10 At-Home Writing Activities

1 - Create a List

Whether it be a grocery shopping list or to-do list, asking children to create lists may help them organize their thoughts. For example, when making a grocery list, showing children how to chunk together similar items like vegetables or frozen foods may help improve their organizational understanding and spatial memories.

2 - Write a Letter to a Family Member

Writing letters can help children increase their vocabulary, spelling and penmanship. In addition, writing letters offer children an opportunity to experiment with writing in a friendly, colloquial tone as compared to a more formal style that may be required by assignments like reports or essays.

3 - Do an Interview

Have a child interview a family member. Asking grandma how to cook a meal or grandpa how to change the oil on the car allows children to tap their creativity in asking questions. Additionally, when children interview others on unfamiliar topics, they may gain an understanding of new ideas, learn to perform a new task and increase their vocabulary.

4 - Create a Journal

Journals provide informal opportunities for children to express themselves. Journaling may help children enhance their understanding and use of words. Writing about how their day went or a new activity also allows children time to reflect on what is going on in their lives.

5 - Take Notes

Ask your child to help you with work by taking a dictation of what you are saying. During the process, use mostly familiar words but throw in some words that the child may not know so they can make use of a dictionary. This process may also help kids improve their listening and writing skills.

6 - Make a Menu

Ask your child to write down a menu for dinner. Include drinks and appetizers you may be having. Keep a dictionary handy for words they may not know. You can make this fun by allowing your child to be creative in coming up with names for dishes, drawing pictures or adding a list of ingredients for each plate.

7 - Create a Goal

Creating goals allows children to learn time management and methodical thinking. Let your child decide how the goal will be accomplished and in what time frame. Ask questions that may spur the child to explain steps regarding the materials they will need or motivation behind the goal.

8 - Review a TV Show

Ask your child to review what happened in their favorite TV show. Be specific, asking them to describe characters and explain scenes. Additionally, you may chose to sit down with your child and find a show that you may both enjoy. At the end ask your child to write down what they learned or enjoyed.

9 - Write a Story

Cut out a picture from a magazine or newspaper and ask your child to write a story about it. Give them full reign to be creative and come up with a story plot. Make sure to ask them about the settings and possible future scenarios for plots.

10 - Create a Rhyme

Start a simple rhyme and let your child expand on it. Rhyming allows children to be flexible and creative with words and sounds. To spur some ideas, you may consider sitting down and reading a few easy poems, rhymes or narratives.