Keep Kids Writing all Summer

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!