What the 2nd Graders Had to Say About Love

We finally made it to the second grade classroom on Friday. I did the same writing activity with them that I did with you.

They are so much fun. We spent at least half of our time talking about what love means and how it looks. Some of their answers were the same as ours but some we're different. I promised I'd share, so I will!

Here were the instructions I have the kids. Use your pencil to paint me a picture with your words to show me love.



Boy: Do I have to read this out loud?
Me: Why?
Boy: Because I'm embarrassed.
Me: No, do you just want to show me?
Boy: Sure, but don't tell anyone.
Boy's answer: Love looks like me giving my mom a hug after she bakes me a strawberry cake for no reason.

Girl: Love looks like my sister letting me sleep close on her side of the bed because I'm cold. (This is a family of nine children.)

Girl: Love looks like my dog.
Me: Can you paint a picture with your words to show me why love looks like your dog?
Girl's final answer: Love looks like my dog putting his head in my lap when I'm in time-out.

Boy: Love looks like my dad buying me two new black fish with silver tails right after one of my fish died. I love fish.
Me to the class: Did his father buy him a two goldfish?
Class: NO!
Me: How do you know?
Class: Because he used his words to show us what his fish looked like!

Girl: Love looks like a relationship. I'm having a relationship.
Note: I moved by this one quickly. Talked to teacher afterwards.

Girl: Love looks like my grandma mashing potatoes.

Boy: Love looks like my two cats.
Me: Tell me how love looks like your two cats. Paint a picture for me.
Boy: Well really love is my mom letting me have two cats when she doesn't even like cats.

Girl: Love looks like my dad when he pretends he's asleep in the chair so we can change the channel.

Girl: Love looks like me pushing my dog in a stroller while my mom pushes my brother in a real one.

Boy: Love looks like my mom crying.
Me: What do you mean? Can you paint me a picture with your words?
Boy: Sometimes my mom's so happy to see me she just cries. She says she cries happy tears.

He painted a picture for me that I could really relate to...bet most of you can too.

Since I was in this school last time, a new speaker system has been added to each room. The teacher wears a small microphone around her neck. I used it while I was there. It sure eliminates shouting to be heard.

Most of the kids love to share what they write. Now they have their very own microphone to use too. I think they feel like stars! Believe it or not it cuts down on a lot of the noise. The kids are eagerly attentive!

I'm always humbled when I listen to what children write. Sometimes I honestly believe that the kids are the best teachers in the world. They sure ignite my creativity!

What Does Love Look Like?

My friend, Kathy and I, were supposed to visit a second grade classroom just before Valentine's Day to do another fun afternoon of writing.

Kathy had purchased heart lollipops, pencils, and pads for the kids. Due to snow days (and other unforeseen circumstances) we weren't able to go when we had planned, but we're going this Friday afternoon.

"What should we do with all the valentine stuff?" Kathy asked me.

"Let's plan some other kind of writing activity around it," I told her. "Something where we can still use hearts and get the kids to paint with their words through their senses. Any ideas?"

"Let's just ask them what love looks like," Kathy suggested.

Her idea is terrific. That's what we're going to do. Before we ask the kids to actually write, we'll go around the room and get their imaginations rolling. We'll play a game called Braindropping. The kids love it! We ask the kids to say the first thing that comes to their mind when they think of the word, LOVE. If they can't think of anything in 1/10 of a second, they can say PASS. Everyone gets more than one turn...trust me!

In about five minutes, we'll have a whole list of words on a piece of chart paper. The words will show love. Some of the words will be the same. Some will be different. One idea or word will lead to another. By the time we're done, the kids words about love will spill onto their individual papers.

I think I've told you before, but I'll tell you again. I use the same writing activities with kids that I do adults.

With that in mind, tell me what love looks like to you. I'll share the kids responses (and mine) on Friday. What do you want to bet that some of our answers will be the same?

Dream On.....

I'm feeling fanciful today and I can't think of a better thing than writing fancifully with friends like you!

Maybe it's been watching the Olympics and feeling that adrenalin rush right along with the athletes. Perhaps it's because the sun is shining and the snow looks like diamonds that dazzle and sparkle in my mind's eye.

Whatever the reason is, my imagination is running wild. That has prompted today's writing activity!

Pretend that right in front of you there is an imaginary door. It opens to whatever your heart desires. This door belongs to you. It can lead anywhere.

What do you see when you open your very own imaginary door?

Genuine Poem

Who says poetry has to be deep and meaningful? Not me! Right here...right now....we're going to write a genuine poem that spills out of our minds and onto this blog!

Roses are red

Violets are blue

The last two sentences

Are just for you!

That's it! That's the activity. Finish this poem with the first thing that comes to mind.

Roses are red

Violets are blue

List Time!

We haven't created a new word list for a few weeks, so I think today would be a good day to continue. Remember, we can use our lists (or refer back to here) as our very own thesaurus. I've used the words that we've come up with more than once!

Images that we create can be as different as night and day. That's why I keep talking about painting with words! Your words may be different from mine but in today's activity they will have one thing in common. They will show joy in all kinds of different ways.

Let's make a list of joyful words!

I'll go first:
Birds singing

Your turn! What words paint a picture of joy for you?

Just Think for a Minute....

I was at Random Thoughts blog last week and was captivated by some things she wrote in her Daybook. It was clear that she spilled her true thoughts and ideas into her words.

Her daybook was filled with prompts that she completed. One of the prompts was:
Outside my window....

Here's Trudy's sentence: Outside my window the day is full of sunshine and blue skies. The birds are out in full force feeding at the feeders.
Did that paint a picture for you? It did for me!

Isn't it amazing how a few words can inspire what you write? For today's activity, I'm going to use another one of the prompts I found at Random Thoughts. Before I do that please stop for a minute and think about something that is important to you.

Now complete this prompt with me:

I am remembering:

Different Kind of Creative Writing!

I just finished reading a book called, A Death Prolonged. Even though it was fiction, much of the information was not. It was thought provoking and soothing at the same time.

After I finished reading the book, I decided I'd move into my office and post a writing activity for us. My mind works in strange ways to connect dots and come up with ideas. Death made me think of cemeteries. Cemeteries made me think of tombstones. Tombstones made me think of epitaphs. And there you have it!

An epitaph is defined as an inscription on a tombstone in memory of the one buried there or a brief literary piece commemorating the person who died. That sounds sad and serious but it's not going to be for us!

Let's come up with some lighthearted and silly epitaphs!

I'll go first:

Here lies Patricia Glean

She fell off her horse

And ruptured her spleen.

(Sadly, I speak from experience on that epitaph. Luckily, I did recover quite nicely!)

Your turn! Let's see how creative we can be!