For my daughter's Harry Potter birthday party, one of the activities, besides spells and sorting, was writing magical spells using Latin words. You can download the Spell Book I created for free here -- and use it for your own magical party or even your classroom. Write Your Own Latin Based Harry Potter Spells The Spell Book includes some of the most familiar spells from the Harry Potter books … [Read more...]
Experiential Stuffed Animal Writing Idea For Kids
Get your imaginations ready for a fun experiential writing adventure! You'll be taking your best friend (aka. favorite stuffed animal) for a walk and narrating the story as it might happen if your friend were real. This kind of doing and writing is great for young writers for many reasons such as: SENSORY DETAILS: Descriptions can include the sensory details easily because you're … [Read more...]
Project: Pet Rock (Craft and Writing Activity)
Help your kids adopt the easiest pet ever -- a ROCK! (I know. Why didn't you think of this before?) Once your child adopts a rock, he can dress it up, name it, and give it a home! Not only that, add literacy learning with this funny and fun writing project / activity. Use Laura Numeroff's 10-Step Guide to Living with Your Monster as a mentor text from which you'll help your child write her own … [Read more...]
Write a Novel in November! NaNoWriMo Kids
Yesterday I sat in on my daughter's 5th grade lunch writing club while her teacher explained NaNoWriMo -- National Novel Writing Month -- for kids! The kids can't wait to start writing. Because every day of November, they'll be writing toward an amazing goal: a novel! Write a Novel in November! NaNoWriMo Kids Homeschool parents, this could be your writing curriculum for November. Don't you … [Read more...]
Happy Birthday, Cupcake! Review and Activities
Happy Birthday, Cupcake! Review and Activities The latest picture book from Terry Border, creator of the photography site Bent Objects is HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CUPCAKE! and it's a mouth-watering adventure using everyday-object photography. (Also, don't miss his previous book, Peanut Butter & Cupcake!) Never Before Seen Photograph from Happy Birthday, Cupcake! Cupcake wants to celebrate her … [Read more...]
Summer Printable for Kids
Download this amazing free summer learning printable for kids that will guide them in reading, writing, and math learning. (And prevent the summer slide & summer learning loss!) Summer Printable for Kids Stick the printables into a 3-ring binder or just staple the packet. (I like the binder because then I can add math worksheets and handwriting worksheets.) I added colorful dividers that I … [Read more...]
Mix and Match Printable Coloring and Writing Book for Back to School
You're going to love this fun back-to-school writing and coloring printable that I made for your students and children. Perfect for ages 6 - 10,The Mixed-Up Student will get your kids excited to be back in school and learning. In this story, the student gets mixed-up when going back to school . . . The student (both boy and girl) go to Africa, a pirate ship, dinosaur times, the beach, … [Read more...]
Christmas Story Starters
Today for the 2012 Creative Christmas Countdown, I'll give you printable Christmas story starters and show you how to make your own Christmas storybook, a handmade book covered in wrapping paper, filled with colorful pages ready for you to write imaginative Christmas stories. Use the free printable holiday story starters to inspire ideas. Christmas Story Starters Supplies: paper, … [Read more...]
Creativity and Julia Child
August 15, Julia Child would have celebrated her 100th birthday-- Happy Birthday to her! Her legacy, teaching us how to cook French food and enjoy the dining experience, lives on in her cookbooks, her memoir, and at the Smithsonian. Yes, Child donated her entire kitchen to the Smithsonian. "Learn how to cook-- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all, have a good … [Read more...]
Do You Love I Spy Books? How to Make Your Own!
Do your kids love the I Spy books by Jean Marzollo and Walter Wick? Want to make your own? Try making your own I Spy book pages as a fun art and writing activity. To do this you'll gather props, take pictures, and work on the computer. Make Your Own I Spy Book We choose to make I Spy pages with colors. Gather props around your own theme. Then, arrange the objects close together. The … [Read more...]
Bubble Writing (Lettering) Motivates Kids to Write (Mostly)
Are you finding it challenging to get your kids to write? Because me, too! Sigh. Which is why I'm happy about bubble writing to motivate them. Bubble Writing First of all, bubble writing is really lettering, or making letters fancy, silly, scary, poofy, etc. We found tons of lettering ideas in the book, How to Be the Best Bubblewriter in the World Ever - from monster letters (below) to caveman … [Read more...]
How to Spark Your Own Creativity (in Parenting and Life)
The Alphabet Glue e-magazine reminds me that surrounding myself with creativity makes me better -- a better parent, artist, writer. When I see ideas on Pinterest, they often spark other ideas. Or, when I'm talking to my husband about the seed of an idea, the two of us get something more amazing. Or, when I'm reading a creative literacy-themed magazine like Alphabet Glue, it sparks more creative … [Read more...]