a newsletter for kids about multiple sclerosiswe love to publish your pictures, stories, and poems...

ISSUE #13/FUN ACTIVITIES

A NEWSLETTER FOR KIDS ABOUT MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

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This issue of Keep S’myelin has lots of fun activities foryou to enjoy while you learn about MS. When we askedour readers what they liked about Keep S’myelin, manysaid they enjoy the games, puzzles, recipes, and otherfamily activities we include. So, this issue has lots ofthem. We hope you have a lot of fun doing these activi-ties together with your mom or dad and learning aboutMS at the same time. If you have ideas for other gamesand activities, or would like to send us a story, poem orpicture, we’d love you hear from you.

...and rememberto Keep S’myelin!

You can e-mail us at [email protected]

or write us at KEEP S’MYELIN,c/o National MS Society Broadway Station,

900 S Broadway, Suite 200, Denver, CO 80209.

fp_KIDS:MS. KIDS/issue#13 /5-5-03 4/1/11 12:29 PM

Multiple sclerosis (MSfor short) is a diseasethat affects the centralnervous system (thebrain, optic nerve andthe spinal cord). Thebrain is like a computerthat tells the body whatto do. The spinal cord islike a thick wire attachedto the computer.

Messages travel from thebrain, along the spinalcord, to the other partsof the body.

When a person has MS,the covering (myelin)that protects the nervesgets damaged. Scarsform where the myelinis damaged. As messagestravel from the brain,they sometimes get stuckor slowed down by these

scars. When this happens,the other parts of thebody can’t always dowhat the brain is tellingthem to do.

Sometimes people withMS have trouble seeing.Sometimes their armsand legs feel weak ortheir skin feels “tingly”(like pins and needles).Sometimes they lose theirbalance, or sometimesit’s hard to walk. MSproblems like theseare called symptoms.Symptoms of MS cancome and go…we don’tknow exactly why.Sometimes you don’t evennotice the symptoms. At other times they are pretty obvious. It’s hardfor a person with MS to know from one day to the next how he orshe will feel. That is why we say that MS is unpredictable.

Interesting Fact:

Multiple means many.

Sclerosis means scars.

So, multiple sclerosis

means “many scars.”

MSWe love to publish yourpictures, stories, andpoems about MS. Pleasesend us your work! Tell us how your family learnsabout MS together, howyou feel about having MS in your family, whatadvice you would giveother kids about havinga mom or dad with MS,how you help your momor dad, or whom you talkwith about MS.

Keep S’myelin Readers:WE WANT YOU!

Send to:National MS Society

KEEP S’MYELINBROADWAY STATION900 South Broadway

Suite 200 Denver CO 80209

or e-mail [email protected]

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Brain Spinal Cord

Optic Nerve

Nerves

Spinal Cord

Myelin

MS Scar


1. The covering around the nerves is called

2. The physical problems caused by MS are called

3. MS can change from one day to the next — that’s why we say it’s

4. The brain, optic nerve and spinal cord make up the

5. Messages going from the brain to other parts of the body travel along the

6. The brain acts like a

7. The words multiple sclerosis mean

nylimeispaln drocotrpucmenmay csrasiplrenudtcabetspmyostcnelra rvnosue yssmte••

HINT: All the answers can be found in the What is MS article on page 2.

1.Myelin2.Symptoms3.Unpredictable4.Central nervous system5.Spinal cord6.Computer7.Many scars

Pick your answers from the scrambled words below.

Answers

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� Pour approximately 3 cups of soap flakes into thebowl. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water with a few drops offood coloring added to it.� Mix the contents of the bowl with your hands untilit becomes the consistency of play dough.� To shape it, take a drop or two of vegetable oil, and rub it between thepalms of your hands, then shape anyway you wish. If you want to makesoap on a rope, cut a piece of stringand tie the ends together.Push the knotted endgently into the finishedshape.� Let set overnight.

� Soap flakes� Liquid food coloring � Water� Vegetable oil � Bowl� String (for soap on a rope)

� Inexpensive shaving cream � Food coloring

BATHTUB COLORS

� Note to Parents:

This washes off

very easily.

� For each color, mix 2tablespoons shavingcream with food coloring. � Mix, and put each color into an old muffin tin. Use a paintbrush to draw your own art on the bathtub!

BATH BUDDIES SOAP


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WHAT’S SILLY WITH THIS PICTURE ?


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NUMBNESS

FATIGUE

MYELIN

WEAKNESS SCAR

MRI NERVE

SHOT

BRAIN

KEEP

SMYELIN

Hint: Words are across, down, and backwards!

W O R D S E A R C H


ISSUE #13

KeepS'mye

lin

FUN ACTIVITIES

Contact the National MS Society at 1-800-344-4867.

Did you hear about the catthat swallowed a ball of yarn?

What animal do youlook like when you getinto the bath?

What did one arithmetic booksay to the other arithmeticbook?

Why did the farmer ploughhis field with a steamroller?

Because he wanted togrow mashed potatoes.

She had mittens.

A little bear! (bare)

Boy, do I have problems!

JOKES


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ISSUE #13/FUN ACTIVITIES

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children share somecommon concerns:

�They worry they will“catch” MS. (You canreassure them that MSis not contagious like acold or the flu.)

� They worry that theirbehavior caused yourMS or could make itworse. (You can reassurethem that this isabsolutely not the case.)

� They worry that youwill die. (You can reas-sure them that peoplewith MS can live verylong lives and seldomdie from MS.)

Have the entire familyplay the Throw a Smilegame together or trysome of the recipes andbath-time activities.Families often feel morecomfortable talkingabout difficult subjectswhen they are engagedin relaxing, enjoyableactivities together.

Try to figure out thescrambled answer quizand the word searchtogether. Doing theseactivities together offersan opportunity for youto clear up any miscon-ceptions about MS andmake sure your childhas the basic vocabularyto talk about MS and askyou questions.

Remember as you talkabout MS, that many

This issue of Keep S’myelin con-tains lots of family activities andgames. Some have MS content —for example, the scrambledanswer quiz and the word search— while others are just for fun,like the recipes, jokes, and games.So, we hope this issue serves twopurposes: providing ways to learnabout MS with your child andsuggesting ways to have funtogether in spite of MS!

PARENTS' PULL OUT

HOW TO READ THIS ISSUE WITH

YOUR KIDS

fp_PARENTS:MS PARENTS./issue#13 /5-5 4/1/11 12:28 PM Page 1

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PARENTS' PULL OUT

Depending on the ages ofyour children, you can askthem to help you come up

with an “idea list.” One child might

like some read-aloud time, another might like to play a computer game. Watching

videos together orworking on a simple artproject are other ways forparents and kids to sharequiet time. There is almostalways a holiday comingup for which grandparentsor friends would enjoyreceiving a card ordrawing. Kids loveto play charadesand put on skits,and you can be theappreciative audi-ence. They alsolike to putter in thekitchen, making simplesnacks. Just make surethat setting up and clean-ing up are part of the bar-gain — there isn’t any rea-son that all of the workneeds to be left to you.

One very helpful strategy

with younger kids is tohave a surprise box orcloset for “desperation”days.Keep your eye out forunusual books, games,videos, clothing for dress-up, and art supplies thatyou can store someplaceout of sight. There is noneed for these items to befancy or expensive, theyjust need to be unfamiliar.A surprise activity cancome in very handy on aday you’re feeling desperatefor quiet time and yourkids are feeling desperatefor entertainment andattention.

Since unpredictabilityis a hallmark of MS, it’simportant to have a back-up plan. Kids — andadults — can deal withdisappointment more easi-ly when they can get arain check or the opportu-nity to do another funactivity instead. Make thebackup plan part of thedeal right from the begin-ning, so that all of you getused to the idea that everyplan has some flexibilitybuilt into it.

MS sometimes has away of spoiling familyfun. Most families havehad the experience ofhaving to cancel a planor postpone an outingbecause Mom or Dadwas too tired or didn’tfeel well. Nobody likesthese kinds of disap-pointments — parentsor children — so it’simportant to think aboutways to have fun togeth-er even on the “off”days. Having fun togeth-er doesn’t have toinvolve elaborate plans

and major events; funcan also be quiet, restful,and relaxing. The impor-tant thing is to brain-storm together aboutactivities that all of youcan enjoy.


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PARENTS' PULL OUT

• 2 small packages of vanilla instant pudding mix• 4 cups of cold milk • 1 large container of frozen whipped topping, thawed• 1 6-ounce package of miniature chocolate chips• 1 large package of chocolate sandwichcookies, crushed to crumb consistency• Gummi worms• 1 child's sand bucket and shovel, cleanedthoroughly

DIRT DESSERT

C O O K I N G F U N

Note to Parents: This is not a particularly healthy snack. The editors recommend

making this treat only occasionally!

• Core and slice apple into 4 or 6 wedges.• Take half of the wedges and spread withpeanut butter on the top side. • Take 5 or 6 miniature marshmallows andplace on top of peanut butter (teeth!).• Spread the other half of the apple wedgeswith peanut butter and place peanut butterside on top of the marshmallows.

• Mix the pudding according to pack-age directions and allow to set for afew minutes. • Fold in the whipped topping andchocolate crumbs.• Put half of the pudding mixture in bottom of the sand bucket.• Top with half of the cookie crumbs.• Layer with the remainder of the pudding and then the rest of the cookie crumbs.• Top with the Gummi worms, chill.Use a shovel to serve.

APPLE LIPS


Keep S'myelin is a publication for children with parents or otherrelatives with multiple sclerosis. It is produced by the NationalMultiple Sclerosis Society. The National Multiple Sclerosis Societyis proud to be a source of information about multiple sclerosis. Our comments are based on professional advice, pub-lished experience and expert opinion, but do not represent thera-peutic recommendations or prescriptions. For specific informationand advice, consult a qualified physician.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society does not endorse products,services, or manufacturers. Such names appear here solely becausethey are considered valuable information. The Society assumes noliability whatsoever for the contents or use of any product or servicementioned.

This issue is made possible through unrestricted educational grantsfrom Teva Neuroscience and Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals.

EditorsRosalind Kalb, PhD Kimberly Koch, MPA

Design/IllustrationsClaude Martinot Design

The National MS Societymobilizes people and

resources to drive researchfor a cure and to addressthe challenges of everyone

affected by MS.

© 2011

Please give us feedback.Send your questions or ideas to:

National MS SocietyKEEP S’MYELIN900 South Broadway Suite 200Denver CO [email protected]

Players sit in a circle, making sure they cansee everyone else. The player who is “It”starts the game by smiling widely, while allthe other players keep straight faces aresomber. “It” then uses his hand to wipe thesmile off his face and throw it to anotherplayer who has to catch the smile with hishand and put it on.

This new ‘It’ can then wipe off the smile tothrow to someone else -- though he willprobably choose to mug wildly at every-one for a few minutes before relinquishinghis happy role. Meanwhile, all other playersmust sit stone-faced. One smirk andthey're out.

M O R E F A M I L Y F U N

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PARENTS' PULL OUT

Throw a Smile Game


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