The Gift of Creativity

Summer break is here!  What in the world are we supposed to do with these children?

We could try entertaining them, or let them watch countless hours of T.V.. Or, we could give them the gift of creativity this summer.

This is how it works. Check your local newspaper for fun places in your town you've never visited with the kids before. In my town, we have a pizza place called, Bottoms Up Pizza and it's in the heart of the city. It's more than just a pizza joint as it has a lot of personality.

Next, I'll give my kids a writing assignment. Here's how it will look:

I'll start the story: "Once upon a time, there was a family with six children. One day, this family decided to drive into downtown Richmond to eat lunch. Out of nowhere, they came upon a huge sign that read, "Bottoms Up Pizza." They parked their van and decided to go inside. Once inside...

Now the kids need to go to their rooms to complete the story. I will have my four year old tell me her version and I'll write it down for her.

Next we get together and read them out loud. To celebrate a job well done, we get in the van and actually go to Bottoms Up Pizza!

You can use this tool as often as you'd like. It's a great way to plan fun memory making days with your whole family!

I'd love to hear how it goes, so if you think about it, come back by and leave a comment with what you did and how it worked!