Wishing Stones

45 minutes

Intended for 25 guests, grades K-3

Supplies

"Ella May and the Wishing Stone" by Cary Fagan
25 smooth stones (North Shore beaches are the best place to gather stones)
Paints
Glue
Glitter
Stickers

Program

This past summer, the theme of the 2012 Summer Reading Club was "Dream Big: READ!" and so in line with dreaming, I created a program that encouraged wishing.

The idea for this program is taken from the book "Ella May and the Wishing Stone."  It is about a little girl, Ella May, who stumbles upon a wishing stone that just so happens to make her wishes come true.  She brags to her friends about her wishing stone's powers and becomes just a tad bit rude with her new found power.  No spoilers about how it ends though, you'll have to check it out for yourself! 

For the program, I read this book.  And then I let all the children make their very own wishing stones!  (Disclaimer:  These wishing stones hold no "real" power and should not be treated as such.)  It's fun to wish and hope and dream, and if there is something that can encourage that in the children, then by golly, I'm for it!

They were given smooth stones, and paints, and glue, and stickers and a whole bunch of glitter!  I mean a lot of glitter.  Because what's a wishing stone without mass mounts of glitter on it?  The glitter makes it extra special!  And they were encouraged to just create and decorate!

Here is a wishing stone that I made:

And although I have had no wishes come true (yet!), it's pretty, and I will still keep wishing and hoping!  Because that is what is important.