wordless riddles: silly lunchbox notes

When I asked Maddy, Owen, and Cora what they liked best for their lunchbox notes, I got three different answers.

From Maddy: I want more jokes–not joke, jokes like knock-knocks but more like the riddle jokes. Like the ones that are kind of like a story and you guess what they’re talking about. Like the riddle ones.

From Owen: I like the ones with problems–like math problems.  Or yeah, okay the joke ones.  Or fact ones.

From Cora: I want just like the regular notes, like ‘Have a good day, Cora’ or ‘I love you Cora’ on them. Like just like that. The regular ones.

So I gathered from Cora’s response that she wanted ones she could read–ones with only a few words–and I gathered from Maddy and Owen’s responses that they were up for more of an interactive laugh or challenge, so I thought for a bit.

And then I thought some more.

And I tried to think of something that would fit Maddy, Owen, and Cora while at the same time, try to help Cora feel ‘at home’ in her new school.

So I came up with something new for us–something that so far, the kids–and my husband–really, really love.

Here’s the skinny. . .

• Wordless Riddles— Silly Lunchbox Notes: That’s what they are–wordless riddles.

They’re a combination of an ‘I Spy’ game and ‘A Closer Look’, and they really love them.

 Our finished sheet of Wordless Riddle Lunchbox Notes

All I did was create a simple template with two phrases:

Take a closer look!    and

What am I?

I wanted to use two repeated phrases that Cora could learn with ease and that included a few sight words.

Can YOU tell what this object is?

Or maybe this one’s a bit easier?

And then I went around the house, taking super close-up pictures of items familiar to the kids: Brady’s nose, the Wii steering remote, the garage door buttons, door handles, the milk carton, homework stool, you name it.

On each note, I embedded one close-up photo, and we were ready to roll.  I printed three copies of the document on cardstock–six photos each for a total of 18 notes!–cut ’em out, and that’s it!

Cora’s lunch: Day 2 — Wordless Riddle ready to go!

The first day I added them to lunchboxes (day two of school!), we chatted on the way home about the day, their friends, recess, and–of course–lunch. 

No one could figure out the picture, so we talked through it as we walked, and together they got it! With Maddy’s idea and Owen’s idea and Cora’s idea, it all came together. It was awesome. It was a super ice-breaker and a great way to move into natural conversation about the day.

The following day, Owen ran out of the building and the very first thing he said to me was Brady’s nose!! It was Brady’s nose!

It took a minute, but then it hit me–he figured it out, and he was psyched. Yay!

A Closer Look Lunchbox Notes : wordless riddle notes (ours)

And that’s it–just a quickie way to show my sweets that I’m thinking of them throughout the day and to (shhhhh!) sneak in a little bit o’ learning and thinking along the way. I have already taken photos for Wordless Riddle Lunchbox Notes, 2.0 — it’s been so crazy fun.

Do you want to try your hand at Wordless Riddle Lunchbox Notes? Feel free to download our own Wordless Riddle Lunchbox Notes (with our photos) or download the Wordless Riddle Lunchbox Notes Blank Version and create your own–either by adding your own photos to the word doc or by cutting photos and gluing them on! Either way–super fun!

Please, please PUH-lease let me know if you try this and how it works! And I’d LOVE to see yours–feel free to share your own photos on our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/teachmama). Many thanks and happy lunchbox noting!