As promised, I’ve included some of my favorite writing exercises for kids in this post. (They’re sure to get adult writers thinking, too.)
It goes without saying that there’s an infinite number of ways to get scribes-in-the-making writing. These are just a handful of ideas to provide your child “seeds” that might just blossom into stories, poems, or plays.
•Write a poem that is simply a list of things. Ideas: List the contents in your desk drawer, the items in your refrigerator at home, what you would pack if you were traveling to Africa or some other far off place, or list everything you can think of that is yellow or some other color.
•Create a poem or story that’s a metaphor by completing the following phrase: “I am a___________” with an object like a flower, a type of animal, a dream, etc.
•Write about building or taking something apart. The object you build or take apart may be small, like a knitted scarf or a model plane, or it may be huge like a sprawling garden or a skyscraper.
•Transform an idea to an image. Mom (or Dad) ask your child to close her eyes and to picture what she sees when you say a word. Then say something aloud such as love, death, soul, night (any word will do). Ask your child to write about what she “saw” when you said this word.
•Write a story or a poem using a photograph or a picture from a magazine/newspaper. (We did this exercise in the camp I taught, and it produced some great tales about everything from talking the majestic Sea Star taking a family on an ocean journey to the adventures of a super gnome.)
•Write a story about someone of the opposite sex. Questions to get you started: If you were a girl/boy, what would be your favorite things to do? What are your talents? What do you look like? Or, make a list of boy/men or girls/women you know and write adjectives next to each name. Look at how different even people of the same sex can be.
•Write an autobiography. What interesting facts would you include? Alternatively, choose a favorite historical figure and write his or her biography after doing some research.
•Think about what you wish for when you toss a penny into a fountain or blow out candles on a birthday cake. Now write a story about this wish – no matter how fanciful it might be – coming true.
*The first four ideas are adapted from The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises From Poets Who Teach by Robin Behn
This is just a small sampling of what’s available on the Web. All you have to do is Google “kids’ writing” or “kids + creativity” and you’ll get a slew of sites that help to inspire creativity (not only in the written medium but beyond) for your budding artistes.
•Headline Maker: This site generates a wacky headline to get kids started writing a fictional news story. The main site also has other helpful links for sparking creativity in children.
•Poetry Wheel: In the most recent issue of Family Fun magazine, Jack Prelutsky, an award-winning children’s poet, shared tips on nurturing creativity in children. This is a link to his poetry wheel, which you can make at home and use to generate ideas for poems.
•Kids on the Net: This site serves as a “clearinghouse” of sorts for kids who want to write.
•Funds for Writers: This is a top site for freelance writers or anyone who wants to write and it offers several wonderful free e-newsletters, including one tailored for kids (elementary through college). It includes writing contests for kids as well as markets that accept kid-authored work.