Mighty Writer Workshops: Part 1: Bag O' Rags
At the end of the Summer Term I was fortunate to be invited to Corpus Christi Catholic School to provide a series of Creative Writing workshops as PPA cover for the Reception Classes.
After discussion with the class teachers, we agreed on a format of a story, activities and a craft element. So, I set to work tailoring existing workshops based on my own stories and poems, tohour long workshops and designing craft activities to go with them.
To ensure that the activities would work (and to give myself some practise!) I used my own children as guinea pigs. A sure fire way to learn if something isn't working is to do it with your own children- I could tell the activities which engaged them as they wouldn't interupt the flow (not even to ask for food!).
Bag O'Rags workshop:
Bag O' Rags is reassuring, rhyming story which uncovers the true identity of the things that go ‘Boo’ in the night. A monster, you think… It’s a possible choice. But it’s how it said boo, now in what kind of voice? Do Monsters hide in your room or is it altogether a creature a lot less scary?
After listening to the story the children called out for Bag O'' Rags and he answered any worries/ questions that the children had about monsters, nightime and noises. Then the children made their very own sock dog to take home with them.
Sixty prep bags to include:
Sock - body
Pom poms - nose
Felt- to cut out ears
Pipecleaner- tail
Googly eyes
The children beginning to make their sock dogs from the materials in their bags.
They enjoyed deciding on and cutting out the shape of the ears (square, triangles, oblongs etc) and sticking all the parts to their sock.
Never fear sock dog is here...
Ta Dah....
I've learnt that the children love taking home something that they've made. The first question they asked me each week was ''What are we making today?' followed swiftly by 'Can we take it home?'
They were very excited to be photographed with their Sock Dogs and some of the children took great pleasure in giving them names.
High fives for the sock dogs.
The children did a fantastic job and it was wonderful seeing my character Bag O'Rags come to life!
“I like making things to take home and show my Mum. I put lots of colours on them. The sock puppet was the best. He lives in my bedroom.”
We discussed how the children could use this existing character and incorporate it into another story by writing the adventures themselves.
Stuck for what to do with your children in the Summer Holidays?
Why not make your very own Sock Dog and write some new adventures for it?
If you do, I would love to see pictures and read your stories so please send them my way.
Happy creating!
Please join me next time for the write up of Mary McHairy the hand spider workshop.
