Imagine That! An Activity Book Giveaway by Janis Silverman, Guest Blogger
Posted by lindamartinandersen on January 22, 2014
“Imagine That!An Activity Book Giveaway by Janis Silverman, Guest Blogger” posted by Linda Martin Andersen
“A Writer’s Playground”–A place to find wordplay, writing, and monthly calendar activities for kids and those young at heart.
Did you know that January 25, 2014 is National Seed Swap Day? When I read this, I thought: Swap/trade a Seed. Plant a Seed. What does the expression to “plant a seed” mean? http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/plant+a+seed defines “plant a seed” as “to do something that will develop more in the future.”
I immediately thought of an author I know who encourages children to develop their imaginations. I contacted Janis Silverman, author of Imagine That!: Imagery Stories and Activities and other book titles and she agreed to be a guest blogger here. Learn more about Janis Silverman at these links:
Copyright Janis Silverman. 2014
Here is a link to her Amazon Books page http://www.amazon.com/Janis-L.-Silverman/e/B001K8HEEQ
Here is a link to her Facebook author page https://www.facebook.com/JanisLSilvermanAuthor
Welcome Janis Silverman!
Thank you for agreeing to share one free activity from Imagine That!: Imagery Stories and Activities on this post. Is everybody ready? Janis is…
Think Green!
You may be ready for spring, but it is still January!
You can imagine spring with the following guided imagery story, “Evergreen Spring.”
You will relax and connect with nature, the beauty of spring and be more open to the world around you.
Read “Evergreen Spring” aloud, very slowly, or ask an adult to read it to you.
Evergreen Spring
Close your eyes and think of spring.
Green is everywhere.
Trees and shrubs bud and leaves appear.
The grass is a blanket of green underfoot.
Vines hang on arbors, sprouting new glossy green leaves and flowers.
Winter is gone, replaced with new plant life of amazing beauty.
You are dazzled with the wonder of spring.
You feel energized and hopeful.
You look forward to months of gorgeous green
Followed by summer fun.
See your connection with nature and life.
You feel alive and excited about each new day.
(Pause; sit a few minutes and picture spring.)
When you are ready, open your eyes.
Remember the beauty and wonder of spring.
You, too, are part of each spring.
Remember all of the images of Evergreen Spring.
Return to these images any time you want
To imagine spring time.
Discussion Questions:
1. How is spring important to you?
2. Try writing an analogy to spring or another season. Ex. Spring: green: Winter: white
3. How does the very beginning of spring make you feel?
4. Would you ever return to Evergreen Spring in winter? Explain.
Optional Activity: Leaf Collage
Materials: You will need two pieces of art paper, real or paper leaves made from colored construction paper, two pieces of lined paper, markers, glue and a pencil.
Select a green leaf. Either trace the leaf or draw one. Cut it out of paper or cloth. Draw and cut out several more leaves, or use a variety of fresh leaves from outdoors to create a leaf collage. Arrange the leaves and glue them to the colored paper.
Follow-up Writing Activity: Write about how spring makes you feel in your journal, or write three to six words about spring on the collage. Share your collage and ideas with a friend.
To Be Registered to Win a copy of Imagine That!: Imagery Stories and Activities, participate in the following activity:
Living Plant Alliteration Activity: Think about the trees, shrubs and flowers that will soon bloom in your yard. Choose one of these plants. Write an alliteration sentence about this living plant. (Alliteration repeats the beginning sound of the plant).
Example: Red roses rise up the arbor. or
Lily loves luscious light. or
Maple makes miles of marvelous leaves.
If you’d prefer, you may write a short poem about a living plant.
GIVEAWAY: Submit your alliteration sentence or short poem in the comment section of this blog.
If there are several submissions, Janis will draw a name for the winner on January 30, 2014. The winner of Imagine That! : Imagery Stories and Activities by Janis L. Silverman will be announced by February 1, 2014.
You can find more of Janis Silverman’s books at her website http://www.janislsilverman.com and Amazon Books. Here’s a title many parents, teachers, and counselors recommend:
Help Me Say Goodbye: Activities for Helping Kids Cope When a Special Person Dies.
A final message from Janis: I hope you enjoyed “Evergreen Spring” and the activities. Think Green! Spring will be here soon!
Janis L. Silverman, author
Thanks again, Janis.
As always, I thank you for visiting “A Writer’s Playground.” Please stop by again soon and bring a friend.
A Writer's Playground 
Joan Y. Edwards said
Dear Linda,
Thanks for having Janis Silverman as a guest on your fun blog. How exciting and generous of her to share an activity page from Imagine That with the readers of your blog. That was great fun doing the guided imagery.
Dear Janis,
Thank you for pursuing all of your creative ways to have fun using your imagination.
Here is an alliteration sentence about spring:
The tulips trudged up through the ground so they could soon show us their tops that twirl in the wind on a sunny spring sunshiny day.
Celebrate your many talents, Janis and Linda,
Never Give Up
Joan Y. Edwards
lindamartinandersen said
Joan,
It’s my pleasure to have Janis as a guest blogger. I am so glad she agreed to be featured and to share an activity and a giveaway.. She has written many great books. I hope visitors will check them out.
Thanks for writing a sentence about spring and using alliteration. I do like to watch tulips twirl. Great image! You’re name is in the drawing.
Thanks for commenting. I appreciate your faithful following.
Janis Silverman said
Hi,Joan,
You are always bursting with creativity.. I enjoyed your alliteration. I cannot wait until spring!
Janis
Tracy Campbell said
Hi Linda and Janis, I enjoyed the refreshing reminder that spring will always arrive. 🙂
lindamartinandersen said
HI Tracy,
Always a pleasure to have you visit “A Writer’s Playground.” If you’d like to be entered for the giveaway, be sure to write a sentence about a flower, tree, or shrub in your yard that will bloom soon. Be sure to use alliteration. Or you may write a poem.
Thanks for being my faithful friend and blog follower.
Carol Federlin Baldwin said
Lots of luck with poems and pictures. My brain is stuck in the 50’s in Charlotte..but nice to hear Janis’ voice on your blog, Linda!
lindamartinandersen said
Hi Carol,
Thanks for commenting about Janis’ guest blog post.. It is good to hear Janis’ voice here. Her voice relaxes. Her imagery stories and activities could help reduce the stress of your MG novel revision and research. Or you could use it as a tool to help you imagine a spring day in the 1950s in Charlotte.
You have some time to create a sentence with alliteration or a short poem before the contest ends. I hope you’ll give it a try. We’d love to add your name to the book giveaway drawing.
Pat said
My first imagined plant was the northern aspen tree. So here’s a short alliteration: alive aspens aquiver always!
That was fun and I’ll probably be thinking of alliterations all week!
Pat
lindamartinandersen said
Thanks Pat. You make me long to walk through aspen trees. Thanks for playing. You are entered in the drawing.
Janis Silverman said
That’s great alliteration,Pat!
Janis
Diane Mentzer said
Here is my alliteration entry from Frosty PA, thinking of spring.
Daisies dance delicately down the driveway drawing me home.
lindamartinandersen said
Diane,
Thanks so much for participating. Frosty–what a “cool” name for a town. Your alliteration topic reminds me of my grandmother. Her name was Daisy. Your sentence reads like poetry. Lovely! Thanks for entering. I look forward to seeing you again another time. You’re entered in the contest.
Janis Silverman said
DIANE,
i LOVE DAISIES. YOUR WORDS MADE THEM COME ALIVE!
Where are you in PA? I was born and raised in McKeesport, PA and graduated from Penn State.
Jsnis