Every year in September, Canadians across the nation participate in – or at least get to hear about – the Terry Fox Run. Kids grow up in our schools joining events dedicated to the run. In addition to the community-hosted and school-hosted Terry Fox Runs, there is also something called the Little Fox Run. This is a miniature of the fundraising effort for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners.
But, is it all just fun and games for the really little among us? How much could kids at this age understand about cancer research, let alone where ‘Ontario’ is, or what running has to do with fundraising?
While that’s true to an extent, there are still many other reasons to host a Little Fox Run with your daycare centre, preschool or kindergarten. Terry Fox was inspiring in many ways, and his story can bring about teachable moments for young kids at that age – the kind you may not have thought of.
Below we’ll discuss reasons to host a Little Fox Run at your daycare or preschool, and ideas to get your event going! Some of these can turn into lessons which you’ll want to plan for weeks in advance. But, if you’re coming across this a little late, post-reflection is ok too!
1) Terry Fox teaches little kids about making goals, staying determined and being resilient
When Terry was just 18 years old, doctors had to amputate his leg. You can imagine how hard this must have been for someone like him: he loved to play sports, and that usually requires two legs! Even though Terry had a prosthetic leg, he didn’t let that stop him from doing what he loves.
When Terry saw that other people were really suffering from cancer, like he did, he decided he wanted to do something about it. Terry’s goal was to raise money for cancer research, not just to run across the country (which he wasn’t able to complete, unfortunately). He was inspired by another athlete who ran a marathon with a disability.
He asked others for help, and he made a plan with a timeline. He also set a fundraising goal, which was definite: one dollar for every Canadian. That was $24 million at the time.
Terry’s goal was not ‘wishy-washy.’ He took action steps towards what he wanted to do. He had a clear vision in his mind about what success would look like. He knew what he was fighting for.
When Terry first started his marathon, hardly anyone noticed. It would have been easy to get discouraged and give up. But Terry persisted: he kept running anyway.
By the time he reached Ontario from the Maritimes, Terry was a celebrity in Canada. Eventually the police even helped to make sure he wouldn’t get hit by cars (which almost happened a few times when he started – to add to the discouragement).
How to teach this lesson to preschoolers for the Little Fox Run:
Lessons about physical impairments
At our daycare centres, we spend time learning about Terry Fox leading up to the week of the run. We also use this as a time to teach about physical impairments. We invite guest speakers from War Amps. If we have a child with parents who have a physical impairment, we also ask them to come in and speak to the kids. This can be a great way to show that while prosthetics or a wheelchair can be hard, it is not an impediment to achieving dreams. People with disabilities can do great things – sometimes even greater than those of us without a disability!
Geography lesson mapping out Terry’s route, and showing his feat
The other thing we do is use this opportunity to look at a map of Canada. We mark out Terry’s route on the map. So, this can turn into a geography lesson as well. But even more so, it shows the extent of how far Terry’s run was, and how long it took. It also shows that his goal was big, but he broke it down into small steps: 42 kilometres per day. Try walking just ONE kilometre with your classroom – they’ll see how much running that is, and hopefully will be impressed too!
Hosting the Little Fox Run with a fun popsicle stick game and coin drive
For our Little Fox Run, we host a coin drive to raise money for the Terry Fox Foundation. Then, we use popsicle sticks that represent each province in Canada, and place them in piles around our playing field. The kids go around collecting the popsicle sticks. It’s a simple way to get them educated about the meaning of the Terry Fox Run in an interactive and ‘bite-sized’ way.
Remembering loved ones with cancer
The Terry Fox Run website also encourages kids to fundraise in memory of someone with cancer they want to support. This can bring in the aspect of empathy. Usually when loved ones are sick, family can feel helpless. But this is one way to do something. At our daycare centre, we do briefly touch on cancer, but it’s not the main focus. As again, this age group may be a bit too young for those details.
Learning to ask for help, like Terry did
Finally, show that it’s ok to ask for help. Terry had support. He didn’t need to do it alone. Ask your kids if there is something good they’d like to do for their community, and who they can ask to help them achieve that goal. It doesn’t have to be big, though!
2) Terry Fox teaches preschoolers that sometimes, it’s ok if you can’t do it
Sometimes, reaching our goals is hard. While that’s not a reason to not aim for them, it doesn’t mean we should feel bad when we really can’t achieve them. Terry had to stop when he was near Thunder Bay in Ontario. He physically couldn’t run anymore; it wasn’t for lack of trying. At some point, he had to realize his limitation. That must have been hard for him. He had so many more provinces to go! He died within the year.
But in a way, his impact lived on, and others were able to finish the race for him.
How to teach this lesson to preschoolers for the Little Fox Run:
Learning to live with your limitations is a lesson in itself. Sometimes, what we want is just not feasible.
While this lesson can be deep for kids at such a young age, you can start by letting them know that if they need to walk the run, it’s ok! If they didn’t raise as much money as they wanted to, that’s fine: they tried their best. And if they feel they just can’t meet up to standards in other parts of their life, that’s ok too.
However, try to help the kids understand the difference between determination and real ‘trying’, versus merely giving up too early.
3) Terry Fox teaches kids that one person can make a difference in the lives of many others
Terry was an “ordinary kid.” He wasn’t necessarily naturally talented. He didn’t have super lungs to be able to run a marathon a day – in fact, it was the invasion of cancer into his lungs that halted his marathon in the end.
But Terry’s mindset was to work hard, and never quit. He believed he could make a difference, even when the odds were stacked against him. And remember: when he started, most people didn’t care. It was a glim beginning.
Today, Terry is still making a difference – long after his death. Take a look at these paragraphs and interview quotes from an article in The Star:
His impact is incalculable, until you start to calculate it: 32 streets, one mountain, 1,164 cancer research grants and awards, $451,737,662 invested in cancer research…
…”His determination pervades your psyche,” she says, thinking back on Terry. “He had all these things against him. If he could do what he did with all those obstacles ….”
How to teach this lesson to preschoolers for the Little Fox Run:
So, does this little game where we run around the playground with a bunch of preschoolers make a difference? The answer would be a resounding, “YES!”
And remember: Terry’s goal was one dollar for every Canadian. So if little Johnny or Suzie can raise just $1, they’re still making a difference! They’re on the start of something big!
And maybe, it won’t be a Little Fox Run that is the impact for your little ones. Perhaps they’ll find their ability to make a difference in other ways (it doesn’t have to be athletic either!). The point of the lesson is that you don’t see yourself as merely a drop in the pond, or as someone who can’t make a dent in one of the world’s big challenges.
To conclude: the Little Fox Run is about more than cancer research!
Terry Fox is a Canadian icon, and a great inspirational story to introduce to little ones at your daycare or preschool. You can use his example to show kids what it means to persevere, and to make a big impact in a small way. While you can touch on the cancer aspect, it doesn’t have to be about that, as we’ve seen above. You can introduce many interrelated subjects to the mix, which are just as valid and helpful to the cause.
We hope you enjoy your very own Little Fox Run!
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