What Do Ice Cream and Integrity Have in Common?

We all make mistakes.

How can we teach children about the importance of saying sorry?  With ice cream of course!  All you’ll need is salt, ice cream, and chocolate syrup.

Let the learning begin:


Lie Cover UpIceCream.jpg

  • Explain and show children that sometimes we do something we didn’t mean to do, like spilling salt on ice cream.

Put a scoop of ice cream in a bowl and pour salt all over the top it. 

  • Explain that after making a mistake, sometimes people pretend it didn’t happen and try to cover it up.

Pour chocolate syrup on the ice cream and cover up the salt.

  • Ask the children if they can see the salt (or mistake) anymore. Next, invite children to try and taste the ice cream.
  • Explain that we may try to cover up our lies and mistakes, but they don’t go away on their own. When we say sorry, we admit that we messed up and then we can work together to make it better and scoop off the salt.

Salty Sweet Goodness!

Through play, we can model and show examples of desirable character traits. Find more ideas for teaching character traits inside the  curriculum. Each month, Experience Curriculum focuses on a new character trait using games and stories.

To take it even further, explore the Experience God Preschool Program and have an designated integrity-focused activity each day to integrate into your circle time.

What is Inspired Learning? Inspired Learning is the blog written by the Experience Early Learning Co. – publishers of the Experience Curriculum (previously Mother Goose Time) – to support all early childhood educators. In addition to preschool curriculum, the Experience Early Learning Co. publishes * children’s books * preschool music & dance and * authentic assessment tools. These materials have been serving child care directorsfamily childcare providers, preschool teachers, homeschoolers and parents of young children since 1984. All materials are crafted to inspire both the educators and the children to experience learning through creative expression, play and open-ended discovery. Experience Curriculum supports a child’s social-emotional, physical and cognitive development.


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