Early Activities
Global Sparks
Global Sparks is a 10 week series of fun activities to help families play and learn together at home while the schools are closed.
As we face the challenge of Covid-19 we are all taking powerful actions, standing together with those who need our protection and support most.
Let’s continue to work together like this. Let’s imagine, and act for, a world without climate change and poverty, where oceans, animals and people are healthy.
Get to know the Global Development Goals and what we can achieve together as a global community by taking small actions and standing together to create a better world.
We know you have a lot on your mind at the moment, so we're keeping this super easy for parents and children to take part.
Week 1
Good Health & Wellbeing
Facing the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic we realise more than ever that our health is our wealth! And while we practice social distancing to stop the spread of the virus looking after your health has never been more important.
Now more than ever we are reliant on the relentless work of health care staff, suppliers and services to keep us safe during this time.
We can be thankful for the amazing care they provide. Sadly, not everyone can enjoy this level of care with over half of the world's population lacking access to adequate health services.
This week’s activities focus on taking care of your own mental and physical health, and those around you.
Ireland rugby star Jenny Murphy introduces her exercise challenge 'The Bear Crawl' for Global Sparks week 1 to help us keep fit during the lockdown.
Good Health & Wellbeing Activities
Good mental health: Find a spot in your home or your garden and do some mindfulness exercises. OUTSIDE the BOX have created a wonderful journal to get children started.
Say thank you: Write a thank you card to our healthcare heroes and suppliers who are working around the clock to look after us all!
Raise Awareness: Make a poster for the front of your home to remind people passing by of the importance of cleaning their hands and social distancing.
Play #GOALTippyTapTag to remind us to wash our hands and raise awareness of the importance of having access to fresh clean water.
Week 2
Responsible Consumption and Production
The way we currently produce and use food, clothes and other products is unsustainable. BUT by shopping responsibly, and by reusing and recycling old clothing and plastic materials we can reduce the impact our waste has on the world.
We all need to work together to reduce our material footprint so we’ve lined up some fun, creative activities for families to get us thinking about plastic waste, food miles and repurposing old clothes.
This week’s activities will help us understand how we can make a difference as responsible consumers and look after our planet for future generations to come.
Did you know?
- 40% of the world’s ocean surfaces are covered in plastic waste
- producing and transporting our food amounts to 30% of the world’s total energy consumption
- the clothing industry is the second largest polluter of clean water after agriculture
Have a look in your recycling bin and see if you can make a lovely creative display with any of items listed by Recreate in their video above.
Recreate have loads of fun, interactive workshops to give families ideas and inspiration while we all stay at home.
To share you creations or see what other families are making visit recreate.ie.
Other activities to try this week
Flossie and the beach cleaners have a challenge for you this week!
Do you have
- any old socks with holes in them or odd socks lying around?
- old clothes that are no longer fit for wear?
Think about how you can re-use old socks for another purpose. Share your ideas with us and watch Flossie’s video for some inspiration!
You can follow Flossie and her team of changemakers at flossieandthebeachcleaners.com
Make your own global fruit and vegetable family with some interesting characters you might find in your kitchen!
- What countries have your fruit and vegetables travelled from?
- Can you add up how far your fruit and vegetables have travelled to get to you?
- Do you know which fruit and vegetables are grown locally?
- When are these fruit and vegetables in season in your local area?
- Pick one of your fruit or vegetables and give them a name and character!
Share your fruit and vegetable family online and inspire other changemakers!
Week 3
Zero Hunger
This week we are exploring the issue of Global Hunger and how the Global Goals are all interconnected. Global Goal 2 aims for a world with zero hunger, a goal we can all play a part in achieving together.
Did you know?
- 1 in 7 people in the world live in hunger poverty
- 1/3 of food is wasted every year
- Climate change is having a huge impact on food production globally
Global Hunger is preventable. There is more than enough food to feed everyone on the planet. Unfortunately, not everyone has access to the nutritious food that we take for granted.
This week’s activities will be looking at different ways to stop world hunger from within our own communities. We will be thinking about different ways to ensure everyone has access to safe and nutritious food all year round, how we can reduce food waste and support local small scale food producers.
Celebrity Chef Rachel Allen has put together a locally sourced, delicious and nutritious dish for us to try!
Can you think of a nutritious dish made of fresh food from your local area with ingredients that are ‘in season’?
Share your ideas with the Global Sparks community!
Other activities to try this week
Last week we looked at the journey our fruit and vegetable make to get to our kitchens. But we can't forget about chocolate.
Do you like chocolate? Have you ever thought about where your chocolate comes from?
Our friends at Fairtrade Ireland have developed a short quiz for families to try out together - how much do you really know about chocolate?
All over the world food is at the centre of special occasions and celebrations.
Our friends at Food Cloud are asking us to share a memory of a special occasion and the food that was at the centre.
Share your memories #GlobalSparks
Many supermarkets and suppliers have a big problem on their hands with their ‘funny fruit’ and ‘varied vegetables’ that no-one wants to buy.
Check your garden, kitchen and local supermarket for the ‘funniest fruits’ and ‘varied vegetables’ you can find!
Share photos of your new unloved friends online #GlobalSparks!
