Fun Literary Activities to Do with Your Incarcerated Loved One

Staying connected with an incarcerated loved one can be challenging, but engaging in literary activities can bring joy, foster creativity, and strengthen your bond. From date nights centered around books to fun games and thoughtful activities, here are some ideas to help you share meaningful moments and create lasting memories together.

1. Book Club Date Night

Transform your regular visits or phone calls into a cozy book club date night. Choose a book that interests both of you and read it together. Here’s how to make it special:

• Select a Book: Pick a genre or author you both enjoy. Consider reading a classic novel, a thrilling mystery, or an inspiring memoir.
• Set a Reading Schedule: Agree on how many chapters to read each week and stick to the schedule. This creates anticipation for your next discussion.
• Discuss Over a Meal: If visits allow, bring a homemade meal or snacks that complement the book’s theme. Discuss the book’s plot, characters, and your favorite passages while enjoying your meal together.
• Share Your Thoughts: Prepare some open-ended questions to deepen your discussion. For example, “What did you think of the protagonist’s choices?” or “How did this part of the book make you feel?”

2. Literary Trivia and Games

Inject some fun into your interactions with literary-themed games. These activities can be played over the phone, during visits, or even through letters.

• Literary Trivia: Create a trivia game based on famous books, authors, and literary terms. Take turns asking each other questions like, “Who wrote ‘Pride and Prejudice’?” or “Name three characters from ‘Harry Potter’.”
• Book Charades: Act out scenes or characters from books without using words while your loved one guesses. This can be a hilarious and entertaining way to enjoy your favorite stories.
• Story Cubes: If you can send items, consider sending a set of story cubes. These dice feature images that prompt story ideas. Take turns rolling the dice and creating short stories based on the images.

3. Creative Writing Projects

Writing can be a powerful outlet for expression and creativity. Engage in joint writing projects to explore your imaginations together.

• Letter Exchanges: Write letters to each other as fictional characters or from different time periods. This can add a fun twist to your correspondence and encourage creative thinking.
• Collaborative Storytelling: Start a story and send it to your loved one, who will then add the next part before sending it back. Continue this back-and-forth to create a unique, collaborative tale.
• Poetry Challenges: Choose a theme or a set of words and write poems for each other. Share your creations and discuss the inspiration behind them.

4. Themed Reading Challenges

Create reading challenges to keep things interesting and introduce each other to new genres and authors.

• Genre Exploration: Pick a new genre each month, such as science fiction, romance, or historical fiction. Read a book from that genre and discuss what you liked or didn’t like about it.
• Author Spotlights: Select an author and read multiple works by them. Compare and contrast the books, and explore how the author’s style and themes evolve.
• Book Bingo: Create a bingo card with different reading prompts, like “a book with a one-word title” or “a book set in a different country.” Check off the prompts as you complete them, and see who gets a bingo first.

5. Literary Arts and Crafts

Get creative with book-themed arts and crafts projects that you can enjoy discussing and planning together.

• Book Art: Create art inspired by your favorite books. This could be drawing characters, designing new book covers, or crafting bookmarks.
• Poetry Collages: Make collages using words and images cut out from magazines to create visual poetry. Share your collages through photos or descriptions.
• Scrapbooking: If possible, create a scrapbook of your reading journey together. Include notes about the books you’ve read, favorite quotes, and reflections on your discussions.

Conclusion

Engaging in literary activities with your incarcerated loved one can bring joy, foster creativity, and deepen your connection. Whether you’re sharing a book club date night, playing literary games, or embarking on creative writing projects, these activities provide a meaningful way to stay connected and create lasting memories. So, pick up a book, get creative, and enjoy these fun and enriching literary experiences together.