Fast and Easy Extension Activities for Homer Price by Robert McCloskey 

Chapter 1:

• Draw a skunk (10 minutes)
• Have milk and cookies
• Create a slogan: Try creating a slogan for your homeschool. It might be a Bible verse or a phrase meaningful to your family, but they can also be fun and creative. Here’s an article with a few ideas on how to come up with a slogan

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• Play checkers.  If you don’t have a board at home, there are many checkers apps, or you can download a printable board. Here are some simple ones. 
• Coloring pages 
• Stop-motion version of this chapter (10 minutes)
• Some children might notice that the picture in the book doesn’t match the story, on the page with all the robbers in bed.  Here’s something that helps explain the discrepancy.  This is a letter written to the author: 

Jackson School

Chicago 7, Illinois

April 4, 1946

Dear Mr. McCloskey:

We are three girls from the Jackson School in grade 7B. We have enjoyed reading Make Way for Ducklings, Lentil and Homer Price. We are wondering about one thing in Homer Price. All through the chapter, “The Case of the Sensational Scent,” you speak of four robbers. In some of the pictures there are four robbers. What we would like to know is how the extra robber got in the bed on page twenty-five?

Did the publisher make a mistake? Did you make a mistake accidentally or did you put him there on purpose to see if children are good detectives?

Sincerely,

Dorothy Greico

Margaret Carriglio

Stella LaTorre

And here is the author’s response: 

Anniston, Alabama

Dear Dorothy, Stella, and Margaret:

You are wondering about something that I have been wondering about for a long time too. I don’t know just how that extra robber slipped into bed in the book about Homer. At the time I made that picture I just wasn’t counting enough. . . . Counting the number of fingers and toes and ears and eyes that are supposed to go with each person, and the right number of legs for dog and bed and person adds up to a lot of counting.

Publishing a book involves a lot of counting too, and when we counted up the number of lines of type and the number of pictures and the number of pages, we found that there was some space left over.  Just enough space for the picture of the robbers in the bed. I was just about to go into the army and I had to rush to get the picture finished. You see, I was in a hurry and I forgot to count for just long enough for that robber to get into bed.

I’m glad you like to read my books, and I hope you will continue to keep a close watch for mistakes. Another mistake I make quite often in drawings is buttoning girls’ and boys’ clothes on the wrong sides. I can never remember which way they are supposed to go — it’s much simpler to draw in a zipper.

Sincerely,

(Signed) Robert McCloskey

Chapter 2: 

• How to draw a superhero (male and female) (5 minutes) 
• Make your own comic book or page. Here are some templates that can be sent to your email. 
• Look at comic books. If you have a comic book collection laying around, pick out a couple to share.  Or graphic novel books in your home library. Or ask family or friends for comic books to share.  
• Coloring Page

Chapter 3: 

• Make Donuts.  Here’s one Sonlight family’s ideas and their actual donut recipe.
• Visit a donut shop. Krispy Kreme in our town will give each person a free donut when the “Hot and Ready” light is lit up to anyone who goes inside, and there are windows where children can watch the donuts being made.  If you can’t go, here’s a video of the making of those donuts. (3 minutes). 
• Coloring Page 
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• Watch the Homer Price Movie “The Doughnuts.” (28 minutes, 1970)  
• Coloring Page

Chapter 4: 

• One of the largest balls of string/twine in the world (there is some debate, but this is the largest one rolled by one man) (2 minutes)
• Have some Miss Terwilliger Fried Chicken
• Coloring Page

Chapter 5:

• What is a Blue Plate Special? (4 minutes)
• A kid-friendly version of Rip Van Winkle for kids (8.5 minutes)
• Raspberry Sundae recipe
• Coloring Page

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• If you have the game, play Mousetrap
• Pied Piper video for kids (7.5 minutes)

Chapter 6:

• How Houses are Built (Video, 6.5 minutes)
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• Learn more about the history of your town.  You can even plan a presentation if you’d like for relatives or friends.  

Extras:

• Sequel: Centerburg Tales (affiliate link) 
• Audiobook (affiliate link)