INSPIRATION

There’s nothing like the gift of INSPIRATION to change the way we see things, hear things, feel things and to provide us with "food" for our life journey. Inspiration is also contagious, so one person can inspire someone who can inspire someone else and so on.

That’s exactly what happens in The Misfit Sock story, when the gust of Christmas magic enters the laundry room and gives the lonely misfit sock a new energy and purpose. The sock becomes so inspired that its actions inspire the other misfit socks to find their purpose and they do…spreading JOY to other children and thanks to Santa, his elves and team of reindeer.

Here are a few activities that can make sock inspiration come ALIVE.

How to Make an Inspiration Sock Garden

Children love to watch things grow. This is a fun way to get rid of those mismatched socks and teach your preschooler something about plants at the same time. Children can gain more confidence in their running skills going around the yard with socks over their shoes to pick up stray seeds for their sock garden. This will also strengthen their knowledge about what seeds and plants need in order to grow.

Things You Will Need:

Watering can

Paper for journaling

Empty gallon milk jug

Potting soil

Socks

Magnifying glass

Gather up old mismatched socks.

Have your child/children/students carefully put the sock over his shoe. Depending on the age, your preschooler might need help for this step. Also, mom and dad can put a sock on their shoe too.

Walk around outside with the sock on and this will pick up seeds from plants, flowers, grass and even weeds. Don't forget to carry a magnifying glass during this step.

Put 2 cups of potting soil in the bottom of the gallon milk jug.

Take the sock off. Children can examine the sock with the magnifying glass and try to determine what kind of plants will come from the seeds on their socks. Then place the sock in an empty milk jug.

Fill the rest of the milk jug with potting soil. Then cover the jug with clear plastic wrap.

Water it lightly and watch it grow.

Lesson One

Sock Inspiration Chain

Ask students to think about the person seated on their left and to brainstorm and write down as many positive attributes as they can about that individual. The teacher might demonstrate by brainstorming on the board about someone. Emphasize the importance of listing only positive characteristics, and ask students to keep their lists private for the moment.

Pass out a misfit tube sock, one to each student. (You can ask students in advance to bring in a misfit tube sock) Explain that each sock will be filled with positive attributes (children can stuff their list inside the sock) and then the socks will be eventually tied together to make a sock chain. This chain will be a visual representation of the friendships which bind the class together. Each sock represents a link in this chain of friendship.

Tell the students to write on their sock the name of the person to their left. Encourage them to use decorative or "fancy" lettering. They are then to choose from their brainstorming list some of the most important attributes of this person to also write or illustrate on the sock.

After the children finish, make a sharing circle in which each student reads and presents to the person on his/her left the sock . As you go around the circle, knot the socks together. If you are having trouble knotting some socks, feel free to use safety pins to attach the socks together.

The finished chain could be joined in a circle to further emphasize the importance of each link to the unity of the chain. The chain should then be displayed in a prominent place in the classroom/center/church. If there are multiple classes participating in this project, you could attach the sock chains and hang them in the hallways around the school.

This is just one way to execute this lessons, but it's pliable and you can make it work for you.

Let us know how you make out : themisfitsock@gmail.com

Check out this video and more about other chains of kindness that have changed our world....