.

“Thank you,” said the child. And the foxwent her way. The fox’s name was Kin.





What do you understand these keywords to mean?

curious

thank you

understood

thinking

What do you think the child was thinking about?Draw a picture of the child’s thoughts.

What would you say to the child?



On Tuesday,

the child sat on thebench. The leaves

were turning brown.

A squirrel camescurrying along,collecting nuts. Thebench sat in theshade of a hazel tree.The squirrel lookedup.

“What are youdoing?” the squirrelasked the child.“Why are you sittingalone?”

“I am having a

feeling,” said thechild. “I am sitting here feeling my feeling.”

“Ah,” said the squirrel, who understood feeling, for it often feltvery big and interesting feelings while it slept through the longwinter, its tummy full of lovely nuts.

“I like feelings,” said the squirrel. “Here is a nut for your feelings.”

“Thank you,” said the child. Andthe squirrel, whose name was Elfe,hopped away.





What do you understand by the word feeling?

Name some feelings. Make a list.

.......................................... ..........................................................

.......................................... ..........................................................

.......................................... ..........................................................

.......................................... ..........................................................

.......................................... ..........................................................

.......................................... ..........................................................

For each feeling think of a colour, or an image, or a kind of weather.

What feelings are you feeling now?Draw a picture to describe those feelings.



On Wednesday,

the child sat on thebench. It was a sunny

day.

A robin perched on thebench.

“What are you doingchild?” asked the robin.

“Why are you sittingthere alone?”

“I have no one to playwith,” said the child. “I amafraid to ask to play withthe other children.”

“Oh,” chirruped the robin. The robin understood being afraid,

because he practiced not being afraid every day.

“When I am too afraid, I go to my nest,” said the robin. “Isn’t itlucky for you that you have this nest to go to?” The robin meantthe bench. The robin thought the bench was the child’s nest.

“Yes it is,” said the child.

“Here is a feather for your nest,” saidthe robin, and he puffed out his chestand flew off. The robin’s name wasRed.

“Thank you,” said the child.






alone

afraid

practiced

lucky

nest

Think of a time when you didn’t want to be alone.What did you do?What did you need?

Do you have a nest? Where is it?Draw a picture.

Think of ways you could practice not being afraid



On Thursday,

the child was sitting onthe bench. The child

was wearing a frown.

A monkey wascapering through thetree above the bench.Suddenly the monkeydropped onto theground.

“What are you doingchild?” asked themonkey.

”I feel lonely,” said thechild. “I feel differentfrom everybody else.”

“Ah,” said the monkey. The monkey understood being lonely. Beinglonely was how it felt when you could not join in with your monkeybrothers and sisters. Feeling different was when you wanted todance, when everyone else wanted to climb.

“Being different is good,” saidthe monkey. “There is only oneof each of us.”

The monkey’s name was Neeke.Neeke sang:

With a wave and a smile,

I hold out my hand.

If you want to make friends

Here I am.






frown

capering

lonely

join in

friends

different

Can you remember a time when you wanted to join in, butwanted to be alone too?Think of all the feelings you felt at this time.

Draw a picture of a smile

Think of actions to go along with the song:

With a wave and a smile,

I hold out my hand.


Here I am.




On Friday…

What do you think happened on Friday?

Draw a picture.

How can you tell what someone else is feeling?




When might you wish to siton the Buddy Bench?

if you are new to the school

if you want to make new friends

if your friends are away that day

if you want to play a different game from the one your friends areplaying

if you are having a problem with your friends and you can’t solve itright now, or you simply want a break

if you want to be a buddy

if you are feeling a feeling, or thinking a thought

CAN YOU THINK OF OTHER REASONS?

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU SAW SOMEONE SITTING ON THE BUDDYBENCH?

GOOD QUESTIONS TO ASK:

How are you feeling?

Why are you sitting on the Buddy Bench?

Would you like to join us?

Is there anything you need right now?

PRACTICE YOUR ACTIONS TO THE SONG:

With a wave and a smile,I hold out my hand,


Here I am.

L K UP, L K AROUND,

L K OUT FOR EACH OTHER!



Dear Parents and Teachers,

We hope you enjoy helping your children work with our Buddy Bench Aware Workbook.

The function of the Buddy Bench Aware Program is simply to start and encouragea thought process about feelings: what they are, how they change, how to express

them, and how to receive others’ expressions. Please remember that emotionaldevelopment varies from child to child and so therefore all answers are valid, even ifthat’s no answer!

Give your children space to take on the thoughts presented in this book in their owntime, at their own pace, in their own words and in their own order.

Encourage your child to find their own answers to these open questions, andremember that these answers can, and should, change over time.

For this reason, it’s not always necessary for children to write their answers into thebook. Allow and encourage them to think about the questions, to discover their ownthoughts and feelings, to explore their own ability to imagine, to be creatively inspiredto draw, write, sing, dance, walk, talk, cook, laugh, explore…

The best example you can give is to accompany your child through this process, byoffering your own honest and open responses to the questions inside.

There are no right answers,only answers that feel right at the time.

Enjoy!!Buddy Bench Ireland

www.buddybenchireland.ie P r i n t e d b y M o d e r n P r i n t e r s 0 5 6 7 7 2 1 7 3 9

Documents

Buddy Bench A4 Workbook.pdf