What Shall We Take on the Picnic?

We're Going on a Picnic

written and illustrated by Pat Hutchins

"What will you take on a picnic?" Brainstorm a list of items that might customarily be included as picnic fare. Don't forget tableware, condiments, and play equipment for activities after eating. Post the word list (or develop dictionary cards) for easy reference, perhaps on a red-and-white-checkered tablecloth as background.

Ask students to write about a silly picnic. Have them draw and label or write about a usual picnic item and something that begins with the same sound but would probably never be included on a picnic. "My picnic basket contains a cookie and a cuckoo clock." "I brought a pickle and a pachyderm to the picnic."

Run through the alphabet naming things to take to the picnic in this cumulative memory game. Someone starts: "I brought an ant to the picnic." The next person has to add an item that begins with the next letter of the alphabet and name it as well as all the things that have come before. "I brought an ant and some bologna to the picnic." "I brought an ant, some bologna, and a cookie to the picnic." For younger or less able students you may want to assign letters ahead of time for them to make a small picture of their item. In their turn they could put their picture on a pocket chart in line with each of the others that has come before.