Tuesday 13 November 2012

Kids Imagination is a Wonderful Tool.

Kids have amazing imaginations, so use that to your advantage and tap into the greatest resource avaiable to you. As a Kindergarten teacher I always did, and you can at home too!

 Meet Caesar the white lion cub.


Caesar came into my care several years ago as a new member of my Kindergarten class. He was a little apprehensive at first being the new kid in class and tried to hide and watch the children from the safety of my bag. Slowly, with encouragement and a lot of love and care from his classmates Caesar began to fit in and feel safe and comfortable around the class, the school and the community.
I wrote stories about Caesar's adventures with myself and our family and then turned them into delightful books for the class to read. They could read the stories on the Interactive White Board as a whole class or small group activity as well as spiral bound, laminated copies for the children to read individually on the floor in class as well as a take home reader. Caesar would always go along for the ride to experience family life with each of the class members.
"Caesar's Big Day Out" was much loved by the class and read over and over again. To see how easy it is to write amd make your own book from a favourite stuffed toy, see my next blog "Caesar's Big Day Out!"
 
Caesar had many fantastic advantures with the kids in my class. We kept a journal of all his weekly activities and experiences. The kids loved to take photos, write and share what Caesar did with them each evening and especially on weekends if they had the opportunity to take him somewhere special. Whether that was a trip to the snow or a simple bike ride around the lake. Caesar loved to sit in the bike's basket and join in all the family fun.

You can take this concept and make it your own just as easy at home. Select a favourite stuffef animal or buy a new one especially for the task. There are so many wonderful things you can include your toy in at home. It is only limited by you and your child's imagination! Take photos of the toy playing cards, sharing a family meal, cuddling with the dog, sleeping with the other stuffed toys on the shelf or bed or picking vegeatbles from your garden, just to name a few. Add a short sentence for each picture and before you know it a journal of it's adventures has begun! Your child will love making it and reading it over and over again. Take the toy on family outings and holidays and you can make more books that will delight your child for years to come as the memories flood back each time they read. You'll be amazed how often your son/daughter will love to read your very own home made stories.
 

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