Humphrey Update

I shared the Humphrey project several weeks ago and decided I would write an update tonight because the cute idea of a take home bag for the kids has exploded! First of all my kids LOVE Humphrey, the stuffed one that is. The kids take him home for 3 nights at a time and write about their adventures together. I can not believe their journal entries (the last one was 4 pages long!). I also can not believe some of the things they do with Humphrey.  He has gone golfing (one boy gave Humphrey a golf club and golf ball), jumped on a trampoline (which several of the others kids thought was much too dangerous - they do know he's not real, don't they?), eaten at a restaurant, visited grandmas and grandpas, and gone camping. He has such an adventurous life!

Here's the update: The first book we finished after The Adventures of Humphrey was Bunnicula. I was sitting at my desk as my student teacher finished the book and started talking with the kids about it. One little girl raised her hand and said "I've been looking around all day and I just knew we'd have a new bag with a bunny in it to start taking home." It was one of those, "Why am I not smart enough to think of that moments." Outsmarted by a third grader again! I just looked at her and told her what a brilliant idea it was. Needless to say I ran around town that Saturday looking for a white rabbit. Alas, it's not Easter and there are no stuffed rabbits to be had. Foiled! I explained to the kids that I had taken Regan's suggestion to heart but had had no luck. Since then I have had kids, parents, and friends offer white rabbits for my kids to take home.  Take home bag complete!

Fast forward to last Monday as I finished reading Franny K. Stein and was asked by several of the kids if we had a stuffed Franny doll to take home. Now why didn't I think of that (again?!). But as I drove home I started thinking about the idea and decided that I would put together a Mad Scientist bag to take home. So that was my big project this weekend. I have a bag (it reads Caution: Mad Scientist Ahead), a lab coat (on the back it says Mad Scientist at Work, a bat I bought at Big Lots (looks like one of the illustrations from the book), measuring cups, measuring spoons, a skull pen (I figure Franny would not use a regular pen), safety glasses, a telescoping mirror (seems more appropriate for a spy bag, but I couldn't resist it at the Big Lots check out), a magnifying glass, and some plastic bags each with an experiment and the materials needed. I can't wait to share it with the kids. I think I've finally figuring out that I am going to have to pick my read alouds with take home bags in mind. What a great problem to have!

Have a great Halloween and try to stay sane!