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How to read vintage books by understanding time and place

Hello my friends of the Omschool, teacher Omi (grama) here with some thoughts on reading vintage children's literature. There are certain mindsets one must have and preconceived notions to do away with when reading books not set in a familiar time or place. Or books about unfamiliar subject matter, especially different cultures, traditions and peoples. 

I have an advantage here because I am vintage and much of what I have read, even as a child, far predates me, timewise and in content. I was born in 1964 and learned to read about 4. I got left alone to read what I wanted. So I often ended up reading books that were too mature for me. I have also read books that take place within different cultural milieu. Scholastic Books was very good at presenting different times and cultures sensitively and accurately. And I was a diehard Scholastic fangirl. 

All this was so good for me because it broadened my mind, deepened my empathy and and prevented me from developing a lot of ethno-centric stereotypes and prejudices. I've always had intense respect and appreciation for people's differing ways of doing things. If anything, I wanted to leave the US and move to those places I read about. 

But back to topic, mindsets we need for reading vintage literature. Maybe mindset is the wrong word because it implies inflexibility and we need flexibility and tolerance to understand things outside our ken. It's crucial to accept that not everyone does things or understands things as I do. My culture, upbringing, background, society and age play a huge role. 

I got to thinking about this reading a blog post about a book called "Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack" (M.E. Kerr). I'm not sure the blogger's age but guessing they weren't reading this book when it was written in 1972 (set in 71). There are many criticisms about its many "wacky" references. 

However the wacky references, such as the cat's name being Ralph Nader, wasn't wacky at all in 1971. Ralph Nader was a household name. It would be like naming a cat Steve Jobs now. It was also deemed strange that main character Tucker's mom wrote for a true confessions magazine. In 1971, the grocery store aisle was papered in such magazines, the National Enquirer being the best known. 

Then there's discussion on quirky ways parents behaved which, though it might sound made-up was actually pretty normal, especially in larger cities like L.A. People did go to shrinks and join trendy and fad religious groups. Many of the biggest named diets like South Beach and Scarsdale came out at that time. Moms did do charity work and called it that. The word Ghetto was in common parlance. 

There's also commentary on odd things different characters say which to someone living in those times sounds completely normal. Not acceptable but certainly common. Racism, misogyny, religious and lifestyle bigotry was on prime-time with Archie Bunker. He openly attacked liberals, Jews and "pinkos" and was applauded for it. Kids got used to hearing their parents say things and use terms that make us cringe today. It made some of us cringe then too.  

And then there is the mention of Dinky Hocker's BMI, 5'4" 165#,  which makes the author very uncomfortable. But this BMI WAS considered very overweight back then. I was put on a 1,000 calorie a day diet at age 8 because I weighed 100 pounds. I never gained more than 25 pounds or so and just hit max weight more quickly. Then when I gained weight in high school, I was called fat at 138 pounds. It may not be right but it is how it was.  People were smaller back then, it's just a fact. 

Why do I bring these points up? Because they highlight how important it is, when reading books in different time periods, to understand that what we do and think now isn't always how it's been. And that authors are writing in the time they live to audiences of the time. Agatha Christie used the N-word in a play because it was acceptable then. 

Even beloved Nancy Drew was a condescending racist bigot with a bad case of white savior complex, in her earlier incarnations. But she was reflecting the time and place she lived in. So to understand a novel, we have to understand what the time was like, as odd as it may seem. We don't have to like or agree. But we have to understand. 

We can note what's wrong but we also have to be careful not to be too judgmental of authors reflecting their own time and experience. Some of them were breaking ground just by mentioning these things. And future generations will look back on us and have a lot to find fault with too (current Trump regime springs to mind). Not all change is progress. Nor was the past a unilaterally better time and place. Some things are better, some worse, some just different. 


A case for censorship: Why kids should read age-appropriate books


Hi friends of the Omschool. Today's topic is loaded and controversial. I'm talking about censorship and why there are reasons for it. Now, if you know me, you know that last thing I am is a book burner. Banning books accomplishes about as much locking up alcohol. It just makes it that much more tempting. I'm not talking about entirely forbidding certain books. I'm saying keep kids from reading books that aren't age-appropriate until they are old enough to understand them. And my reason for saying this is anecdotal. 

I started reading about 3 or 4  was reading chapter books by seven and adult literature by about 9. My parents were very involved in their own lives and didn't take any interest in what I read. So I read books that were waaayy to mature for me. I ended up learning about things I was far too young to understand and only ended up feeling icky and confused. 

For example, books on intimacy. I read and loved "Are you there God, it's me Margaret" because it actually talked about things like getting your period. So I moved on, at age 9-ish, to "Then Again Maybe I Won't" which talked about a boy's version of puberty. And was totally embarrassed. I totally missed the really good parts of the book because I was stuck on the what seemed to me, gross parts. 

Was it wrong for a book geared for 10-14 y/os to talk about male genitalia, wet dreams and self-stimulation? Well, I rest my case for age-appropriate: 13 or 14 maybe, 10, no. My husband said he never read it but would have been horrified even at age 13 or 14. I won't be buying it for my grandsons, either. I'm not a prude but just because I was so off-put reading it too young. Which is sad because the book is a very good read. Maybe it was just the time we lived in, maybe not. 

Anyway, then, I bought "Forever" also Judy Blume at 11 and was NOT ready for that AT ALL. It was clearly YA, written about a 17 y/o and was full on teen sex. It made me sick but also luridly fascinated. The problem is not whether teens should read it but that tweens certainly should not.  It sent me down the Harlequin romance rabbit hole and by 13, I was reading semi-porn grocery store novels with my stepmom. I still recall how uncomfortable they  made me, but hey, when an adult lets you, why not? 

Well, why not is because it imprints indelible images on your young mind that leave you feeling dirty and ashamed. But no one tells you this and you don't dare to tell anyone for fear of being told you're disgusting. And if you have been molested, it just makes things worse. You believe it's your fault for reading such things in the first place. 

So I don't believe that kids books should sanitize or condescend, there are better times for children, teens and YA to be introduced to various topics. It wasn't just books on sex that were too mature for me. I read the "The Pigman" (Paul Zindel) around 10. I liked it but was also disturbed by it. Same with "Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack." They were good but I just wasn't ready for them.  There's arguably no age to read "Helter Skelter" certainly not 13.  

Even books like "Freaky Friday" with which there was nothing "iffy" about and which I absolutely adored posed problems when read too young. I missed a lot, it being stream of consciousness writing. And then there were books like "Harriet the Spy" which I read at a younger age but still in range. I missed a lot in that because the setting was unfamiliar. Also, these elementary age kids were featured doing things that were more suited to middle school. 

And don't get me started on all the YA psych books I consumed like candy at around 12.  "Lisa Bright and Dark" (John Neufield) and "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden" (Joanne Greenberg) gave me a way too young look into mental hospitals, shrinks, manic-depressive disorder, anorexia, depression, schizophrenia, teen suicide, substance abuse, domestic violence, teen pregnancy, homosexuality, and other terrifying but fascinating issues. 

Then there were the "teen journal" books I became obsessed with at about 13, such as "Go Ask Alice" "Jay's Journal" and "Annie's Baby." They too dealt with fascinating but frightening things, including Satanism and occult. I just learned, looking them up, that it was all a big con and author Beatrice Sparks was a fake. I really believed she was a psychiatrist and that these were real stories from kids' journals. I majored in psychology because of books like these and even recommended them in past articles. There was a lot of money to be made on teen suffering back then. 

In closing, I don't say that these issues should be hushed up. I wish there had been more books on things I was dealing with, like parentification and enmeshment. But then, I probably wouldn't have made the connection anyway because literature was an escape for me. I just urge parents to know what your child is reading and be prepared to walk with them through it. 

Our son wanted to take on Stephen King at around 12. I was reluctant but didn't want to make it forbidden fruit. So I powered through a few with him (and found I'm still to young for some of this content!) And we talked about it. And he regrets reading some of it. But maybe that's what maturing is all about, making choices as best you can and living with the consequences of those choices. 

Thanks--mar

 


Funny kids bedtime books to tame a child's fear of monsters


Hello my friends of the Omschool. Yanno, teacher Omi wasn't always an adult. I was a little kid who was often scared of the dark and the monster which I was sure inhabited it. But I learned, from my emotional support books how to conquer some of those fears. Books provide what we call bibliotherapy. By reading certain books and stories we find help for mental health issues, such as fear. Kids books offer bibliotherapy by showing children in similar situations safely resolving struggles. And when they use humor, all the better. If your child fears monsters, likely its worse at night. Here are funny kids bedtime books on taming fear of monsters. 

Harry and the Terrible Whatzit (Dick Gackenbach) We kids believe that the basement is a place where awful things live. My grandma used to tell me to fetch a can of peaches for her while she counted. As if THAT was going to help! I'd run so fast I tripped up the stairs. So I really feel for Harry, when he worries that his mother has been taken or worse by a terrible whatzit in the basement. Our brave hero goes looking for her and finds that you can't judge a monster by its two heads. Absolutely hilarious denouement! 

There's a Nightmare in my Closet (Mercer Mayer) Who hasn't been afraid of the thing in the closet and been told "there's nothing there"? My grandfather humored me and closed the door but even then, I knew as did the kid in this book that I was right, there's something inside! But good news for us when IT turns out to be more afraid of us than we are of him.  I absolutely love the annoyed look on the kid hero's face as he comforts the crybaby creep! Here are some free printable lesson plans on Nightmare in the Closet. 

There's Something in the Attic (Mercer Mayer) Along with the dreaded basement, the attic is another scary place where frights of all kinds lurk. In another case of  mistaken monster identity, it appears there IS something in the attic as we've suspected but he identifies as the fearful rather than the feared. And it takes a cowgirl to calm him. 

There's a Monster Under my Bed (James Howe) Monsters have a lot of hiding places and under a kid's bed is their favorite. My preferred monster-prevention method was to cram so much under the bed that a monster wouldn't fit. But Simon can't so he must face the under-bed-dwellers, man to monster. You'll love the outcome. 

Little Monster series. Mercer Mayer really knows his monsters and there could not possibly be a cuter monster than Little Monster unless it's his (sometimes annoying) little sister. Kids can address monster fears by seeing that he's just one of the gang. And Little Monster has to do some bully-busting of his own with big Yally who also turns out to be not as brave as he presents. 

Where the Wild Things Are (Maurice Sendak) What is is with monsters not living up to their reputations? In this classic story, Max not only tames but rules the whiny baby wild things! Because really kids are the most wonderfully wild things of all. 

Go Away, Big Green Monster! (Ed Emberley) The monster in this interactive book is real and really scary UNTIL a child takes him down to size. My youngest daughter loved dismantling Big Green Monster and telling him not to come back unless SHE said so. 

Read these books to your kids before bed or in the classroom at school. Allow for lots of discussion. And see my other articles for more bibliotherapy on bullies, conflict resolution and more. 

Hardy Boys alternatives: Mystery books for kids with believable young detectives from my childhood


Hello my friends of the Omschool! Teacher Omi here with more great books for you to enjoy during National Reading Month and all year long! I've always loved mystery books since basically birth. But I find series like the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew tedious. The mysteries are believable but the young detectives are not. They are too perfect. 

There's nothing they can't do and they have everything given to them. I mean seriously, a plane and a boat? What normal teen has those at his disposal? They don't have jobs to slow them down and there's  handy housekeeper Hannah cum cook cum servant to do everything for them. And there's always a the dumb friend to showcase their cleverness. All they have to do is show up, cast their eye over the evidence and boom! Case closed. 

No Such Thing as a Witch and The Wednesday Witch (Ruth Chew) These books along with other Ruth Chew books, take a second glance at witches and especially how and why women get labeled as witches. They unashamedly acknowledge that witches exist but they don't always look and act the way we profile them. The kid "witch-finder detectives" in these books are gullible but likable and believable because they are so. 

Worst of all, the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew also seem to be above all rules. No wonder Frank, Joe and Nancy always get their man: they don't have to follow normal police procedural that other crime-solvers must comply with. They break the law themselves, all the time and get away with, well, murder, as it were. And get hailed as heroes. So today we're going to explore mystery books for kids with believable law-abiding young detectives. These kid sleuths have to follow the same rules everyone else does and to my mind, makes them better detectives.

Encyclopedia Brown (Donald Sobol) This series features short pithy mysteries with a gang of kid sleuths who form a detective agency, led by the titular character Leroy "Encyclopedia" Brown, so named for his encyclopedic knowledge on many subjects. He misses being savant-ishly annoying but does tend to show up adults too much. And he's lucky to have a dad as chief of police. My favorite part is the solve-it yourself feature where readers are invited to offer solutions and then turn to the back to find out whodunit. 

The Three Investigators Pete, Bob and Jupiter are my absolute most-bestest top picks for kid detectives. These books were written, beginning in the 1960s and carrying on to the 2000s by several different authors. My favorites were the series creator Robert Arthur, his protege William Arden and Nick West. M. V. Carey had a few good ones but veered into supernatural which is not in keeping with the original concept. The OG Three Investigators books always stayed grounded in reality which made them much more appealing as mysteries. No matter how spooky or spectral there is always a "man in a mask" behind the mayhem. 

I also like the characters because they live in the real world where people have jobs and responsibilities. They have to work for things. Bob has a job at the library. Pete and Jupe work at Uncle Titus's junkyard (oh what a paradise THAT place is). Their detective agency is cobbled from old and reclaimed stuff and is hidden in the junkyard, accessible by four secret entrances. You cannot get cooler than that. 

When they get hurt, the injury doesn't disappear in the next books. Bob's leg injury plagues him for quite some time. Jupiter is the genius but Bob and Pete lend their expertise too. Pete does tend to do a lot of the heavy lifting, but he's not the token dumb friend, by any means. . And these young men are respectful as well as clever. Many of their adventures feature people from different cultures and traditions. So readers get a lot of insight into other traditions as well as Hollywood and L.A. history. 

I first discovered "The Three Investigators and the Talking Skull" at around age 8. Then went looking for more. The best book IMO is the first "The Secret of Terror Castle." But all the rest of Robert Arthur's are superb as well. The mysteries are well-developed and unique. 



Creative conflict resolution books for kids with funny plot twists and free printables

Hello my friends of the  Omschool! Teacher Omi here with more creative conflict resolution and bully-busting books for kids to take on bullies in creative, funny and gentle ways. Just in time for March, National Reading Month, these books explore alternative problem-solving methods and strategies to diffuse hostile situations. These books for kids are geared to the youngest readers, to hopefully head off aggressive behavior before it begins. And best of all these, kids books have funny plot twists. See my other article for more bully-busting books for kids. 

Stone Soup In this classic tale, hungry soldiers help hoarding villagers learn to share. Everyone gets fed when three outsiders use creative conflict resolution tactics instead of intimidation. Here are some free printable Stone Soup lesson plans to helps students explore this story. 

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear (Don and Audrey Wood) Little Mouse has a giant treasure with an even bigger bully bear to protect it from. He tries various ways to ward off the greedy bruin until he realizes that he might be a little greedy too. So  he lights on a win-win conflict resolution that benefits them both. This is a great read-aloud for emergent readers. 

Mousekin's Golden House (Edna Miller) One of my favorite heroes ever, I've loved Mousekin as long as I can remember. In this story, our little rodent seeks a place to winter, safe from predators. And finds it in an unlikely place. Check out Mousekin's other adventures in the wild. These books are perfect for early childhood or ECSE science lesson plans. 

Horton Hears a Who (Dr. Seuss) In this tale, the image of bully is inverted, with the big guy being the bullied.  A tender-hearted elephant hears what he thinks are small persons in danger. And braves gaslighting bullies of all sorts to protect the speck on which they live. Children will cheer as Horton saves not only the persons but the bullies as well. 


Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose
(Dr. Seuss) Again, the good doctor spins us a tale of a large, gentle, protective creature, this time with a twist. The bullies are those Thidwick is being too compassionate towards. This gentle moose must learn to show himself compassion as well. 

Gus was a Friendly Ghost (Jane Thayer) Gus is not your average ghost. In the tradition of Casper, he's kindly and easily taken advantage of. He must learn to navigate pint-sized bullies and comes up with charming conflict resolutions to help everyone. Read the entire series of Gus the Friendly Ghost stories. My favorite is Gus was a Gorgeous Ghost. 






YA Girl power books from my childhood with relatable female heroines for Women's History Month

Hello my friends and welcome to the Omschool. I'm teacher Omi (grama) an educator now in her 50th year of working with kids. I started my "career" babysitting at age 10 and even then, I did or attempted fun and educational things with the kids in my care. Like Time for Timer's OJ ice cubes which I tried and failed to make 😏😁Timer forgot to explain that flimsy toothpicks don't stay put in cheap Saran wrap. But it was still fun trying. 

So I'm really excited about March because it's both Women's History Month and National Reading Month. These dovetail very nicely with the theme of this post: Girl power books from my childhood with relatable female heroines.

Women's history is about our history, or her-story, mine and yours. It's not just about famous women. It's about each of us, collectively and singularly. My her-story was steeped in reading. There's a picture of me at 2 with my nose in a book. My memory place is crowded with friends from literature. I've explored places and met people all around the world and through time, in my life's library. 

Early in life, the books I read featured more stereotypical girls in traditional roles. I liked it best when we read of these "normal" girls doing big, unusual or outside the norm things. I think of Caddie Woodlawn, Laura and Mary Ingalls, Jessie from The Boxcar Children, Understood Betsy and some of my other favorites. 

But then, in the late 60s-early 70s, as I was hitting my tweens, children's literature began to figure quirky girls in less traditional roles. Women's literature started reflecting less on things expected of girls and more on what they actually experienced. Even things like puberty (thank you, Judith Blume), were now actually talked about. 

Girls were shown as real, imperfect people with B.O. and zits, not paper dolls. Hating our mandatory itchy socks, making awful cookies because you used uncooked rice instead of oats, throwing tantrums sometimes and often with good reason. (God love ya, Katie John) I liked them even more because I could relate. 

No longer did we feel like little freaks who would never measure up to the picture perfect goodness of, say, a Nancy Drew or Cherry Ames (student nurse) though I did and still do adore her stories. Nancy Drew not so much--too perfect. (I still love fairy and princess stories too, btw! Thanks, Heather, for introducing me to Shadow Castle! There's always room on my book shelf for new friends but I keep the old, too! )

So without further ado, here are more of my best-loved girl power books from childhood with real girls in real situations!

Freaky Friday (Mary Rodgers) You may know this from either of the movies, but reading it is more difficult because it's written in stream of consciousness from a big city teen's perspective. And I read this book, like I did so many others, too young. Freaky Friday came out in 1972 when I was 8. I didn't even fully get the major plot twist (no spoilers).  Readers are living Annabelle's interior monologue in situ. I would recommend preparing readers for these confusing shifts in scene and random introduction of characters.  You can use this free printable character map. Also, age 11 to 12 would be a better age. But still, it's a cracking great read and I was able to get the gist, even being so young. 

The Doll of Lilac Valley Read this about 8 as well and I still tear up remembering. So what I love about Laurie Coxe, our heroine, is the tender, mature way she deals with the elderly people who are trying to parent her but who have never had children. It's kind of Anne of Green Gables-ish. Laurie realizes that she has to cut them some slack but also that loving people sometimes do awkward things but they are meant with great love. 

Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack! (M.E.Kerr, penname of Marijane Meaker, who wrote several of my favorite books. She wrote under several pseudonyms because some of her books explored new territory in that time, including lesbian fiction.). It's not an easy read and it reflects a lot of the early 70s culture of drugs, psychotherapy, self-help, hippies, organic religions that won't make much sense to now readers. Also, being based in LA might confuse some small town kids. (I actually related because my parents fancied themselves hippies.) But it does start to look at eating disorders, distant and do-gooder parents who neglect their own kids and misperceptions about people.

Harriet the Spy Harriet is a too-smart, upper east side NYC poor little rich kid. She misfits among her posh school bullies (there's no bully like a posh school bully) and has a limited friend group of other less-fit kids. As part of her planned journalism career she snoops on a circuit of people and records their activities. This spying is not well-received when her journal is discovered and people read things about themselves that they don't like. Harriet must use her wits to regain the few trusted friends she had. 

So even while getting that spying on people is wrong, my favorite part of the book was in fact, Harriet's meticulous route and routine for doing said spying. Her notebook was a master class in organization, just saying. I also can relate to the fact that Harriet had to work herself out of her own mess. No adult helped, save an absentee nanny with ambiguous advice. Like Freaky Friday, I probably read Harriet the Spy too young to get all the nuances. 



Dr Seuss Day activities, lesson plans crafts, printables for learning centers


Hello my friends of the Omschool, teacher Omi (grama) here with free Dr. Seuss Day lesson plans, activities, crafts and printables. The Cat in the Hat doffs his cap on March 2, to honor the birthday of his creator Dr. Seuss (Ted Geisel). To celebrate things Seuss, the NEA (National Education Association) hosts "Read Across America"  on March 2, to kick off March as National Reading Month. You can explore Dr. Seuss and reading in preschool learning centers with these Dr. Seuss activities, perfect for homeschool as well. 

Reading learning center. Dr. Seuss is right at home in the book or library learning center. Fill your book corner with Seuss books. Scatter some comfy pillows and Dr. Seuss character toys (Cat in the Hat, Lorax, Grinch etc). Emergent readers will love the pictures. Visit Seussville for book lists and ideas.  Throw a Seuss story party. Details to follow. 

Dr. Seuss activities for the art center. Display Seuss books: The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, Bartholomew and the Oobleck and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Each day of Read Across America week, create Seuss inspired artwork. Paint Seuss creatures at easels with brightly colored and neon paints. Model creatures in modeling clay or playdough. Create sculptures by poking recycled materials in Styrofoam blocks. 

To teach Dr. Seuss at the Collage center, make Seuss toys from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Put out oddly shaped cardboard containers, egg cartons, aluminum foil and cans, plastic containers and colored fabric scraps. Students can design their own version of toys from Whoville

Jing Tingler

Flu Flooper

Tar Tinkers

Who Hoover 

Who Carnio Flunx 

To teach Dr. Seuss in the Music Center, make homemade musical instruments. Create noise makers like the Grinch's hated 

Gar Ginkers 

Trum Tupers 

Slu Slumkers 

Blum Bloopers 

Who Wompers 

Zu Zitter Carzays. 

Encourage students to give their musical instruments silly Seuss-ish names. 

To teach Dr. Seuss in Dramatic Play or Dress Up center, have students make masks of Seuss characters: Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose

Horton the elephant

Yertle the Turtle

Maisie the bird

the Wickersham monkeys

Kangaroo and her joey

Have children create their own Seuss creatures. Have a Dr. Seuss parade like the one in his first book "And to Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street." Dress in homemade Seuss costumes, play musical instruments and show off homemade toys. 

To teach Dr. Seuss science center, use the Lorax. The Lorax deals with environmentalism. Set up an experiment on decomposition and pollution. Place different pieces of trash in zippered bags with a little water. Monitor them over time to show students how slowly trash decomposes. Here are more free printable Lorax science lesson plans

Students could also tend "trufulla seeds" (use any flower seeds, sunflower, cosmos or daisy). 

Make Oobleck mixing liquid laundry starch and white school glue. Here are more free printable recipes for Oobleck, moon sand, noise putty, etc. Use for early chemisty lesson plans. 

To teach a Dr. Seuss practical life area, use "The Cat in the Hat", "Green Eggs and Ham" and "Horton Hears a Who." These books deal with caring for others, preparing food and house cleaning. Do a Cat in the Hat tidy up relay race. Cook green eggs and ham. Care for an insect or goldfish. Use these free printable Dr. Seuss activities in your lesson plans, too

Recycle bin cardboard puppet crafts with free printable puppet patterns


Hello my friends of the Omschool (that's Omi or grama school). Raise your hand if you're sick of winter? With all the snow days in cold regions, stuck-at-home kids can get pretty bored. Well, hang on because Teacher Omi has some recycle bin cardboard crafts for kids. Use these lesson plans for Earth Month, right around the corner. Today we'll make a recycled cardboard puppet theater and and homemade puppets from all from your recycle bin! Children of all ages will love making homemade puppets and a cardboard puppet theater. Then they can write puppet plays and act them out. Homeschoolers will love these crafts because even the youngest learners can participate! 

I've included links for free printable puppets (this one takes you to Picklebums; it's that a cute name?)

First School has free printable paper bag puppet patterns here. 

DIY Craftsy has a bunch more paper bag puppet printables

Visit Activity Village for all kinds of free printable puppet patterns including seasonal, holiday, animal and themed puppets. 

PJs and Paint (another adorable name!) has free printable paper puppet templates. 

To make the homemade cardboard puppets, you will need: 

 4-6 brads (also called paper fasteners) per child 

narrow hole paper punch

 stapler 

assortment of recycled cardboard scraps in many shapes, sizes and patterns. You can use scraps from other recycled cardboard crafts and projects. There should be some plain geometric shapes and also some more complicated shapes. Each piece should be no larger than 6-8 inches in diameter and no smaller than two inches or so in diameter. There should be long, thin shapes as well as broader shapes.

inch-wide strips of cardboard (keep separate from assorted ones) for moving puppets

decorations: (these are all optional; use whatever you have available) wallpaper sample books, recycled bin paper scraps--gift wrapping paper scraps, tissue paper scraps, recycle bin construction paper scraps. recycled paper tubes, ribbon, crepe paper and yarn scraps, faux feathers and gems, glitter or glitter glue, buttons, silk flowers, pipe cleaners 

markers, paint  or crayons

Procedure to make homemade puppets. Children will assemble a puppet from found pieces of cardboard. Found means children must use recycled cardboard scraps as they are, no cutting or reshaping. The idea is to assemble puppets using whatever is available. Puppets may represent people, animals, fantasy creatures, aliens or even non-living things like vehicles. Our youngest son loved construction vehicles and made his puppet a personified "scooper-upper truck" (power shovel). 

Kids should lay out pieces recycle bin puppets before assembling. Puppets should have at least two body parts, preferably 3-5. Cover or decorate each individual piece before assembling homemade puppets. Children may trace and cut paper to fit puppet pieces and glue paper on. They may paint or color puppet pieces. Feathers, gems, flowers or other embellishments should be attached after puppets are assembled. 

 Assemble puppets in this way: Attach moving parts--arms, tail, head, legs--with brads. Punch holes through the fixed and moving part of cardboard. Push fastener through and fold metal prongs back. Attach stationary parts with tape or stapler. Attach embellishments with stapler, glue or tape. Attach two recycled cardboard strips, sticks or rulers to use as handles to move the puppet. 

For very little ones, make puppets as high chair crafts. Let them select pieces and decorations. An older child can assemble them and let the littles decorate with crayons and glue stick for decorations. 

Children should work together in groups to create a story using incorporating each of their homemade puppets into the plot. They might even create invitations and advertising posters for their play. 

Make a simple puppet theater cardboard crafts for kids from a large refrigerator box. Cut a closable flap window. Kids get inside cardboard puppet theater and animate their homemade puppets in the window. When finished store puppets in the box and close the flap. You can also make smaller puppet theater crafts for kids by cutting open a cardboard box. Stand box on table and have children stand on chair behind puppet theater. Stay tuned for more recycle bin cardboard crafts for kids. 

Chinese New Year of the Snake printables: activities for Lunar New Year


 Hello my friends of the Omschool! Today begins Chinese New Year of the Snake, also called Lunar New Year,  Lantern Festival and Spring Festival. I've always loved this celebration and all things China, Asia and surrounding countries. Before I knew there was such a thing as Chinese New Year even. Beginning at age 5ish, I recall reading with relish, in my Omi's Childcraft books,  about countries referred to then as the Orient. I've always loved learning about how children in other lands live, eat, worship, celebrate, dress and live their daily life. If you want to explore Lunar New Year of the Snake, here are free printables, activities and crafts to do so.  

First, play the Year of the Snake Google Doodle game. Help a cute animated snake find lychees ( I think they are) to eat as she swims among the lotus blossoms. And speaking of snakes, why not being by coloring these beautiful free printable snake coloring pages from Coloring.ws (part of DLTK). Shoutout to my grandson Moses, lover of snakes and serpents! There are some free printable connect the dot games too (one of my favorite puzzles in childhood). 

Next, slither on over to Activity Village for free printable Chinese New Year activities. The Lunar New Year celebrates a rotating zodiac of animals and this year is the snake. So people born this year and every 12 years previous are born under the sign of the snake (2025, 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1953, etc). You can find which animal you are at Enchanted Learning. You'll find free printable Chinese Zodiac and Lunar New Year and Lantern Festival crafts, games, coloring pages and lesson plans. Click each link on the page for more on all animals in the Chinese Zodiac. 

Click my link here for kids books and children's literature to read for Chinese New Year plus lesson plans and text to life activities. 

Here are other posts from different Chinese Zodiac year animals

Free printable CNY year of the monkey crafts

Free printable Lantern Festival activities

Activities for Lunar New Year

Year of the Dragon activities and printables (that's me! I'm a wood dragon!) 

And may I wish you Gong Xi Fa Cai (said like Kung Hei Fat Choy) and happy Lunar New Year! 


Learning from mistakes even when lesson plans fail


 Hello my dear friends! Teacher Omi here with some thoughts on what to do when lesson plans fail. When you forgot an essential material, when the instructions of the package didn't work out, or when someone or something derails it. Here are ways to learn from mistakes when lessons go awry. 

I got the idea to write about this from (this will sound odd) my CPTSD dreams. I struggle with very realistic trauma dreams in which I'm expected to be caring for or teaching kids who are out of control in a very chaotic environment in which I have no experience with. It's funny because even in nightmares, my teacher brain takes over and I try to make lesson plans with straw as it were. What I mean is that improvising has become second and even sleep nature. So what can we learn from that? 

First, one thing to know about kids is that they are always learning. What they learn may be positive, or it may be less so. So if you panic when things don't work, they will learn that mistakes are fails, fails are catastrophes and so it's unforgivable to "fail"  Now, why do we panic as teachers and homeschoolers? (raising my hand to own up to this one). I've found it's usually because we are afraid that we have let someone down. That WE are failures. And being the great imitators they are, kids learn that they are failures in turn.

BUT and this is a big but (small LOL) if we model patience, ingenuity and sangfroid in the face of what looks like catastrophe, guess who else will learn to do that? Yep, your students/kids. I witnessed an example of this making gingerbread houses with some of my grandkids. Now if you've ever put together one of those kits with kids you'll know that they are a fail in themselves, especially the little village ones. They never turn out like the picture. Particularly when made by young kids. And that is NOT the fault of the kids or adults. (I believe they're made to fail so we have to buy more 😅) But I digress. 

What impressed me was how mom handled this. When she saw they weren't working, she didn't get upset. She just did her best, let the children decorate as they wished and complimented them on their designs. The kids had a ball, which was actually the point of the exercise. What fun is making replicas that thousands have made before? Much better to use creativity. So what it ends up a gingerbread yurt?  Uzbeks deserve holiday trimming too! Which would be a great craft to life connection in itself--who lives in what shaped houses and why?

And what else did we learn? One thing was to read directions closely. I broke a few because I didn't trust that the score lines would work and used a knife. And some lines didn't work and broke anyway. We also learned that because we missed the part about decorating the rooves first, it was hard to do it when constructed. But then, the rooves were too heavy for the house structure even without decorations. This taught us some vital STEM and designs concepts of load bearing walls, weight displacement etc. I actually recommend using gingerbread kits as lesson plans with older students to learn engineering, construction and more. 

Best of all, we learned that oh-so-critical thinking skill of improvising. One of my favorite things to explore with kids is improv and workarounds. When you don't have this, use that kind of thing (no buttermilk, add vinegar to milk). This is not something you drill into students but rather help them find resources to do. And Google is a great friend here. You'll find countless ideas to substitute for about anything you could need. We made litmus test strips from paper and red cabbage, for example. 

And back to staying calm in crisis. #1 very few things are real crises. Having said that, the best way to avoid lesson plan fail is to prepare, prepare, prepare. Gather materials and know your content. But even then,  I've done science experiments in front of large groups of students that fell flat. And my first response is what can we learn from this? So first I make a joke to show it's okay. Next we go back to the directions to see if we missed anything. 

After that we try to find out what went wrong. Was something too cold, out of date, etc. This is where your science journals are invaluable. In the case of the gingerbread houses, I would have kids note that the rooves usually can't handle as much decoration as the picture shows. And an extrapolation from that is snow and ice on a real roof and why too much weakens them. I like to get as much practical wisdom out of lesson plans as possible. That's the whole point of education. 

Now for the best part. Have the students brainstorm on workarounds, alternate ideas, what to do differently, what we can take away from this, etc. List on the board all the ideas. You might even break them up into small focus groups to experiment. Using the gingerbread house example, one group might compare results of different size houses. Another might explore different configurations. Yet another might test decorating the roof before and after. Another, methods of breaking up the pieces. Another, alternate gingerbread and icing recipes. One simple workaround is to forego gingerbread altogether and use cardboard or paper. You can't eat it anyway. 

It took Thomas Edison 3,000 (!!) tries to find the right material for the lightbulb filament. But finally perseverance paid off. I honestly think the fails are so much more educational and fun than the successes. And a lot of my students have agreed. 






Winter Snow Party with games, crafts, activities and free Disney Frozen printables

Raise your hand if you’ve had it with winter. You parents and teachers must be especially tired of dealing with bored kids stuck inside. Well, teacher Omi has a winter blues buster first aid kit for you! Here are easy, safe games and activities to throw a Snowtastic party! And I'm nothing if not frugal so these activities are cheap or free, require no fancy equipment and are endlessly adaptable! Oh and value added, I've included winter themed literature tie-ins and free printables to make your winter activities multitask. I'll list those at the end.

Boot skating:  Sweep off an icy patch of pavement, or hose it down to make a rink. Demonstrate how to speed or figure “skate” by sliding in boots. I remember in second grade, teachers letting us “skate” down the halls after we watched a figure skating documentary. I really thought I was Janet Lynn. Have kids bundle up so if they fall they won’t get hurt. Here are some clips from figure skating history. 

Sonja Henie (1945) 

Janet Lynn (1972)

Torvill and Dean (1984, Sarajevo) 

Broom Hockey Use boot skating and play with old brooms or shovels. Use any old playground (basketball, 4-square, volley) balls. Allow no fighting. No need to imitate pro hockey that closely. 

Shovel Races: See who can shovel snow the fastest or make the neatest, clearest walks. Use snow shovels like shuffle board. Push playground ball toward a goal. 

Snow Golf: Use old brooms as in hockey. Dig holes in the snow and sweep tennis ball toward holes. 

Snowball Skeeball: Kids love to make and throw snowballs, but getting hit can really hurt. So have kids aim at a target instead of each other. Paint water color initials on snowballs so kids know whose ball landed where. Mark four concentric rings in the snow, like Skeeball. Have kids aim for the center.  Award more points depending on which ring it lands in nearest target. 

Snow Sculpture Walk: Have kids create 3D snow sculptures along a sidewalk or pathway. Have them design placards. Allow them to spray with food colored water if desired. Encourage visitors to view the art walk, comment on the pieces. No need for competition. This gives less athletic kids a niche at which to shine.  Do text-to-life literature tie-ins, using Children’s Books as a theme.

Cardboard sleds : Have kids design sleds from recycled cardboard boxes, markers, scissors, box cutters and duct tape. Provide paraffin (sealing wax). Show kids how to apply wax to waterproof and make the sled go faster.

Literature Tie-In Have students design sleds after famous vehicles from literature. Wikipedia lists fictional vehicles and sailing vessels with images. Edupics has free printable vintage vehicle coloring pages to use as models. Do a library treasure hunt. List vehicles/vessels and have kids research what book each comes from. Here are examples: Dawn Treader, Trojan Horse, Nautilus, Pequod, HMS Pinafore, Millennium Falcon, Polar Express, TARDIS, African Queen. 

Sled run: Simulate a luge or bobsled run. Pile up snow and make a hill or use an existing tree-free hill.  Rate kids on style, landing, distance, speed. Assign group sledding to help kids learn to work as a team. Or just freestyle. 

Snow-robics: Have children pretend to be different animals. Make butterflies (snow angels), snow snakes, snow alligators, snow fish, snow dolphins.  Have them make footprints trails and “track” each other by identifying individual print. Have them “walk” letters in the snow to write their names. Let the imagination run. This will occupy the youngest children for a long time. 

End with cocoa and sandwiches! Or  here are recipes from my Disney Frozen Winter Party Planner. 


Bully busting children's literature: bibliotherapy books for kids to deal with bullies

Hello my friends! Teacher Omi of the Omschool, here. Today I'm thinking of ways we can address bullying with students. When I was a kid, many moon ago, the concept of a bully was pretty stereotypical. I always think of the Charles Atlas bodybuilding ads on the backs of comic books. A big guy is featured kicking sand in the little guy's face while the dismayed girl looks on. 


Bullying prevention was stereotypical too. The Charles Atlas ad exhorted "Frail, puny" boys to build up their muscles, take on the bully and impress the girl. Dubious motive and overall cringyness aside, it wrongly implies that "might makes right." But neither brute strength nor two wrongs make a right. Coping with aggressive, coercive or intimidating behavior is about inner fortitude, self-esteem and brains, not brawn. 

Even the term bullying prevention can be misleading. It suggests that the bullied are responsible for making bullies stop bullying. And that only "shrimps" get picked on. But bullying happens to people in all sizes, colors, creeds and orientations. People don't do anything to make themselves targets. And bullies aren't' born that way. They are grown. Bullies bully because they can and/or were taught to. And often they were bullied themselves. True bullying prevention gets inside the bully's head, addresses his/her back experience, tells bullies they can't and punishes them when they do. And helps children develop empathy but also interpersonal and self-care skills. 

And it helps the "bully" (who are actually kind of frail emotionally themselves). Children need to develop empathy and insight into how and why people act this way. Best outcome is that the person behaving in hurtful ways will get his or her needs met in healthier ways and be able to be part of the group of friends instead of an outsider fighting his way in. 

Here's a list of bully buster children's literature books on bullying to teach kids what bullying is, what it feels like and what to do if they are bullied. Bullying prevention happens in clever, avant-garde ways. Through gentle bibliotherapy for kids, children see bullying for the weak cowardice it is. These children's literature books on bullying help kids use humor to diffuse the pain and get past victimization to the find the chutzpah they need to deal with their bullies. And in some stories, the bully becomes the friend. 

 "Hooway for Wodney Wat" by Helen Lester. Poor timid Wodney Wat (Rodney Rat) can barely "squeak clearly" to his friends, let alone to big mean Camilla Capybara. But when our hero is forced to take on Camilla, rodent to rodent, everyone at P.S.182 School for Rodents hears the mouse-sized bully buster loud and clear. This is one of the most endearing children's literature books on bullying ever. 

 "The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig" by Eugene Trivizas. This fractured fairy tale flips our preconceived notion of bully vs. victim on its ear. And therein lies the bibliotherapy for kids as they cheer on three gentle, peace-loving little wolves who teach one pyromaniac pig bully to dance. 

 "A Bargain for Francis" by Russel and Lillian Hoban. The redoubtable Francis the badger brings off a scathingly brilliant coup against her devious, double-dealing sometime-friend often-times bully Thelma. Bully buster Francis gets the prize for best plot twist in children's literature books on bullying.

"Ira Sleeps Over" by Bernard Waber. Ira loves his teddy bear Ta-Ta. When he's invited stay the night at his friend Reggie's house, his bullying big sister convinces him that "Reggie will laugh" at boys with bears. But Ira and Ta-Ta have the last laugh on sister. 

 "The Bully of Barkham Street" by Mary Stolz is a tender, heart-jerking look at how a bully is grown. It's bullying prevention from the roots up. In this bibliotherapy for kids, children may find themselves sympathizing with the bully as they see him as he really is, a hurt kid. 

 "Mouse Soup" by Arnold Lobel. Fox wants to make soup out of Mouse, but Mouse pulls a Scheherazade and makes mental mincemeat of Fox. Children will howl as the bully gets his comeuppance. 

 "The House on East 88th Street" by Bernard Waber teaches people not to judge a bully or a bully buster by his cover. You couldn't ask for a nicer crocodile than Lyle, but the neighbor cat Loretta is terrified he's a bully. Read how Lyle befriends the fractious feline. For more bibliotherapy for kids, read Lyle's other adventures in diplomacy too. 

 "Thomas the Tank Engine" by Rev. W. Awdry. A little engine is alternately the bullied then the bully. Will rascally Thomas ever learn that bigger isn't always better? Kids learn many important lessons watching cheeky Thomas fail and rethink his choices. 

"Emil and the Detectives" by Erich Kastner. Young Emil is stalked by some very fierce men with nasty intentions, but this sensible, prescient boy takes them on and saves the day. 

 "Go Away Big Green Monster" by Ed Emberley. In what might be the most interactive bibliotherapy for kids, children take down a monster of a bully one piece at at time! 

Read these books for kids to explore creative bully buster ideas. As always, talk about what you're reading. Help kids build empathy and tolerance for all people regardless of behavior. But also heathy self-respect that sets boundaries and feels okay about that. Tolerances doesn't mean tolerating hurtful acts. 

A-Z Healthy School Lunches and kid-friendly lunchbox food recipes for back-to-school nutrition


Looking for free nutrition lesson plans? Look no further than your kid's lunchbox. Helping students plan and prepare healthy school lunches is one of the best learning activities you can do. Check out my month-long menu of easy, quick A-Z school lunch recipes. Kids'll eat up these healthy school lunches and lunchbox recipes and beg you for more! Here are some free printable nutrition lesson plans and resources from MyPlate for lesson extenders. 

First, teach students about food safety by showing them how to keep food fresh with a freezer ice pack or bento box with freezable tray. Make it part of their chores to wash daily, freeze overnight and pop in lunch box in the morning. Next, make the preparation school lunches part of the lesson plans. 

Teach kids to always read product nutrition data. Some foods are surprisingly high in sugar, salt, junk fat and additives. Help them to compare which brands are healthier than others. Have them use snack-sized zippered bags for kid-friendly portion control and to avoid waste. Rotate this A-Z school lunch menu monthly so kids won't get bored.

 A-Z lunch menu of quick lunch recipes and lunchbox foods for kids

 A+ Applewich: Spread light oat grain bread with almond butter or natural peanut butter (no transfat). Add sliced apples or apple butter. This will be in hot demand on your monthly lunch menu.

 Banana Boats--cut two slits in banana and peel back skin part way. Remove a little banana and fill with peanut butter and apple slices. Save removed banana for PBB sandwiches (lunch recipes below)

Cheez-its crackers with dried apples or apple slices--sprinkle apples with lemon juice and store these  lunchbox foods separately.

Dogs in the blanket--Smart dogs (made with tofu) or nitrate-free beef hotdogs with honey mustard or hummus and wrapped in lettuce leaves

Eggs Devilishly Good--Hard boil eggs, chill and peel. Rinse and slice lengthwise. Remove yolk and  mash with light olive oil mayo, spicy or horseradish mustard, dill weed and paprika. Fill egg cavities. 

Fruit Max--Mix dried apricots, raisins, apples, guava papaya (don't get sugared ones) with nuts, seeds  and pretzels

GORP (good old raisins and peanuts) or almonds, walnuts or any nuts or seeds. Personal favorite: pepitas or pumpkin seeds

Happy Trails Mix-- Mix unsweetened breakfast cereal, pretzels, raisins, cheese cubes and dark chocolate chips (just a few) for yummy lunchbox foods.

Insanely Healthy Peanut Butter Dip (peanut butter and plain Greek yogurt mixed half and half) with  rice crackers, strawberries, pineapple, baby carrots, green pepper spears.

Jumble nut butter oatmeal cookies--Make with healthy sunflower oil and blue agave syrup to sweeten. Use different nut butters (peanut, cashew, almond or sunflower). Add mixed nuts and seeds  for remarkably filling protein alternatives for vegetarian lunch recipes.

Kangaroo Sandwiches--Stuff pita pocket bread with lettuce and chicken or tuna salad. Mix tuna or  chicken with light mayo, spicy mustard, chopped celery, apples, grapes, nuts and black pepper. Be  sure to call it Kangaroo Sandwiches on the lunch menu!

Lighten Up Roll-ups--spread tortilla shell with light cream cheese or hummus, turkey lunchmeat, large romaine lettuce leaf. Roll and slice. For gluten-free roll up, roll cheese stick in lunch meat or cheese slices

Mucho Guacamole Boats--remove pits from avocado and scrape out some avocado. Mix with lemon juice, garlic, tomatoes, onions for guacamole. Tuck tortilla chips inside avocado, fill cavity with  guacamole and sprinkle with cheese. Send some chips separately. How's that for super healthy  school lunches in minutes?

Nuts and bolts--pretzels, dried fruit and Honey Nut Cheerios. Send almond milk or lowfat milk for  lunch cereal.

Olives overboard pasta salad--Cook whole grain pasta, drain and chill. Add cubed feta cheese,  cucumber chunks, green and black olives and a little olive oil for vegetarian lunch recipes.

Po'boy Shish Kebobs: Skewer Swiss cheese chunks, pickles and all natural Al Fresco chicken  sausage slices on toothpicks.

PBB sandwiches. Make peanut butter sandwiches with banana spread like jam on bread.

 Quick lunch recipes--Pita chips and hummus with baby carrots--Teens love these lunchbox foods.

 Raw colored peppers and yogurt salad dressing (store separately). Yogurt dressing is Greek yogurt  mixed with lemon juice, feta cheese, pepper, dill, rosemary, oregano and sage.

 Smoked almonds, broccoli and yogurt dip and blueberries--How's that for super portable vegetarian  lunchbox foods.

Sailboat Sandwiches: PBJ sandwich cut diagonally (for boat) and then one half in half again (sails). Use light whole grain bread, natural peanut butter and low sugar jam.

Tomatoes or baby carrots and hummus are another teen lunch pleaser.

Very Vegetarian Veggie burger: Mash beans and mix with chopped veggies. Cook ahead and make  into sandwich.

Wagon wheels--Cut sliced cheese round using mouth of small glass. Place inside two crackers. (This was Timer's recipe in the old Saturday morning PSAs)

Under the Sea. Serve Goldfish crackers with foil tuna packets or imitation crab sticks. Add cucumber slices and watermelon chunks for quick lunch recipes.

 X-tra quick school lunches--Serve healthy power bars like RxBars, Kind, GoMacro and Larabars. These make great school snacks or lunches that satisfy

 YOLO--Lemon, lime or orange flavored yogurt cups or Greek yogurt cups like Light and Fit, Stonyfield, Oikos, Dannon, Chobani. Avoid "kid" yogurt or yogurts with granola, candy, dyes or junk in them. Choose small yogurt cups for less waste. Or mix plain Greek yogurt with organic lemonade, peeled  grapefruit and oranges. Serve with nuts for vegetarian healthy school lunches.

 Zucchini "Sushi" Rollups--Spread turkey lunch meat or cheese slice with cream cheese and wrap  around skinny spears of zucchini, carrots, green peppers, cucumbers and scallions.

Early math lesson plans from the practical life learning center with printables


Hello my dear friends! Teacher Omi (grama) here with some free early math lesson plans. These preschool activities cost nothing because they use materials you already have on-hand, whether you homeschool or teach in a school classroom. Today's math lesson plans come right out of the toybox or in a preschool classroom, the practical life learning center (called the house area in a Montessori set-up). Use them to teach early math skills like sorting, classifying, organizing, patterns and sequencing. 

Setting the table. I love this early math lesson plan for it's nod to nostalgia. When I was young, we learned in a little girl's club I was part of, how to properly set a table, using real dishes, utensils and table linens. That might not seem like a math lesson, or even very important to know. But it's kinda gestalt in that the whole was greater than the sum of the parts. For one thing, it was relaxing and therapeutic, especially for kids (like me) with a high need for orderliness. Now we might be called OCD or even autistic. Then we were just called organized. 

And there was a lot of emphasis on organizing back then which I see less of, today. And this is where the early math and even science and STEM comes in. All these disciplines rely on sorting, sequencing, organizing, classifying, arranging, method and order. There's nothing haphazard about math and science. And the earlier children learn how to do these things, the easier higher math and science will be. 

So how would you use the practical life or house learning center for early math lesson plans? Well, in those learning centers there's always a kitchen set of some kind, with play food and dishes. Teach children to set the table by showing where each item goes. You can get free printable placemats to help with arrangement. 

Early math lesson plans with play food. There are a multitude of ways to use play food in math lesson plans, particularly the kind which is separated into pieces. Have students disassemble food into pieces and then match up again. Encourage them to talk about what they are doing. You might even make it into a memory game. This teaches fine motor skills, eye hand coordination, matching, sorting and verbal skills. 

You can also teach math and science skills by grouping foods according to color, shape, food group, plant part, etc. These preschool activities help children learn about plant science, nutrition, categorizing and noticing details. 

You might have students arrange food on the printable placemat templates to make complete meals. MyPlate has a large section of free printable nutrition lesson plans to teach about food groups, healthy eating, meal planning and much more. 

After children have explored these concepts, end with a tasting party! My grandson Emmett likes to taste the play  food LOL. So we get out the real foods and sample them. And my personal favorite place to start is with fruits and vegetables. So much color, texture and nutritional goodness. Try making a rainbow fruit and veggie plate. 

How to host a poetry party with free printables

Hello my dear friends! Greetings from Teacher Omi's little kinter garden. I just love thinking up fun, educational things to do with kids. So today, let's explore ways to host a poetry party for children. I'll throw in some free poem patterns, writing prompts and poetry templates. You can use these poetry lesson plans anytime, anywhere with all ages. So they're perfect for homeschool. As we're heading back to school this fall, why not host a poetry party in your classroom? 

For starters, where shall we hold the poetry party? You know what I'm going to say---outside! You can go for a nature walk or sit on blankets in the back yard, by the beach or in the park. You don't need much in supplies: a notebook, pencil and maybe some markers are really all. Some kids (like my grandson Silas) prefer drawing to writing so the markers can be used to illustrate their poems. 

And on that note, if writing isn't your thing or if younger children aren't quite ready to write, there are options. You can do picture poems, like a pictograph. Or you can dictate your thoughts into a recorder. All phones have one. Thought ideally, I prefer the poetry party to be device free. 

Oh, one more thing, what's a party without snacks? I think the best snacks for outdoor poetry parties are varieties of fresh fruit. For our fall back to school theme, why not bring an assortment of apples, pears and grapes?

So once we have our location, snacks and materials, we need a theme. You could do autumn, bugs, butterflies, beach, harvest, clouds, flowers, birds, meadow or woods or even just a nifty tree you saw on your walk.

Next, you'll want to create a word bank. This is as simple as encouraged kids to explore around them and come up with words to express what they see, hear, smell and touch. They can discuss and describe the fruits they've sampled. 

I like to have kids call out words and phrases as they think of them. And then you can note them in several ways. The teacher can bring a large poster board or dry erase and write the words there. Or kids can transcribe them into their notebooks. You might also do the silent word bank with older kids in which they find a quiet alone space to journal their ideas and thoughts. 

Be sure to let kids know that this word bank itself is a form of poetry. They can arrange the words into a kind of rhythm such as a song. They can play around with rhyming but make sure they know that poems do not have to rhyme. One of the most famous is William Carlos Williams "This is just to say" 

I have eaten the plums which were in the icebox and which you were probably saving for breakfast. Forgive me. They were delicious. So sweet and so cold.  

How is that a poem? I would say because of the rhythm and cadence. But that is the beauty of poetry. It's an arrangement of words that sound pleasing to the ear. Or they might sound discordant, like Edgar Allen Poe "The Bells." 

Once kids have their word banks, they can arrange their words to express thoughts. Encourage them to make sub lists of synonyms (words with similar meanings). This will give them more choice for their poems. 

Here's a sample word list with synonyms that I made on a walk to the Lake Michigan dune. 

sand

surf (waves)

gray, grey, slate, charcoal, smoke, dusty, smudged

aqua (teal, blue-green, turquoise, aquamarine)

hemlock, fir, evergreen, balsam

buzzing, creaking, dripping, croaking, chirruping, whistle, kiss, crash, roar

cloudy, misty, fog

dusk, twilight, evening

spicy, sharp, piney, peppery, 

blue jay, cardinal


Then I made up some combination of words: 

pepper pine

click tick tock

dusty dusk

creak-croaking, 

fir-frog

fluffy fog

sun-sun sand

cardinal kiss call

blue jay joy

wave rave

surf roar


And then I made these into my poem

in noon dune

blue jay joy

sings praise to pines

beetle tick-clicks

fir frog 

creak croaks

waves rave

on sun sun sand


in dusk dune

fluffy muffled fog 

creeps up on

jewel-bright surf

turns blue sky

to charcoal cloud

waves and frog shush

cardinal kiss calls

for twilight slumber


in dark dune

owl's hush hoot

on slow dancing tree

leaves fold in on themselves

pepper pine sharp

scents sklish, swish breeze

end of wonder wander

as weary wanderer

wends her way home


After creating poems, kids can read theirs aloud. It's always gratifying for them to hear their words. here are some free printable poem templates. I've listed the google page because many are downloads for you to click and print.