Classroom Stars
10 Creative Writing Activities to Spark Magic in Your KS2 Primary Classroom
- 12 Jun 2024
Keeping KS2 pupils engaged with writing can sometimes feel like wrangling a roomful of kittens. But fear not! This blog post is here to reignite the writing fire with ten exciting activities that will have your learners crafting captivating stories, persuasive arguments, and beautiful descriptions in no time.
In the age of instant messaging and short-form content, nurturing a love for expressive writing is more important than ever. These activities cater to various learning styles and interests, while sneakily reinforcing key literacy skills like vocabulary development, sentence structure, and creative thinking. So, grab a pen, gather your pupils, and get ready to unleash their inner wordsmiths!
Now, let’s dive into the 10 activities and explore how they can spark magic in your classroom:
Picture Prompts Find captivating images online or in old magazines. Historical scenes, fantastical landscapes, funny animals, or even abstract shapes all work well. Project the image on the board or provide individual copies. Give children a set amount of time to study the image and jot down any thoughts, ideas, or emotions it evokes. Then, have them write a story inspired by the image. Encourage them to consider the setting, characters, plot, and mood based on their observations.
Character Interviews This activity helps develop well-rounded characters with strong voices and personalities. Have pupils brainstorm character ideas – they could be historical figures, fictional heroes, or even everyday people with interesting jobs. Once they’ve chosen a character, learners can write a list of interview questions to get to know them better. What are their hopes and dreams? What are their biggest fears? Finally, children write the interview itself, embodying the voice of their character in their responses.
Setting Showdown This activity challenges pupils to adapt their writing style and vocabulary to fit different environments. Choose two contrasting settings – a bustling city square at rush hour versus a deserted island paradise, or a spaceship hurtling through space compared to a cozy cottage nestled in a forest. Have learners write a story that takes place in both of these contrasting settings. This could be a single character experiencing both environments or two separate stories linked by a common theme.
Sentence Swap This is a fantastic activity to show learners the power of sentence structure and word order. Write a short paragraph on the board, with several sentences. This could be the opening of a story, a news report, or a descriptive passage. Challenge children to swap the sentences around in different orders. Have them read the paragraph aloud after each swap to see how it changes the flow and meaning of the text. Discuss as a class how sentence order can build suspense, create emphasis, or simply improve the rhythm of the writing.
News Flash! This activity brings historical events or fictional scenarios to life and helps children with factual writing and research skills. Present learners with a historical event they might not be familiar with (the invention of the printing press, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius) or a fictional headline from a fantasy world ( “Dragons Take Over Local Bakery!”). Have pupils research the event or brainstorm the details of the fictional scenario. Then, have them write a news report on the event, complete with a catchy headline, factual information, and quotes from “witnesses” (real or imagined).
Poetry in Motion This activity is a wonderful way to bridge the gap between visual imagery and written language. Show pupils a short video clip that is particularly evocative or visually stimulating. This could be a nature documentary scene, a silent movie chase sequence, or even an abstract animation. After watching the clip, give learners some time to think about what they saw and how it made them feel. Then, have them write a poem capturing the essence of the video clip. Encourage them to use vivid language, figurative speech, and sound devices to bring their poem to life.
Dear Diary… This activity is a fantastic tool for character development and creative storytelling. Ask children to choose a historical figure, fictional character, or even an inanimate object (a tree in the schoolyard, a forgotten toy in the attic). Have them write a series of diary entries from the perspective of their chosen subject. These diary entries should reflect the character’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences. For historical figures, pupils can research real diaries or letters to guide their writing.
The Persuasion Game This activity hones persuasive writing skills and encourages pupils to think critically about different viewpoints. Give learners a product, idea, or policy (flying cars, a four-day school week, uniforms in school) and have them choose whether they are for or against it. Then, have them write a persuasive letter arguing their chosen viewpoint. This letter should be addressed to a specific audience (e.g., the government, parents). Pupils should use strong arguments, factual evidence, and persuasive language to convince the reader of their point of view.
Comic Strip Capers This activity is a fun and engaging way to introduce learners to graphic novels and comic book storytelling. Provide pupils with a simple comic strip template, with a set number of panels. Challenge them to write a short story using illustrations and dialogue within the panels of the comic strip. This can be a humorous story, a dramatic scene, or even a factual account of a historical event.
Six-Word Stories This activity is a fantastic challenge for creative thinking, conciseness, and impactful writing. Challenge children to write a complete story in just six words! This forces them to think carefully about their plot, characters, and setting, and to deliver their message in an impactful way. Six-word story prompts can be provided to get pupils started (e.g., “Lost princess finds happy robot friend”, “Last human wanders through ruined city”).
Remember, the key is to make writing fun, engaging, and relevant to your children’s interests. With a little creativity, you can transform your classroom into a vibrant writing workshop where imaginations soar, and words truly come alive!
If you liked this post, you may like Beyond the Classroom Walls: 15 Outdoor Learning Activities for Key Stage 1 .
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- Creative Writing Prompts Worksheets Ks1 Ks2
Creative writing prompts – 5 worksheets plus word mats for KS1 and KS2 pupils
5 PDF creative writing prompts worksheets for KS1-KS2, plus 7 PDF word mats
Want to fit more creative writing into your school timetable but not sure where to start? These fun writing prompts take just ten minutes and are perfect for slotting in to small gaps in your day.
They’ll get children’s creative juices flowing and hopefully improve their writing skills too.
This download contains five creative writing prompts , suitable for KS1 and KS2 pupils, including:
Write your own Harry Potter paragraph
In this challenge, pupils will create a new character for Harry Potter to meet while aboard the Hogwarts Express train. They’ll need to think about who the character is, what they look like (including any distinguishing feature), and why they’re on the train.
Children can then use these ideas to write the next paragraph of the story starter on the worksheet.
Browse more ideas for teaching with Harry Potter .
Character capers
You’ll need a 1-6 dice for this activity. Pupils roll a dice three times to find out who their character is, what their personality is like and what job they do. For example, they might be a grumpy dinosaur who works in a museum, or an excitable superhero who works in a school.
Children can then use this information to draw their character, think about questions they’d like to ask them, or come up with story ideas featuring their character.
Setting soup
This worksheet features four intriguing setting photos. Children can select their favourite then fill in a mind map about it, imagining what they see, hear, feel and smell.
Next they need to create an ingredients list for their setting, such as:
- A dollop of calmness
- A drizzle of a beautiful sunset
- A generous helping of a still ocean
Browse more resources for setting description .
Writing consequences template
This classic classroom game will help children come up with the basic outline for a complete story. Working in pairs or groups, they’ll need to fill in character names, locations, actions and dialogue to create an amusing outcome.
Roll and write a story
Use a dice alongside this worksheet to generate two characters and a setting – such as a mythical creature and a time machine traveller in a busy city.
Pupils can use their generated ideas to write a story outline or create a book cover and blurb. For younger children, do the activity as a class and draw a picture or write about the outcome.
Bonus download: creative writing word mats
Assist students with their independent creative writing by printing out these useful vocabulary mats. Pupils can browse a range of exciting phrases and select ones to use in their own work. Included in the download:
- Create a spooky atmosphere
- Write an adventure story
- Describe a character’s appearance
- Describe a character’s personality
- Describe how a character moves
- Describe how a character speaks
- Describe a mythical beast
Browse more story writing resources and creative writing ideas for National Writing Day .
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Ks2 Creative writing and fiction worksheets
Free worksheets: creative writing and fiction, ks2.
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Creative Writing for KS2: The Ultimate Technique Guide
Subject: English
Age range: 7-11
Resource type: Other
Last updated
8 December 2021
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Combining exemplar material with thought-provoking activities, this guide is geared towards helping KS2 students build the skills that’ll dazzle teachers and examiners alike.
Topics covers include:
- Why do we write?
- Looking with words
- Hearing Things
- Touch, Taste, and Smell
- The Element of Surprise
- Character Building
- Ending vs Climax
- Conversations
- Tone and Register
- Writing Poems
Hugh Foley is a widely published poet who has taught English at Oxford University, Liverpool University, and Queen Mary University, London. The guide is underpinned by his unique approach towards creative writing: namely, the blending of clarity, complexity and imagination!
To see the other books in our range and reviews for all our books, please visit https://accoladetuition.com/accolade-press-home
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IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
KS2 Sensational Starters: Exciting Start Paragraph Cards. 4.9 (13 reviews) Year 5 and 6 Creative Writing Morning Activities PowerPoint Week 1. 4.8 (12 reviews) Narrative Picture Prompt Pack. 4.8 (71 reviews) 11 Plus Practice Writing Task Activity Mat Pack. 4.9 (36 reviews) KS2 Tell Me a Story Inspiration Activity Pack 2.
ppt, 5.43 MB. ppt, 5.36 MB. You can find 48 creative writing tasks with picture prompts in these ppts. Unlike technical, academic, and other forms of writing, creative writing fosters imagination and allows students to have a voice. Therefore, it is one of the most effective ways to enhance creativity in the classroom.
Age range: 7-11. Resource type: Worksheet/Activity. File previews. pdf, 47.59 KB. Used for developing creative writing skills for KS2. There are some story starters and some descriptive writing worksheets. Hope they are useful. Creative Commons "Sharealike". Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions.
This PDF contains 50 writing prompt cards, to encourage creative writing in the class. They are designed for a KS2 Montessori British school, but can be used in any school setting, for children from primary to secondary. Students can be inspired to create their own stories, enabling them to practice many writing objectives in the curriculum.
Creative Writing Activity Packet. Creative Writing Activity Packet. tha. are simple, engaging, and fun. While students are at home, their imaginations are stil. active and can f. ourish with a little prompting. The following activities require nothing m. re than a pencil and paper, can be done alone or in pairs/groups, and are app.
Explore our creative writing KS2 worksheets and resources. Creative writing is a fun topic to teach - but the hardest part is often getting your pupils to think of what to write. That's why our Twinkl design team have created loads of wonderful creative writing for KS2 worksheets and English creative writing KS2 resources for you to use.
Explore our creative writing KS2 worksheets and resources. Creative writing is a fun topic to teach - but the hardest part is often getting your pupils to think of what to write. That's why our Twinkl design team have created loads of wonderful creative writing for KS2 worksheets and English creative writing KS2 resources for you to use.
These creative writing exercises KS2 slides are a perfect way to structure your lesson and engage children with these fun activities. Use these brilliant KS2 creative writing tasks to help your Year 5 and 6 students practise some of the key features of creative writing.The slides are designed to be self-explanatory, demanding little teacher input and therefore making your life easier ...
Writing Activity Sheets Set 2. Story Openers PowerPoint. 20 No-Preparation Creative Writing Activities. Years 3-6 Narrative Sentence Starter Cards. KS2 Tell Me a Story Inspiration Activity Pack. A 40 card set of KS2 creative writing prompts, featuring a variety of genres, direct speech, extended fronted adverbials and expanded noun phrases.
Whether you're looking to celebrate World Creative Writing Month or simply to inspire your KS2 children to create some amazing writing, our wonderful creative writing lesson plan KS2 is just the resource for you! This great pack lets you teach a variety of creative writing topics, helping students engage with the subject through our exciting and beautifully designed resources. No matter how ...
Creative Writing Prompts Pack 5 reviews. Explore more than 3,708 "Creative Writing" resources for teachers, parents and pupils as well as related resources on "Writing". Instantly access Twinkl's printable and digital K-12 teaching resources, including worksheets, eBooks, games, PowerPoints, Google Slides, and more!
Now, let's dive into the 10 activities and explore how they can spark magic in your classroom: Picture Prompts. Find captivating images online or in old magazines. Historical scenes, fantastical landscapes, funny animals, or even abstract shapes all work well. Project the image on the board or provide individual copies.
Try these story starters, structures, worksheets and other fun writing prompt resources for primary pupils…. by Laura Dobson. DOWNLOAD A FREE RESOURCE! Creative writing prompts - 5 worksheets plus word mats for KS1 and KS2 pupils. Download Now.
KS2 Creative Writing for Yr 4/5/6. Powerpoint and worksheets for KS2 creative writing lessons. The tasks are designed to help students improve their creative writing. There is a task on developing characters, writing dialogue, describing emotions and describing setting. There is a Powerpoint that links to the tasks and the final aim is to get ...
These fun writing prompts take just ten minutes and are perfect for slotting in to small gaps in your day. They'll get children's creative juices flowing and hopefully improve their writing skills too. This download contains five creative writing prompts, suitable for KS1 and KS2 pupils, including:
Creative Writing Story Prompts. £4.00. (4) KS2 (Key Stage 2) or early KS3 imaginative / descriptive writing story starters cards, featuring high quality photo prompts, vocabulary banks, prompt questions and more. These 20 full-page story generators can be used across a range of abilities and ages, especially in Year 4, 5, 6 and 7 (Y4 / Y5 / ...
Here, you can find everything you need to plan endless English writing practice sessions with your students. This collection is full of English writing practice resources and teaching materials including writing templates, aids, frames, activities and worksheets on fiction, non-fiction and poetry writing. Every resource has been designed and ...
These fun and imaginative creative writing tasks can be used both in school and at home, and they're exactly what your KS2 pupils need to help their creativity and aid their descriptive writing flow! This handy pack contains 10 KS2 creative writing tasks with cute illustrations to spark the imagination. For example, children are challenged to ...
Free worksheets: Creative writing and fiction, KS2. You'll need to login or Register first to access these worksheets for free. Once you've tried out our free worksheets, why not explore all our resources (1000s of worksheets, interactive tutorials, learning packs and more) with a 14-day FREE trial subscription.
Phonics and spelling. Whole School Literacy. More. Tes primary English resources has an unrivalled range of teaching ideas for creative writing activities. Breathe new life into your lesson plans for KS1 and KS2 with our resources and materials, including: - Creative writing worksheets and activities. - Writing activities. - Storytelling projects.
Creative Writing Worksheets K-2. Encourage your elementary students to show their creative sides, with our most popular creative writing printables. They'll be inspired by these poetry and story-writing activities and lessons. We have holiday-themed worksheets, daily writing prompts, rubrics for grading work, literature guide extension ...
Age range: 7-11. Resource type: Other. File previews. pdf, 12.07 MB. Combining exemplar material with thought-provoking activities, this guide is geared towards helping KS2 students build the skills that'll dazzle teachers and examiners alike. Topics covers include: Why do we write?