These are some creative writing ideas you can do at home with older children in KS2 (years 3, 4, 5 and 6) although some can also be done with younger children in year 2. All you need is a pen or pencil and some paper. You could even type them up using an electronic device.

1. Write a Haiku poem. This is a style of poem from Japan that has only only 3 lines. Each line is made up of syllables or beats to a word e.g. syll-a-ble has 3 syllables.  Line one needs to have 5 syllables, line 2 to have 7 syllables and line 3 to have 5 syllables. You can make up a Haiku about anything at all but it’s great to write one about something you love or are interested in. There is an example in the photos.
2. Write a detailed setting description of your favourite place or from your favourite story. Anywhere you like! For example you could write one about Hogwarts in Harry Potter or Blackpool beach. In your description could you include metaphors or similes or both (using ‘as’ or ‘like’?) e.g. Her smile was like a ray of sunshine. Could you include expanded noun phrases (e.g. adjective, adjective, adjective, noun. I ate the sweet, icy, scrumptious ice cream.) Could you use personification (e.g. giving an animal or object qualities that a human would have. I saw the waves dancing in the sun.) Make sure you punctuate it correctly using capitals, full stops, commas, question marks, exclamation marks, apostrophes and so on. (Year 2 could do this but they could use their 5 senses to describe and include lots of describing words and noun phrases e.g. sparkly sea or golden sand.)
3. Write a letter to our local Member of Parliament Cat Smith telling her what is great about Lancaster or the area you live in and how we could make it even better.  Consider how you could make it better for you and your friends and also better for our world. For example could you think of ways we could reduce the amount of plastic waste or the amount of water used? How could we have less litter on the streets? Less electric being used? Less traffic and pollution on the roads? What will your suggestions and ideas be? How would you make things better if you were in charge? (Year 2 could do this too.)
4. Write a an amazing story based on one you know and love. For example if you like Billionaire Boy by David Walliams could you change one part to make it your own e.g. change the character of Joe Spud to a girl called Katy Potaty or whoever you like! Or could you change what Joe’s Dad makes his fortune from from toilet paper to something different? Have lots of fun writing it and don’t forget super spelling and perfect punctuation.
5. Write the lyrics to a song. What will it be about? Could it have 3 verses and a chorus that repeats? Can you make up a tune that will go with it? How many lines will be in each verse? Can you make it rhyme?
6. Write a non-fiction report on your favourite animal. Do some research on it using a device you have at home. Could your report have a title, introduction and then be broken down into subheadings and paragraphs? Will you organise your writing by body parts? Habitat? What it eats? How it moves? Can you write a conclusion at the end? Could you include some wow vocabulary? (Year 2 could do this but don’t worry about an introduction, conclusion or subheadings and paragraphs.)
7. Write a riddle made up of a series of clues. The clues need to not give too much away but give small pieces of information that someone could piece together to work out the answer. Each clue should start with ‘I am’ or ‘I have’. Could you make a riddle about a number or shape? E.g. I am an even number. You can multiply me by 4 and get ____ or divide me by 8 and get ________. I am more than _____ and less than __________. I am not a prime number. Your riddle needs to end with ‘What am I?’ (Year 1 or 2 could write their riddle about a shape or animal.)
8. Write an acrostic poem about something you love. You may want to write it about Spring, Easter or Willow Lane School. An acrostic poem has the letters of what it is about (E.g. Spring) down the side and each line starts with each letter in the word. (See example in the photos.)
9. Write instructions on how to play your favourite game, how to make an amazing craft or how to make your favourite food or drink. Break it down into steps in order and write clear, bossy instructions using numbers, imperative verbs, time conjunctions (first, next, then after that, finally) conjunctions (and, but, so, because, when, meanwhile.) to extend and explain further. Can you use pictures and diagrams and include a list of what you need? (Year 2 can do this too.)
10. Write a newspaper report about something you have learnt in your History work e.g. the Romans, the building of Stone Henge, the Viking Invasion or the Ancient Egyptian pyramids. Can you include a headline with alliteration (words starting with the same letter?) Write about what happened, when it happened, why it happened, where it happened and who was involved. Can you write about the events in chronological order? Can you write it in the past tense?