The big kids learned a lot about Japan this morning in our history class.  As suggested in the Story of the World Activity guide, my 8-year-old daughter and I decided to try our hands at writing haiku.  First we wrote together about winter:

Freshly fallen snow
Cold, spooky, soft, icy…Splat!
Snowballs fly at me

Then she wrote about fall:

Colorful leaves fly
Blown everywhere by the wind
One is on my head

And I made some changes she liked:

Colorful leaves drift
Through the air in the wind
Landing on my head

My 7-year-old son could not focus to do the activity.  He was too full of silliness.  Maybe he'll be more interested next year.