Creating content and books for kids that explore: inclusion, emotions, body image and wellbeing
In the book Don't Go Knocking at the Circus Door, you might have spotted some of the clowns have Amazing Hair!
This activity is really easy and loads of fun!
Shaving foam
Food colouring
Amazing hair templates (below)
We have tools that we use for moulding but you can also use a paintbrush or even cutlery.
Mix equal parts glue and shaving foam. Experiment with adding more of each to see what it does to the mixture. You’re looking to create soft peaks.
Add food colouring to create your desired colour.
Build up layers and ‘style’ your hair. Add different colours and mess around with the effects.
We hope you enjoy your Amazing Hair Activity!
Kate Brumbach was born in Vienna Austria in 1884. She was
born into a family already known for their strength performance. Among her
siblings, they were known for their great physical strength and often performed
together. However it became clear that Kate had natural strength abilities and
through intensive practice, she rose to “spectacular fame”.
Her act became one where she wrestled men and challenged any
man 100 marks to beat her, but none ever did. It was in this strange way she
met her husband!
In the early 1900’s the couple came to New York, it was here
that Kate was given her new name. In New York she changed her act to weightlifting.
This time she challenged any man in the audience to lift more than her. One man
stepped forward. Eugene Sandow, also known as the most famous bodybuilder of
the time.
As the contest got under way the pair matched each other at
every step. Until finally Kate lifted 300 lbs above her head! Eugene faltered
at his chest and dropped the weight back to the ground. From then on Kate Brumbach
was known as Katie Sandwina – the female version of Sandow.
Throughout her career she was known for breaking chains with
her hands, twisting iron rods, holding her husband above her head and juggling
cannonballs!
What was Katie’s real name?
What unusual way did Katie meet her husband?
What are marks? How many did Katie ask for to wrestle a man?
What do you think people thought of a woman who could lift weights?
Katie had natural strength but what helped her achieve “spectacular
fame”?
When did Katie got to New York?
Who was the current most famous bodybuilder?
How much did Katie lift to beat him?
Why did Katie’s name change?
How do you think Katie felt about changing her name?
Katie’s act also included what else?
Curriculum: Year 5 and 6 Reading and Writing Comprehension, Year 5 Science - Forces, Year 6 Science - Evolution and Inheritance
www.circus-door.co.uk
Have you given much thought to how your body image – your thoughts and feelings about your body – impacts your wider life? Or those around you?
The way we understand health is over simplistic. It is
holding us back from so much health potential. It’s time for a new level of
understanding around health.
Children as young as three-years-old are identifying with
diet culture and body shame. The children’s picture book Don’t Go Knocking at
the Circus Door and its extension activities gives us the tools to have
conversations around body image, the media, gender (un) roles, and self-belief.
To teach children that we cannot all have the same bodies,
just like any other species we come in all different sorts. This is normal. If
everyone ate the same things and did the same exercise we would still all be
different.
To be aware of and avoid appearance-based commentary in the
classroom
To be mindful in this respect of what kids say to each
other.
What we say to the kids
What we say about our own bodies
What we say about our own food, clothes, movement choices.
We don’t need to comment on other’s bodies.
To understand that people having different bodies is natural
and normal.
We don’t have to talk or comment on other people’s bodies or
body parts.
If people do comment on our bodies we have a choice of whether to agree with them or not.
What do the posters tell us? How do they help us talk about
the media and how bodies are used?
What do “stars” generally look like?
We can talk about the media being a form of “magic” or
“trickery”. It’s not that everyone can or should have a certain type of body,
it’s that only some types of bodies are chosen to be used in the media – it’s
false. Look around, at school, in the supermarket, at the swimming pool.
Different bodies are everywhere and that is normal and natural in the real
world.
Was Steginoff being kind? Was he being a bully? Is it right
to talk about how someone looks?
It’s not nice to talk about or notice is different about
people’s bodies. It might be really hard for them. It also might be really
boring to have to keep talking about it.
All bodies are great bodies. Our personal value is not in
our bodies.
What is it in? How we make people feel, our talents, our
behaviour and friendships, our style, our accomplishments, our personality, our
…
What is inclusion? Why is it important?
What else is happening on this page? What is the Clown Alley
Cleaner doing?
What is he feeling, thinking, doing? Why might he be doing
that? Does it have anything to do with Steginoff saying “Men are Strong”?
Are only men strong? What ways can we be strong without being able to lift heavy things? E.g. standing up for a friend, being kind, not giving up on something, or believing in yourself.
What is the Popcorn Popper’s reaction to being told she
doesn’t look like a circus star?
Have you ever felt shy? Had to be brave? Is that normal?
Does the Clown Alley Cleaner think his skills are valuable?
Did anyone use unkind words or share ideas that weren’t true about bodies?
Don’t Go Knocking on the Circus Door shows us two people who
were brave and followed their passion and skills despite what people thought of
them.
It might also provide a good opportunity to talk about
gender roles, traditional ones and more modern ideas.
Are there some jobs only men can do?
What are they?
Are there some jobs only women can do?
Some people still have strong ideas about certain jobs being
for men and certain jobs for women but actually there aren’t many these days
that can’t be done by both. As people choose to follow their passion and show
others there’s little we can’t do if we want to.
20 large marshmallows
·
125g
margarine
·
3
tablespoons peanut butter
Serves: 6 Pour popcorn into a large bowl.
