Not So Usual Celebration
August 12th is Middle Child’s Day. Of course, if you are an only child or have only one brother or sister, this day is meaningless to you, but if you happen to be the “child in the middle” you will appreciate a special day at least once a year. Much has been written about the middle child and the challenges that they face. Unlike the oldest child who is the first and receives much fan fare beginning at birth, and the youngest child who has a contingency of older siblings to look out for them, the middle child (I suppose in a family of 7 children there are technically 5 middle children, and 1 really middle child) is caught in the middle between the oldest (the more responsible driven child) and the youngest (the child with more advantages simply based on location in the family order). So, if you are a middle child, or you know one, celebrate the day. You might want to consider watching reruns of the TV program who honors this child—Malcolm in the Middle.
Activities for kids…
Have students make a list of things that can be found in the middle—lunch meat or other sandwich filling, Wednesday, 1/2 time in many games, 30 minutes after an hour begins, the creamy filling inside a donut or Twinkie, the Equator or the International Date Line or the Prime Meridian, and so on. After brainstorming a giant list and recording on a group memory, have students create questions or clues for each “middle”, and then play Jeopardy or Password.
Consult 4 Kids has a long history of advocating for youth and the adults who are their positive role models and mentors. To learn more about our work, please visit our website at www.consultforkids.com, email us at support@consultfourkids.com or call us at (661) 617-7055.