Your older child will be able to create their own stories with these fun and simple writing activities. They have been designed so they can do this with just a little help from you. All they need to do is read the prompt, consider the questions and start their story.
Top tips
- If your child needs a bit of help to get started, work with them to create a mind map of all their ideas.
- Now they can use their mind map to figure out a very basic structure. Help your child to think about which ideas should go at the beginning, middle and end. Now ask them to underline each idea with a different colour to represent beginning, middle or end.
- If your child is just starting out with writing, here is a storyboard template that they can use to draw pictures and write smaller amounts of text along with the pictures.
- To make this more challenging, you could ask your child to draw pictures for each main scene and set them a challenge that has to be worked into the story e.g. the alien reveals later on that it was actually born on Earth, why was this and how did they end up in space?
Story starters
Grab a pen or pencil and some paper and share the below story starters with your child.
Write a story about a day that was really fun
- What happened on that day?
- Who were you with?
- Why was it fun?
Make sure to check:
- Does it make sense
- Capital letters and full stop
- That you used interesting describing words
Write a story that starts: One day, I was playing outside and an animal came up to me and said “Hello”.
- What is the animal?
- What does the animal want?
- Think about what adventure will you go on with the animal
Make sure to check:
- Capital letters and full stops
- That every sentence makes sense
- That you have explained why the animal came to you
You have been kidnapped by a pirate. Describe your adventure.
- Where are they taking you?
- What is their ship like?
- How will you escape?
Make sure you check
- Capital letters and full stops
- Have I used wow words
- Have a beginning, middle and end
You have been asked to plan the Queen's birthday party.
- Who do you invite?
- What fun things are there to do?
- What could go wrong?
Make sure to check
- Capital letters and full stop
- Your spelling in a dictionary
- You use heading for each part of the plan
Write a letter to someone important to you
- What will you ask them?
- What do you want to share with them?
- Think about whether you'll include a drawing, gift or poem with it.
Make sure to check:
- Capital letters and full stop
- Each sentence makes sense
- Who the letter is to and from
Write instructions for a new game or food recipe
- Who it is for?
- What is in it?
- Why is it enjoyable?
Make sure to check:
- How to write instruction
- Capital letters and full stop
- Your spelling in a dictionary
You are a famous author and a spaceship has landed by your house. Interview the alien that comes out of the ship and write a story about it.
- What questions will you will ask?
- How you make the interview interesting to the reader?
- Make sure to include a quote from the alien or picture to go along with the story
Make sure to check
- Capital letters and full stop
- That every sentence makes sense
- If you have written in only first or third person