Back to Mind Explorers
These games help children develop a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of things and the layered nature of their own experience. By practicing the distinction between content and context (or foreground and background), children learn to recognize the relationships between objects, thoughts, and their sense of self.
This exercise encourages children to explore the world around them and their inner world with curiosity and openness. By learning to shift their perspective between different levels of experience, children can develop a more flexible and adaptable mindset, allowing them to navigate complex situations with greater ease.
Additionally, by considering the nature of pure context (or pure background), children can begin to cultivate a sense of the fundamental ground of being that underlies all experience. They learn to recognize that their essential nature is not limited to the contents of their experience but rather encompasses and transcends all phenomena.
Hey there, young adventurer!
Today, we're going to play two fun games called "Content/Context Toggle" and "Foreground/Background Flip."
These games are very similar, and they'll help us understand how things are related to each other and how our minds work.
We'll be exploring how objects, thoughts, and even ourselves fit into the world around us.
It's like being a detective and discovering the hidden connections between things.
Are you ready to start our investigation?
1. Begin by having the child choose a simple object, like a cup, and ask them to notice where it is, such as on a table. Explain that the cup is the content (or foreground), and the table is the context (or background).
2. Encourage the child to flip back and forth in their mind between the cup and its context (or background), the table.
3. Next, ask the child to think about the cup and notice their thought. Ask them where the thought is, and if it’s in their mind, explain that the thought is the content (or foreground), and their mind is the context (or background).
4. Have the child flip back and forth between the thought and its context (or background), their mind.
5. Now, ask the child to think about their mind and notice it. Ask them where their mind is, and if it’s in them, explain that their mind is the content (or foreground), and they are the context (or background).
6. Encourage the child to flip back and forth between their mind and its context (or background), themselves.
7. Finally, have the child think about themselves and notice their image of themselves. Ask them where this image is, and if it’s in pure context (or pure background), explain that they are the content (or foreground), and pure context (or pure background) is the context (or background).
8. Have the child flip back and forth between themselves and pure context (or pure background).
To further explore the concept of interconnectedness and the layered nature of experience, consider introducing your child to the book “One Hungry Spider” by Jeannie Baker.
This stunning picture book features intricate collages that depict the delicate balance and interconnectedness of life in a tropical rainforest. As the story unfolds, readers discover how each plant, animal, and natural phenomenon is intimately linked to every other, forming a vast and complex web of relationships.
1. What is the main character of the book?
a) A butterfly
b) A spider
c) A bee
d) An ant
2. Where does the story take place?
a) In a forest
b) In a house
c) In a garden
d) On a farm
3. What does the spider do throughout the book?
a) Builds a web
b) Looks for food
c) Fights other insects
d) Sleeps
4. How does Jeannie Baker illustrate the book?
a) With watercolors
b) With collage art
c) With pencil drawings
d) With photographs
5. What time period does the book cover?
a) A few minutes
b) A day
c) A week
d) A year
6. What happens to the web at night?
a) It glows
b) It disappears
c) It gets bigger
d) Nothing changes
7. What kind of insects get caught in the web?
a) Only flies
b) Various small insects
c) No insects are caught
d) Large butterflies
8. How does the book end?
a) The spider leaves the web
b) The web is destroyed
c) A new day begins
d) The spider catches a large prey
9. What does the book teach about spiders?
a) They are dangerous
b) They are patient and skilled
c) They don’t need to eat
d) They can’t build webs
10. What is a main theme of the book?
a) The circle of life in nature
b) The dangers of the insect world
c) The importance of destroying spider webs
d) The need for pesticides in gardens
1. b) A spider
2. c) In a garden
3. a) Builds a web
4. b) With collage art
5. b) A day
6. a) It glows
7. b) Various small insects
8. c) A new day begins
9. b) They are patient and skilled
10. a) The circle of life in nature
Verse 1:
A cup on a table, what do you see?
The object or its place, which will it be?
Now think of that thought, floating in your mind
Where does it live? What do you find?
Pre-Chorus:
Flip and switch, back and forth
Discover the layers, see their worth
Chorus:
Content and context, foreground and back
Everything’s connected, that’s a fact
Look a little closer, you’ll start to see
The hidden links in you and me
Verse 2:
Your mind in yourself, a thought in your head
The background of being, where all things are led
An image of you in the pure beyond
Explore these layers, and respond
(Pre-Chorus)
(Chorus)
Bridge:
Zoom in, zoom out, change your view
See the big picture, it’s all brand new
In this grand adventure of you and I
We’re detectives of the how and why
(Chorus)
Outro:
Open your eyes to this cosmic dance
Where everything’s given an equal chance
In the layers of our world, so vast and wide
We find the magic both far and inside
Remember, at QMAK, we don’t just teach; we empower. We don’t just inform; we inspire. We don’t just question; we act. Become a Gold Member, and let’s unlock your child’s full potential, one question at a time.