There are many opportunities and great ways that children can enjoy writing at home. Whether this is helping you make a shopping list, writing you a note or creating their own stories based on their favourite characters! Have a look at some of the ideas that we have found below.

Don't worry too much, especially with younger writers, if their letters are backwards or words are misspelt. The most important thing is that they are having fun with writing at home. Celebrate your child's efforts in writing by sharing it with others or displaying on the fridge for example. 

Early writers 

For these writing ideas, your child may need more support from you to write their ideas down or they may need to share with you what they have tried to write. 

• Help your child write an alphabet letter, then go letter hunting in your house or in a book to find that letter
• Let your child see you writing.
• Encourage them to write shopping lists or make birthday cards.
• Water and a paintbrush on a dry path are fun ways to write letters and words.
• Work with them to put labels on special things – like the door to their room or their toy box.
• Talk about the letters in your child’s name and where the name comes from.
• Help them create a scrapbook with pictures. Encourage them to write stories under the pictures and talk to you about them.
• Write notes to each other and leave them in interesting places, like on top of their pillow. Ask them to write a reply.
• Help them write to family member or friends.
• Ask them to write about pictures they draw - on paper or on the computer. Or get them to tell you the story and you write it under the picture.
• Make a photo book and get your child to write captions.

Developing Writers:

Here are some activities  your child should be able to carry out with greater independence. However, it is always good to talk with your child about what they have written and in some cases write a response too! 

• Scrapbooks are fun and children love spending time creating them. Old magazine or newspaper pictures about a favourite subject, dogs, your family or your favourite toys, can be glued on to blank pages – with room for captions or stories, too.
• Play with words. Finding and discussing interesting new words can help increase the words your child uses when they write. Look up words in the dictionary or on the Internet or talk to family to find out more about the meaning and of the words.
• Write lists – ‘Things I need from the shop’, ‘Games to play’, ‘Things I want to do in the holidays’.
• Write out recipes or instructions for other people to follow.
• Keep a diary. Your child can draw the pictures or stick in photos too.
• Write letters, cards, notes and emails to friends and family or even the Tooth Fairy – you might write replies sometimes, too.
• Cut out letters from old magazines and newspapers to make messages. Write secret messages for others to find in their lunch box or under their pillow.
• Make up a different ending for a favourite story together and get them to write it down.
• Ask them to write about pictures they draw. Get them to tell you the story.
• Keep envelopes, banking slips, forms you don’t need so that your child can do their own ‘grown up’ writing.