The boys and I have started a creative writing day. We each get six post it notes. On two, we write colors. On one, we write a person. On one, we write an activity. On one, we write a place. On one, we write a mode of transportation. We ball up our notes into individual piles. Then we draw notes from each pile. We may draw our own or we may draw someone else's.
During the first round of writing, we get seven minutes to start a short story. During the seven minutes, we try to use all of the words that we drew. If we cannot get them all in the first round because of the time limit, we try to get them in with the next round.
I set a timer we write whatever comes to mind. After the timer goes off, the writer is to drop his pen, or pencil. It doesn't matter if the writer is mid-sentence, or mid-word, you drop your pen anyway and pass your paper off to the next person. Everyone reads over their new copy.
After they are done reading we reset the timer and write, but only for five minutes. You continue to do this until your original paper ends up getting back to you.
During the last round, the writer has their own paper sitting in front of them. They decide how they are going to end the story. The timer is set and the endings have to be finished before the timer goes off. Upon completion, we read the stories to each other. Here are the 3 that we came up with.
(Now, when reading these, remember, I have boys. They don't write about sweet, pretty things.)
Story 1
Story 2
Story 3
Figgy Piggy and Goat
Mirrors and Monkeys