We all know that writing is an incredibly important skill
that is needed not just during school, but throughout our entire lives. That’s
why it is important for you to encourage your kids to keep writing all summer
to keep their skills from getting rusty. But this isn’t always easy. We’ve put
together some writing ideas to keep kids writing all summer, and not only that,
but to make them excited to write all summer.
One of the most basic ways to keep kids writing is to have
them keep a journal. Writing a
journal will not only keep kids writing, but it will give them something to
look back on years later. It cements memories, and plenty of kids are already
interested in keeping a journal. Make it fun. Take them out to pick up a nice
notebook for their summer journaling. They may even choose to keep up the habit
when school has started.
Another fun way to encourage writing over the summer is to
have kids keep a nature journal. Not
only will this keep them writing, it will force them to make observations and
document data. Kids may keep track of flowers, record observations about a
vegetable garden, track animal patterns, and more!
Have your kids write reviews
for things they do over the summer. Reviewing allows children to express their
opinion, which they can pass on to friends and family members. Almost anything
can be reviewed; museums, movies, the zoo, restaurants, ice cream shops…let
them go wild! Assemble all the reviews in a folder that can be referenced when
making future plans!
If your kids don’t love the idea of putting pen to paper,
what about fingers to keyboard? Have them set up a blog where they can write about whatever they want to the public.
Kids will love seeing their writing online. This could be a personal daily
journal or a blog focused on their interests. Maybe your kid loves geek culture
and wants to write posts about that. Or maybe they like cooking and want to
make a cooking blog. Put no restrictions and let them have fun!
Encourage your kids to take a stab at fiction by writing a book. Technically speaking, a novel is
50,000 words or more. Your child’s story doesn’t have to be that long, but it
should be just that…a story with characters, setting, and a plot. Once your kid
is done you can bind the pages together to turn it into a book format. This
could really encourage young authors!
If a book seems like a bit too much, which requires original
characters and settings, why not suggest fanfiction?
Fanfiction is prose that is written based on characters and locations that
already exist in the fiction world. Say for instance, that your child is a big
fan of Harry Potter. Your kid can take their favorite character and make up a
story about them. What does Hermione do during her summer vacation back in the
muggle world? What is it like for Draco Malfoy back home? What happens to Harry
Potter after the last book? This type of writing can be applied to just about
anything; Disney, Avengers, Star Wars…the possibilities are endless. This
allows your kids to write about something they are already passionate about.
For kids who are particularly resistant, suggest they create
their own comic book. While this
involves more drawing than writing, it still forces your kids to consider plots
and characters, and write some dialogue!
There’s tons of writing options for kids, and it is likely you’ll
be able to make at least one of these stick. Who knows, it may even be the
start of a new passion for your child!
