10 Fun Creative Writing Ideas

Getting kids writing can be hard. It can be even harder if you have a child with dyslexia or dysgraphia. With R we have started using Institute for Excellence in Writing and that has helped a ton. However, sometimes you just want to make creative writing fun. You do something like my Holiday Creative Writing Printable Pack for sure but I believe there are also 10 fun creative writing ideas you won’t want to miss out on.

Creative Writing Ideas

Mad Libs 

Mad libs are a fun way to teach children parts of speech but they can also be a fun way to get them started with creative writing. You can have your child write their own mad lib and have you fill in the blanks or have them continue the story as it is after filling in all of the blanks.

Random Items

Pick three random items and challenge your young writer to put together a story featuring these three things as main parts of the story. You could be as silly or as serious as you want with this. It can be really fun to let your child pick three things out of a hat or a jar. You may find some really fun stories in the simplicity of this one.

Animals are always great!

Whether you have your child write you a story about a bizarre experience with an animal, a talking animal, or just have them write about their pet, you are sure to get some fun stories from them. We like to do stories about a predator like a lion sitting down for a glass of tea with a lamb. What kind of conversations would they have? Would it get awkward? These stories are fun and easy to get a kid thinking.

If Aliens came to Earth

This is always a fun writing prompt. You can challenge your child to write a story where they main character tries to explain to an alien who doesn’t speak the language how to do something. It can be as simple as making a sandwich or mowing the yard. These can get really fun and silly pretty quick. Think of the movie Home when he asks, “Can I come into the out now?” What differences would there be?

Simple objects don’t have to be simple.

Do you see something in your surroundings that would make a great story? You don’t always need elaborate items for fun stories. Instead, use something like a bucket and give your child a context where they can create an adventure or bring a fun story to life. A simple pile of laundry in your hall may mean nothing but if it is the pitcher’s mound at a baseball game it has a completely different meaning and story behind it.

Tactile Objects are great!

Have your child pick three toys at random from their bedroom. These are now the main characters in a story. You can let them have full freedom or they can explain how their teddy bear, Spiderman, and Lincoln Logs fit into a huge adventure. The options are endless but being able to touch these items may create the connection your child needs in order to enjoy writing.

Don’t underestimate the power of Fandoms! 

Does your child love Doctor Who, My Little Pony, Lego, or something else? If you want to get your child interested in creative writing, let them write about their fandom. I know that my kids loved the Doctor Who inspired writing prompts I made them. Sometimes in order to open the door to creative writing you simply need to capture the interest of your child with something they already love.

Change how they write.  

If you always have them write on paper, let them type it. If your child is artsy let them do it as part of an art piece. You don’t have to do all of your writing in one format. Give you child some variety by changing how you have them write. Maybe today you have them write the entire thing in pen without any worry of correcting grammatical errors just to see where the story goes.

Have fun with Printables!

There are tons of great creative writing printables out there that can help your child to have a lot of fun with writing. Check out some of the ones I have pictured above as well as some of the great ones you can find on Pinterest.

Get silly!

Don’t take writing so seriously. I would suggest finding or creating some really silly writing prompts. Sometimes you can get a kid to do more if you can make them laugh. There is a place for serious but don’t be afraid to make them laugh occasionally.