Teaching Creative Writing - What is it, How to Tech it & FREE Prompts for kids!

Looking to help kids improve their writing skills? Practice is the key. Let us help take the work out of writing by giving children a plethora of fun creative writing ideas to make writing fun! These free printable creative writing prompts come in the form of worksheets, monthly writing prompts, writing topic calendars, and more. Use these creative writing topics with elementary age students from kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade students!

Writing prompts for kids

Welcome to the world of creative writing for kids! Teaching creative writing can be an exciting and rewarding experience. You have the opportunity to unlock the imagination and creativity of your children and to help them develop their language and literacy skills. This post will explore what is creative writing and the many benefits of cultivating creative writing skills. We will also provide tips and strategies for teaching this important subject plus writing prompts for kids. In fact, we have over 5000 pages of FREE writing prompts to practice. So, whether you’re a classroom teacher or a homeschool mom, we invite you to join us on this journey of discovery and inspiration. Let’s dive into the topic of creative writing!

Creative writing for kids

Unlock the imagination of your students with the power of creative writing! Learn the many benefits of creative writing for children and get tips and strategies for teaching it. Click through to read our comprehensive guide and inspire your students’ creativity! Includes hundreds of FREE writing prompts.

Scroll to the bottom of the post so see a thumnail of our entire collection of free writing prompts for kids! We have thousands and thousands of free printables. Click on the title or pictures to go to the post page. On that page you can easily print by scrolling to the bottom of the post, under the terms of use, and click on the text link that says >> ___________<<. The pdf file will open in a new window for you to save your freebie. Now print off the pages.

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is a form of writing that allows the writer to express their imagination, thoughts, and feelings through the written word. It can include poetry, short stories, comic strips, plays, and personal narratives. Creative writing allows young people to express their ideas in new and exciting ways while developing an understanding of language.

Creative Writing Skills

Improving language and literacy skills

Creative writing can help children improve their language and literacy skills in a number of ways.

Building vocabulary: As children tell their stories and write poetry, they will be exposed to new words and phrases. It is an easy way to expand vocabulary and improve their understanding of word meanings.
Grammar: As children write, they must draw on their knowledge of grammar. Grammer is best learned by using it in writing. By experimenting with sentence structure and going through the revision process, children can improve their grammatical skills.
Sentence Structure: Writing creatively allows children to experiment with different sentence structures. This can help them to understand how to use words to convey meaning and make their writing more interesting.

Encouraging Creativity And Self-Expression

Creative writing helps children develop their imagination and creativity. It invites children to explore new worlds and think about things in new and different ways.

Sometimes children have difficulty vocalizing their thoughts and feelings. Writing offers the opportunity for them to express these ideas in a safe and supportive environment. This kind of writing also provides the perfect avenue for exploring their inner world.

Builds Confidence

As children see their writing improve, they will feel a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work. This can lead to an increase in self-esteem and self-worth.

This kind of writing naturally encourages children to experiment and explore without worrying about making mistakes. Children who feel confident in their abilities are more likely to take creative risks and try new things.

Enhances Critical Thinking Skills

Creative writing prompts children to think critically and devise innovative solutions to problems they encounter in their writing. It also requires children to analyze and evaluate different elements of a story, such as characters, plot, and setting.

As they write, children will experiment with different forms, styles, and ideas and be encouraged to think outside the box.

Boosting Emotional Intelligence

Creative writing allows children to express and explore their emotions in a safe and supportive environment. Children can better understand and identify those emotions by writing about their character’s feelings.

It also allows children to take on different perspectives and understand the emotions of others. Children can learn to see things from other’s perspectives and develop empathy by writing from different characters’ points of view.

How to Teach Kids to Write

Starting with creative writing can be easy and fun for children at the primary school level. Here are a few steps you can take to get started:

Give children time to write: Set aside time in your schedule for children to write, and encourage them to continue their writing outside of classroom time.
Encourage children to brainstorm ideas: Give children the freedom to think of their own ideas and topics for writing. Ask open-ended questions and encourage them to think creatively.
Provide a variety of writing prompts: You will find a great list of resources at the bottom of this post. Please make use of them.
Incorporate other subjects: Integrate creative writing into other subjects, such as social studies, science, and art, to provide context and inspiration for children’s writing.
Photo by Andrew Morris on Unsplash
Use Visual prompts: Things like pictures, videos, and graphics can help children generate ideas and stimulate their imagination. Try this photograph, or this vintage illustration. The Graphic Fairy website has thousands of images that. Imagine what stories might come from these illustrations of children in bird’s nests.
Use Interesting props. I once got a class of children writing by passing around an old vintage key. We talked about where it might have come from. What did it unlock? What stories could it tell? The stories that came from that key were incredible. Children have amazing imaginations. It only takes one small prop to get them working.
Share and celebrate their writing: Share children’s writing with friends and family and celebrate their accomplishments. Encourage children to read their writing aloud and give positive feedback.
Lastly, make it fun: Encourage children to have fun with their writing. Please encourage them to experiment with different forms of writing, such as poetry, short stories, journaling, comic strips, and plays.

How to Teach a Child to Write

Here is a step-by-step process for children to follow when engaging in creative writing:

Brainstorming and Planning

Think of an idea: Encourage children to take some time to think about what they want to write about. Here’s where you might use writing or visual prompts. Help them brainstorm.
Make a plan: Once they have an idea, it can be helpful to make a plan. This could include making a list of characters, settings, and events or brainstorming a list of words related to a poem. A storyboard can be a helpful tool. This post explains how to use one and provides a free template.

Writing and Editing

Start Writing: Invite children to start writing using the plan they made. Explain that this is just a draft. No one else will see it. Encourage them not to worry about making mistakes and have fun writing.
Take a break: After writing for a while, it can be helpful for children to take a break and come back to it later with fresh eyes.
Revise and edit: Read through what you have written and make changes to improve it. They can add more details, change words, or delete sentences that don’t make sense.
When they are happy with it, they can make a final draft.

Sharing Your Work

Share the work: Encourage children to share their writing with a friend or family member.
Keep writing: Invite children to keep writing, experimenting, and having fun with different forms and styles of writing. Explain that the more they write, the better they’ll become at it.

Creative Writing Worksheets

Teaching creative writing can unlock your child’s potential as a writer while providing them with an enjoyable learning experience. We hope this post has inspired you with fresh ideas to help unlock that creativity! Creative writing takes practice, but any student can unlock their full potential with patience and encouragement! So what are you waiting for? Download our free writing prompts today and help your child flourish as a writer!

Creative Writing Ideas

The most important thing is to give kids lots of opporunity to write, almost every day. It will strengthen their hand muscles, practice spelling, teach kids how to put words together to make sentences, paragraphs, and complete thoughts, and so much more!