Creative writing is not only a really fun activity to practice with children, but it can also be used to increase vocabulary, improve handwriting skills and develop creativity. Parents can help to develop their child’s imagination by exploring creative writing at home. To help you get started here are some helpful tips from an independent study centre in Wiltshire…

Start by reading

Reading goes hand in hand with writing, so it is important to encourage your child to read as often as possible. This will not only help to improve your child’s vocabulary and grammar skills, but it will also introduce them to a world of knowledge and a variety of new literary genres that will support their creative writing.

Think of a new ending

An ideal creative writing exercise for beginners is thinking of a new ending to a much-loved story. Explore how simple changes to the storyline could create a completely different ending. This is a fun activity to do together with your child. Share your different endings with each other to see who has the best imagination.

Choose a favourite topic

When practicing creative writing at home, it is important to choose a topic that really interests your child. This will help them to enjoy the activity and keep them motivated to write more. It is also much easier to write about a topic you have personal experience with.

Make a ‘Mind Map’

Help your child to ‘mind map’ words that relate to their favourite topic. A good way to do this is by asking your child to think about descriptive words that relate to their topic. How might it affect their senses? For example, a story about the jungle might include seeing tall trees, hearing bird life and feeling hot and sticky. 

The first sentence

One of the hardest parts of creating a story is writing the first sentence. Help your child to get their story started by looking at other books for inspiration. The first line should always try to grab a reader’s attention, so try to include lots of descriptive words and emotive language.