Episode 16: Inky's Christmas

Click here to listen to: Inky's Christmas

Click here to listen to: Chilly's Christmas (our first Christmas story)

Hello All,

Season Greetings! We want to send out our warmest Night Light wishes to you and your family during this holiday season. This time of year, we look forward to a lot of parties, lights, decorations, singing, and presents. There are a lot of different ways to give through the holiday seasons. You can give your time to a worthy cause, collect food, collect toys, even donate a book for children in the hospital. Share with us a way that you have given in this holiday season. We love to hear about how creative and generous our listeners are.

Voracious Vocabulary

Our stories are filled with many illuminating words. Try and use them somewhere in a conversation this week.

festive: joyous

propel: to drive, or cause to move, forward or onward

smithereens: small pieces, bits

All Things Inky

Download the All Things Inky Template (.PDF)

Try any or all of these fun activities with Inky!

1. Color Inky your favorite color using markers, crayons, colored pencils, or any other fun coloring tool you have!

2. Paint or color an ocean scene on a piece of paper and then paste Inky somewhere in your seascape!

3. Design Inky's den for him. Where would his bed be? Would he have a kitchen?

4. Use a crayon and color all of Inky's pieces heavily. Really bear down on the crayon so that you cannot see any white spots. When you are finished, flip the paper over to the side that is not colored. Dribble a little vegetable oil on a paper towel and spread it across the paper. Check out the cool effect you've create! Hang Inky on the tree or in the window to create a sun catcher.

5. Practice your counting, addition, subtraction and/or multiplication with Inky! Print out the Head, Arms, and Suction Cup templates. Attach all 8 arms to Inky's head. Cut out all the suction cups. Move them around each tentacle and add them up or take some away.

6. Place as many suction cups as you want on each tentacle and count them up. You can practice counting by 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's, or even 10's!

7. Practice your multiplication facts! Place 6 suction cups on all 8 arms and see how many you get? Take them off and place 3 on each arm. How many do you have now?

8. Create a pattern with Inky's tentacles, such as red, green, red, green. If you are a little more daring, use the suction cup template and see how detailed you can make your patterns on his tentacles.

9. Decorate Inky as festive as you can for the holiday season using things around the ocean.

10. Design your very own Inky, Shark, Jellyfish, and Eel. The possiblilities are endless!

Once you've finished your project, take a picture and send it to us at nightlightstories@gmail.com. We'll post it up in our Fan Art section so you can share it with the world! Who knows? Your work of art might just inspire someone else!

Have fun and enjoy!

JUST ADD IMAGINATION

Try these activities to keep your imagination glowing after hearing the story.

1. Create a holiday scene using the ocean theme. How many things in the ocean can you find to mimic decorations on land?

2. Write a letter to Inky sharing some ideas with him on how you think he could control his inking.

COMPREHENSION CHALLENGE

After listening to the story, can you recall the details to answer these questions?

1. List 2 things that Inky worries about throughout the story.

2. How did he plan on not inking at Shark's Shindig? At Jellyfish's Jamboree?

3. Were his friends angry with him like he thought they would be? How did he know?

BRIGHT BIRTHDAY WISHES
We want to send out bright birthday wishes to:

Papa G of Massachusetts

Uncle Markie of Massachusetts

Shawn D

Nonni B of New York

Cavin D of West Virginia

We hope your day SPARKLED!

If you know someone who has a birthday coming up and you'd like to send them a Night Light Birthday wish, send us an email at nightlightstories@gmail.com.Please send us your loved one's first name and the first initial of their last name only and we'll pass along the birthday wish.

There are no age limits!

As always I look forward to watching the glow grow brighter with the many stories we can share together.