Fun and Games
This game works with two or more players. Without talking, sharing, or peeking, half of the writers write down 5 questions and half of the writers write down 5 answers. These can be silly or serious, but try to catch whatever ideas pop into your head. Next, cut the questions and answers into separate strips of paper so you can move them around. Now pair up the questions and answers so that they make sense. For example,
Q:
Why do we have TV?
A:
Because computers don’t want us to know how smart they are.
This activity develops critical thinking skills as you stretch to find connections between the questions and answers. You can also do this with half of the group writing “If” statements and the other half writing “Then” statements.
Get a large piece of poster board and a variety of crayons or markers. Ask everyone in the family to write down and illustrate the things they would like to do during summer vacation. These can be big things (take a trip to Hawaii) or small things (eat an ice cream cone). Now hang up your poster to remind you of fun activities in case you get bored during vacation.
Give everyone the same starting line of a poem or a story. Set a timer for a given amount of time--say, 5 minutes--and tell the writers to begin writing from the starting line. When the timer sounds, have everyone pass his or her writing to the left, reset the timer, and continue the story that has been passed to him or her. Continue until every writer has had a chance to contribute to every piece of writing. Then read all of the pieces aloud.
This activity requires several outside volunteers (friends, teachers, coworkers), but it's great for creating a sense of audience for family writers. Choose a writing project that everyone agrees to do. When everyone has finished the project, ask volunteers to read and respond to all of the projects. Include a piece of paper for the readers to use to jot down their comments. Then ask them to select "winners" from categories that the family writers have designated.
For example, a couple of Halloweens ago, I purchased a set of build-your-own monster stickers that included all sorts of weird body parts that could be combined in a variety of ways. My family used these stickers to create monsters and then wrote books about their monsters. We competed in categories such as Scariest Monster, Most Disgusting, Most Colorful, Best Rhymes, and so forth. Of course, there were prizes (skeleton puppets and candy) for all of the writers.
It's important to reinforce the idea that every writer is a winner.
This activity is both fun and practical because it helps you to get organized. Ask family members to bring a purse, wallet, or backpack to the table and dump out its contents. Now examine the contents closely, and make a list of every single item you find. Think about each object carefully, analyzing why it is important enough to be carried around wherever you go. Beside each item on your list, write down the magical power it holds for you. For example, you might have good luck objects that seem to have magical powers to you. What powers are held by keys, lipstick, address books, and all the other objects you carry with you everyday? Have some of your objects lost your power? Dispose of them. You'll be more organized, and you won't have to carry around so much stuff. Repeat this activity annually to see how your power objects change.
This
site is part of a sabbatical project created by Linda Evans, English Department,
Mesa Community College, and funded by the Maricopa County Community College
District. Please send comments, suggestions, and ideas to Linda Evans,
English Department, Mesa Community College, 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa,
AZ, 85202 or email levans@mail.mc.maricopa.edu.