If YOU Were a Fairy, Which One Would YOU Be?

Do you believe in fairies? Just ask a child that question and watch their eyes sparkle. We all know that children are believers. Too bad we’ve lost some of our beliefs.

As a children’s author, I have the distinct pleasure of spending a lot of time with children. As I often say, children have crystal clear imaginations. Add to this their hearts of gold, and the result can’t be beat. When I visit kindergarten through second grade classes, I read my two fairy books, The Knot Fairy and The Sock Fairy. I talk with the children about the characteristics of fairies, a topic they seem very familiar with. There’s always a child who is proud to announce that “Tinker Bell’s wings are green” or “the Sock Fairy made holes in my socks and my underwear.” One child even shared his intimate knowledge of the Tooth Fairy: “It’s really a man, he’s in his underwear, and after he leaves money, he goes into my mother’s bedroom.”

I enjoy talking to the children about the mischievous ways of fairies, ideas that children readily identify with. One of my favorite exercises after the readings is to ask the children what fairy they would like to be if they could magically become a fairy. The answers are imaginative and often quite funny. Here are a few recent answers to the question, “What fairy would you be and what would you do?”

•UPS Fairy –I would drive a tiny brown truck.
•Earring Fairy – I would find lost earrings and decorate my Christmas tree.
•Fashion Fairy – I would buy all the clothes and my sister couldn’t wear them.
•Mud Fairy – I could bring mud in the house and blame it on my dog.
•Homework Fairy – She would do all my homework.
•Underwear Fairy – Because I have a hole in my underwear.
•Food Fairy – She would bring me candy and then eat my vegetables.
•Ice Cream fairy – I could have all the ice cream I want and eat it all day.
•Messy Desk Fairy – I would sneak into school at night and mess up all the desks.
•Remote Control Fairy – She is a sneak.
•Dorito Fairy – She eats my Doritos.
•Mean Fairy – He punches people.
•Punch Fairy – He makes me cry and cry and cry.
•Tonsil Fairy - So I can bring them home in a jar like my brother.

Now it’s your turn. Think of something mischievous that you have always wanted to do or a mystery that you would like to solve by blaming it on a fairy. Would you be a good fairy or a not-so-good fairy? Which fairy would you be?

Where do Ideas Come From? - An Exercise in Creativity for Young Writers

There’s nothing as pure and crystal clear as a child’s imagination. Children are great at daydreaming, imagining and creating. Unfortunately, all too often, as children grow and are taught the mechanics of writing, much of the clarity seems to diminish. Sadly, children tend to lose confidence in their ability to write, and many become “reluctant writers”. If you are a parent or a teacher, there are ways that you can get your children’s creative writing juices flowing. You can create excitement about the writing process. Through my experiences as a teacher and an author, I have developed some enjoyable exercises that accomplish this goal and spark the imagination. Choose one exercise for each lesson and take the time to discuss the children’s answers before setting them to the task of writing.

1. “What if?” - Have the children look around, carefully eyeing each object in the room. Ask them the questions, “What if that stuffed animal were to come to life at night?” Or, “What if the fish in that tank is really a creature from another planet?” Or, “What if those musical instruments started to play by themselves?” Or, “What if your school bus could fly?”

2. “Start with a title” – Tell the children the title for a book. This can be a real or a made up title. The children are asked to come up with a story to go with the title. Some of the titles that spark the most excitement and creative ideas are “A Lizard Ate My Broccoli”, “My Goldfish Can’t Swim”, and “A Mouse is Living in my Locker.”

3. “Create a Fantasy ” – Read a short story about fairies, elves, or any fantasy character. Talk about the mysteries in the world of make-believe. (I usually read one of my books, The Knot Fairy who tangles your hair while you sleep, or The Sock Fairy who is responsible for missing socks.) Ask the children to create their own fairy or other fantasy character – one that could be responsible for missing items or unexplained mysteries in their lives.

4. “Build a story” – This one works well with groups of children. One child is selected to start by creating the first line of a new story. Each child, in turn, adds a line to the story. This also builds good listening skills.

5. “Character sketches” – Show the students various pictures of possible story characters. These can be pictures from books, magazines or even old photographs. Have the children create a description of each character. Based on the character’s appearance (expression, clothing, etc.), have them describe the character’s personality, occupation, likes and dislikes.

I hope you will try these activities with your children. I know you will enjoy it as much as they do.