Make Writing Magical by Making Writing Fun for Kids
Welcome! Let’s Inspire Kids to Write…
Teaching writing is my favorite subject, but it didn’t use to be. My students use to moan and groan when it came to writing time. Now, they are asking me…when are we having writing? I make sure that it is on my schedule daily.
How Do You Make Writing Fun for Kids?
It is important to teach the mechanics of writing, but it is also important to let kids explore the world of writing by trying out different genres of writing. Some may prefer to tell their own narrative stories, but many kids love to write made up stories. Others may love to persuade through their writing or it’s fun to mix genres together. I like persuasion and fiction, but I also like a realistic fiction narrative. Often authors write a fiction story, but give facts throughout the text.
Reading a fiction story and having kids write their own version of the story is always a hit. The kids have creative ideas to stem from instead of having to think of their own characters, setting and plot. They have something to start with to assist in finishing a story and gaining confidence that all kids are authors.
Writing is fun if kids are proud of their writing. Don’t be afraid to really highlight what kids do well in their stories. If there isn’t much there, ask them questions such as “what were you thinking here?” You can give constructive feedback as well on the punctuation and grammar, but always focus on something positive first.
Short story writing for kids is fun when you pair writing with a classroom book. My ideas are generally based on third grade writing activities because picture books are still enjoyed in 3rd grade, but these fun writing activities can be used in all elementary grades. I generally read the book aloud to the students. We discuss it and brainstorm ideas, which start rolling. This encourages creative thinking and after brainstorming out loud, all kids have an idea for a short story. Here are some picture book ideas to encourage short story writing for kids:
- Don’t Let the Pigeon…..
- Chairs on Strike! What’s on Strike Now?
- What if You Had an Animal…..?
- Don’t Let Pihrana’s Eat….
Whichever book I read aloud, I always think of a way to incorporate it into writing. I make my own paper books that kids can create after writing a written draft on paper.
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drink Dutch Bros! by Jayleen N.
(My favorite coffee drink-I Love Dutch Bros.)
Other Ideas and Activities to Get Kids Writing
Provide interesting journal writing prompts for kids because it will provide ideas for those that struggle with brainstorming.
Online writing courses (kids only) are available on Outschool, using a safe Zoom platform for live teaching. Live online writing class for kids such as We Are Writers! which is a writing camp that I teach on Outschool. Check out my reviews for the class. These classes are popular for home school, during summer and after school.
Change up location. Sit outside to write or in a room you don’t normally write in. Also, provide fun seating options. The favorite place to write in my classroom last year was a large cardboard box. Another popular choice is writing with a lap desk or clipboard away from or under their desks.
My Favorite Products Kids Love
Stuck Oliver Jeffers Activities are always a hit with hilarious picture books written by this author. My favorite is to have kids write their own version of the story, STUCK! The boy in the story gets his kite stuck in a tree and then he throws one thing after another to try to get his kite down. One of my students left school still laughing saying “I can’t believe I threw my whole family in the tree!” Check out my STUCK! resource on Teachers Pay Teachers or it’s simple to create your own!
Other Oliver Jeffers books include The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home. It’s fun to write persuasive letters to the crayons to get them to come home. I also love having kids draw a picture using ALL the crayon colors so they don’t get hurt feelings like the crayons in the book. My third graders still enjoy it and giggle.
My favorite persuasive writing activity pairs with the book Chairs on Strike! by Jennifer Jones. It is a funny story and the chairs quit. All the chairs in our classroom went on strike, even the bean bag chairs! They were all off limits with caution tape and the kids mouths gaped open as they entered the room. They partnered up to write a persuasive letter to the chairs so they could use them again. Check out my “Chairs on Strike Persuasive Writing Activity” resource on Teachers Pay Teachers or simply draft your own letter from the chairs and have kids write a letter back. You can also do Pencils on Strike, but it is even fun to create your own stories. My kids thought of Books on Strike, Chrome Books on Strike, Desks on Strike and the list goes on.
Writing Websites for Kids
Scholastic has a writing platform that is fun, free and engaging. Check it out HERE. It teaches about the different genres of writing so kids can explore types of writing.
Night Zookeeper is a favorite in my classroom. If I offer digital choices, this is often the program kids choose and it’s all WRITING! It even helps with grammar and punctuation and they apply it in their pencil to paper writing. Try a 7-day free trial below to check it out! Night Zookeeper definitely makes writing fun for kids.
Join Me on the Mission to Make Writing Magical for Kids by Making Writing Fun!