ABC's and Sweet Tea: Creative Freewriting Adventure by Home School Adventure Co.~ A Homeschool Crew Review

We have been working on a fun and exciting program the last few weeks that we have really enjoyed. Creative Freewriting Adventure, written by Stacy Farrell, at Home School Adventure Co. has proven to be my kid's favorite thing to do lately. This is our first time using anything from Home School Adventure Co., and I have to say that I am really impressed.

What is it all about?

Creative Freewriting Adventure is 15 minute writing exercises, and can be used as a stand alone program, or it can be used along side the Philosopher Adventure, also offered by Home School Adventure Co. We used it in our homeschool as a stand alone program with both of my kids that are 15 and 11. It is available as a PDF download, or you can order a print edition. They even have a Coloring Book Edition that offers a coloring page with each prompt. There is no prep work needed, and as a busy homeschool mom, I can definitely appreciate that! All you need to get started, if you order the Digital Download, is a pen, paper, and timer! That is another plus for this mom!

How does it work?

Edyn and Gav have never really wanted or liked to free write. I have given them different prompts, and I normally get the same issues. They bombard me with the excuses of, "I can't think", or "I don't know what to write about." This program is completely different with the prompts and the way they are given to the student.

There are 10 different exercises that the program gives you.

Exercise 1 - Thales
Exercise 2 - Pythagoras
Exercise 3 - Xenophanes
Exercise 4 - Democritus
Exercise 5 - The Wise Woman
Exercise 6 - Beasts
Exercise 7 - The Gallery
Exercise 8 - Winged Pony
Exercise 9 - Eternity
Exercise 10 - The Ultimate Christmas Party

Each prompt has 3 parts to it. In the beginning it gives you a little insight on who or what the prompt is about. Next it tells you what your journey will be regarding the person or thing. To me this was such a good way to get the story flowing for the students. It is a detailed description of what is going on, and really gets the student's wheels turning. The third and final part of the exercise is "Your Assignment." This is a series of questions, that gives the student great ideas to incorporate into their story. "Who was with you on this adventure?" "What do you see?" "What do you say to ____?" "Are you eating something?" These types of questions are so perfect in helping them with details.

For example, the Democritus exercise was one of my kid's favorites. My daughter especially loved it. In the beginning you are given some information about Democritus, including that he was known as "The Laughing Philosopher." Next up, is "Your Journey." This is what was given to them to set the story up.

Next up is the set of questions that help them with the details of the story. I could literally see their imaginations light up after asking them the questions. Finally, we would set a timer for 15 minutes, and let them go.

Here is the story that my daughter wrote for this exercise. Remember she hates to write, and doesn't even know what to write about. I offer no help while they are writing, it is all strictly from the kids. Also, we don't check grammar, because I want them to concentrate on their story telling. We study grammar in other subjects of our school, so this is only for getting their story on paper.

It was a normal Tuesday afternoon when my best friend, Isabella, and I wanted to go rock climbing. We planned this a week in advance so we were really pumped about it. As we were walking to our favorite spot, you could hear the crunch of the rocks with every step. We finally reached the cold, tan, gigantic rock. It went straight up to the clouds. Isabella and I started our journey, and as we were climbing, you could hear our fingernails scraping against the rocks as we climbed higher and higher. We got to our usual stop, sat there for a minute, gulped some icy cold water, and decided that it was time to go higher. We continued to climb for another 30 minutes, when all of a sudden, I see a lightly illuminated tunnel that was indented into a rock. I was so astonished. Most people would turn back now, but that's not an adventure! I screamed to Isabella to "Hurry UP!" as she's about 10 steps below me. After she climbed to where I was, I looked toward her as I'm sitting in the narrow tunnel. Her face turned pale as a ghost. I said with excitement, "Let's do this! Let's figure out what's on the other side of this!" I could hear the nervousness in her voice as she said, "Ok." We climb into the narrow tunnel for about 10 minutes when all of a sudden, my right hand didn't feel the rock anymore. I trip and fall onto a soft marshmallow like pad. Isabella is right behind me. I look around into the blue hazy sky. I ask Isabella, "What is this place? It's so beautiful!" Before she could answer, a frog jumps out of nowhere and onto a lily pad, and says, "This is our universe." I said, "Wait a minute! Frogs can't talk! Isabella! Lets get out of here!!" We noticed an old brown ladder that lead us back up to the tunnel we had fallen down. We climbed back up and went home. It was quite an adventure.

Written by: Edyn

I was quite impressed that she had that much detail in a story that was written in only 15 minutes! This is only one example. I could write on and on with how impressed I am with their accomplishments. I would definitely recommend this program for anyone who wants to give their kids some free writing time. Creative Freewriting Adventure by Home School Adventure Co. has definitely opened my kid's eyes and helped them get their creative juices flowing!