A host of awesome ways to explore Family Literacy have been put together by our beloved Pemberton & District Library.
We’re sharing their offerings, and have taken them from https://pemberton.bc.libraries.coop/family-literacy-week/
You can do one activity each day!
Activity 1: Create your own nature journal
What is a nature journal? Nature journaling is drawing or writing in response to nature. For example: What did you see outside on your walk today? How did it make you feel?
There are no wrong entries in a nature journal! See if you can write in your nature journal every day this week! Maybe you’ll enjoy it so much, you’ll do it all year! It’s fun to see how different things look in different seasons.
Need help getting started? Here are some ideas of things you can put in your nature journal to get you going!
- Leaf or tree rubbings
- Try writing poems about your walks
- Nature stamps (collect things from outside and paint them and then press them into your journal).
- Take photos when you’re outside and write stories about them
- Visit different places with your journal: where did you go? What did you see?
- Record animal tracks. Can you draw them? Where are they going? Who do they belong to?
- Use nature books and magazines to help draw and label your journal
Activity 2: Write Together! A writing activity to do with your family.
Instructions:
- Choose one of the writing prompts below.
- Set a timer for 15 minutes.
- Write!
Each family member can write their own story and share them at the end or write a story together. Do one, or do them all!
Writing Prompts:
- Write a story about a trip you would like to take with your family.
- Write a story about your parents as teenagers. How do you imagine they were? What did they like to do for fun? Compare your stories at the end of the activity and see what you got right!
- Write about an astronaut who flies to space and discovers a new planet.
- Try to write a poem or a story in the style of Dr. Seuss.
- Write a story using these three words: Train, Hat, Saturday.
- You have been asked to create a new holiday. What should the world celebrate?
- Write a story about a vampire who just wants to fit in with his human friends.
- Imagine your family ruled over an ancient kingdom. What would life be like as a prince or princess?
- Write about the weirdest dream you ever had.
- You are creating the perfect town for you and your family to live in. What does the town have?
Send us your stories and we will put them on display in the library!
Activity 3: Create your family tree
Trees aren’t only outdoors in nature. Did you know that when you map out all your relatives that is called a Family Tree?
Create your own family tree! How far back can you go? Call or email your oldest living family member to ask them about your family history. What was one surprising thing you learned?
Print out our template (you’ll need 11 x 17-inch paper) or pick one up at the library. Or, you can create your own!
Activity 4: Family Literacy Day Activity Booklet
Visit the library to pick up your special family Literacy Day activity booklet or download a copy.
Activity 5: Plan Your Dream Treehouse or garden
Write a story or draw a picture of your dream treehouse or garden. Remember, the sky’s the limit!
Supplies needed:
- A piece of paper
- A pencil or pen
- Craft supplies
- Your imagination!
Option 1: Dream Tree House
If you had your own treehouse and it could have any features in the world, what would it have? Would it have a teleportation device that could take you away to anywhere in the world or to another dimension? Maybe it would have a giant waterslide? A pool? Its own movie theatre? An unlimited supply of your favourite treat?
Maybe you already have a treehouse. What would you do to upgrade it? What would the rules be in your dream treehouse? Go outside and find the perfect tree. What kind of tree is it?
Option 2: Dream Garden
If you could grow anything in your garden, what would you grow? What kinds of fruits and vegetables would you plant? Would you plant tropical carnivorous plants that eat bugs and small animals? Would you plant flowers for your mom or sister and the bees? What kind of ecosystem would you create?
Write a story or draw a picture of your dream garden; you can plant anything you want, real or made-up!
If you’d like to share your design with us, bring them to the library so we can display them in the children’s library.
Activity 6: Learn origami
Origami is the Japanese art form of folding paper. The first known origami was in the mid-17th Century but it is likely much older. Origami can take the shape of animals, plants and flowers, boxes and other shapes. The most common origami animal is the paper crane. An ancient Japanese legend says that whoever is able to fold 1000 paper cranes will be granted a wish by the gods. In 1945 a young girl named Sadako Sasaki fell ill after being exposed to radiation from a bomb in Hiroshima, Japan during World War II. Sadako decided to fold 1000 paper cranes to ask the gods for her health. Her story inspired the book “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes”, popularizing the legend and since then, people around the world fold thousands of paper cranes every year. There is a statue in Hiroshima of Sadako holding a crane and to this day, people leave paper cranes at her feet in her honour.
Some origami is very complicated but some Origami is very simple. You can use any square piece of paper, depending on how big you want your origami to be—hint: the smaller the piece of paper, the bigger the challenge. We also have printed origami paper available to be picked up at the library!
Try and make as many of these origami as you can. Which ones did you find easy? Which ones were difficult? If you want to, bring your creations to the library and we will hang them! Do you think we can get 1000 paper cranes? If you love doing origami,check out this website that has a whole catalogue of free instructions!
Activity 7: Pemberton Scavenger Hunt
Get outside and see how many animals/trees you can find from our scavenger hunt in Pemberton. You can download our scavenger hunt or pick a copy up from the library.
Story Walk: Stories in the Store January 27th- 31st
Take a trip to the grocery store and keep your eyes peeled for our story walk to celebrate Family Literacy Week. “Can You Hear Me” by Ekaterina Trukhan will be up at the Pemberton Valley Grocery store from Monday, January 27th to Monday, January 31st.
The Wellness Almanac 