This adorable and empowering book with paired activity will invite your child to learn the power of our words and how they can be used for hurt or healing!
The picture book, ‘What are Words Really?’ by Alexi Lubomirski is a wonderful reminder of the power of words, their effects, and how we can wield them for good if we choose.
I love that the book talks about the effects of using positive words vs. negative words with yourself and others and spreading joy. We can agree, the world needs a bit more of that!
How to Expand on the Book’s Message
This activity is super easy and low maintenance! All you need are the supplies below! Let’s get started!
Supplies:
- ‘What are Words Really?’ book by Alexi Lubomirski (affiliate link)
- Worksheet printed (provided)
- Scissors
- Glue
- Color pencils/markers/paint
Instructions:
1. Read the book – Invite the child to read through the book with you. Make sure to keep it engaging and life-like, not monotone.
2. Add some color – Invite the child to paint or color the rainbow display in the background
3. Draw – Invite the child to draw themselves in the portrait spot on the printable. Or you could also print out a 2×3 portrait picture of them, cut it out then glue it in place.
4. Add the words – Invite the child to cut out the words on the provided printable. Then tape or glue them to the different rays around their portrait.
*They can also come up with their own words and write them or you can write them for them!
5. Admire – Ask the child if they want to hang the completed project up on the wall/fridge. Try to encourage a place the child will see often.
Fun ways to expand further
- You could expand on this project and come up with a list of words that need a positive alternative for your family. Write down the words in your family vocabulary that you want to replace and then their new positive versions next to each one.
* Then help each other change your vocabulary by gently reminding each other of your new positive version whenever the old negative one pops up! - You could also expand on this activity by making one for someone else, filled with loving words to lift their spirits.
Social Emotional Learning Behind Using Positive Words
Our words matter and have a profound impact on our brains as well as those around us, and researchers are learning more about how significant this is more and more each day. Below are some of the ways using positive words helps strengthen our brains.
Using positive words changes the way your brain is wired and strengthens the neuropathways that lead to positive words, higher level executive functioning, positive choices, positive thinking, positive self-image, and even a positive reality.
When a neural pathway is strengthened by repetition, it gets stronger, it will then be the path an unconscious thought or behavior takes later on because the brain naturally chooses the strongest pathway when left to its own method.
This is especially important when you consider that our primitive brains are legitimately hard-wired to worry. It used to be a very beneficial tool to help us survive. We no longer need that part in the same way, but it remains with us getting built up with no release.
So when we continue to go with, consciously or not, the worry and negative words or thinking patterns, only our fear center, the amygdala, is active causing stress hormones to be released which shut down or limit our logic and reasoning abilities.
On the contrary, when we choose positive words, we can move past hard things more easily thanks to our frontal lobe being engaged.
If the power of our words interests you, you can read more about the science of it and much more here.
