Stone Soup

We are so excited to post about the book Stone Soup.  There are many different versions of Stone Soup, but they all have the same theme of sharing and caring.  This version, of Stone Soup we enjoyed a lot.  It is about a young boy who “tricks” an older woman into thinking soup can be make from a single stone.  He starts out by begging the old woman for food.  When she does not help this hungry boy, he asks for a stone.  This woman becomes intrigued and opens her kitchen up to the boy.  The boy then makes a soup, with the help of the womans ingredients she, unknowingly, provides.  It becomes a soup “fit for a king”.

I was trying to figure out a fun way to incorporate that book into an activity of sharing.  We made some homemade chicken noodle soup to share with a neighbor who recently fell down her stairs.  We added a cute tag that said:  Have a “Souper” Day!  The smile she had on her face when we delivered it was priceless.  As a family, we have always enjoyed giving to others.  It is a way that I can teach my children, while they are young, how to share and care for those around us.

Something you can do with your older children is volunteer at the food bank.  I have done this with the youth in my ward many times.  It is a great way to perform a selfless act by helping those in need.  After we are finished at the food bank they show excitement for the next time we are able to go.

We all see individuals in need around us.  One thing we did this winter was keep bags for the needy, and homeless, in our car.  In our bag we included a bottle of water, an individual packet of water flavoring, gum, trail mix, M & M’s, crackers, and a couple granola bars.  This will be something we continue to do throughout the year.  It has been a great experience for me, and also for my Little Chef who now looks for someone to give a bag to.