God created each of us with amazing bodies. We are all different, and we are all special in our own way. Know Your Body is a great award for Eager Beavers to help them learn and review basic facts about our bodies and the amazing things they are designed to do.
Story: Me and My Amazing Body
Me and My Amazing Body by Joan Sweeney is a wonderful introduction to our award. Edward Miller’s simple cartoon drawings illustrate the amazing facts about the human body. I worried that the text to picture ratio might be a tad bit high for my group, but I heard glowing reports about this book after our meeting. The kids were so engaged and interested!
Chat With Bucky the Beaver
Fulfills Requirement # 4-7
Bucky asked the Eager Beavers the following questions and they answered her.
Bucky: Wow, bodies are amazing! And all the parts of our bodies do cool things. What are your knees for? What is your favorite thing to do with your knees?
Bucky: I love looking at faces. I can learn how my friend is feeling when I look at their face. What do you think your face can do for you and for others?
Bucky: Human hands are so awesome! What are some useful things you can do with your hands? Can each of you name one thing?
Bucky: Okay okay! I have just one more question! How can you use your mouth for Jesus?
Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 6:19
Fulfills Requirement # 1
1 Corinthians 6:19 is a fairly short verse. I’d recommend repeating it a few times at the beginning of the meeting and a few more times at the end. The verse is in printable pack at the end of this post. The Adventurer boy can be found at Traços de Esperança (Traces of Hope) along with a crew of Adventurer and Pathfinder friends.
Activity: Balloon Balance
Fulfills Requirements # 2 & 3b
This activity is from the Eager Beavers Leader’s Guide. I love this activity. Kids adore balloons, and this is a fun age-appropriate way to review the names of body parts. Give each child a balloon. Call out a body part and have the children keep the balloon on that body part until you call out the next body part.
- Head
- Nose
- Ear
- Chin
- Elbow
- Hand
- Knee
- Foot
- Hand
- Back
- Abdomen
- Wrist
Craft: Self Portraits
Fulfills Requirement # 3a
The Leader’s Guide suggests large kid-sized self portraits. Using a roll of paper, parents trace their child, and then the eager beaver draws and colors in all the details. This is a super fun activity your kids will enjoy. However, I didn’t feel it was the best match for my kids this year. They would have taken multiple meetings to color their masterpieces, and we just didn’t have time for that at the end of the Adventurer year. I created a page with a simple outline of a child. Using a mirror (or the selfie setting on their adult’s phone camera), they drew/colored in all the details to make a self portrait.
Game: Shadow Tag
Shadow Tag is also from the Leader’s Guide. This game is played like regular tag except that you touch or step on a person’s shadow to tag them! You’ll need some bright lighting to create shadows, or a sunny evening outside.
Story: I Love My Body Because
I love the book I Love My Body Because by Shelly Anand and Nomi Elleson. It’s such a positive book about how wonderful and useful our bodies are in their all their different shapes and sizes. This book doesn’t cover bones and muscles, instead it’s all about all the things we get to do with our bodies. It’s truly lovely and a great match for Eager Beavers.
Story: Everybody Has a Body
Everybody Has a Body by Molli Jackson Ehlert is all about how every body is different. Some are tall, some are short, some move in different ways, and some talk in different ways. We’re all different and that is so beautiful. I struggled to choose between Everybody Has a Body and I Love My Body Because as they are both such lovely positive books. Although I choose I Love My Body Because, I would use whichever book is easiest to obtain. Both books were released in the last few years, and there is a good chance they are at your local library.
(*Note for conservative churches: Although I love every part of this book and consider it completely appropriate for my club, those of you in conservative churches may want to preview this book.)
Printables
Do you have questions about this award or ideas to make it better? Please leave a comment so we can learn from each other.