Summer is a time rife for nonsense, and who better to remind us of its value and beauty than the master of nonsense himself—Dr Seuss. As we share some green eggs and ham with our children, or remind them about the importance of protecting our planet through the story of Lorax, we should remember that…
The first bite of a crisp, juicy apple; the first sip of some steaming chicken soup; a big scoop of ice cream on a hot summer day: all these things can be just as delicious and exciting as tearing into a fresh new story with our kids. Although their stories might not be as fully…
When our child trips and skins their knees on the playground, we comfort them and kiss them and put on a bandaid. When they are old enough, we might teach them to clean their cuts and bandage themselves. However, we do not teach them to never explore the playground again. When our child pronounces a…
A blank page can be scary. Here at ECP, we know that better than anyone. As writers ourselves, many of us have been confronted by the dreaded blank page. This is why we could all use a good reminder that a bad page is always—always—better than a blank page. And writing something is always better…
For thousands of years, storytelling has not only been a way to expand our imagination and knowledge, but also a way to represent and reflect our culture, experiences, and individualities to both ourselves and each other. And although established, seasoned writers have often already zeroed in on what sets us apart or brings us together,…
You know what they say about singing like no one’s listening… One of the key ways to develop creative confidence and live a creative life is to get in the habit of creating. Like anything else, creating and seeing yourself as a creative person takes practice, and the more you do it, the easier it…
Creative writing is at its core, well, writing. There is no denying that. Putting pen to paper (or fingers to a key board) is the most significant, fundamental part of writing any story. Our Facebook group for the ECP parents and community is called “Raising Writers” for a reason. However, inherent within that moniker of…
In honour of National Poetry Month in April, here’s a lovely litany that we published back in 2011 by then 7-year-old Matthew. Litanies, also known as list poems, typically catalogue a long series of items and often include repetitive phrases or ideas. What makes a litany MORE than just a list then? The careful selection…
