Wants and needs

To continue with our service project, we started talking about the difference between wanting and needing.  This fits perfectly around the holidays.  I started by asking the children what they needed to stay alive.

We looked through various pictures and discussed if it was important for us in order to live.  We talked about toys, pets, clothes, houses, and plants.  A few subjects sparked a debate.


"We need a microwave to make food warm.  We need food to live."
"I don't have a microwave.  I just have a grill."
"Microwaves make vegetables, and vegetables are healthy."


"You need books to read and learn."
"You don't need to read to learn."
"You need to learn to live healthy."
"You can learn without books."


From there, the children worked through a picture sort on their own and discussed their reasoning with their teacher.