One of the best storytelling and writing techniques I use with 3rd-6th grade children is what I call Story Spark. It exercises early childhood creativity and fosters peer sharing.
• Speak or write the first sentence of the story on the board.
• Instruct the children to write the story.
• Let the kids know how long the time is and set your timer. If you are short on time you can go for 5 minutes, but I usually like 10-15 as the kids can really get into their stories.
• When the timer rings, it’s time to share! Everyone reads their story out loud. It’s fun to see how different they come out!
A tweak to this is to have everyone write a Setting, Conflict, and Character on slips of paper and place them in corresponding jars. Whenever you host this exercise, pick one slip from each jar.
Examples:
Setting: the city, your basement, or Paris.
Conflict: a mad scientist is trying to destroy the ozone, a mutant moth is chasing you, you can’t get gum off your shoe.
Character: a pink hippo, a football player, an anteater.
Then set your timer and everyone writes the story using the chosen elements.
What are some fun and quick writing exercises you love? Share them in the comments!
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