Author: Carol McCloud
This heartwarming book by Carol McCloud uses a simple metaphor of a bucket and a dipper to illustrate that when we choose to be kind, we not only fill the buckets of those around us, but also fill our own bucket!
Carol discusses different ways we can fill others’ buckets by promoting empathy and kindness and she teaches us that when you’re a bucket filler, you make the world a better place to be!
Here are my top Have You Filled A Bucket Today activities you can do with your child to help support his/her speech & language development:
1. Craft personalised buckets with your child – Use any items from your house/ recycling bin and craft materials you have around your house to design personalised buckets with your child. By making an abstract concept such as an invisible bucket more concrete, you support your child to better understand these principles. Here are some lovely examples:
2. With your child, come up with a list of things you could say or do to fill somebody else’s bucket.
3. From the list you come up with, set a daily family bucket filler challenge. Fill your family bucket with a a variety of bucket filler behaviours. Each day everyone should pull a challenge from the bucket to complete before the end of the day.
4. With your child think about the different emotional vocabulary that would be associated with a full bucket (e.g. happy, loved, relaxed) and an empty bucket (e.g. worried, upset, scared).
We could all do with a little more kindness in the world and I hope that this book brings some joy to you and your family!