A couple of weeks ago, I spent the day at the Minnesota State Fair. I was the Homegrown Author of the day in the Alphabet Forest, a super cool area full of alphabet and literacy activities for kids. So much hard work goes into this on the part of the creators, the sponsors, the volunteers, and the visiting authors–and families love it! But I screwed up in my choice of activity. Sigh.
I created and brought boxes full of (expensive) fans (anything on a stick is a bit hit at the Fair).
The idea was that kids would spin the poetry wheel and get a random word. Then they would draw a word ticket out of the word bag. Then they would brainstorm and come up with a metaphor linking the two nouns.
Then they would decorate the back of the fan, writing out their metaphor and coloring and stickering the fan, like my samples here.
That was the idea.
I knew my activity would work best for upper elementary. And I should have changed plans. Because my experience has been that every public event I’ve been at, regardless of what age organizers say to plan for, I end up with mostly pre-schoolers or even toddlers. Knowing that, I should?have planned a more basic, more visual?activity. I don’t?know why I have to re-learn this point?at every book fair, festival, or bookstore event I do.?Sigh.
90% of my kids were 5 or younger. Many were only 2. So my writing activity basically devolved into just coloring and decorating fans. Kids who were old enough did write a sentence describing their word, and they had fun spinning the wheel, coloring the fans, and doing foam stickers. Man, did they love the foam stickers. So, that was good. At least they had fun, like these two cuties below.
But I missed a good opportunity to connect with kids and help them connect with one of my books specifically. Next time, I will do better. And if I mention an upcoming public event, please remind me of this post!
Visit CLN’s site (they are a main sponsor of the Alphabet Forest) to see loads of Alphabet Forest pictures!
Hi Laura,
Retired teacher and poetry lover here!! Hear and feel the pain of these “open” events. However, LOVE your fan and your other idea. That is a keeper for a different day!!! I am sure the kids enjoyed meeting you and getting to do a little craft activity. I have a seed of an idea for you and will share if I think it has “legs”. I hope to see you and the other poetry friends at NCTE in Nov. You will be there? By the way, Amelia from your Thursday poetry is from my town and came to a little poetry course I did at our library this summer. I was expecting MS age kids and got mainly rising 4th graders. I showed them your site and Amelia is more like HS so I can see she is sticking to it. So glad you have that for kids like her and adults like me….though I need to get into the schedule for this year!!! I share your Bookspeak as often as I can plus others. I am a fan!
Janet F.
Hi Jane–thanks! My planned activity would work great in a school visit, but it was kind of a no-go at the Fair. Just too much frenetic activity and too young of kids. Oh well, live and learn. (Or learn and forget, which is what I seem to do!) Would love to hear any ideas you have!
I’ll be at NCTE and am so excited about that. There’s a poetry session I’m part of on Saturday afternoon, a Notables session on Sunday, and I have signings for A LEAF CAN BE… on Saturday and BOOKSPEAK on Sunday. Hope to see you there!
Thanks for sharing my blog with Amelia and others. Always fun to have fresh participants–and thank you for your kind words about BOOKSPEAK. Your comment just made my day:>)
Hi Laura,
Retired teacher and poetry lover here!! Hear and feel the pain of these “open” events. However, LOVE your fan and your other idea. That is a keeper for a different day!!! I am sure the kids enjoyed meeting you and getting to do a little craft activity. I have a seed of an idea for you and will share if I think it has “legs”. I hope to see you and the other poetry friends at NCTE in Nov. You will be there? By the way, Amelia from your Thursday poetry is from my town and came to a little poetry course I did at our library this summer. I was expecting MS age kids and got mainly rising 4th graders. I showed them your site and Amelia is more like HS so I can see she is sticking to it. So glad you have that for kids like her and adults like me….though I need to get into the schedule for this year!!! I share your Bookspeak as often as I can plus others. I am a fan!
Janet F.
Hi Jane–thanks! My planned activity would work great in a school visit, but it was kind of a no-go at the Fair. Just too much frenetic activity and too young of kids. Oh well, live and learn. (Or learn and forget, which is what I seem to do!) Would love to hear any ideas you have!
I’ll be at NCTE and am so excited about that. There’s a poetry session I’m part of on Saturday afternoon, a Notables session on Sunday, and I have signings for A LEAF CAN BE… on Saturday and BOOKSPEAK on Sunday. Hope to see you there!
Thanks for sharing my blog with Amelia and others. Always fun to have fresh participants–and thank you for your kind words about BOOKSPEAK. Your comment just made my day:>)
Those fans are great in themselves. Thanks for sharing so we can learn from it too. Those are cute kids, how fun!
The kids were very cute! And the Alphabet Forest was awesome. So many kids doing so many neat alphabet/book/word activities. Very cool. And yes, I hope someone else learns more from my mistakes than I seem to! :>)
Those fans are great in themselves. Thanks for sharing so we can learn from it too. Those are cute kids, how fun!
The kids were very cute! And the Alphabet Forest was awesome. So many kids doing so many neat alphabet/book/word activities. Very cool. And yes, I hope someone else learns more from my mistakes than I seem to! :>)
There seems to be an endless set of lessons to be learned, aren’t there? I am so very happy for your successes and am enjoying watching your writing career blossom.
I’m ok with learning lessons–just wish they stuck in my brain the first time! And look who’s talking, you photographer/artist/writer, you!
There seems to be an endless set of lessons to be learned, aren’t there? I am so very happy for your successes and am enjoying watching your writing career blossom.
I’m ok with learning lessons–just wish they stuck in my brain the first time! And look who’s talking, you photographer/artist/writer, you!