Purpose: To stress the importance of what a child learns in the early years.

Materials: Plaster of Paris, rubber mold and an object made from the mold.

Lesson: Maybe you have had an opportunity to take some plaster of Paris and a mold like this and make a toy. To do so, you begin with a certain amount of water and then you add enough of this white powder to make a thick paste. After you have stirred your mixture, you pour it into the mold and set it aside to wait for it to harden. When it is hard, you remove the rubber mold and you have your toy.

In a way, this process reminds us of your life. We will let the water represent you as a newborn child. You entered the world knowing very little and acting just like all other babies. But then, you began to learn certain thi…