Image via Wikipedia
When I wake up on Friday morning
there’s a dance in my step
cuz I know it’s almost the weekend
and I’m really full of pep
I run out of the front door
and all the way to school
not thinking of my homework
just feeling really cool
I hope you woke up happy
but in case you don’t feel gay
Just remember that it’s Friday
and I know you’ll be okay!
By Kathy, age 11
Image via Wikipedia
Inside My Brain
To get inside my brain, you have to explode the Grand Canyon, fly around the universe 60,000 times in 3 months, smell my stinky socks for 500 days, play tug-of-war with a gorilla (and win!), sleep on my spaceship, climb Mount Everest, tie yourself to my rocket that’s blasting off to Mars and don’t wear a spacesuit, do a triple flip on the high diving board 300,000 times in one day, burn the whole universe in 3 days, write a million words about Abraham Lincoln, and bark 30 times.
By Hans, 4th Grade
Image via Wikipedia
From the website of Amazing Kids:
Attention all Amazing Kids!
Do you love to make people laugh? Do you have some hilarious and creative stories that you’d like to share? Are you excited about trying out a new type of writing? If this sounds like you, show us what you can do by submitting your humorous short story to our humor contest! We want to see your hilarious and creative stories that integrate jokes and funny moments! Put a smile on everyone’s face and get a chance to win some fabulous prizes.
Rules:
Who: Kids and teens, ages 6-17
What: Amazing Kids! Humor Contest – Kids ages 6-17 can submit an original humorous short story of 1500 words or less. One entry maximum per person so pick your best piece!
When: July 1, 2011 until August 30, 2011, 11:59pm PST.
Where: Email (preferred method) to contests@amazing-kids.org with Humor Contest and your last name and age in the subject line. Attach a word or pdf document with your submission with your name, age and title of your submission at the top of the document. Videos retelling your story (not as a separate entry) may be included as a link to the video online to a site such as schooltube to your entry. The videos must be the child’s original creation. Schooltube instructions and features for posting can be seen here: http://www1.schooltube.com/Registration/Default.aspx. Videos are not necessary but may be considered as a creative addition to your entry.
Image via Wikipedia
Once there was a guy who was breakdancing when suddenly, he squeezed through a door and did a back flip onto a skyscraper. Then he jumped onto the roof of a saloon and cartwheeled into a house. Inside he skipped around a room, rolled onto a bed, crawled up a chimney, and began to spin his way toward home. The whole time someone was jumping behind him, begging, “Do the moonwalk! Do the moonwalk!” So, the boy did the moonwalk and then tumbled onto his bed and fell asleep.
By Peyton, 4th grade
Image via Wikipedia
Writing biographies is fun! Many children love researching the lives of people that they admire and then producing mini-books about them.
I’ve also found that children respond with delight when they use the 3rd person to describe themselves or write the biography of imaginary characters!
Here is an example of a boy whose autobiography was predictable and mundane (I am 9 years old. I have one sister. I like Pokémon), but his biography (based on an interview he did with himself) is clever and full of voice.
Adam wants to be a college professor when he grows up because they make more money than teachers. He knows a lot about science and animals (did you know a cricket uses its teeth to chirp?). He loves to go to school because he gets to learn about things like magnets (did you know the cow magnet is the strongest of the weak magnets and it only has to be 3 cm away from metal to attract it?). In his free time Adam likes to play Pokémon. He likes that they have mysterious powers (did you know that some Pokémon’s contain electricity in their cheek pouches and when they get too much they are magnetized?). Adam’s favorite book series is Diary of a Wimpy Kid because it’s so funny.
By Adam, 3rd grade
Third person gave Adam the distance he needed to see what makes him unique and wonderful!
by Marcia Chamberlain, Writers in the Schools
Image via Wikipedia
Want to have some fun? Choose 2 items that are the same color and write a story or poem using both of them. If you need a jump start, read Joe’s story inspired by yellow.
Cheez-It and Goldfish
Once there was a Cheez-It that met a goldfish. He winked and said, “Hi, good looking.” She said, “Hi, how’s it going, Handsome?”
Cheez-It was floating like a square yellow flower on top of the tank. He wanted to marry Goldfish but he had to sink down to get to her. He decided to catch a ride in a water bottle submarine.
When Goldfish saw Cheez-It inside the bottle, she was amazed at how strange he looked. Cheese-It was inside the bottle waving at her.
Then suddenly the water bottle cap exploded off, and he got sucked out into the tank. Cheez-It got very mushy and soaked through with water. He started to dissolve into little bits of cheese. Goldfish cried out, “Oh, no!!!! My love is gone forever.” And then she jumped out of the tank and dried to death.
By Joe, 4th grade
by Marcia Chamberlain, Writers in the Schools
Dear Alejandra, careful,
there will be bullies at school
but the cool friends will
help you in tough situations.
It’s easy to learn the alphabet
and your numbers –
you’ll get help from me!
Teachers should be your best friends.
You will have dreams about being the ruler of animals.
When you come home, you’d better begin homework!
Get good sleep and eat healthy.
Wait! Who am I kidding?
Act like you’re asleep,
and sneak into the living room and watch T.V.
But still, get some sleep.
Have a high imagination
but not in class,
only if you want to get in trouble.
And on your birthday,
expect cool clothes from friends.
Expect embarrassing things, too,
like socks and underwear.
Just forget about the mean people.
Prove to them you are way cooler
and awesome!
by Morgan, 3rd grade
Photo by sammysight2003 via Flickr
This poem (originally published 9/23/2010) is featured as part of the 2011 A Poem A Day campaign, a National Poetry Month celebration by WITS that features a different poem by a WITS student every day during April. Click on the logo to the left to learn more.
There is a dream of playing
tag on the
playground
And a horse bunny
that hops and gallops
in underpants.
There is a morning
of playing Barbies
with her sister.
There is a mysterious machine.
and a plan to be happy.
By Allison, Kindergarten
Photo by dfbiz via Flickr
Laugh turns red in the face.
Laugh’s hair stands up.
Laugh has crazy eyes. One eye
Stands up and the other stands down.
The ears of Laugh cannot hear
Anything but what is funny.
Laugh’s teeth turn black
From a red face. His nose gets cold.
His nails turn redder than his face.
The body of Laugh gets fatter.
By Wilson, 2nd grade
Photo by Gillian via Flickr
Cover of Oops!
Because of the crushed house,
Because of the pig,
Because of the glass of
Milk, because of the spinning
Saw, because of the rock,
The house fell down.
So they bought a new
House. They bought a car,
A porch swing,
They bought a grill, and they
Bought a TV.
The pig got on the porch swing,
Swung high,
And did, mistakenly,
Of course, crash the car; the car
Knocked the grill, dropped
The pork belly. Oops!
Then the TV showed reruns over
And over until the TV
Broke, so Oops!
A pig child came out
Of the house, and played with his sword
And he sliced the pole
That held the new house
Together and the house
Fell down. Oops!
Everything happened
Because of the pig and the swing!
By Michelle, 3rd grade
My soul pulled up into the garage
Rusty and broken down
With a hanging left headlight,
Black faded paint,
Smoke coming out of the tailpipe,
Bottom dragging on the ground.
I got out and said, “My soul needs a fixin’
A new paint job
Twenty-four inch rims
To take me toward good decisions.
My soul needs plasma TVs on the headrests
To show me the good things I’ve done,
Twelve-inch subwoofers to bump my heartbeat,
A license plate that spells
A-N-G-E-L.”
And when I get it out the shop
I’m goin’ to spin it,
Roll it down the streets of Hollywood,
My window down, arm resting on the window in the wind,
Driving alongside all the other souls beside me,
Watching the sun set over the beach,
The seagulls, white like my angels.
By Carlos, 9th grade
Photo by Bob Jagendorf via Flickr
Two fish went to the deep blue sea,
One got eaten by a shark,
Then there was one.
One fish went to the deep blue sea,
One got eaten by a shark,
Then there were none.
Zero of the fish are in the deep blue sea.
Only their bubbles left,
And they pop, pop, pop.
By Rene, 2nd grade
Picture by Mark Wales via Flickr
There’s a unicorn
in my backpack. He wants
to come to school with me.
He might butt me with his horn,
and he might chase me and
the other kids in the school.
He might run in the street,
and he might ram the kids,
and he might eat the snacks,
and he might hit the doors, and
butt the little kids. The dogs
on the street will run and bark
and bark.
But he might sing me a lullaby
when I can’t go to sleep and he might
butt the intruders who try to come in.
If he stands at the door, I might let him in.
By Megan, 1st grade
Photo by paulmcdee via Flickr
What: GiggleIT Project competition for students ages 10-14. This is a international competition encouraging literacy and cultural education. Share your sense of humor with the world through your poems, stories, jokes, etc. and win funny prizes too.
When: Free online registration starts now at the IASL website.
Where: A digital publishing project hosted by the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) and co-sponsored with the International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL), all submissions are online.
View the complete GiggleIT Project media release here.
I wonder what kind of dog I will have.
I hear the ocean.
I see the beach.
I want Christmas to come.
I am kind.
I pretend Christmas is here.
I feel a thousand feet tall.
I touch winter’s snow.
I worry about my mom and dad.
I cry for my mom when she is sick.
I am kind.
I understand math and science.
I dream I am a superhero.
I fly 100 miles per hour!
I try my best.
I hope the whole world
will be made of chocolate ice cream.
I am kind.
By Alexander, 2nd Grade
Photo by wintersoul1 via Flickr
