The write start - Jennifer Hallissy 2010
Connect - Message in a Bottle
Guidelines for the Activities
Quite possibly the coolest thing about writing is its ability to make meaningful connections among people. Think about it. Writing literally has the power to transcend time and space. You can write a letter or send a postcard to people on the other side of the world. You can tell them what you’re thinking, even if you can’t meet face to face. They can read your words, and then reread them a week from now, a month from now, or a year from now. A conversation is fleeting, but correspondence can be timeless.
Then again, writing is also a wonderful way to connect in the here and now. Slip people a note, and they can hold your thoughts right in the palm of their hands. Near or far, encourage your kids to use their writing skills to build relationships. Use the time-honored favorites in the next section as a guide, and take it from there.
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Message in a Bottle
MY HUSBAND and I once overheard a man telling some friends about a cruise he had just returned from, during which he visited an “uninhibited island.” A slip of the tongue, perhaps, but what a picture it brought to mind!
Writing is full of inhibitions, not the least of which is, “What will people think of what I wrote?” So before children can get comfortable expressing their innermost thoughts, dreams, and wishes to someone they know, sometimes it helps to write to a friend of the imaginary variety first.
Imagine how much easier it is to write down your true feelings when you picture yourself alone on an uninhibited island, writing to a perfect stranger. And although we won’t be throwing these bottles into the sea anytime soon (not exactly an environmentally sound choice, these days), you can certainly make a special spot in your children’s rooms, for their messages in a bottle. And who knows, maybe one day they’ll want to share the contents with you or someone else whom they trust. But until then, keep a lid on it, so to speak. (And maybe tuck some of your secret wishes into a bottle of your own.)
MATERIALS
∗ paper
∗ pen
∗ empty bottle
∗ bottle cap or cork
HOW-TO
1. Encourage your children to imagine that they are by themselves, on a secret island that no one knows about but them, writing a message to a perfect stranger. Tell them it can contain their innermost feelings, dreams, wishes . . . whatever special thought they might want to preserve for posterity.
2. Show them how to roll up the finished message, and then tuck it into a bottle. Seal the bottle tightly. Ceremoniously place the bottle in a special spot, for their eyes only.
Variations
For Scribblers: Pre-writers can get their feet wet with this activity by practicing at home. Give them scraps of paper and some plastic bottles to tuck their scribbles into.
For Spellers: Spellers might simply want to tuck their name into a bottle, or they might include the names of everyone in the family.
For Storytellers: Storytellers will find this one irresistible. Let their imaginations run wild as they tell their tales, document their dreams, and write their wishes.
For Scholars: Scholars can approach this scientifically, as if the bottle were a time capsule. They might include the date, their geographic location, information about current events, and predictions for the future.