Fill out these questions to generate your own silly mad libs letter instantly online! (Hint: a Verb is an action. An adverb usually ends in “ly” and describes an action (like slowly). A noun is a person/place/thing. An adjective describes a person/place/thing.)
I dance while I’m standing.
I jive while I walk.
I do the hokey-pokey
when I want to talk.
I kick my soccer ball
to a jazzy salsa beat.
I macaroni-mamba every
time I need to eat.
I wiggle-giggle-shuffle as
I put away my clothes.
I shimmy, dip and slide when
I have to blow my nose.
My mom calls me a wiggler.
I always need to leap.
I even dream of jigs
while I’m in my bed asleep!
Fill out these questions to generate your own silly mad libs letter instantly online! (Hint: a Verb is an action. An adverb usually ends in “ly” and describes an action (like slowly). A noun is a person/place/thing. An adjective describes a person/place/thing.)
My mom does not respect my toys
No matter what I do.
I’m upset that my lessons are
Failing to get through.
She stepped on all my dinosaurs.
She kicked my poor t-rex.
My pterodactyl’s muddy and
I worry ‘bout their necks.
She promised to pick up my bear
From the school bus stop,
But then she left him in the cold
So that she could go shop.
She lost my purple elephant.
She mangled my stuffed hawk.
And when we had a tea-party
She never let us talk.
I don’t think that she’d like it
If I kicked her phone
Or trampled all her flowers and
And buried her trombone.
She’s impolite. She breaks the rules.
She thinks she has to shout.
Oh I wish there was a way
To put Mom in time-out.
Hey teachers! You can use this rhyming poem to teach respect in your classroom. Download our
Respect Poem For Teachers Lesson Plan (pdf). It includes a printable copy of this respect poem and questions to get kids talking about respect.
Fill out these questions to generate your own silly mad libs letter instantly online! (Hint: a Verb is an action. An adverb usually ends in “ly” and describes an action (like slowly). A noun is a person/place/thing. An adjective describes a person/place/thing.)
I’m standing on a chair!
I’m standing on a chair!
I don’t know why Mom’s worried
I’m just standing on a chair!
You’d think she’d be freaked out
By the lion in my room
But seeing shoes on fabric
Is what really makes her fume.
I bath with toxic jellyfish.
I ride a crocodile.
But if I’m on the sofa then
Her mood becomes hostile.
I often sleep with scorpions
And wrestle with a bear.
I don’t know why Mom’s worried.
I’m just standing on a chair!
When I graduated from high school and college, I got many inspirational, meaningful books that helped me to find my passion in life. Here are some of my favorites…
An engaging story about finding your passion
In this beautifully written hunt for treasure from Spain to Egypt, Santiago learns to follow his passion, to never give up and that love can be transformative. Our lives are filled with signs that point us do our dreams — all we have to do is listen to them!
Favorite Quotes:
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
“The secret of life, though, is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.”
“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
The Alchemist, 197 pages, fiction
A tearful story about following your heart
This is an endearing story about a pilot who crash lands in the Sahara and meets a curious boy from space while he repairs his plane. With child-like playfulness, the Little Prince talks about space and questions the pilot about being an adult. Through these stories we get a raw view of how many adults lost their way because they were so caught up in the important (but meaningless) details of being an adult. The tender story does not shy away from the loneliness and loss that we are all bound to feel sometime during our life.
Favorite Quotes:
“Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies.”
“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret. It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”
“A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.”
The Little Prince, 96 pages with illustrations, fiction
A whimsical picture book about following your smile
The Whens are friendly monsters that illustrate the idea “I’ll be happy when…”. After spending a lifetime searching for the next bigger and better When to finally make him happy, the main character steps off the path and listens to his heart. By following his passion, he realizes he can be happy now.
Favorite Quotes:
“I had almost been fooled into thinking I could find happiness outside of myself.”
“I only listen to my smile”
The Whens, 40 pages, picture book
Dr. Seuss’ don’t-put-off-your-life rhyme
Through lighthearted rhymes, Dr. Seuss tells the story of a man at the start of his journey to move mountains. He warns about waiting too long to pursue your dream and flat-out says that everyone will have “bang-ups” on their journey… but that’s okay because you have a 98 3/4th chance of succeeding!
Favorite Quote:
“So be sure when you step,
Step with care and great tact.
And remember that life’s
A Great Balancing Act.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed)”
Oh The Places You’ll Go, 56 pages, picture book
Twenty years after graduating, Mitch contacts a former college professor who is dying of a terminal illness. Every Tuesday he meets with Morrie for one final lesson: how to live a happy life. From his deathbed, Morrie inspires Mitch to make the most out of his life.
Favorite Quotes:
“Accept who you are; and revel in it.”
“Love wins, love always wins.”
“Don’t let go too soon, but don’t hold on too long.”
Tuesdays With Morrie, 192 pages, true story
When I was ten, I had to memorize a poem a month at school. Twenty years later, I’m amazed by how many of those rhymes are still tucked away in my brain — like a favorite memory or old friend.
It got me wondering: How in the world do you memorize a poem? Here are some tips I came up with.
1. Start with a short poem. If you have never memorized a poem before, pick a quick one so you get the hang of it. I’d recommend one that’s 4 lines and filled with words you easily understand.
One of the first short poems I ever memorized was Too Many Kids in this Tub by Shel Silverstein:
There’s too many kids in this tub.
There’s too many elbows to scrub.
I just washed a behind that I’m sure wasn’t mine.
There’s too many kids in this tub.
2. Pick poems with strong rhymes and rhythms. Re-read that Shel Silverstein poem and listen to the rhythm as you say each word. It has a distinctive flow that wants to roll off your tongue. The rhythm can help you memorize because your brain knows what kind of sound it should be saying next. Similarly rhymes give you a clue about what word should be at the end of each sentence.
3. Visualize the poem. Close your eyes and imagine the poem. What does the main character look like? What expression is on their face? What are they doing? Why are they doing it? If you can picture the poem like a little movie in your head, it will be easier to remember it (because who doesn’t remember their favorite scene from a cartoon or movie?)
4. Write your own poem. Write a short poem and then try to memorize it. Can you remember what you were thinking when you wrote the poem? Do you remember why you chose certain words? If this helps you, think about other poems as if you wrote them. Why did the author choose the words they chose? What mood were they in when they wrote the poem? Who did they write the poem for?
5. Memorize a poem that makes you laugh. Everyone remembers their favorite joke because it makes them laugh. Sometimes it can be easier to remember a funny poem because it has you in stitches. Another poem I had to memorize as a kid was The New Kid On The Block by Jack Prelutsky. It was about a terrible kid with a really funny twist at the end. (You’ll have you get the poem to find out the ending — I don’t want to spoil it). That poem always made me laugh, which made it more fun to memorize.
6. Imagine the poem as you walk someone familiar. First you need to picture a walk that you have done thousands of time. What are some landmarks along the way? I have walked out of my front door millions of times. At the end of the driveway there is a mailbox and then a massive tree.
Next you need to mix the lines of poetry with those landmarks. For example, if I wanted to memorize:
There’s too many kids in this tub.
There’s too many elbows to scrub.
I would imagine lots of little kids crammed in the mailbox at the end of my driveway followed by scrubbing their elbows on the bark of my big tree. If I ever forget what the second line is, all I have to remember is that second thing I see as I leave my house is a big tree…. then I’ll suddenly remember scrubbing their elbows on the bark.
Hope these tips have helped. Remember poetry should be fun! If you’re getting frustrated, take a short break — run around outside for five minutes — and then come back and try again.
Authors Steve & Natasha