MSU Extension 4-H Military Family Programs

My Many Colored Days 

• Title: My Many Colored Days
• Author: Dr. Seuss
• Illustrator: Steve Johnson & Lou Fancher
• Publisher: Aldred A. Knopf 
• Date of Publication: 1998 
• Audience Age: 1 and up 

Summary 

This board book describes all the different colored feelings that a child might have. Each color is associated with an animal and how they might act like that animal while they are that color. 

Pre-Deployment Activities 

Make your own color book with your service member. Choose colors that you think are happy, sad, excited, lazy, angry, lonely, etc. Make drawings with each color showing what animal you might be while you are feeling that color. Draw a picture of your happy, sad, mad and lonely face. Talk about the different things that make you happy, sad, mad, and lonely. Talk about some of the feelings that might be felt during the deployment.

During-Deployment Activities 

Send drawings to your service member about your many colored days. Choose an animal and a color to use in your drawing to show you were feeling that day. Make a color chart of feelings and use different colors for different feelings. You might choose red for mad, blue for sad, green for anxious, yellow for happy, etc. Then draw a picture of you on a piece of paper and use the picture to show what you are feeling that day by putting the picture on the color chart.

Post-Deployment Activities 

Make a new color book with your service member. Have your colors changed which feeling they show? Talk about what is the same and what is different. Talk about some of the feelings that you felt during the deployment and now are feeling with your service member home. Be silly and act out the animal actions from the book with your service member. Kick like a horse, flap your wings like a bird, lay low like a bear, buzz like a bee, stare like an owl. Do all the animal actions together and see how silly you can be.

Supporting Military Families During Deployment with Books & Activities

Deployment involves moving an individual or military unit within the country or to another country. A mission or task might include training, supporting communities during times of disaster, helping foreign countries or fighting in a war. The many changes happening with each departure and return create difficulties for both service members and their families.

Michigan State University (MSU) Extension and Michigan 4-H are committed to supporting the more than 20,000 Michigan military children and youth, and their families, through programming and community education. 

Programs for Military Families Include: 

• 4-H clubs on installations and in communities
• "4-H 101" and "4-H 201" training for military staff
• Operation: Military Kids (OMK) - supporting children of deployed soldiers
• Speak Out for Military Kids (SOMK) - preparing teens to speak on military life and deployment 
• Hero Packs - saying thank you to military children and youth
• Military 4-H Club Grants - supporting 4-H clubs for military youth and integrating them into county 4-H programs
• Community Awareness Training - educating the public on issues facing military families experiencing a deployment
• Special recognition events during Month of the Military Child and Month of the Military Family 
• Educational and recreational events and opportunities for military families 

4-H Military Family Book Sheets

The 4-H Military Family Book Sheets help parents and guardians find books and activities to help their children during various stages of their service members’ deployments. Each book sheet contains a summary of the book, author and publication details, and activities that they can use with their children pre-, during or post-deployment to extend the message of the book. To find each book, check with your local library, bookstore or online retailer. 

• Before reading: Show your child the front and back cover of the book. Ask him or her to guess what the book is about. 
• While reading: Stop at any time if something comes up that you or your child would like to talk about. 
• After reading: Spend time talking about the story. 

Learn More! 

Connect with us on Facebook: Search "Michigan Operation: Military Kids" and "Michigan 4-H." 

For more information on supporting military families, visit the following websites: 

• MSU Extension: (msue.anr.msu.edu)
• Michigan 4-H Youth Development: (www.4-hmilitarypartnerships.org)
• Operation: Military Kids: (http://www.operationmilitarykids.org)