One thing you can count on during the first days of school is the
inevitable question of "What did you do over the summer?" Here are a few
creative ways to describe your summer experiences for the first edition
of Show and Tell.
1. Flip Books
Create a moving picture of your summer fun with a flip book. Start out
with a Post-It pad or a pocket-sized spiral notebook. Draw the first
picture on the last sheet of paper and work your way to the first page
by changing the picture little by little. For instance, if you learned
how to surf over the summer, you might start with a picture of you lying
on a surfboard in calm waters. The next picture could show the waters
growing a little choppier. The following drawings could be of you slowly
turning, then standing on the board as the wave grows larger, and so on.
2. Summer Collage
Illustrate your summer happenings with one of my favorite forms:
collages. Simply use glue to cover a poster board or even several small
postcard-sized papers with magazine cutouts, sections of road maps,
photographs, movie and concert ticket stubs, restaurant menus, train
schedules, and any other mementos from your summer.
3. Map It
Instead of just telling the class where you went and what you did,
pinpoint our summer destinations and activities on a map. If you stayed
close to home, use a local road map. If you were able to travel to
several cities and states, use a countrywide map. Glue magazine cutouts
of activities, or actual photos of your fun onto the map. For example,
if you went to a dude ranch in Dallas, glue a picture of a horse onto
the map in Dallas. If you visited Mount Rushmore, glue a photo of your
family onto the map in South Dakota. The same goes for rock climbing,
swimming, snorkeling, and anything else you had a chance to enjoy over
the summer months.
4. Seashell Memories
Capture every fun moment of summer vacation on seashells. If you didn't
get a chance to go to the beach, don't worry-most craft and hobby stores
sell bags of seashells. Use acrylic paint and a clean paintbrush to
paint pictures inside the shells. My son's summer shells feature an
octopus in the ocean (from snorkeling-we didn't actually see an octopus,
but he wishes he had), a colorful clown from a friend's birthday party,
an airplane in the clouds, and the night sky filled with stars and a
bright crescent moon.
Deborah Shelton is a mother, freelance writer, and author of "The Five
Minute Parent: Fun & Fast Activities for You and Your Little Ones."
Visit Deborah's website for more family-friendly ideas:
http://www.fiveminuteparent.com
Trick or Treating - Keep
Your Kids Safe Halloween is a holiday loved by kids everywhere. It’s a fun time
to dress up like silly or scary characters and go trick-or-treating in the
neighborhood. Be sure your kids are safe while trick-or-treating with these
quick tips..
