Below is a long list of activity ideas and curriculum-linked notes for encouraging creativity, scientific literacy and critical thinking skills. Please feel free use them in the classroom or at home…

BONUS! Ask me anything or share your work with me. I love to see it and I’ll do my very best to respond to all messages.

---

Download my top ten tips for writing great stories.

Download 8 Tips for Writing GR8 Short Stories.

Download my F.A.S.T ideas for researching stories

Download my creative writing techniques for hot D.A.T.E.S

---

Teaching notes and activity ideas…

Beneath the Trees [ebook available]

---

Fiona Wood: Inventor of Spray-on Skin [ebook available]

Activity sheet and teaching notes available

---

Off The Track  [ebook available]

Teaching notes and classroom ideas:

Make your own survival whistle activity sheet:

---

Zeroes & Ones: The geeks, heroes and hackers who made history

Teaching notes.

WA Department of Education Computers and codes booklet

WA Department of Education Computers and codes Home Tutor guide

---

To The Lighthouse  [ebook available]

(BONUS: Check out these amazing To The Lighthouse classroom art and science ideas…)

Teaching notes and classroom ideas:

Design your own holiday adventure activity sheet:

---

Cosmic Adventures of Alice and Bob [ebook available]

Teaching notes and classroom ideas:

Search and find activity sheet for use with the book:

---

Takeshita Demons / Hashimoto Monsters series [ebook available]

Teaching notes and classroom ideas:

Invent your own monster worksheet:

---

Activity ideas involving Japanese mythology and creative writing:

• Monster memory game
  Illustrated with scary artwork from 18th Century artist Toriyama Sekien, this monster memory game will test your memory and introduce you to some of the more obscure mythical creatures in Japan.
• Creative writing prompts
  Can you write a new ending to these traditional Japanese ghost stories? Download worksheets for MUJINA and THE MIRROR AND THE BELL story starters, both from 1903 text Kwaidan.
• Bilingual classroom activity: Monster self-introductions: in English or Japanese hiragana.
  Invent and invent and introduce a monster to your friends.
• Hiragana word search
  Test your hiragana knowledge and find the demons. Download a PDF of the worksheet and separate answers.
• Papier mache daruma
  Make a papier mache daruma and learn about a daruma’s eyes.
• Colouring in sheets
  Colour in a watery kappa or a firey hannya.

---

Science writing and journalism: Ask me anything

When I’m not writing fiction, I get busy as a journalist, science writer and magazine editor. You can check out some of my articles and encourage your kids to ask me anything about being a journalist.

Wow… You made it all the way down here! I’m thinking you’re the owner of a particularly inquisitive mind. Nice one! Want to spread the creativity-and-curiosity good vibes? Invite me to speak at your next event.