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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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Classroom Stars

Sparking Creativity in KS1: Twelve Writing Activities for Primary Children in Year 1 and Year 2

• 19 Feb 2024

Opening the gates to creative writing for the young minds in Key Stage 1 (KS1), covering Years 1 and 2, presents a delightful challenge for teachers. The nurturing of creative writing skills not only amplifies language proficiency but also cultivates crucial cognitive and emotional abilities. In this pivotal stage of primary education, pupils refine their communication skills through imaginative expression, learning to effectively convey thoughts and emotions. Furthermore, creative writing lays the groundwork for an appreciation of literature, fostering a love for the written word and storytelling. It encourages pupils to think outside the box, promoting their thinking skills. As KS1 pupils craft stories and explore their creativity, they develop a sense of self-expression and individuality, bolstering confidence in their abilities to articulate ideas and navigate the world of language with assurance. Now, let’s delve into twelve fantastic primary writing activities and lesson ideas, carefully designed to captivate the curiosity and creativity of our young budding writers.

Story Stones Adventure Provide a collection of story stones, each adorned with different images or symbols. As KS1 learners pick a stone, encourage them to contribute to a collective story, integrating the chosen elements into a creative narrative. This collaborative storytelling activity hones individual creativity as well as fosters teamwork and communication skills.

Mystery Bags Descriptive Writing Place intriguing objects into opaque bags and have children reach in, feel the contents, and describe them without revealing the items. This sensory writing exercise stimulates descriptive language, encouraging primary school learners to use adjectives and sensory details to paint vivid pictures with their words.

Character Creation Dice Introduce dice with various character traits like occupation, personality, and hobbies. Pupils roll the dice to determine these aspects and then use the results to construct a unique character. They can then craft a short story featuring their newly created character, promoting imaginative storytelling.

Action Sequencing Tales Bring stories to life by incorporating movement and action into the storytelling process. Have pupils act out different elements of a story. As they physically move through the sequence of events, they gain a deeper understanding of the narrative structure. This kinesthetic approach not only enhances comprehension but also inspires dynamic and vivid writing. Encouraging Year 1 and Year 2 children to embody characters and actions fosters a multi-sensory connection to storytelling, making the writing process more immersive and memorable.

Interactive Alphabet Adventure Turn the alphabet into an engaging writing tool by assigning each learner a letter. Challenge them to craft a short story incorporating words that begin with their assigned letter. This primary activity reinforces letter recognition while simultaneously encouraging creative storytelling.

Paper Plate Story Starters Create paper plates with different story elements like setting, characters, problem, and solution. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 pick a plate and use the elements on it as a starting point for their imaginative writing. This hands-on approach sparks creativity and helps overcome writer’s block.

Magic Word Wands Elevate the writing experience by giving learners “magic word wands.” Assign special words that, when used in their writing, trigger a burst of creativity or a magical twist to their stories. This writing activity builds vocabulary and encourages pupils to think outside the box.

Miniature Book Making Facilitate a sense of authorship and creativity by having children create their own miniature books. They can write and illustrate their stories, turning them into tangible, personal creations. This hands-on writing activity instils pride in their work and a love for storytelling.

Nature-inspired Haikus Take the classroom outdoors and encourage pupils to observe and appreciate nature. Have them write haikus, a form of Japanese poetry consisting of three lines, capturing the essence of their surroundings. This lesson idea promotes poetic expression as well as connects children with the natural world.

Parallel Universe Dialogues Explore the concept of parallel universes by having learners write dialogues between their alternate selves. This imaginative exercise encourages self-expression and allows children to explore different facets of their personalities through creative writing.

Digital Storytelling with QR Codes Integrate technology into writing activities by having pupils create digital stories. They can write short narratives, record themselves reading the stories, and generate QR codes to share their creations with classmates and parents. This modern twist adds an exciting dimension to traditional storytelling.

Themed Collaborative Stories Foster collaboration within the class by dividing pupils into small groups and assigning each group a theme (e.g., space, jungle, underwater). Encourage each child to contribute a sentence, collectively building a story around the assigned theme. This collaborative writing activity promotes teamwork and creativity, emphasising the importance of working together to create a cohesive narrative.

Magical Vocabulary Cauldron Create a designated space where learners “brew” magical words. This can involve brainstorming sessions, word games, or thematic word exploration. When crafting stories, pupils draw words from the cauldron, incorporating them into their narratives. This whimsical approach expands their vocabulary and adds an element of excitement and fantasy to the writing process.

Mystery Box Punctuation Fill a box with various punctuation marks—periods, commas, exclamation points, etc. As learners pick a symbol, they must use it correctly in their sentences. This tactile approach reinforces punctuation rules and adds an element of surprise and discovery to the learning process.

Sensory Poetry Paths Set up different stations with various textures, scents, and sounds. As children move through these sensory paths, encourage them to jot down descriptive phrases and emotions evoked by each station. This sensory input becomes the foundation for crafting unique and evocative sensory poems, enriching their poetic expression with tangible sensory details. This learning activity hones their poetic skills as well as deepens their connection to the sensory world around them.

By incorporating these KS1 creative writing activities into Year 1 and Year 2 English lessons, teachers can help build a love for language, imagination, and collaboration. These primary activities not only make learning enjoyable but also provide a solid foundation for developing essential writing skills in children aged 5 to 7.

If you found this useful, you may like to read Now is the Time! Ten Classroom Activities and Ideas to Help Children Learn to Tell the Time .

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Now is the Time! Ten Classroom Activities and Ideas to Help Children Learn to Tell the Time

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Writing skills - creative and narrative writing

Part of English Writing skills

Imaginative or creative writing absorbs readers in an entertaining way. To succeed with this kind of writing you will need to write in a way that is individual, original and compelling to read.

Responding to Prompts

Imagine you’re in an exam and you are asked to write a creative piece called ‘The Party’. What does this title make you think of?Before you decide what you’d write, it’s useful to remember that you do whatever you want with the prompt as long as it’s somehow connected to a party.

• It doesn’t have to be something that really happened
• It doesn’t have to be based on exactly what the title says or is
• It can be as abstract or as mundane as you want it to be.

So this means that for the title ‘The Party’, you could write a lovely descriptive piece about your dream birthday party, or a personal account of a party you attended that was very good – or very bad. You could write a story about a political party, or a doll’s tea party, or a party held by fans to watch the final episode of a TV show everyone is very excited about, or a party that didn’t actually happen because no one turned up. The most important thing is that you choose a story you can write well, showing off your skill in using language effectively and keeping your reader entertained.

Original ideas

There is no formula for having a great idea – but to begin your writing, you do need, at least, some kind of idea. Then you need to find ways to turn your idea into something a reader would enjoy reading. This is the creative part, taking something ordinary and turning it into something extraordinary.

For example, think about writing a description of a coastline. You might start to think straight away about a crowded beach - children playing, deck chairs, sun shining, happy sounds; but, if you stop for a moment, you’ll recall that that's been done before. It's okay, but it's hardly original.

Short stories

A short story needs to be compelling to read and to be this it needs to be given an effective structure. Like all texts, stories also have their own basic 'recipe' called 'genre conventions'. Here is a typical story structure that will help you to keep your own story moving through different stages in a compelling way – and help make sure you don’t accidentally ramble on!

This part of your story must work to engage your reader, beginning to absorb them into your 'story-world'. You should aim to hook the reader into the story with the 'plot hook'. Whether you choose to start the story by giving the end away just like Shakespeare did in his play Romeo and Juliet; or you start in the middle of lots of action; or even with very little action at all, you will definitely need to start in a way that hooks your reader – and do so pretty quickly.

Can you find the 'plot hook'?

It was a brilliant summer’s day smack in the middle of the school holidays. It was my birthday, too. I was ten. You can imagine I was feeling that life couldn’t get much better than this: warm weather, holidays, a bar of chocolate all to myself, a bunch of texts from my mates to answer, and being driven with mum and dad to Twycross Zoo. They knew just how much I loved animals and the chimps there were always my favourites. What could possibly go wrong? That day any thoughts of problems weren’t even a distant cloud on the horizon of my sunny mind.

The 'plot hook' in this example is 'What could possibly go wrong?'.

Establish the time and place, as well as the general situation. This can also be used to help develop a suitable mood or atmosphere. It can sometimes help to use a familiar place that your reader can relate to in some way. At this stage, you need to 'set up' the story and begin to introduce the main character(s).

Fiction trigger (or inciting incident)

Use your narrator to tell of an incident or event that the reader feels will spark a chain of events. This helps make the reader feel that the story has really started. From this point, life cannot be quite the same for your main character (that is your protagonist). There is a problem that has to be faced and overcome.

The fiction trigger can be an event that really starts the story. It will develop from the 'plot hook'. If the story is about a day out at the zoo, then maybe an animal has escaped. If it is about a robbery, it might be the event that makes a character consider carrying out a robbery; and if it is about an accident, it will be the event that causes it to happen.

Keeping up the momentum (plot development or rising action)This section builds the tension – keeps the reader absorbed and guessing where it will all lead.

This is where you will move the story forward and will use lots of techniques to keep the reader guessing, 'What will happen next?!'

The problem reaches a head, with suspense creating lots of tension for the reader– showing the reader the possible result of what has come before.

This is not the end of your story – not quite. It will be the key event but your protagonist will, somehow, overcome it and all will be well.

Conclusion (the resolution)

This must leave your reader with a sense of satisfaction, or it could be a twist in the tale leaving questions that linger in the mind.

This is the ending of your story – where all loose ends are tied up to the satisfaction of the reader. A good story will cause the reader to go, 'Hmm – I liked that' or even 'Wow'

By following this story structure, and planning under each of the above headings, you should be able to come up with a tense plot for your own story, one that will engage and absorb your reader.

Writing techniques

Throughout your own story, you will also need to use writing techniques that will work to keep your reader engaged and absorbed. An important skill is to put clear images of the setting and characters in your reader’s mind, as well as to create a sense of atmosphere that suits each part of the story.

• Narration - the voice that tells the story, either first person (I/me) or third person (he/him/she/her). This needs to have the effect of interesting your reader in the story with a warm and inviting but authoritative voice.
• Description - describing words such as adjectives close adjective A word which describes a noun or pronoun. , adverbs close adverb An adverb gives more information about the verb, an adjective or another adverb. , similes close simile A literary technique where a comparison is made between two things using ‘as’ or ‘like’. and metaphors close metaphor Makes a direct comparison by presenting one thing as if it were something else with the characteristic. For example describing a brave person as a lion. that add detail. This is told by the narrator. It helps engage readers by creating vivid pictures and feelings in their 'mind’s eye'.
• Dialogue - the direct speech of characters, shown inside quotation marks. We all judge characters by what they talk about and by the way they speak. This makes dialogue a key technique for creating interest and realism.
• Alliteration - repetition of the same beginning sounds in nearby words.This can create a useful emphasis, maybe to highlight a sound or movement, or to intensify feeling or even to bind words together.
• Connotation - a word’s meaning can be literal, as in 'It looked like a cat', or it can create connotations as in 'As soon as the food reached the table, the boy pounced on it like a cat.' A connotation is a meaning created by a special use of a word in a particular way or context. It works by adding some kind of emotion or a feeling to a word’s usual meaning. All literature depends upon using language that creates connotations. They engage the reader because they evoke reactions and feelings.
• Pathetic fallacy - personification is a kind of metaphor and when nature is described in this way, it is called a use of pathetic fallacy. This can help suggest a suitable atmosphere or imply what the mood of the characters is at a certain point, eg in a ghost story, the storm clouds could be said to 'glower down angrily upon the group of youngsters'. A pathetic fallacy can add atmosphere to a scene. It can even give clues to the reader as to what is to come, acting as a kind of foreshadowing close foreshadow Hint at something that will happen later and have greater significance .
• Personification - this is a technique of presenting objects as if they have feelings, eg 'the rain seemed to be dancing merrily on the excited tin roof.' This creates a sense of emotion and mood for the reader.
• Repetition - the action of repeating a word or idea. This can add emphasis or create an interesting pattern of sound or ideas.
• Onomatopoeia - use of words which echo their meaning in sound, for example, 'whoosh' 'bang'. Using this can add emotion or feeling that helps give the reader a vivid sense of the effect being described.
• Simile - a kind of description. A simile compares two things so that the thing described is understood more vividly, eg 'The water was as smooth as glass.' (Hint - 'like' or 'as' are key words to spot as these create the simile). A simile can create a vivid image in the reader’s mind, helping to engage and absorb them.
• Symbolism - we grow up learning lots of symbols and these can be used in stories to convey a lot of meaning as well as feeling in a single idea or word, eg a red rose can symbolise romantic love; a heavy buckled belt can hint at the power held by the character; an apple can even symbolize temptation if it is used in a way that the reader links to the apple that tempted Eve in the biblical Garden of Eden.
• Impact - symbols help writers pack a lot of meaning into just a single word. They work to engage the reader, too, for the reader automatically gets involved in working out the meaning.

Examples of narration

First person narrator.

I held on to the tuft of grass and slowly looked down - I was too shocked to speak. One moment I had been strolling along the cliff with Vicki, the next I was hanging over the edge. And where was Vicki?

The only thing you shouldn't do is swap the narrative point of view during the story - don’t start with 'I' and then switch to 'he', as it is likely to confuse your reader.

Third person narrator

Steve held on to the tuft of grass and slowly looked down - he was too shocked to speak. One moment he had been strolling along the cliff with Vicki, the next he was hanging over the edge. And where was Vicki?

Ending a short story

The ending of a story doesn't necessarily have to be happy but it has to make sense in a way that ties up what has happened.

There are different types of story endings, for example:

• The cliff-hanger - this isn’t an ending as such, it’s a way of tempting the reader to read the next chapter or instalment. Charles Dickens wrote his chapters like this as they were originally published in magazines in serial form. For example, does the spy manage to stop the bomb in time?
• The twist-in-the-tale - the reader will feel fairly sure about the ending, but in the final part everything changes and we are surprised. For example, we learn that it isn’t a bomb after all, it’s a birthday present!
• The enigma ending - the story stops, but the reader is left a little unsure what will come to happen, yet is intrigued by the possibilities - and still feels satisfied. For example, the bomb is defused and everyone is safe, but then an army commander reports the theft of another bomb… only this time twice as powerful.

There are many possibilities; but there are two endings you should try to avoid:

• The trick ending - a bomb will inevitably explode and as it does, the narrator wakes up - it was all a dream. This is too clichéd and unsatisfying for modern readers.
• The disconnected ending - the secret agent suddenly stops worrying about the bomb, retires, and goes off to play golf. Readers don't like this because the ending has nothing to do with the story – very unsatisfying.

Whatever kind of story you write, work out a satisfying ending and include it in your plan.

Writing that is creative and imaginative needs to be entertaining. You need to experiment a little and not be frightened to try something new.

What might you write about if the following tasks came up in an exam? Take a few minutes to think about different ways you could interpret the task, and maybe sketch a quick plan for your best idea.

• The Best Day of My Life
• The Mysterious Door
• Never Again
• Stormy Weather
• How to be a Hero
• Sunday at the Beach
• My Life as an Expert
• Greetings from the Future
• What I REALLY Learned at School

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25 Creative Writing Prompts For KS1 And KS2

While they may not be in the classroom currently, teaching children the benefits of learning to write creatively is a fantastic way to boost their confidence, and help them develop reading and problem-solving skills.

These resources and prompts are aimed to help children come up with new and exciting ideas for stories and to consider all the different elements of storytelling.

So, kids can head over to heir home study space, wherever it may be, and experiment to their heart's content with these fun writing prompts.

Top Tip: Why not check out this post written by a real children's author, with many more tips on how children can write their very own storybooks?

Writing Ideas For Key Stage One Children (Ages 5-7)

With KS1 children, it's a great idea to use their interests and surroundings as inspiration for their creative writing. Coming up with a whole new story can be a big challenge, so the ideas and activities are aimed to help KS1 children to consider one or two things they are really interested in writing, before they create their stories:

• Imagine your favourite toy came to life! What would a day in their life look like? Where would they go and what would they get up to? What would their favourite meals be, and what would their voice sound like?
• Describe the place you live as if you were talking to an alien from another planet. How can you recognise where it is? What is inside? What are all the different things used for and what are some funny human habits that aliens would find interesting?
• Write about the best day out ever. It can be real or just a fantasy day out that you would love to do in the future.
• Imagine a monster came over for dinner. What would they look like? What is their name? What would they eat and how would they eat it?
• Write a letter to your favourite character. Whether it's from a movie, TV show, book or play, imagine what you would write if they were your pen pal.
• Design your own animal, and write a short description about it. Maybe it has lots of fangs, or pink fur. Perhaps it's a mixture of lots of other animals. Draw out a picture of your animal, and then write a short paragraph to describe what it's called, where it lives, what it eats and what it does for fun!
• Think about your favourite book character. Write a short story about what they got up to after the end of the book.

Develop these ideas further by:

-Incorporating the creatures you've invented into a new story.

-Making illustrations to accompany your description of your day out.

-Storyboarding your ideas, to make a cartoon-like sequence of events with images and text.

Writing Ideas For Key Stage 2 Children (Ages 7-11)

Even if English isn't their favourite subject, there are lots of ways to help KS2 aged children get interested in storytelling and creative writing. By allowing kids to select their own books to read away from the classroom, they can figure out which genres and writing styles they enjoy the most.

Exposing children to new ideas and techniques through encouraging reading books, will also, in turn, help their writing abilities to blossom.

A good way to prepare children for these activities is to search online for books they enjoy, and let them pick one or two to read.

This will allow them to get familiar with the type of writing they enjoy. The following ideas are suggestions intended to aid creative thinking and spark inspiration for whatever direction children want to take their stories in:

• What would a day on Earth be like if mythical creatures existed? What would day-to-day be life if dragons, unicorns, mermaids and fairies wandered the streets? Write a short story about a day in your life, if mythical creatures were around.
• Imagine you were small as a bug. Describe the world from your new perspective. Do you have interactions with people? Insects or animals? Where do you go? Do you discover you have any insect-like abilities?
• Imagine you woke up one day with a superpower. What is it? Are you able to turn invisible, read minds, or fly? What is the first thing you would do with your new power and what would a day in your life look like?
• Write a diary entry as if you had travelled to another period of time. Is it Victorian England, Ancient Egypt or perhaps the Middle Ages? How do you blend in, and what new things do you learn?
• A rocket launches you to an unknown planet. You find a civilisation of aliens have already made it their own and they welcome you. Describe your experience, what you see, and what happens next. Write a short story about your adventures.

The following prompts are suggestions of an opening line that kids can use at the beginning of their story, and continue on from:

• 'The dark figure began to emerge from the mist. She could see the outline of a human-like figure as it started to get closer...'
• 'Simon did his homework, liked skateboarding and his favourite food was pizza. He thought he was an ordinary boy, until...'
• 'Deep beneath the North Sea, hidden away from human eyes, lies a great secret...'
• 'The door was painted white, with cracked paint and a small golden handle. I couldn't help but wonder what was inside...'
• 'The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the street outside was hot and quiet. But everything was about to change...  

Develop these ideas by:

-Creating illustrations to go alongside your story. Show what your characters and landscapes would look like, and make them correspond with the story.

-Thinking about other books you've been reading. How would the character you've written interact with a character from one of your favourite books?

-Making a character profile of the characters in your stories. What are their interests and hobbies? What do they like to wear? What books and films do they like? Create a drawing of your character in the middle of the page, and label different things about them in a profile down the side.

-Doing a character swap. Imagine your character found themselves in the world of another book, or vice versa. What would happen next?

-Design a front and back cover for your book. Consider the title, blurb and cover illustrations. Perhaps even make an author profile too!

For five quick and easy creative writing tasks, download your prompt sheet below!

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Diploma of Education, Fine Arts, Bachelor of Arts specializing in Illustration and Visual media

Sarah Hallam Diploma of Education, Fine Arts, Bachelor of Arts specializing in Illustration and Visual media

With a Diploma in Education specializing in Fine Arts (Painting) and a Bachelor of Arts specializing in Illustration and Visual media from the University of Arts London, Sarah previously was a London-based teacher who brought her passion for art and culture to the classroom. Her creative endeavors include painting classes and experimenting with new recipes. She draws inspiration from the world around her and enjoys sharing her knowledge with others while sipping a cup of tea.

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Creative Writing Ideas

Here are some ideas that you can use as part of creative writing activities with your children:

1) Writing Traditional Stories from a Different Point of View

Read “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs” (by Jon Scieszka) with the children. This tells the “Three Little Pigs” story from the wolf’s point of view.

Ask the children to think of a story that they know well and to write another version from another point of view.

e.g. Write “Cinderella” from the point of view of one of the ugly sisters,

OR Write “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” from the point of view of the troll,

OR Write “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” from the point of view of Goldilocks.

2) Design a New Room for the Chocolate Factory

Based on “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” by Roald Dahl.

Remind the children of the story and read chapter 15 – a description of the Chocolate Room.

Ask the children who have read the story if they can think of any of the other rooms in the factory. Make a list of these on the board for the children to refer to later.

Now ask the children to make up a new room for the chocolate factory, making sure that they are as descriptive as possible.

Jessica Miller has also suggested the following idea:

What might have happened if any of the other children had gotten the factory?

3) Missing Person

The following activity is great fun and usually produces great results, but it must be used with caution. Only try it with a class you are comfortable with and who you think will cope with the situation. Also, try to add a little humour where possible, ensuring that the children are aware that it’s not real – you’re just pretending!

Choose a name for a missing person (e.g. “Paul”), making sure that this is not the name of someone in the class. Before the lesson, put a chair in an empty space in the classroom. For the purposes of the lesson, pretend that this space is where “Paul” normally sits.

Ask the children where “Paul” is. They will probably look at you as though you are mad, but continually ask them where “Paul” is today. Tell them that he normally sits in his space (point to the empty chair) and that he was there yesterday, but he isn’t there today. Insist that they tell you where he is. Hopefully, someone will make up a reason why “Paul” isn’t in today. Argue with them, saying that you have heard differently. Ask if anyone knows anything else. Ask who was the last person to see him. Continue like this for a while, with the children explaining where he is.

Finally, say that as Paul is missing, we will have to make some missing person posters, explaining who Paul is (with a picture so others can identify him!), where he was last seen and who to contact if he is found. When these are made, you could post them around the school.

A missing person poster template can be found below.

4) Supermoo’s New Adventures

Based on the book “Supermoo” by Babette Cole.

Read the story through with the children. Discuss the main characters (Supermoo, Calf Crypton, the BOTS, Miss Pimple’s class), and ask the children to produce a new adventure for a series of new Supermoo books. This could be in the form of a story, or a storyboard with accompanying pictures.

When finished, the children could actually make the books for younger children in the school to read.

5) Recipes for Dreams

Based on “The BFG” by Roald Dahl.

Remind the children of the story and read the “Dreams” chapter to give the children some ideas. Ask them to make a recipe for a dream. They could set it out like a cooking recipe with ingredients and mixing instructions and there should also be a short description of the dream (which could be a “Golden Phizzwizard” or a “Trogglehumper”).

When all of the recipes are finished, they could be made into a “Dream Recipe Cook Book”.

6) Dr. Xargle’s Book of …..

This activity is based on the Dr. Xargle series of books written by Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Tony Ross.

Read through some of the books in the series.

The children should write their own Dr. Xargle story in which he teaches his class about a different aspect of Earth life (e.g. school, work). This will encourage them to look at everyday life from a different point of view. If there is enough time, they could also make illustrations to accompany their text.

7) Class Mascot Activity

Find a small soft toy or puppet which will become the class mascot. With the class, choose a name for the mascot, and discuss its background (where it comes from, its friends and family, its likes and dislikes etc.).

Let each child take the mascot (and a book in which to write) home for a few days at a time. While they are looking after the mascot, they should write a short story in the book outlining what the mascot has done during its stay with them. This can be true or the children can make up events (e.g. a trip to the moon). Encourage them to be as creative as possible.

When the mascot returns to school, spend some time discussing what it has done and where it has been. The class could make a book describing the mascot’s travels.

8) When I am famous…

“In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes” – Andy Warhol

Discuss the above quote with the children, and talk about what it means to be famous. Would they like to be famous? What would they like to be famous for?

The children could then write:

• An account of what they would like to be famous for and why.
• A diary, written as if the child was famous in the future. How are they feeling? What things do they have to do?
• A newspaper interview, written as if in the future, with the child who is now famous.

9) How did the elephant get its trunk?

Can the children think of a story which describes how the elephant got its trunk? Or how about explaining how a giraffe got its long neck? How did the leopard get its spots? Why has a rabbit got long ears? Why is a zebra stripy?

10) Description of a New Animal

A good way of asking children to use their descriptive writing skills is to ask them to invent a new animal. Ask them to describe what it looks like, where it lives, what it does, what it eats etc. It might be useful to discuss existing animals and their characteristics beforehand.

11) Writing a story based on adverts

In the back of many books, there are often adverts for other stories. Why not get the children to choose one of these adverts, and write a story based on the description of the story in the advert. They don’t need to have read the book which is being advertised, and you can get them to compare their own story to the real version when they have finished.

12) Using Objects

Take 4 or 5 unrelated but interesting objects and challenge children to create either a skit or a character description of the owner. Great for oral discussion but also useful for character analysis. Suggested by Jane Knight.

13) Name Characters

This is using art and creative writing, and was suggested by Jeanette Carpenter:

• Fold a piece of paper in half and on the fold line, write your name.
• Cut around the outside shape of your name.
• Open your name and you will have a shape based on your letters.
• Colour and design your shape into a character.
• Glue your finished character to a piece of construction paper.
• Write a descriptive paragraph about your character as if it is an alien arriving here on earth for the first time. Give it a name, place of origin, the reason for being here, etc.

Writing Detailed Instructions

You may also like, lined paper templates, ways to use lego in the classroom, speech marks, the sound collector, bookmark slogans, grandma’s footsteps, leave a comment cancel reply.

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Mighty Writer Blog

Using picture prompts for writing - ks1 literacy tool.

"Every child is born blessed with a vivid imagination" - Walt Disney.

Children have, naturally within them, everything which makes a learner.  As teachers, we have the joy of unlocking and nurturing this potential. 

Blessed with being effortlessly curious, excitable, motivated, spontaneous, experimental and uncomplicated, children have all the tools required to be enviably creative.

We are tasked with providing the opportunity for each child to use these unique skills, purposefully and from their own individual starting point. Providing a safe environment where innate gifts can grow, develop and mature is key to enabling each child to thrive.

Why should we use picture prompts in KS1 literacy?

Visual stimuli helps children to understand their world.

By consolidating and building on a wide range of ever-developing skills and knowledge, pictures can…

• Invoke memories
• Develop vocabulary 
• Conjure new and exciting ideas
• Sequence and organise ideas
• Develop imagination
• Help us ‘think outside the box’.

How should we use picture prompts?

Ask children to look at a picture, or a selection of simple pictures, and tell you something about what they see.

By making the task open to interpretation, any fear of providing a ‘wrong’ answer is alleviated. The children will feel that this is a safe space for their creativity and imagination to be unleashed, without consequence.

Encourage the children with questions such as:

• Can you find a picture of something you like?
• What do you notice?  
• What could it be?
• What else could it be?

This process will soon get children talking, thinking and explaining.

For those children that are reluctant to talk, we can model the process of making observations, experimenting with vocabulary and expressing imaginative ideas. Soon, they will build the confidence to join their friends and try for themselves.

Ask children to choose two or three pictures which they like, or find interesting.

You can then model connecting these pictures together, with a simple but interesting sentence.

For example:

‘Once upon a time a large dinosaur wandered into a dark wood where he found a magic potion.’

Celebrate the children’s creative ideas which they thought of, but you said out loud.

Children can then choose two or three more pictures they like and experiment with connecting them together.

They’ll soon be talking about the pictures and forming ideas, connections and using a range of vocabulary. They can practice connecting and extending ideas at their own pace.

Sensitive questioning can extend thinking and, even from the earliest stages of language development, promote high expectations of vocabulary and creative content.

• What might happen next?
• Where could they go?
• How do they move?
• How do they feel?
• How can you describe it?

Children can build on this by connecting more and more pictures.

Soon, they’ll be successfully forming whole stories, poems and recounts which allow them to immerse themselves in their imagination and express the wonderful worlds they hold in their heads.

Picture prompts create early confidence with literacy and help to build the enthusiastic writers of tomorrow.

Positive experiences like these will stay with children forever, building a formative understanding of what being a writer is all about. 

Through empathetic, fun and liberating creative tasks, we teach even the youngest children to own language, without restrictions. After all, the world is their oyster, and they are more than capable of harnessing these skills – we just need to plant the seed.

Listen to the mustn’ts, child Listen to the don’ts Listen to the shouldn’ts, the  Impossibles, the wont’s. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child, Anything can be.

-Shel Silverstein

Mighty writer can make a significant difference to childrens understanding of sentence structure, grammar and punctuation.

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Fun Writing Activities for KS1

Looking for some ideas to engage children in writing? Check out some of our favourite, fun writing activities for KS1 children! 

Salt Tray Fun

Salt trays are a great alternative to writing on the traditional pencil and paper and supports early writers in letter formation. Start by laying out some trays on a table, then line each tray with coloured paper and cover with a generous layer of salt. 

Lay out letters or words on the table for children to choose and challenge them to write the words in their salt tray. These word cards could be linked to a particular subject or topic, or even tricky words that children need to practise.  

An easy but fun activity that will get children active and moving around the classroom. Choose the words you would like children to find, these could be words that when used together can make a sentence or link to the genre of writing you are teaching at the time, such as time conjunctions for instruction writing. 

Hide the words around the classroom and set children to work. Can they collect words and use them to form a sentence?

Story Dice 

Give children different story dice to support them in writing their own story, including where the story is set and what characters they might come across. 

Give children different settings such as the rainforest, Santa's grotto, a fairground or a swimming pool. Ask children to  describe the scene and write what they would see, hear, smell, feel or touch in the setting. Children could be challenged to guess which setting the person next to them chose based on their senses description.

Character swap

What would happen if Winnie the Pooh entered the story of the Gruffalo? Or if Winnie the Witch entered the story of Peter Rabbit? Think of some stories that are familiar to the children and tell them that the characters have wandered into the wrong storylines! Can children write an alternative storyline for each character?

What would you do?

Give children a variety of scenarios and ask them to write a description of what they would do in each situation. What would you do if you found an alien under your bed? What would you do if your cat started talking to you? What would you do if you bumped into the Queen in Tesco? 

Nonsense poems

Ask children to write a poem with rhyming words that make no sense.

I had a cat who ate a hat 

upon a mat inside my flat

with my tall rat who swung a bat...

Ask children to think of their favourite book character. Challenge them to write an invitation asking them to come to tea. Children’s invitations should include when and where the tea party will take place, what they might eat and activities they might do together. 

For more writing activities check out this FREE KS1 writing activity bundle !

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Thank you so much- I saved hours searching for things and making my own resources. The plans were very easy to use and the resources are excellent (and easy to match up to the activities as they are all labelled in a way that works well). Ill definitely use again!

Blank Jigsaws

Thanks, Chris!

South America

Thanks, Charlotte!

Thank you - we have found this very useful when introducing show not tell and using it in our writing.

That's great to hear, Jenni! Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review :-)

Intrepid Explorers

Thank you, Luiza!

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The Images Shed

Winter Scene Writing Prompts

Abandoned places, double click the image to make fullscreen, some forest/woodland stimuli, a pathway to where, tiny dragon.

• Where is it from?
• Why is it so small?
• Are there more like him?
• Where does he live?
• How will you look after it?
• Will you keep it a secret or tell someone?
• What is it called?
• Is it magic?  What magic can it do?

Flying Houses

Credits: laurent chehere/galerie paris-beijing www.laurentchehere.com, writing flashbacks.

What has just happened?

Links to keeping healthy, its pouring down and he is just stood there.  who is he and who is he waiting for.

Friend or foe?

There is a Wizard in My Potting Shed

Time stood still for all but one man., i saw her and then she was gone, i heard her whispering for me to follow. it only took me a few seconds for me to decide....

These moving images can be copy and pasted into powerpoint etc and they still move.

Where does it lead to who is at the other end who are the two people who made it when was it made.

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KS1 Writing Prompts Display

Subject: English

Age range: 5-7

Resource type: Visual aid/Display

Last updated

27 August 2021

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Simple, useful and effective! These writing prompts, with simple and calming visuals will remind your children of the essentials needed in their writing.

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DoroteaTrivanovic

Love these! What font is this?

tegan_stellitano

Thank you! So happy that you like this. The font used is called - Bad Script.

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