1. Create a banner to share a book you have read this summer.
2. Explore your backyard. List all the things you can discover that are signs of summer. Create a “Signs of Summer” book.
3. Go outside and study a flower. List all the words you can to describe it. Write a poem about the flower using some of your words.
4. Make a list of all the words you can think of that describe a character in the book you are reading. Now, try to think of 10 more you can add to your list.
5. Make a map of an imaginary ant colony. Label all of the things in your colony. Read about ants in a book or on-line.
6. Listen to the radio. Draw a picture to go with a song you heard. Label your picture.
7. Create a sandwich to take on a backyard picnic. Write the recipe for the sandwich. Be sure to include the ingredients and directions that tell how to make it. Make one and take it outside and read for 15 minutes.
8. Make a puppet of your favorite book character. Write a paragraph telling how you made your puppet.
9. Write the instructions for your favorite game so that a friend would understand how to play.
10. Read a mystery book. Web the character traits of one of the characters. Tell what the character did to show each trait.
11. Write a newspaper review that gives your opinion of one of the books you read this summer. Be sure to include what you liked and did not like about the book. Use examples to support your opinions.
12. Choose an illustration from one of the books you have read. Write a paragraph explaining the illustration.
13. Read about the author of one of the books you have read this summer. (You can use the internet if you have permission from a parent.) Create a book jacket and include a list of interesting facts that you learned about this person.
14. Write a poem about one of the books you read this summer that would convince your friends to read it.
15. Write or draw about today’s weather. Label your picture. Read about the different kinds of clouds in a book or on-line. Add some of this information to your picture.
16. Think about the book you are reading. Write clues that will help a friend guess the setting. Make sure to include things you would see, hear, smell, wear, and do there.
17. Write a new ending to a book you read this summer.
18. Create a postcard showing all the activities you are doing this summer. Use the back to write a message telling why each activity has been fun.
19. Write a letter to a friend telling about all information you have discovered from the nonfiction books you have read this summer.
20. Think of a book you read this summer. Write about or draw what happened at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the book.
21. Find an advertisement in a magazine or a newspaper for a toy you would like to have. Cut out the picture and then write a note to a family member that might persuade them to buy it for you.
22. Design a telephone directory for at least ten of the characters from books you have read this summer. Make sure to include addresses and telephone numbers for each one. Be creative!
23. Plan a summer treasure hunt for your family and friends. Write about your plan. Include a list of all the things you would need. Make a map with clues to find the treasures.
24. Draw a setting from a book you are reading. Label your picture.
25. Write a letter to the author of one of the books you have read this summer. Be sure to include one thing you noticed about the author’s style. Send it to the author. (Look on their website for their address.)
26. Write all the words you can make out of the letters in the words “Be Creative in Reading and Writing!” Use these words to write a creative story.
27. Tell a friend about 10 activities that could take the place of watching television or playing video games. Convince them to try one with you.
28. Compare yourself to a book character you read about this summer. Write how you compare and contrast with this character. Use examples from the book to explain your comparisons.
