Did you know that November is National Novel Writing Month? Your child may not be ready to pump out their first great novel, but every child can benefit from a little extra writing practice. Creative writing, journaling, and even making grocery lists can hone kids’ writing skills.
Better writing skills mean better communication skills which will serve your child throughout the rest of their life. Have a look at Wondrfly’s favorite ways to get kids excited about writing, and maybe you’ll have a petite poet or budding journalist in your house before you know it!
Why Should I Encourage My Child to Write?
Writing has a variety of benefits for kids, just some of which include:
Improved Fine Motor Skills
Whether they’re holding a pen or pencil or typing, your child will gain manual dexterity from time spent writing, which benefits their physical development! It just goes to show that writing isn’t a purely mental task. It can also provide essential fine motor practice, especially for young kids just developing these skills.
Exercise for The Imagination
When your child writes, they have the limitless opportunity to create their very own world! This gives kids free rein to hone their imagination and creativity. Opening the channel of their creativity gives kids a leg up when they have to think outside the box in later life.
Self-Expression and Confidence
As they see their own writing improve, and writing gets easier for them, kids will build the confidence to share their work with others. This confidence comes in handy for future communications in their work and personal lives. Even if they don’t want to share work with others, kids will be able to express themselves through their writing. They’ll have a safe space to explore their emotions and process them.
Improved Communication Skills
Kids who write more often are more likely to gain better verbal communication skills as well. Writing allows kids to practice good grammar and syntax in action. And, you know what they say! Practice makes perfect!
Everyday Writing Activities to Get Kids Writing!
This list of fun and fundamentally educational activities will help you find a way to work more writing into your child's day and give them plenty of exciting opportunities to grow as young writers.
Enter an Essay Contest
Adding a deadline and a competitive element (not to mention the incentive of a prize) to the writing experience can inspire kids to write! If your child is already familiar with essay structure, invite them to enter an essay contest. Even just entering the contest will likely boost their sense of self-esteem and achievement! For starters, check out myhero.com, which holds an annual essay contest for kids. It’s a great place to start.
Write About the Week
Encourage your child to play junior journalist with the events of their day-to-day lives. At the end of the day, have them capture a breaking news story in their journal. It can be anything that happened that day. This will help not only your child’s writing skills but their sense of mindfulness. Taking time to journal at the end of every day helps us remember the events of our lives and reflect on them. It will also get your child used to thinking that everything that happens to them is potential story fodder.
Get Published
The possibility of seeing their writing published is a great incentive for kids to get writing. Imagine the pride your child will feel when they get to see their work in print! Check out this list of writing publications for kids and teens from Authors Publish to get started.
Get Your Hands on Some Creative Writing Prompts
Prompts are the starting point for endless storytelling. The good news is you don’t have to rack your brain for writing prompt ideas for kids. There are a ton of creative and fun writing prompts for kids available right at your fingertips! Check out these suggestions from Kids Play and Create, and these from Can Teach to get your kids writing on a subject they love.
Fun with Picture Prompts
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so try inspiring your child to write with a picture prompt instead of a written one! Here’s a huge selection of picture prompts for young writers from the New York Times.
Write Letters and Cards
Writing letters, cards, or postcards to friends and family is a great activity for the whole family. It’s good for your child’s writing abilities as well as their social skills! Check out this helpful article from Mama Smiles to learn more about writing cards and letters with your child, and how to make it a fun and engaging activity!
Make your Own Mad-Libs
Mad Libs are more than just a game for passing the time on long road trips, they’re extremely educational to boot! They help teach grammar, vocabulary, and tons of other skills that will help your child write more effectively. The best part is, they feel more like just plain fun than a learning activity. Help your child create their own goofy Madlibs with these instructions from The Inquisitive Mom.
Make Your Kid’s Journal Special
Kids will be more motivated to write daily if you supply them with a journal that’s attractive and personalized. This can make for some fun arts and crafts activities for you and your child to do together! Check out these exciting DIY journal crafts from Hello Wonderful, and your child won’t want to part with their special journal.
Online Writing Lessons for Kids
You can find plenty of entertaining and exciting writing lessons for kids online! Just some of our favorites include this course from This Reading Mama, and this one from The Measured Mom.
We hope these activities will get your child on the road to becoming a promising young writer, a better communicator, and a more creative, imaginative individual. For more educational activities for kids, keep up with Professor Dad and the team at the Wondrfly blog!
Looking for kids’ activities online and in Jersey City? Search Wondrfly today for the best kids’ activities near you!
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