School-Age: Allergies

This is one of those topics that is informative but also is a neat way to learn about the kids that come regularly to our programs. Some kids may not have much knowledge about what allergies are and learned about what may happen to their friends or classmates who have allergies. And, the kids that have allergies, were able to share their own stories. 


1. Reading
We read "Pigs Make Me Sneeze" by Mo Willems to start the program. The Elephant & Piggie series is hugely popular with school-age kids, but it was also perfect for this topic. 

In the book Gerald thinks because he is sneezing he is allergic to his friend, Piggie. In the end he learns that he actually has a cold, instead.


2. Discussion
I defined what an allergy is and we talked about what could happen when someone has an allergic reaction. Some of the reactions are less severe, like sneezing or having a runny nose, but we also talked about more serious reactions like having problems breathing.

We also talked about different allergens and the kids got to share what they, or people they know, are allergic to. 


3. Reading
I wanted to share another book about allergies called "Dixie Wants an Allergy" by Tori Corn. I read until the page when her classmate gets a broken arm and her friend asks if she now wants a cast on her arm. The ending to the book was not my favorite and a bit mawkish so I did not feel like sharing it.

However, I felt it was a good book to share since the kids were sharing their own allergies. It may look neat for a friend to have a medical condition but, when you experience it for yourself, it really isn't.


4. Trivia
I gathered up some neat allergy trivia to ask the kids a variety of questions and see what they already know about allergies. Some of them were mentioned in our discussion but most were not. For instance, I asked if they could grow out of an allergy. Or, how they could prevent an allergic reaction. 


5. Craft
For our craft we made Elephant and Piggie puppets out of paper bags. 

I was not able to find a free template online after finding similar crafts on Pinterest and online, so I traced Piggie & Elephant to make my own and then scanned them onto my computer. Then, I printed out the parts on pink and grey paper.

The kids LOVED having their own Piggie & Elephant and began acting out parts of the book once they had their own complete set of characters.


Notes:
This was a very fun and interactive week. The kids and their parents got to share their own experiences with allergies and we all learned about one another. It was interesting! Plus, you can't go wrong with Piggie & Elephant!