Friday Reconnect - Finishing Toys

By Oliver Perry, Read to Them Staff

Hello, friends! We have reached the end of our read of Toys Go Out! We are sad to be done, but we had such a blast! The Little Girl and her toys sure had some adventures, and we even ended with a super fun birthday party. This week we’ve gotten to know even more cool characters, like TukTuk, Sheep, and Frank the Washing Machine. You can check out Kayla’s fantastic character spotlight from Mondays post to read a bit more about them.

We even got to know the illustrator of Toys Go Out, Paul O. Zelinsky, through an interview done by our super staff member, Chloe Grant, in Wednesdays post. In the interview, Mr. Zelinsky talks about the coolest stuff, from his career in art, to what inspires him, to advice he has for aspiring artists. If you missed it on Wednesday, we encourage you to give it a read!

Reading Toys Go Out has left us with lots to celebrate: finishing another book, spending time reading together, and the Little Girl’s birthday! We thought this made it the perfect time for a party, and YOU are invited! Grab your aprons and icing, because today we’re decorating cupcakes. Follow the instructions on the graphic below, and get creative with your cupcake creations! Once the prep work is done, we’d love to have you virtually celebrate alongside us by sharing photos of your final products on the Flipgrid. If baking isn't your thing, but you still want to party, check out this video from a previous program to get a look at a different way to celebrate.

Until next time, we leave you with these writing prompts:

• Have you ever been to the beach? If you have, write about a memory you have on the beach. Who was there? What did you do? What did you eat/drink? Was it fun? If you haven’t been, what would you do there if you did? Which beach would you go to?

• What aquatic animal interests you the most? Sharks? Whales? Fish? Crabs? Write about your favorite aquatic animal. Why did you choose that animal? What do you know about them? Feel free to do some research, and write some interesting facts about them.

• Have you ever been jealous of somebody before? Why were you jealous? Is jealousy a healthy thing to feel? Write about a time you were jealous, and how you dealt with it. Did you deal with it the right way? What is the best way to handle jealousy?

• Which of the three toys do you relate to the most? Are you smart like Stingray? Kind like Lumphy? Curious like Plastic? Write down the toy you feel the most in common with, and why. If you could be a toy, what kind of toy would you be?

• Do you have birthday parties when you turn a year older? Can you remember which one was your favorite? What made it special? Who was there? What did you do? What did you eat? For your next birthday, how do you want to celebrate? Write about it!

As always, stay safe and be kind. We'll see you next time!