Activities
to Grow Your Aloha at HomeRaising children is hard. Learn tips on how to practice Aloha at Home to make the job easier. Activities on an approach called Serve and Return as well as other activities can be found below. Each short activity can be done in five easy steps or about 10 minutes. Try some activities and bring Aloha into your home.
Serve and Return
What is Serve and Return? When your child smiles at you, and you smile back, that is Serve and Return. When your older child or another adult seems sad, and you take the time to sit with them and chat when they are ready, this is Serve and Return. Even adults need to help practicing Serve and Return. Think about Serve and Return as a lively game of ping-pong, showing that caregivers are sensitive and responsive to signals and needs of those around them. Serve and Return builds healthy relationships and strong brain architecture to last a lifetime. In five easy steps, you can practice Serve and Return.
5 Easy Steps to Serve and Return
1
Notice
Notice what the other person (child, partner, adult) is doing or feeling, and share your attention with them. They are "serving" a thought, feeling, question, or reaction to you. Notice the serve.
2
Encourage
"Return" this "Serve" by encouraging them. You might say, "Keep going. That looks good," or "I'm here for you." In some cases, encouragement might not even have words but is quiet support you can send through your body language and presence.
3
Name What Is Happening
Name what you are focusing your attention on. You might say, "I see you are building blocks," or "I notice you put your backpack away." You can also help identify feelings like "I see you look upset" or "Wow, you seem so excited."
4
Wait & Take Turns
Take turns by waiting for the other person to do something (notice), practice ENCOURAGING, and NAMING once again. Keep the interaction going as long as they remain focused.
5
Endings & Beginnings
Acknowledge when their actions start, continue, or ends. You might say, "I see you are done playing with blocks. Now you are playing with cars," or "It seems like you were sad, but now you look like you are feeling little better. I'll be here for you when you need me."
Aloha Activities for Caregivers & Parents
Caregivers can’t help others if they can’t help themselves first. Showing ALOHA to yourself helps those around you, so that you can be there for your keiki, loved ones, and those in your care. Don’t know where to start? Try some of these activities that will get you started with showing ALOHA to yourself. Each activity is done in five easy steps and takes about 10 minutes.
Activity: Big Emotions with Your Child
Sketch or write about an emotional interaction with your child. Illustrate or describe how the parent responds and how the child responds.
Activity: ‘Ohana Family Eco-Map
An Eco-Map is a diagram of your most important relationships & identifies your resources. Use an Eco-Map to show your connections.
Activity: Parents Connecting
Practice parent to parent (or caregiver to caregiver) connection. Make it a priority to listen to and support each other.
Activity: Positive Support for Parents
Parents and caregivers learn about Lōkahi – Unity and how to gain support for themselves. Assess what self-care activities are best for you.
Activity: Parents Getting Help
Assess the areas where you need help. You work hard to care for your children, don’t feel bad for seeking and getting help.
Activity: Are You Mad at Your Kids?
Sometimes I get mad at my kid. Then I have to take a step back, and remember that they are trying their best and to not take things personally.
Activity: Schedule Self-Care for Parents
We schedule time to get children ready for school, time to buy food, time to brush our teeth, but do we schedule time for our own self-care activities? Learn how in this short 10 min activity.
Activity: What Stresses You Out?
Life can be stressful. Stress is more manageable when understood. Take 10 minutes to yourself in this short self-care activity.
Activity: Parents at Their Best
Parents and caregivers can give the gift of Akahai – Kindness and resilience to themselves in this short activity. Burn out is a real thing.
Emotions and Parenting on Sesame Street
Ever want to talk to your children about feelings and emotions but you wanted to get some help?
Aloha Activities for Keiki
Looking for activities for your keiki (children), loved ones, or those in your care? Use these activities to bring ALOHA into your home. When keiki and loved ones are emotionally connected to you, ALOHA flows, creating a sense of harmony. Each activity is done in five easy steps and takes about 10 minutes.
Family Hui Activities
Family Hui presents ʻohana activities for keiki on Aloha at Home. These free activities are done by age groups and downloadable.
Help Children Learn Emotions with Sesame Street
Learn about emotions together with your children with Sesame Street’s videos. Videos will help get the conversation started.
Activity: Chores for Children
Engage & include children with what you are doing as an adult so you can see where your children are in their understanding & development.
Virtual Story Time
Whether it is virtual story time, an online reading challenge for your children, or imagine a story with your LEGO, the Hawaii State Public
Emotions and Parenting on Sesame Street
Ever want to talk to your children about feelings and emotions but you wanted to get some help?
Kamehameha Schools: ‘Ohana Activities
ʻOhana Engagement resources designed to strengthen the ʻOhana and ʻOhana Engagement Professional. OHAna Resources – activities to help the ʻohana flourish