Beastie Valley

Beastie Valley is an educational series brought to us by the Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Society supported by the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies. This series touches on subjects such as getting help and well-being in the community. These are great resources for the classroom and the home.

Lesson 1: Getting Help

How to find help and ask for help. The first person you go to might not be able to help, so this requires you to tell more than one person.

Getting Help tells the story of OrangeBeastie needing help with a problem – something embarrassing so they don’t want to share it with the whole world. After trying to solve their problem on their own, OrangeBeastie realizes they need to find someone they can trust to tell their problem to. Someone who can help or direct them to the help they need. They go through some options in their head before landing on PurpleBeastie, who had experience dealing with difficult situations.

In the end, OrangeBeastie got the help they needed and is doing much better coping with their problem and all thanks to their trusted friend and an adult beastie named SilverBeastie. [source]

Lesson 2: Getting Touchy

How different kinds of touch can make us feel, learning about boundaries & consent, and the importance of getting help from an adult.

Getting Touchy tells the story about RedBeastie who has REALLY ticklish head tendrils and is super self-conscious about it to boot. But they’re just so bouncy and blobby that most other folks can’t help themselves from reaching out and giving them a feel or a poke. This makes RedBeastie really uncomfortable. It reminds them of when their older cousin used to make fun of their sensitivity and would use them as little punching bags, which actually hurt a lot.

One day, RedBeastie meets a really nice beastie, GreenBeastie. They become fast pals and their friendship flourishes. There’s one problem though, RedBeastie is worried the same thing will happen with GreenBeastie. This leads to a lot of misunderstanding and hurt feelings which almost ends their friendship.

Thanks to some help from an older and wiser beastie named BurntSiennaBeastie, these beastie besties learn an important lesson together about consent and boundaries.  AND in the end, they find a new and special way to celebrate their friendship! [source]

Lesson 3: Well Being in the Community

Understanding what wellbeing is all about and how we can make sure all of our needs are being met. Adults have a role to play.

Wellbeing in the community tells the story of one particular young beastie named MaroonBeastie. MaroonBeastie is pretty cool and well-liked. You’d think that would be enough for any beastie, but MaroonBeastie has one thing that they’re really really into and can’t get enough of. For as long as they can remember, MaroonBeastie has always been into treecones.

But lately, MaroonBeastie is feeling more and more like no matter how many cones they collect – and they’ve collected a LOT of treecones – it’s somehow never enough. Meanwhile, it seems like ALL the other beasties are carrying on with fulfilling lives.

MaroonBeastie’s journey leads them to encounter many beastie friends along the way, including an adult beastie named SepiaBeastie who knows a thing or two about a thing or two. SepiaBeastie teaches all the young beasties an important lesson about wellbeing, how important it is to have all our needs met, and how adult beasties can help.

MaroonBeastie finally understands this lesson and in the end, finds what they have been needing the most. [source]

Lesson 4: Getting Connected

Everyone in a community plays a role, and together create a strong community web. No one is alone.

Getting Connected brings together all the experiences and lessons from the Beastie Valley video series to show that Beastie Valley is a true community.  Everyone does their best and wants what’s best for themselves and the other beasties. This act of sharing and support is happening all around Beastie Valley.  Even if you can’t find help the first time you look for it, eventually you will, and a strong community web is one with lots of connections. That means you are not alone.

You can see how everyone is connected, you can see how you’re connected. And you can see how much stronger the web is because of – you! [source]