How to Make Sweet Dream Pie Recipe Writing Activity

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Sweet Dream Pie Writing Activity

📝 This post, Sweet Dream Pie Writing Activity, was originally published in 2012 and has been updated with new information and resources.

There are some books you read because they teach an important lesson, and then there are books you read simply because they’re fun. Sweet Dream Pie by Audrey Wood is definitely one of those books! It’s one of my favorite fall read-alouds because it sparks children’s imaginations and naturally leads into one of my “sweetest” writing activities.

After reading the story together, my first graders became recipe writers as they created their own delicious (and often hilarious) recipes.

About Sweet Dream Pie

When Ma and Pa Brindle decide to bake a Sweet Dream Pie, they gather every sweet treat they can find—candy corn, marshmallows, jelly beans, and more—and mix them together in a special pie pan. After turning the oven dial past “Bake,” “Broil,” and “Roast” to a setting simply labeled “Special,” the pie begins to bake.

Soon the entire neighborhood fills with warmth and the delicious smell of pie. When it’s finally ready, everyone stops by for a slice. Although Ma warns everyone to eat just one piece, no one listens, and before long the neighborhood is filled with sleepy heads and wonderful dreams.

The story is full of rich descriptions that make children feel as though they can almost taste the pie themselves.

Sweet Dream Pie Recipe Writing

After finishing the story, I told my students they were going to create their own recipe for Sweet Dream Pie.

Before writing, we explored several real recipes together and talked about the different parts of a recipe, including:

✔ Ingredients

✔ Units of measure

✔ Directions

✔ Cooking time and temperature

We also looked at different measuring tools and discussed which ones would be used for small amounts, larger amounts, and everything in between. It was a simple way to sneak in a little math while preparing for our writing activity.

Next, we brainstormed words we might want to include in our recipes.

Our Brainstorming Lists

✏️ Ingredients

✏️ Units of measure

✏️ Cooking and baking words

Once everyone had plenty of ideas, I modeled writing a recipe with the class before students began creating their own.

The Results

My students absolutely amazed me with their recipes! They filled them with silly ingredients, creative directions, and lots of imagination. Looking back, I wish I had saved more student samples because they were some of the funniest pieces of writing we created all year.

Activities like this remind me that some of the best writing lessons begin with a wonderful picture book and a little imagination.

Looking for Ready-to-Use Recipe Writing Pages?

If you’d like to use this activity with your own students, I’ve created a complete Sweet Dream Pie Recipe Writing resource that includes printable recipe pages and everything you need to get started. It’s an easy way to bring this delightful story to life while giving students meaningful creative writing practice.

💚 Grab the Sweet Dream Pie Recipe Writing Activity from TPT.