Ever notice how friendly people are when they’re on vacation? This includes me (Carrie) waking up in sunny Florida. Right now for instance, I’m so chatty with Uber drivers, the family with beach gear in the elevator, and the waiter last night who recommended the red snapper. I’m so eager to hear everyone’s stories! I’m also hyper aware of the sunset, the sea sponges scattered along the shore, and the pug dog I saw in the lobby (dogs in a hotel?)
It’s a writer’s curiousity that I don’t always keep alive in my regular day to day. But it’s a fun way to live
This week on Instagram, Emily shared five different ways to play I-Spy Writing with your kids. I hadn’t thought of it before now, but I Spy Writing can be like living your day to day life on vacation–being hyper aware of the interesting words and experiences around you.
It’s teaching your kids to live life like a writer.
So let’s get to it. A round up of FIVE WAYS to Play I Spy Writing with your kids. (No airplane necessary!)
1. Snippets of Conversation
We overhear the best snippets of conversation while waiting in line at the supermarket, in loud whispers at the library, while sitting in a booth at a restaurant . . . everywhere. Paying attention to these snippets is what writers do. Not to be nosey or intrusive, but to gather up ideas for characters and stories.
2. Hook Hunt
Those first lines we read in our favorite books are carefully crafted sentences. Writers agonize over saying just the right words to keep us reading. Delight in them! Be curious about them. It’s an automatic vacation everytime we open a book!
3. In My Kitchen
It’s not the typical place to go for writing inspiration, but our kitchen pantries are filled with descriptive labels on bags and cans of food.
4. It’s Not Junk Mail
Catalogs, selling anything from furniture to clothing, are filled with great titles. The next time you find a catalog in your mailbox, don’t toss it! Use it for your writing I Spy hunt.
5. Catching Kindness
When we intentionally seek a specific action, we usually can find it. Helping kids to view the world with a special lens for kind humans is a gift.
Well I’m off to spy on Florida today, doing my best to live life as a writer! We hope one (or all!) of these ideas are just what you have been looking for and can add to a great week of writing!
