Creative Kid Central Is Go!

If you frequent this blog then you've probably noticed my recent fascination with making creative writing prompts for kids.  Since I now have a small collection of prompts I figured I should make a place on the interwebs where they can be easily stored, sorted and downloaded.  So over the weekend I put together a little website that I call "Creative Kid Central."  Trust me, it's gonna be big (at least in my own mind.)

So yeah, I made a website.  Click HERE to check it out.  And stay tuned to this blog for announcements and updates on new C.K.C. content.

(PS: I built the C.K.C. using Google Sites.  It's a nice little system.  Pretty easy.  And nice looking to boot.  I'd recommend it to anybody looking to build a free website.)

New Creative Writing Prompt: Best Tree House Ever

This week's Creative Writing Prompt:

Preliminary reports from Tiff's Classroom show that the kids really like this one.  I have photographic evidence.

Note the intense concentration on the faces of the kids that hadn't yet realized that the camera had been taken out.  It's the look of someone deciding between putting in a water slide, rope ladder or elevator in that spot.  That intense look of concentration is the mark of a quality product, though it is short lived.  Most 5th Graders go all cheese ball as soon as they realize they are being photographed and that just can't be helped.

I'm really digging this writing prompt thing.  It's so much fun.  More to come.

What is It?

A few days back I started making something out of old scraps of dyed canvas that I had.  Leftovers from making so many adorable monsters.  So I decided to make ... an abstract art piece.

Note the interplay of the natural element (grass) and the rigid shapes, almost like city blocks.  Thus the viewer is invited to consider what the grass really means, nature being forced into behaving.  And so... the lawn.

You may have guessed that it's not really a pretentious art installation.  It's actually a six-sided soft chair for Tiff's 5th grade classroom.  This square is my favorite:

Part way through the sewing process I decided see how it fits.

Honestly, not so great.  So instead of wearing it I stuffed the sucker with styrofoam packing peanuts.  Then I jumped up and down on it to squish down the peanuts, then stuffed in some more peanuts.  Then I smashed and stuffed some more.  And then I sewed it all up and sent it to school with Tiff.

Then the kids found it.

I think they like it.  Note the last kid's good taste in comics.

A New Writing Prompt For a New Class

So, Tiff is teaching 5th grade this year and she loves it.  She's used a couple of my old writing prompts  already with her class this year and they love them.  So I've decided to do some more.  Here is the latest:

PS:  When I get about a dozen of these together I'm going to collect them on a website so that teachers all over the world can use them (I can dream can't I?)  So, if you're a teacher feel free to use this, and anything else I've posted on this blog, in your classroom.

PPS:  If you're a creative type (author/illustrator) and you want to make one of these creative writing prompts for the website just let me know.  I'll gladly take volunteer work.