CHARACTER COLLAGE/MOBILE

Ages 4 and up

Benefits: Encouraging Creativity

Materials suggestions:

- Construction paper
- Pipe Cleaners
- Glitter
- Popsicle sticks
- Glue
- Scissors
- Markers/crayons

Project:

Have every child create their own made-up characters. Encourage them to create
a character that no one has ever thought of. If they are struggling to think of something,
ask them what their favorite character is, and have them make up something that is the
complete opposite of their favorite character.

When they have completed their characters, have them name them.

For a Collage: collectively have kids cut out their characters and paste them on a large piece of poster board.

For a Mobile: collectively have kids cut out their characters, attach string and hang from 2 metal clothes hangers.

CREATIVE IDEA FOR STORY WRITING

For children 7 & up

Break the classroom up into three groups and assign each group a task:

FIRST GROUP TASK: Each child in this group gets to make up an animal or creature.
They have to come up with a name for it, what it looks like, and its likes and dislikes.

SECOND GROUP TASK: Each child comes up with a make believe place. They have to
describe the climate and the landscape and also give it a name.

THIRD GROUP TASK: Each child comes up with a form of transportation. It has to be
something that doesn’t exist today. They have to describe what it looks like and how
it gets around. (i.e. jet shoes, flying rowboat, glue on wings...)

Once the children have completed their tasks, collectively hang up their ideas and help them
draw an outline for their very own story.

Have them pick out how ever many characters, make believe places and forms of
transportation from the lists that they would like.

Of course they would be able to add their own ideas to their stories at any time.

Allow them to be creative and stand by if they have questions or need a little help opening up their imaginations.

This may take them a couple of days. Set aside time each day for them to work on it.
DO NOT send it home as homework. They need to feel that working on it is a special
project, not a chore.

Encourage pictures if they want to add them.

When everyone has finished writing their stories, let them decorate a folder to put
them in and encourage them to share their story with the class.