Fun Writing Activities for Young Children

If you would like to get children writing creatively, you need to consider what they will be used to reading. If they're very young they may be reading about animals and school children. The themes may be full of fantasy, adventure and magic. Applying this to the writing activities you use will help the child respond to what you are doing.

 
Examples of writing activities you may use

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  • A firm favourite of most children is the beginning, middle and end game. Each child will write a section of a story, before folding the paper over and swapping with another child. Read them all at the end and prepare for some bizarre story-lines!

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  • Create a miniature time capsule, by asking each child to write down a list of their favourite and least favourite things. Get them visualising by telling them to draw these things. Put the collection in a box, and tell them that you will open it again when they are older, so they can look back and see what they wrote down.

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  • Writing poems for gift cards can be a great activity for children. If you let them make their card and decorate it themselves, this will help them to consider what to write in their poem. This is a great seasonal activity!

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  • Let them write a short play based on their favourite fairytale. This will encourage them to write creative dialogue and actions, but from a topic they know confidently. You should encourage them by suggesting they practise and perform each child's play afterwards.

Tips for keeping these writing activities engaging

• Try to encourage them to use what they know well if they are getting stuck, such as characters and places from real life. If they are getting on well, begin to include more rules to challenge them. Finally, you set the bar, and they will follow your pace. If you're having fun with your writing activities, then they will too!