Introduction Celebrate one of the most beloved children's books of all time by hosting a Charlotte's Web Event! The value of reading, friendship, loyalty, and so much more can be explored and enjoyed by children of all ages through activities relating to Charlotte's Web. Holding a Charlotte's Web Event provides educational and memorable experiences for students, whether it is an all-week extravaganza or just an afternoon of imagination. The following information highlights some ideas to develop programming with Charlotte's Web. This event can be as large or as small as you like. Location Charlotte's Web Events can be held is many different types of locations. Here are some locations we suggest: School Library After-school program Sports/Entertainment venue Health clinics Church Zoo Farm Shopping mall Park Senior Citizens Center Planning Tips Estimate your attendance and gather volunteers accordingly Arrange parking ahead of time for those working at and attending the event Partner with local businesses or organizations to help co-sponsor the event. They can provide locations, food, prizes, etc. Some suggestions include: Bookstore Local restaurants Malls Toy stores Local TV/radio stations Non-Profit Organizations Activities Mix and match the following activities to create an event that is right for you. Lights, Camera, Action Children can get in touch with their inner thespian while acting out a favorite scene from Charlotte's Web. Children should separate into small groups of 5 or 6 and take turns acting out their favorite scenes from the book. Groups can take turns presenting a scene from the book to each other or to the class. If a video recorder is available, videotape the different skits and then let the children watch themselves on TV. Zuckerman's Reading Corner Providing a reading corner gives children the opportunity to hear Charlotte's Web and also quiet down. Reading corners are a great way to get children involved in reading aloud. Creating a specific corner in the room with thematic elements relating to Charlotte's Web can help imaginations run wild while the story is being read. Costume elements such as a farmer's straw hat can be worn by the reader. The reading corner can be decorated to look like the barn area of Zuckerman's farm. Move Like the Animals Get those wiggles and giggles out by dancing and moving like the animals in Charlotte's Web. Dancing provides exercise and creativity for children of all ages. Bring plenty of children's music and have an adult call out different animals while the music is playing. The children can then act out the animal. Paint Me Pink An arts and crafts table with a variety of paper, crayons, finger paints, markers, glue, and scissors promotes creativity and is a staple for any party. Provide coloring sheets (see Download Activities section) and plain paper as well. Have older children draw pictures of their favorite characters or scenes from the book. Visit a Farm What better way to experience Charlotte's Web then to visit a farm? Where possible, find a local farm or petting zoo, and let the children find out for themselves what it is like to be with the animals! Teach about the different kinds of farm animals and their care while getting up close and personal with Wilbur and his friends. Zuckerman's Farm Passport A great way to get children involved in all of the activities is to provide a "passport" for the children to get stamped at the different activity stations. Once the passport is filled with stamps it can be used as a raffle ticket to win a prize. Prizes can include Charlotte's Web books, toys, various snacks and other prizes provided by sponsors. Book Drive Reading should be accessible to everyone, so hold a book drive for new or gently used books during your Charlotte's Web event and make it possible for more children to experience the wonder and excitement of a new book. Have children bring in books that they do not use or need any more and donate them to a local school, homeless shelter, or orphanage. Arrange with a local bookstore for a discount coupon on a new book when children bring in a book for the exchange. Essay Ideas Enhance an essay with a Charlotte's Web twist. Here are some of our ideas: Write an essay on your favorite Charlotte's Web character Describe a best friend, who he/she is, what characteristics does he/she hold, etc. New Ending Essay—write about what happens to one of Charlotte's children that leaves the barn Favorite Pet Essay—write about a favorite pet and an adventure you had together, or write about a pet you would love to have Operation Charlotte's Web Make new friends and help others enjoy Charlotte's Web by arranging a trip to a local children's hospital or nursing home to read with patients and residents. Give them the opportunity to celebrate and listen to Charlotte's Web. Make sure you arrange this trip ahead of time and even bring donated books collected from the book drive to give out to others. Poster Contest Children can create a Charlotte's Web poster fashioned after a favorite scene or character. After children have created their posters, have everyone hang their posters around the room and give out prizes. Prize categories can be: Most Creative Most Colorful Most Realistic Best Animal Drawing Best All-Around Prizes can also be awarded for all that participated by drawing names of participants from a hat. Spelling Bee Who can spell "Salutations?" In the spirit of Charlotte, hold a Charlotte's Web spelling bee. Use words found in the book or words the children are studying in school. Children can also be broken up into groups and use music and dance to spell out the words. Trivia Game Trivia can be a fun way to reinforce important and fun information in a story. Here are some trivia questions you can ask your class or group: What four words or phrases does Charlotte spin in her Web? [Some Pig, Terrific, Radiant, Humble] Wilbur has a friend who is a rat. What is his name? [Templeton] What kind of creature is Charlotte? [A spider] What is the name of the large pig that had a pen next to Wilbur at the fair? [Uncle] What is the name of the girl who takes car of Wilbur? [Fern] What is the name of the farmer who lives next to Fern? [Mr. Zuckerman] What does Mrs. Zuckerman use to wash Wilbur to make him clean and "radiant?" [Buttermilk] What phrase did Zuckerman paint on the outside of Wilbur's crate? [Zuckerman's Famous Pig] Who rode on the Ferris wheel with Fern at the fair? [Henry Fussy] Who won the blue ribbon at the fair? [Uncle, the pig] What did Wilbur win at the fair? [A bronze medal and $25] What did Wilbur do when he heard he received an award at the fair? [He fainted] What does Wilbur promise to Templeton if he goes and gets Charlotte's egg sac? [First choice of everything in his trough and Wilbur won't eat until he is through.] How did Wilbur say goodbye to Charlotte? [He winked because he had her egg sac in his mouth.] What two definitions does Charlotte give for the word "humble"? [Not proud, Close to the ground] Charlotte calls her egg sac her "magnum opus." What does Magnum Opus mean? [Great work] How many eggs are inside Charlotte's egg sac? [514] What were the names of the three baby spiders that stayed at the barn? [Joy, Aranea, Nellie] Additional Activities Visit www.walden.com for online activities including "Wilbur's Barn Break," "Fan Art," "Charlotte's Memory Game," "Templeton's World of the Day," to download a copy of the Charlotte's Web Educator's Guide and much more.