I'm not a parent. Not to any children with just two legs, anyway. But I've spent years training to be a teacher and even have practical experience in elementary and preschool settings so I'm not completely clueless here. (I hope.)
I also have lots of friends who have already started families and have children that I adore. This post is for them, really, but most of these ideas will work in the classroom, too.
Here are some simple -- and, more importantly, fun -- ways to get the kids involved in National Poetry Month.
10 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month with Your Kids
1. Found Poetry
The poetic version of collage. There are lots of ways to make found poetry but here are two to get you started.
Cut & paste: Go through an old magazine and cut out the bigger words. You can make a little station, with a tub of words, a stack of paper, and glue. Just glue the poem onto the paper. You should end up with something that looks like a letter from a kidnapper but is, you know, a bit more fun.
Digital: Arm the kids with a camera and drive (or walk) around town, taking photos of words on signs, in graffiti, or billboards. Load them up on the computer, then use a photo editing app to cut & paste them into a poem. Heck, kids are probably better at this these days that the old cut & paste option!2. Overheard Snippets
This is a great exercise for bus and/or train rides or even just waiting around for your fast food order. Write down a single line from each conversation you can hear and, when you're back at home, rearrange those lines into a poem. You'll be surprised at how effective it can be! (Shh... I still play this game when I'm out and about!)
3. Blackout Poetry
As you probably already know, I'm obsessed with blackout poetry. It's one of the most fascinating ways to create poetry. Star with a book or a newspaper (I prefer a book -- not as messy.) and a marker. Sharpies are great here but be warned: they do bleed through. If you're going to keep the pages in the book, use a sheet behind to catch any stray blots. Otherwise, yank that page out and get started.
My husband watched me making blackout poetry one day and he asked me something that your kids will undoubtedly ask you: How do you know which words to cross out? Well, I start by imagining all the words on the page as puzzle pieces. I pick out the ones that fit together and cross out everything else.
4. Magnetic Poetry
There are magnetic poetry kits especially for kids now so that can be a fun, worthwhile purchase for your home (or classroom). Personally? I think it's more fun to make your own! Buy a roll (or sheets) of sticky magnets and start chippity chopping your way through a magazine.
My magnetic poetry kit (made in 2013!) is still in great shape. I made it using some of my favourite sci-fi and film magazines so the words are tailored to me. If you want yours to last, do what I did and give the top of those words a quick swipe with some Mod Podge.
5. Poem from a Poem
Here's one I used to do with my writer's club. I handed out the same poem to everyone in the group and gave them each a pair of scissors. Then, I instructed them to cut out the words of the poem and use the words to create a brand new poem. It's fun to compare what each of the new poems are like because, although they all started with the same poem, their personal inclinations and styles resulted in very different pieces.
It can be tricky to find poems to start with that are the right length. You don't want it to take forever, after all, or have any words left over. Think of something about the size of an Emily Dickinson poem. That has worked well for me.
This one works best with older kids but, if you're going to use it with younger ones, think about using the poetry of Shel Silverstein or Dr. Suess.
6. Emoji Poem
Here's a perfect one for Generation Z! In fact, they might catch on to emoji poetry faster than mom and dad! It's simple, really. All you have to do is whip out your smartphone and make a poem that consists entirely of emojis. (Or, if you're struggling, you can go with mostly of emojis or just both emojis and words. Whatever works for you.)
If you're an educator, you could print out and laminate larger versions of emojis and create a poem station with some Velcro and felt. The kids will love it.
7. Alphabet Poem
An alphabet poem is really just the simplest kind of acrostic (poem that spells something down the side.) Write each letter of the alphabet in a line going down the left side of the page and start each line of the poem with that letter. You can make this as difficult or as easy as you want! Each line can be a whole sentence or just a word.
8. Building Blocks
You know those extra large Legos for toddlers? Don't throw them away when the kids grow out of them! Instead, tape words to each block and help your little ones literally build a poem. (Try doubling up and using a different word on each side of the block for a good variety.)
9. Book Spine Poetry
Whether it's in the classroom or the bedroom, every child should have easy access to a shelf of books. (Please, please, please. It's important, y'all.) To create book spine poetry, all they have to do is rearrange those books so that their spines read like a poem. Stack them or line them up, the result will be just as effective either way.
10. Poetry Rocks
Are your little ones into painted rocks? Painting, hiding, and hunting for rocks is a popular activity at the moment so take advantage! Turn your rock garden into a poetry garden by painting words on a selection of rocks (Make them as pretty or plain as you want, just make sure the kids get involved!) and hiding them amongst the rest. The kids will have a riot hunting for word rocks and arranging them into poetry.
I hope this list inspired you to get the family (or classroom) involved in National Poetry month! What was your favourite activity? Get in touch and let me know how your celebrations went!
No comments:
Post a Comment