It’s summer break and the kids are out of school! A break from school doesn’t necessarily have to mean a break from learning. Sometimes it can be difficult to sneak education in during the summer. Kids want to play, swim, sleep, snack, anything but think. This is why we want to show you one way to turn an educational activity into something they will see as a “game” and even enjoy!

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This activity is great for practicing writing skills, story telling skills and it encourages little ones to use their imagination. I remember LOVING writing stories as a child. I would write chapter after chapter about God-knows-what and be so incredibly proud of myself. I loved writing, but at times it was difficult to come up with something to write about. Sometimes I knew instantly what to write about and other times I would brainstorm and brainstorm and come up with nothing. This Spin-a-Story activity is perfect for kickstarting your little one’s story. Not to mention, it’s all about fairy tale characters, magical settings and evil villains, how fun!!

STEPS:

1. Print out the spinner.
2. Place your paperclip in the center of the spinner. 
3. Have your little one(s) place the pen or pencil in the center of the paperclip and flick the paperclip with their fingers to make it spin. Repeat this three times. The first spin will tell you the setting, the second spin will tell you the antagonist, and the third spin will tell you the protagonist. Use this opportunity to talk to them about these literary terms!
4. Encourage your little one(s) to use the three story components they landed on to create a story. If they are able, have them write their story down on the piece of paper. If they are not able to write yet, encourage them to tell you their story and draw pictures about their story. 
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you can’t write anymore!