Sequence of activities: Self-paced 

Ask the class about their experience with using their breath to put wishes out into the world:

Has anyone ever made a wish by blowing the fluffy seed head of a dandelion? What about blowing out the candles on a birthday cake? Did you make a wish? ​ 

​Our breath can give power to what we want to call in and manifest, and for children especially, wishes can be a source of empowerment, strength and creativity about their inner and outer worlds.  

Here we can explore writing a collaborative poem together about wishes, designating a pinwheel as a magical object to physically send our wishes out with a big breath, blowing on the moving pinwheel arms after stating each wish, similar to how one would blow on a dandelion seed head.  

You will need a pinwheel for this activity, which can be found inexpensively at many stores. Alternatively, you can make one yourself with simple materials or as a classroom project (see link). ​ 

​To start the activity, ask the class to sit on the ground in a circle, and start passing the pinwheel. Encourage students to tap into their imaginations: the pinwheel is our magic wand, and it has the power to transform our wishes. Empathize that no wish is too big or small; silly and spectacular wishes are especially encouraged, but so are simple, humble wishes.  

Each student will make the wish aloud and give a big blow on the pinwheel before handing it to the next student, sending the wish into the universe. As facilitator of this activity, you are recording on paper all the wishes that are made, so you can later shape them into a collaborative poem.  

Let everyone make several wishes without constraint and see what comes up. After this initial period, you may notice excitement building. See if you can direct this energy into dreaming about the outer world and collaborative worldbuilding. How would you reimagine the world you want to live in? Is this world a good place for everyone? What could be different? 

Other prompt ideas for wishes may include:  
   • a wish for your future self  
   • a wish for this country  
   • a wish for something you want to know how to do  
   • a wish for a place you want to go  

Eventually focusing the prompt will help with throughlines that will enhance your collaborative poem. Stay in the present with the activity and do the editing work later. Then spend time finding any rhymes, alliterations, word play, distill the ideas in concise ways, and reorder sentences as they make the most poetic sense. 

Discuss with the students that the goal is not to have all your wishes come true (although wouldn’t that be nice?). Rather, we are discovering the magic in dreaming, manifesting positive worldbuilding, and– something children are already skillful with– putting wind behind our wishes.