Family Newsletter
The one idea I have used in the past, and will use again when we move is a family newsletter. The boys and I brainstormed what they wanted to write about (they asked for help. If they hadn�t, I would have let them do it themselves), and then I helped them figure out where to find the info, and then put it all together. I know of homeschool kids writing newsletters about nature, history and a bunch of other things, that they actually have subscribers!
Magnetic Poetry
We all know magnetic poetry, right? Here is a version for kids. (But I�ll warn you ... you might just catch yourself playing with it, too!)
For Girls:
Klutz makes a journal called "My Life According to Me." It has black paper and a silver pen ... it asks questions about the kids` life, their thoughts, their birth, etc. It has a place for pictures and keepsakes.
For Boys:
My oldest son got a set of gel pens for Christmas and hasn�t put them down!
To make a book for gel pens, we picked up a pack of black construction paper (under $2 at a craft store) cut two pieces of cardboard to size to make covers. Put the book together, and hammer a nail through both covers and the pages, (so you can tie it) and tie together with crazy shoelaces.
I have done things like: You want that toy? Write me a story about it. My youngest son wants an RC car called "Dragonfly." I told him to write a story about the car. It has to be about the car, but that�s the only stipulation I gave him. It can be about him driving in the car, he is the car, or whatever he chooses.
Keep a book of quotes
From songs, TV, movies, books, the grocery store ... wherever they hear something that "clicks." Don�t know that it would work with a younger child, but you never know!
Brainstorm: Set the kitchen timer for 5 minutes, and each of you take a piece of paper and write down anything that comes to mind. You can then take one idea and use it as a starting point, or try to use ALL of the ideas and see how silly the story can be. After a few times, you will notice they are sillier and sillier!
Brainstorm on a particular subject
(What you are studying... Winter, apples ... whatever) Try to use them in a story. See who had the most words, the longest word, the most unique word, how many you had all together, how many started with p... whatever.
Poetry Pebbles
How Many Times?
See how many words you can make using the letters in the chosen word/phrase or see how many words you can come up with that rhyme with it. I would start small ("love" instead of "Valentine�s Day") and work your way up.
A Word a Day
Subscribe to have a vocabulary word and its definition delivered to your in box everyday.
Try writing a paragraph around the word. Write about the word. See how many times you can use the word in a paragraph. (It has to make sense!)
Writing Topics