Archive for the ‘Activities’ Category

7-Day Writing BLITZ!

Brave Writer's 7-Day Writing Blitz

Introducing the 7-Day Writing Blitz!

What is a 7-Day Writing Blitz? It’s about EXPLODING the dynamics around language and helping your kids take that deep plunge into writing in an invitational, fun, enchanted way. Because writing is not about performing for school; it’s about life and self-expression.

For seven straight days, your kids will write, but it’s going to surprise them. Our FREE PDF comes with seven days of manageable writing projects appropriate for all writing ages. These daily prompts will encourage your kids to

  • play with language,
  • use unconventional writing utensils and surfaces,
  • and cultivate good writing habits.

Also in our free packet we give you directions for how to build a Writing Blitz Jet Pack (pictured in the image above) to help you enchant the writing experience for your kids.Brave Writer's 7-Day Writing Blitz

Download the guide HERE

And if your child decides they want to change the prompts? Excellent! There are no rules in Brave Writer. This is about being brave.

 

#BW7DayBlitz

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Nature Journaling

Best of the Brave Writer Blog: Nature Journaling

The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful. ~e.e. cummings

Nature Journaling is an important part of the Brave Writer Lifestyle. Turn the exploration of the great, messy outdoors into a joyful writing opportunity!

The Basics

  • Walk together.
  • Collect little rocks, leaves, twigs, mosses, acorns, flowers, and feathers.
  • Bring them home.
  • Set a few of them on a large sheet of white paper in the center of the table.
  • Using drawing pencils and paper, sketch one or more of the items.
  • Then record a few details about the object or the day. One good sentence about the color, or texture or the memory of collecting it or what it looks like, or what it reminds the writer of, is perfect.

Branch Out!

Here are three blog posts full of tips that will enhance your nature journaling experience.

If You are New to Nature Journaling

Nature Journaling Wherever You Are

Writing Exercise: Make Your Nature Walk a Color Walk!

Also, Brave Writer offers an online class each spring and fall that is designed to make nature journaling a natural part of your life. Click on the image below to learn more.

Nature Journaling

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This IS school

This IS school

Turn your child’s interests into real learning experiences! It doesn’t matter what the interests are–baseball, Minecraft, horses, Star Wars. Think outside the box! In fact, we had a conversation on the Brave Writer Lifestyle Facebook Group recently, and here’s an example of how it might be done with a child who loves gymnastics:

Gymnastics is fabulous! Go to the library, find a few books, make sure she is watching YouTube videos (you’ve got the Olympics coming this summer—find the top gymnasts in the world to research and watch NOW so she is prepared to love the in August). Have her figure out how to teach one tumbling trick to someone (you, sibling, her dad). Take notes. Create a “how to” for/with her.

Other activities to try:

  • Put tape on the floor that is the same width as a balance beam. Have her measure and draw it out and then tape it. Then try doing some beam movements (walking, leaping, one-foot turns, forward rolls). See how well she can stay “up” on the beam.
  • Draw gymnastics costumes. Create a template for a leotard (online I’m sure) and have her color hers in the way she wants it.
  • Look at flags from countries that have major gymnasts. Find the countries on a map.
  • Explore the scoring system used for each piece of equipment. Find examples of routines at different scoring levels (lots of math here!).

Is she a gymnast? Is she taking lessons? If not, take her to a gym to watch a class. Perhaps let her take a series of lessons. If she is, then have her watch a more advanced class.

This IS school—it’s everything you want to do with her at her age: reading, writing, calculating, physical education, even the science of gymnastics could be explored (bodies, injuries, physics of vaulting and uneven parallel bars, geography through world renowned gymnasts, Olympic history of gymnastic competitions). She can do copywork from a book about gymnastics or she can make a list of the top gymnasts or all the tricks she wants to master in tumbling…

Above all else: enjoy.

The Homeschool Alliance

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Table Top Games and Homeschooling

Table Top Games and Homeschooling

My son, Noah, keeps 20+ games in the trunk of his car. Why?

Because you never know when a chance to play a game with a group of people may pop up!

By popular request, Noah joined me to share his PASSION for games—the kind that don’t require a computer or gaming system. We looked at the physical products (didn’t just talk about them), and he shared age ranges, styles of games, and which ones to try based on your family’s preferences.

Enjoy the broadcast below (also download a list of the games mentioned) and see how gaming enhances family life and education!

Free Download of Games Mentioned

Includes recommended ages, number of players, and play time!

Brave Writer Recommended Table Top GamesDOWNLOAD PDF

You can buy the games on Amazon. Click on the titles below to purchase (Note: this post contains affiliate links. When you click on those links to make purchases, Brave Writer receives compensation at no extra cost to you. Thank you!):

Carcassonne
Hanabi
King of Tokyo
Pandemic
Small World
Sushi GO!
Ticket to Ride
Zooreka
Apples to Apples Junior
Cosmic Encounter
Eminent Domain
Forbidden Desert
Galaxy Trucker
Shadows Over Camelot
Settlers of Catan
Catch Phrase
Cranium
Power Grid
Scattergories
Twilight Struggle
Codenames
Spinergy
(RPG) Mouse Guard
(RPG) Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple
(RPG) Fate

Also, check out your area for local game stores! Many keep games available for anyone to come in and play with friends or family (with staff who can explain rules when needed), and some also host events and tournaments.

Informative website: BoardGameGeek

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Sidewalk Writing: Five Ideas

Sidewalk Writing

by Brave Writer student and intern, Finlay Worrallo

Sidewalk chalk is not only for drawing pictures. Why not use it to write with, as well? Grab some chalks, find a sidewalk or pavement, and write! (Be sure to check first if any laws apply; not all sidewalk chalking is legal.)

Here are five ideas for sidewalk writing:

1. Big writing
Write words on the sidewalk in great BIG letters, as big as you can make them. You could write your name, a joke, some copywork, or simply words you love the sound of. You decide!

2. Colorful writing
Do some words look better in black than yellow, or vice versa? What colors suit different words best? Maybe red chalk for verbs and blue chalk for nouns or green chalk for long words and pink for short? Write words you like in different colors and see how they look.

3. Temporary writing
A cool thing about writing with chalk is that it’s easy to get rid of, either by rubbing it away or pouring water over it. What could you write in chalk knowing it would be quickly erased? Find a patch of pavement and write a secret in small letters. How does it feel to have those words outside of you, in the world, visible and solid? Think about that for a moment then pour a bucket of water on what you’ve written and let it all dissolve!

Sidewalk Writing

4. Public writing
What do you want to tell the world or, at least, the people who walk in your neighborhood? A cheery message? A strong opinion? A daring idea? A favorite quotation? Write so that every passerby will read what you’ve written!

5. Interactive writing
Encourage others to join in! Writing in an outside space gives people the chance to add their thoughts. You might chalk: “Write happy thoughts here!” then leave a piece of chalk on the sidewalk so others can share. Or start writing a list of your favorite books, places in town, or foods, and let people add their own as they stroll past.

So next time the weather’s nice, get some sidewalk chalks. Write big, write colorfully, and be chalky!

P.S. Make your own scented sidewalk chalk! Here are instructions by BitzNGiggles.

images by Brave Writer moms, Jennifer and Cheryl

Brave Writer's 7-Day Writing Blitz

For More Unconventional Writing Fun
Check Out Our 7-Day Writing Blitz!

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