This week at Stepping Stones Center, we witnessed gentle steps toward understanding inner emotions, whimsical laughter inspired by picture books, a flicker of artistic inspiration blossoming through fingertips, and heartwarming moments of mutual support among parents. Children’s little minds hold many emotional secrets, while books provide answers that guide their growth.
Personalized Emotional Spinner
During the Social-emotional & Reading class, the children were divided into two groups to gradually explore the different forms of emotion.
First, they picked up their paintbrushes to draw scenes of being angry, such as frowning or stomping their feet, and then added “relaxation techniques” like taking deep breaths or touching their stomachs. Through this process, these abstract emotions on paper suddenly became visible and could be comforted.
Finally, the children crafted their own emotional spinners, where all their feelings — joy, anger, sadness, and happiness — were placed in individual small compartments. As the pointer spun and landed on different emotions, helping the children gradually come to understand that emotions naturally flow and change, and that every feeling deserves to be fully embraced.
Drawing inspiration from books
The book “Loving Reading: The Monster” is paired with four fun games that help children grasp the meaning of reading through laughter. The activity begins with imitating a monster’s cry — vibrant sounds echoing one after another — instantly sparking bursts of laughter throughout the classroom, drawing everyone straight into the story.
In the “Wooden Man” game, children must hold their breath and remain motionless, experiencing the patience and effort required to imitate the monster guarding a treasure; in the “Eagle Catching the Chickens” chase-and-play activity, they gain a vivid understanding of how the monster’s character changes — from steadfastly guarding the treasure to actively striving for it. In the final matching challenge, the children follow the story’s clues to gradually uncover why the monster develops an interest in reading, and the life lesson embedded within the story quietly takes root in their hearts.
Adults often wonder how to encourage their children to love reading, but after playing these games, the children have already joined the little monsters in stepping into the magical world of books.
Surprising printed textures
During art class, the little ones discovered fascinating secrets of art at their fingertips. Starting with straight paths and long bridges, the children picked up their brushes and applied their knowledge of perspective — specifically, the principle that objects closer appear larger while those farther away appear smaller.
The crayon rubbing session was the main highlight for the children. By touching various textures and gently rubbing crayons across the paper, they watched leaf veins and raised patterns gradually come to life. Using these unique textures, each child then designed their own personalized animal artwork.
There are no standard answers; every stamping mark is a unique expression of creativity. The children appeared deeply focused — this vibrant creativity represents a precious asset for their future.
The Warmth on Parenting
This week, Stepping Stones Center also created a warm space for parents to connect and support one another.
Starting with ice-breaking introductions, strangers’ feelings of uncertainty gradually dissipated through relaxed conversations. Together, everyone established a group charter based on safety, confidentiality, and non-judgmental attitudes, ensuring that every heartfelt voice could be shared with complete peace of mind. During the “Parenting Weather Forecast” session, parents picked up emotion cards depicting “heavy rain”, “overcast”, or “sunny” weather, sharing their anxieties regarding homework assistance and their feelings of uncertainty about education.
Under the guidance of our facilitator, everyone was able to see beyond their emotions to uncover underlying needs, find resonance in one another’s stories, and share experiences together.
Parenting is never a solitary journey. At this salon, there was emotional release, the sharing of experiences, and, most importantly, a sense of strength derived from walking side by side — something that gradually began to warm within each participant’s heart.
From shifting emotions traced on the spinning wheel to the subtle scent of storybooks; from wonderful textures emerging on rubbing paper to the warm, radiant glow in parents’ eyes.
At Stepping Stones Center this week, children discovered themselves through play and exploration while parents found quiet strength in shared journey.
These luminous moments spark joy — Here’s to next week and to growing side by side.