I spend hours scouring the internet for creative writing resources. I love those hours, even though sometimes I find myself panicking. There are so many wonderful ideas out there! What can I use? I want to use them all! At those times, I need to step away from my laptop and remind myself that I cannot do everything in twelve weeks.
The weeks always fly by once I start a writing programme. I’m more than halfway through. Here are a handful of activities I used successfully this time!
Rhyming Opposites
This seems like an overly simplistic activity, but it works with people (I won’t even say just children) of all ages. It is based on something I came across in the book Writing with Children, by Jackie Reilly and Vanessa Reilly and serves as a great way to begin a session on rhyme! How would you fill in the blanks?
Musical Writing
I have no idea why I’ve never done this before! Once more, adapting an activity from the same book, I chose a piece of music and then asked the children to write as I asked them guiding questions. I love how the same piece leads to completely different results!
13-year-old Shreshta felt that she was in a chocolate factory, while 12-year-old Shreya felt she was in a fun music video with shapes floating around her.
Reflections
Poetry is always fun, and we did so much in four weeks. Haikus, sonnets, cinquains, riddle poems, list poetry, concrete poetry … Here’s what a couple of children have to say about it!
More Resources
Another wonderful resource I discovered this time was Kenn Nesbitt’s poetry website. It’s full of not just poetry, but also step-by-step guidelines to write your own poem!
We’ve moved on to drama, and I’ve been using Drama with Children by Sarah Phillips as my prime resource book. There are several websites I’ve referred to recently, and I hope to share them soon.
Explore the Resources category to discover other reading and creative writing activities for children and adults.
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