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key stage 2 creative writing ideas

  • Creative Writing Prompts Activities And Resources For Ks1 And Ks2 English

Creative writing prompts – Best activities and resources for KS1 and KS2 English

Schoolboy and teacher in creative writing lesson

Fed up of reading 'and then…', 'and then…' in your children's writing? Try these story starters, structures, worksheets and other fun writing prompt resources for primary pupils…

Laura Dobson

What is creative writing?

How to develop opportunities for writing with choice and freedom, jump to section:.

  • Writing with choice and freedom

Creative writing resources for the classroom

Creative writing prompts.

  • Improving creative writing
  • Overcoming the fear of creative writing

According to the Cambridge English Dictionary, ‘creative’ is ‘producing or using original and unusual ideas’, yet I would argue that in writing there’s no such thing as an original idea – all stories are reincarnations of ones that have gone before.

As writers we learn to be expert magpies – selecting the shiny words, phrases and ideas from other stories and taking them for our own.  

Interestingly, the primary national curriculum does not mention creative writing or writing for pleasure at all and is focused on the skill of writing.

Therefore, if writing creatively and for pleasure is important in your school, it must be woven into your vision for English.

“Interestingly, the Primary National Curriculum does not mention creative writing or writing for pleasure at all”

Creative writing in primary schools can be broken into two parts:

  • writing with choice and freedom
  • developing story writing

Writing with choice and freedom allows children to write about what interests and inspires them.  

Developing story writing provides children with the skills they need to write creatively. In primary schools this is often taught in a very structured way and, particularly in the formative years, can lack opportunities for children to be creative.

Children are often told to retell a story in their own words or tweak a detail such as the setting or the main character.  

Below you’ll find plenty of creative writing prompts, suggestions and resources to help develop both writing for choice and freedom and developing story writing in your classroom. 

Here’s an interesting question to consider: if the curriculum disappeared but children still had the skills to write, would they?

I believe so – they’d still have ideas they wanted to convey and stories they wanted to share.

One of my children enjoys writing and the other is more reluctant to mark make when asked to, but both choose to write. They write notes for friends, song lyrics, stories and even business plans.

So how can we develop opportunities to write with choice and freedom in our classrooms?

Early Years classrooms are full of opportunities for children to write about what interests them, but it’s a rarer sight in KS1 and 2.  

Ask children what they want to write about

Reading for pleasure has quite rightly been prioritised in schools and the impact is clear. Many of the wonderful ideas from The Open University’s Reading For Pleasure site can be used and adapted for writing too.

For example, ask children to create a ‘writing river’ where they record the writing they choose to do across a week.

If pupils like writing about a specific thing, consider creating a short burst writing activity linked to this. The below Harry Potter creative writing activity , where children create a new character and write a paragraph about them, is an example of this approach.

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

If you have a spare 20 minutes, listen to the below conversation with Lucy and Jonathan from HeadteacherChat and Alex from LinkyThinks . They discuss the importance of knowing about children’s interests but also about being a writer yourself.

'The confidence Crisis in Creative Writing.' Lucy and Jonathan chat with Alex from @LinkyThinks https://t.co/VClYxiQhcf — HeadteacherChat (@Headteacherchat) August 9, 2022

Plan in time to pursue personal writing projects 

There are lots of fantastic ideas for developing writing for pleasure in your classrooms on The Writing For Pleasure Centre’s website .

One suggestion is assigning time to pursue personal writing projects. The Meadows Primary School in Madeley Heath, Staffordshire, does this termly and provides scaffolds for children who may find the choice daunting.

Give children a choice about writing implements and paper 

Sometimes the fun is in the novelty. Are there opportunities within your week to give pupils some choices about the materials they use? Ideas could include:

  • little notebooks
  • a roll of paper
  • felt tip pens
  • gel pens  

Write for real audiences 

This is a great way to develop children’s motivation to write and is easy to do.

It could be a blog, a class newsletter or pen pals. Look around in your community for opportunities to write – the local supermarket, a nearby nursing home or the library are often all good starting points.

Have a go yourself

The most successful teachers of story writing write fiction themselves.

Many adults do not write creatively and trying to teach something you have not done yourself in a long time can be difficult. By having a go you can identify the areas of difficulty alongside the thought processes required.  

Treat every child as an author

Time is always a premium in the classroom but equally, we’re all fully aware of the impact of verbal feedback.

One-to-one writing conferences have gained in popularity in primary classrooms and it’s well-worth giving these a go if you haven’t already.

Set aside time to speak to each child about the writing they’re currently constructing. Discuss what’s going well and what they could develop.

If possible, timetable these one-to-one discussions with the whole class throughout the year (ideally more often, if possible).  

Free KS2 virtual visit and resources

Children's authors on Author in your Classroom podcast

Bring best-selling children’s authors directly into your classroom with Author In Your Classroom. It’s a brilliant free podcast series made especially for schools, and there’s loads of free resources to download too.

More than 20 authors have recorded episodes so far, including:

  • Sir Michael Morpurgo
  • Dame Jacqueline Wilson
  • Michael Rosen
  • Joseph Coelho
  • Lauren Child
  • Frank Cottrell-Boyce
  • Benjamin Zephaniah
  • Cressida Cowell
  • Robin Stevens

Creative writing exercises

Rachel Clarke writing templates for primary English

Use these inspiring writing templates from Rachel Clarke to inspire pupils who find it difficult to get their thoughts down on the page. The structured creative writing prompts and activities, which range from writing a ‘ through the portal story ‘ to a character creation activity that involves making your own Top Trumps style cards, will help inexperienced writers to get started.

Storyboard templates and story structures

School pupil drawing a storyboard

Whether it’s short stories, comic strips or filmmaking, every tale needs the right structure to be told well. This storyboard template resource will help your children develop the skills required to add that foundation to their creative writing.

Ten-minute activities 

The idea of fitting another thing into the school day can feel overwhelming, so start with small creative writing activities once a fortnight. Below are a few ideas that have endless possibilities.

Character capers

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

You need a 1-6 dice for this activity. Roll it three to find out who your character is, what their personality is and what job they do, then think about the following:

  • Can you draw them?
  • What questions would you ask them if you met them?
  • What might their answers be?
  • If they were the main character in a story, what might happen?

Download our character capers worksheet .

Setting soup

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

In this activity pupils Look at the four photos and fill in a mind map for one of the settings, focusing on what they’d see, hear, feel, smell and feel in that location. They then write an ingredients list for their setting, such as:

  • A dollop of calmness 
  • A drizzle of a beautiful sunset 
  • A generous helping of a still ocean 
  • Copious amounts of smooth sand 
  • A spattering of lush, green palm trees 

Download our setting soup worksheet .

Use consequences to generate story ideas

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

Start with a game of drawing consequences – this is a great way of building a new character.

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

Next, play a similar game but write a story. Here’s an example . Download our free writing consequences template to get started.

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

Roll and write a story

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

For this quick activity, children roll a dice three times to choose a setting and two characters – for example, a theme park, an explorer and a mythical creature. They then use the results to create an outline for a story.

Got more than ten minutes? Use the outline to write a complete story. Alternatively, use the results to create a book cover and blurb or, with a younger group of children, do the activity as a class then draw or write about the outcome.

Download our roll and write a story worksheet .

Scavenger hunt

Give children something to hide and tell them they have to write five clues in pairs, taking another pair from one clue to the next until the 5th clue leads them to the hidden item.

For a challenge, the clues could be riddles.  

Set up pen pals. This might be with children in another country or school, or it could simply be with another class.

What do pupils want to say or share? It might be a letter, but it could be a comic strip, poem or pop-up book.  

You need a log-in to access Authorfy’s content but it’s free. The website is crammed with every children’s author imaginable, talking about their books and inspirations and setting writing challenges. It’s a great tool to inspire and enthuse.  

There are lots of great resources and videos on Oxford Owl which are free to access and will provide children with quick bursts of creativity.  

Creative writing ideas for KS2

Pie Corbett Ultimate KS2 Fiction Collection

This free Pie Corbett Ultimate KS2 fiction collection is packed with original short stories from the man himself, and a selection of teaching resources he’s created to accompany each one.

Each creative writing activity will help every young writer get their creative juices flowing and overcome writer’s block.

WAGOLL text types

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

​Support pupils when writing across a whole range of text types and genres with these engaging writing packs from Plazoom , differentiated for KS1, LKS2 and UKS2.

They feature:

  • model texts (demonstrating WAGOLL for learners)
  • planning guides
  • writing templates
  • themed paper

Each one focuses on a particular kind of text, encouraging children to make appropriate vocabulary, register and layout choices, and produce the very best writing of which they are capable, which can be used for evidence of progress.

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

If you teach KS2, start off by exploring fairy tales with a twist , or choose from 50+ other options .

Scaffolds and plot types

Creative writing scaffolds and plot types resource pack

A great way to support children with planning stories with structures, this creative writing scaffolds and plot types resource pack contains five story summaries, each covering a different plot type, which they can use as a story idea.

It has often been suggested that there are only seven basic plots a story can use, and here you’ll find text summaries for five of these:

  • Overcoming the monster
  • Rags to riches
  • Voyage and return

After familiarising themselves with these texts, children can adapt and change these stories to create tales of their own.

Use story starters

If some children still need a bit of a push in the right direction, check out our 6 superb story starters to develop creative writing skills . This list features a range of free story starter resources, including animations (like the one above) and even the odd iguana…

Use word mats to inspire

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

Help pupils to write independently by providing them with helpful vocabulary sheets that they can pick and choose from when doing their own creative writing.

Download our free creative writing word mats here , including:

  • Create a spooky atmosphere
  • Write an adventure story
  • Describe a character’s appearance
  • Describe a character’s personality
  • Describe how a character moves
  • Describe how a character speaks
  • Describe a mythical beast

Creative writing pictures

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

Using images as writing prompts is nothing new, but it’s fun and effective.

Pobble 365 has an inspiring photo for every day of the year. These are great inspiration for ten-minute free writing activities. You need to log in to Pobble but access to Pobble 365 (the pictures) is free.  

Choose two pictures as prompts (you can access every picture for the year in the calendar) or provide children with a range of starter prompts.

For example, with the photo above you might ask children to complete one of the following activities: 

  • Continue the story using the story starters on Pobble. 
  • Write down what your dream day would include. 
  • Create a superhero called Dolphin Dude.  
  • If you didn’t need to breath when swimming underwater, what would you do? Write about your dream day. It might include rivers, lakes, swimming pools, the seas or oceans.  
  • If you had a super power, what would it be and why?  

The Literacy Shed

Creative writing prompt of children walking down leafy tunnel

Website The Literacy Shed has a page dedicated to interesting pictures for creative writing . There are winter scenes, abandoned places, landscapes, woodlands, pathways, statues and even flying houses.

The Literacy Shed also hosts video clips for inspiring writing and is choc-full of ways to use them. The Night Zookeeper Shed is well worth a visit. There are short videos, activities and resources to inspire creative writing.

Once Upon a Picture

Creative writing picture prompt featuring flying whale

Once Upon a Picture is another site packed with creative writing picture prompts , but its focus is more on illustrations than photography, so its offering is great for letting little imaginations soar.

Each one comes with questions for kids to consider, or activities to carry out.

How to improve creative writing

Developing story writing .

If you decided to climb a mountain, in order to be successful you’d need to be well-equipped and you’d need to have practised with smaller climbs first.

The same is true of creative writing: to be successful you need to be well-equipped with the skills of writing and have had plenty of opportunities to practise.  

As a teachers you need to plan with this in mind – develop a writing journey which allows children to learn the art of story writing by studying stories of a similar style, focusing on how effects are created and scaffolding children’s writing activities so they achieve success.  

  • Choose a focus When planning, consider what skill you want to embed for children and have that as your focus throughout the sequence of learning. For example, if you teach Y4 you might decide to focus on integrating speech into stories. When your class looks at a similar story, draw their attention to how the author uses speech and discuss how it advances the action and shows you more about the characters. During the sequence, your class can practise the technical side of writing speech (new line/new speaker, end punctuation, etc). When they come to write their own story, your success criteria will be focused on using speech effectively. By doing this, the skill of using speech is embedded. If you chose to focus on ALL the elements of story writing that a Y4 child should be using (fronted adverbials, conjunctions, expanded noun phrases, etc), this might lead to cognitive overload.
  • Plan in chances to be creative Often teachers plan three writing opportunities: one where children retell the story, one with a slight difference (eg a different main character) and a final one where children invent their own story. However, in my experience, the third piece of writing often never happens because children have lost interest or time has run out. If we equip children with the skills, we must allow them time to use them.
  • Utilise paired writing Children love to collaborate and by working in pairs it actually helps develop independence. Give it a go!  
  • Find opportunities for real audiences Nothing is more motivating than knowing you will get to share your story with another class, a parent or the local nursing home.
  • Use high-quality stimuli If your focus is speech, find a great novel for kids that uses speech effectively. There are so many excellent children’s stories available that there’s no need to write your own.
  • Use magpie books This is somewhere where children can note down any great words or phrases they find from their reading. It will get them reading as a writer. 

Below is a rough outline of a planning format that leads to successful writing opportunities.

This sequence of learning takes around three weeks but may be longer or shorter, depending on the writing type.  

Before planning out the learning, decide on up to three key focuses for the sequence. Think about the potential learning opportunities that the stimuli supports (eg don’t focus on direct speech if you’re writing non-chronological reports ).  

Ways to overcome fear of creative writing

Many children are inhibited in their writing for a variety of reasons. These include the all-too-familiar ‘fear of the blank page’ (“I can’t think of anything to write about!” is a common lament), trying to get all the technical aspects right as they compose their work (a sense of being ‘overwhelmed’), and the fact that much of children’s success in school is underpinned by an ethos of competitiveness and comparison, which can lead to a fear of failure and a lack of desire to try.

Any steps we can take to diminish these anxieties means that children will feel increasingly motivated to write, and so enjoy their writing more. This in turn will lead to the development of skills in all areas of writing, with the broader benefits this brings more generally in children’s education.

Here are some easily applied and simple ideas from author and school workshop provider Steve Bowkett for boosting self-confidence in writing.

  • Keep it creative Make creative writing a regular activity. High priority is given to spelling, punctuation and grammar, but these need a context to be properly understood. Teaching the technicalities of language without giving children meaningful opportunities to apply them is like telling people the names of a car engine’s parts without helping them learn to drive.
  • Model the behaviour In other words, when you want your class to write a story or poem, have a go yourself and be upfront about the difficulties you encounter in trying to translate your thoughts into words.
  • Go easy on the grammar Encourage children to write without them necessarily trying to remember and apply a raft of grammatical rules. An old saying has it that we should ‘learn the rules well and then forget them’. Learning how to use punctuation, for instance, is necessary and valuable, but when children try and apply the rules consciously and laboriously as they go along, the creative flow can be stifled. Consideration of rules should, however, be an important element of the editing process.
  • Keep assessment focused Where you do require children to focus on rules during composition, pick just one or two they can bear in mind as they write. Explain that you will mark for these without necessarily correcting other areas of GaPS. Not only will this save you time, but also children will be spared the demotivating sight of their writing covered in corrections (which many are unlikely to read).
  • Value effort If a child tries hard but produces work that is technically poor, celebrate his achievement in making an effort and apply the old ‘three stars and a wish’ technique to the work by finding three points you can praise followed by noting one area where improvements can be made.
  • Leave room for improvement Make clear that it’s fine for children to change their minds, and that there is no expectation for them to ‘get it all right’ first time. Show the class before and after drafts from the work of well-known poets and extracts from stories. Where these have been hand written, they are often untidy and peppered with crossings out and other annotations as the writers tried to clarify their thoughts. If you have the facilities, invite children to word process their stories using the ‘track changes’ facility. Encourage children to show their workings out, as you would do in maths.
  • Don’t strive for perfection Slay the ‘practice makes perfect’ dragon. It’s a glib phrase and also an inaccurate one. Telling children that practice makes better is a sound piece of advice. But how could we ever say that a story or poem is perfect? Even highly experienced authors strive to improve.
  • Come back later Leave some time – a couple of days will do – between children writing a piece and editing or redrafting it. This is often known as the ‘cooling off’ period. Many children will find that they come back to their work with fresh eyes that enable them to pick out more errors, and with new ideas for improving the piece structurally.
  • Try diamond 9 Use the diamond ranking tool to help children assess their own work. Give each child some scraps of paper or card and have them write on each an aspect of their writing, such as creating strong characters, controlling pace and tension, describing places and things, using ‘punchy’ verbs etc. Supply these elements as necessary, but allow children some leeway to think of examples of their own. Now ask each child to physically arrange these scraps according to how effectively they were used in the latest piece of work. So two writing elements that a child thinks are equally strong will be placed side by side, while an aspect of the work a child is pleased with will be placed above one that he / she is not so happy with.
  • Keep it varied Vary the writing tasks. By this I mean it’s not necessary to ask children always to write a complete story. Get them to create just an opening scene for example, or a vivid character description, or an exciting story climax. If more-reluctant writers think they haven’t got to write much they might be more motivated to have a go. Varying the tasks also helps to keep the process of writing fresh, while the results can form resource banks (of characters, scenes, etc) for future use.
  • Help each other Highlight the idea that everyone in the class, including yourself, forms a community of writers. Here, difficulties can be aired, advice can be shared and successes can be celebrated as we all strive to ‘dare to do it and do our best’.

Browse more ideas for National Writing Day .

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25 Creative Writing Prompts For KS1 And KS2

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While they may not be in the classroom currently, teaching children the benefits of learning to write creatively is a fantastic way to boost their confidence, and help them develop reading and problem-solving skills.

These resources and prompts are aimed to help children come up with new and exciting ideas for stories and to consider all the different elements of storytelling.

So, kids can head over to heir home study space, wherever it may be, and experiment to their heart's content with these fun writing prompts.

Top Tip: Why not check out this post written by a real children's author, with many more tips on how children can write their very own storybooks?

Writing Ideas For Key Stage One Children (Ages 5-7)

With KS1 children, it's a great idea to use their interests and surroundings as inspiration for their creative writing. Coming up with a whole new story can be a big challenge, so the ideas and activities are aimed to help KS1 children to consider one or two things they are really interested in writing, before they create their stories:

  • Imagine your favourite toy came to life! What would a day in their life look like? Where would they go and what would they get up to? What would their favourite meals be, and what would their voice sound like?
  • Describe the place you live as if you were talking to an alien from another planet. How can you recognise where it is? What is inside? What are all the different things used for and what are some funny human habits that aliens would find interesting?
  • Write about the best day out ever. It can be real or just a fantasy day out that you would love to do in the future.
  • Imagine a monster came over for dinner. What would they look like? What is their name? What would they eat and how would they eat it?
  • Write a letter to your favourite character. Whether it's from a movie, TV show, book or play, imagine what you would write if they were your pen pal.
  • Design your own animal, and write a short description about it. Maybe it has lots of fangs, or pink fur. Perhaps it's a mixture of lots of other animals. Draw out a picture of your animal, and then write a short paragraph to describe what it's called, where it lives, what it eats and what it does for fun!
  • Think about your favourite book character. Write a short story about what they got up to after the end of the book.

Develop these ideas further by:

-Incorporating the creatures you've invented into a new story.

-Making illustrations to accompany your description of your day out.

-Storyboarding your ideas, to make a cartoon-like sequence of events with images and text.

Writing Ideas For Key Stage 2 Children (Ages 7-11)

Even if English isn't their favourite subject, there are lots of ways to help KS2 aged children get interested in storytelling and creative writing. By allowing kids to select their own books to read away from the classroom, they can figure out which genres and writing styles they enjoy the most.

Exposing children to new ideas and techniques through encouraging reading books, will also, in turn, help their writing abilities to blossom.

A good way to prepare children for these activities is to search online for books they enjoy, and let them pick one or two to read.

This will allow them to get familiar with the type of writing they enjoy. The following ideas are suggestions intended to aid creative thinking and spark inspiration for whatever direction children want to take their stories in:

  • What would a day on Earth be like if mythical creatures existed? What would day-to-day be life if dragons, unicorns, mermaids and fairies wandered the streets? Write a short story about a day in your life, if mythical creatures were around.
  • Imagine you were small as a bug. Describe the world from your new perspective. Do you have interactions with people? Insects or animals? Where do you go? Do you discover you have any insect-like abilities?
  • Imagine you woke up one day with a superpower. What is it? Are you able to turn invisible, read minds, or fly? What is the first thing you would do with your new power and what would a day in your life look like?
  • Write a diary entry as if you had travelled to another period of time. Is it Victorian England, Ancient Egypt or perhaps the Middle Ages? How do you blend in, and what new things do you learn?
  • A rocket launches you to an unknown planet. You find a civilisation of aliens have already made it their own and they welcome you. Describe your experience, what you see, and what happens next. Write a short story about your adventures.

The following prompts are suggestions of an opening line that kids can use at the beginning of their story, and continue on from:

  • 'The dark figure began to emerge from the mist. She could see the outline of a human-like figure as it started to get closer...'
  • 'Simon did his homework, liked skateboarding and his favourite food was pizza. He thought he was an ordinary boy, until...'
  • 'Deep beneath the North Sea, hidden away from human eyes, lies a great secret...'
  • 'The door was painted white, with cracked paint and a small golden handle. I couldn't help but wonder what was inside...'
  • 'The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the street outside was hot and quiet. But everything was about to change...  

Develop these ideas by:

-Creating illustrations to go alongside your story. Show what your characters and landscapes would look like, and make them correspond with the story.

-Thinking about other books you've been reading. How would the character you've written interact with a character from one of your favourite books?

-Making a character profile of the characters in your stories. What are their interests and hobbies? What do they like to wear? What books and films do they like? Create a drawing of your character in the middle of the page, and label different things about them in a profile down the side.

-Doing a character swap. Imagine your character found themselves in the world of another book, or vice versa. What would happen next?

-Design a front and back cover for your book. Consider the title, blurb and cover illustrations. Perhaps even make an author profile too!

For five quick and easy creative writing tasks, download your prompt sheet below!

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Sarah Hallam Diploma of Education, Fine Arts, Bachelor of Arts specializing in Illustration and Visual media

With a Diploma in Education specializing in Fine Arts (Painting) and a Bachelor of Arts specializing in Illustration and Visual media from the University of Arts London, Sarah previously was a London-based teacher who brought her passion for art and culture to the classroom. Her creative endeavors include painting classes and experimenting with new recipes. She draws inspiration from the world around her and enjoys sharing her knowledge with others while sipping a cup of tea.

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Home > Resources > KS2 RESOURCE PACK: Creative Writing with Jacqueline Wilson

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

KS2 RESOURCE PACK: Creative Writing with Jacqueline Wilson

Key stage and subjects, what’s the story.

Jacqueline Wilson has written over 100 books – so now it is over to you! This pack includes creative writing advice from Jacqueline Wilson, broken into five sections so you can create your story over a series of lessons.

This resource pack includes:

Lesson 1: Big ideas

  • Individual warm-up
  • Setting the scene

Lesson 2: creating characters

  • Small group warm-up: freeze frame 3d characters
  • Character wheels

Lesson 3: the beginning – starting a story

  • Warm-up: classroom adventure
  • Analysing the opening of ‘my mum tracy beaker’

Lesson 4: The middle – making something happen

  • Discussion warm-up: fairy tale problems
  • Solving problems
  • Storyboarding

Lesson 5: The end – finishing the story

  • Small group warm-up: film trailers
  • Completing a plot graph The final touches

Work sheets

  • Story hat ideas
  • Storyboard template Plot graphs

Get the KS2 RESOURCE PACK: Creative Writing with Jacqueline Wilson

Related books, four children and it, my mum tracy beaker.

Jacqueline Wilson, Nick Sharratt

The Get Creative Journal

Jacqueline Wilson, Nick Sharratt (Illustrator)

Who makes Puffin Schools?

Tag on the top needs the closed class if you start as expanded, leave data-collapsed="false" attribute, its used in the css --> puffin schools has been created by the children’s publisher puffin to help bring together all the inspiring content we create for schools into one place. fa-angle-down--> what ages are the books on puffin schools for, tag on the top needs the closed class if you start as expanded, leave data-collapsed="false" attribute, its used in the css --> the books on this website will range from those for eyfs through to primary and up to lower secondary school. you can discover our full range of books at puffin.co.uk fa-angle-down--> what is puffin, tag on the top needs the closed class if you start as expanded, leave data-collapsed="false" attribute, its used in the css --> puffin is an imprint of penguin random house, the world’s number-one publisher representing a vibrant community of publishing houses marked by unparalleled success. through our world of stories, puffin aims to open up the world to every child. our mission is to inspire children to feel they can be and do anything, and to create readers for life. puffin started out as a non-fiction publisher, with its first title appearing in 1940. as the most iconic and well-known children’s book brand in the uk today, we are always on the lookout for innovative ways to tell the world’s favourite stories and for brilliant new debut talent and brands that connect with today’s young readers, from newborn up to twelve years old. we publish a diverse and wide range of fiction, non-fiction, picture books and children’s classics. our list includes some of the world’s favourite authors, illustrators and licensed brands, such as eric carle, helen oxenbury, nadia shireen, the snowman, doctor who, roald dahl, tom fletcher, jeff kinney, rick riordan, robin stevens, and jacqueline wilson to name but a few. fa-angle-down--> what’s the connection between ladybird, puffin and penguin, tag on the top needs the closed class if you start as expanded, leave data-collapsed="false" attribute, its used in the css --> ladybird, puffin and penguin are imprints of penguin random house uk. across their extensive list, we believe there is a story for every child, everywhere. you can find information about books for all ages at penguin.co.uk fa-angle-down--> where can i buy puffin books from, tag on the top needs the closed class if you start as expanded, leave data-collapsed="false" attribute, its used in the css --> all the books featured on this website can be purchased in the usual way: as well as being available on the high street and online, you can find lots of brilliant offers via school-specific suppliers and wholesale retailers. fa-angle-down--> how do i get in contact with a member of the puffin schools team, tag on the top needs the closed class if you start as expanded, leave data-collapsed="false" attribute, its used in the css --> whether you’ve got a brilliant idea for a lesson, a photograph of something incredible you’ve done at your school or just have a question, please email  [email protected] and a member of the team will get back to you as soon as possible . fa-angle-down--> what’s happened to puffin virtually live, tag on the top needs the closed class if you start as expanded, leave data-collapsed="false" attribute, its used in the css --> the story-makers show  was known as puffin virtually live  up until march 2019. the content and ambition of the show remains the same: to give every pupil the opportunity to engage with authors and illustrators in their own classroom using the power of the internet. we’ve re-named puffin virtually live  so that it’s easier for new teachers to discover it as part of puffin schools and to acknowledge that the show now premieres on show day, rather than being streamed live. fa-angle-down--> what’s happened to my puffin virtually live account, tag on the top needs the closed class if you start as expanded, leave data-collapsed="false" attribute, its used in the css --> your account for puffin virtually live has been deactivated as it is no longer a feature of the puffin schools website. if you were registered for the newsletter, you will now receive the puffin schools newsletter, which is filled with all the latest information about accompanying resources and upcoming shows. if you do not wish to receive it any longer then please unsubscribe. fa-angle-down--> which video platform is the story-makers show hosted on.

Mighty Writer Blog

7 techniques for generating story writing ideas in ks2, key stage 2 is a great time for children..

Typically, they will have settled into the flow of learning new subjects, and as KS2 teachers you get to help them flourish by practising, repeating and refining their learnt skills. When it comes to teaching literacy this also means encouraging your class’s creativity. 

However, on occasion creativity can be hard to come by and story writing lessons might not produce the outcomes you were hoping for. To help you combat this, here are some techniques and ideas to help you inspire your class with creative writing tasks.  

1. Create a Classroom Story Generator 

child writing or colouring on paper with coloured pencils

Write the ideas on paper and cut them out, then fold them up so you can’t see what’s written on them.

Find three bags (or any kind of container). Place all the folded character ideas in the first bag, the scenes in the second and the situations/tasks in the third. Ask each pupil to come up and draw a folded piece of paper from each bag. This will be the start of their story. Alternatively, you could build up five story-starting sentences from the bags and write them on the board. Your class could then choose which story they want to write.

Here are some examples to get you started:

You can tailor the ideas to suit your pupils’ abilities, age and preferences, which should really help to spark their imaginations.

2.  Watch or Listen

It doesn’t have to be long or have any dialogue, but showing a short film to your class may help to trigger inspiration. Luckily there are literally millions of free videos available for this kind of thing. Vet them first to make sure they are completely suitable for your class, then turn down the lights and press play. You can show the video more than once, maybe asking the children to write notes on the second viewing which will help to inspire their stories. 

Alternatively try playing a piece of instrumental music and ask your class to imagine what might be happening. Write their ideas and thoughts on the board and ask them to use this as the inspiration for a story.

3.  Folklore and Fairy Tales 

green cartoon dragon

4.  Storyboards

You’re not asking your class to be artists; they can use simple stick figures and words to get their ideas down on paper. But asking your class to draw out their ideas will help them generate some interesting story twists. By getting the structure of their stories down on paper in a sequence, they will know the beginning, middle and end of their stories so when they come to start writing it out there’s not an ounce of KS2 writers block in sight!

5.  A Newspaper Clipping

Newspapers can be a huge source of inspiration. Interesting or unusual stories can be cut out and stuck into a scrap book to bring out and show your class in times of creative need! Alternatively, you could show your whole class a newspaper clipping and ask them all to write a story about the same extract.

6.  Rewrite A Known Story 

Rewriting a known story with a different ending or a different character is a great way to generate inspiration. This technique for generating story ideas can’t fail to produce results since the possibilities are endless!

For example:

Picture books

  • What if Little Red Riding Hood lived in a jungle instead of a forest?
  • What if the three little pigs were the three little wolves instead, and the big bad pig wanted to eat them for his dinner?
  • What if Hansel and Gretel were actually the bad ones and wanted to eat the old lady?
  • What if you asked your class to swap the characters in one story with the characters in another – Snow White and the Magic Beans, Jack and the Seven Dwarves. Let your class’s imaginations run free and look forward to reading the end results!

7.  Let the Children Choose

Set some homework for the children to go away and think of something they care about, something they are interested in, something which makes them happy, sad or angry and why that is. You could ask them to find a picture or a news story themselves which sparks their interest or emotion.

From the ideas generated at home, ask them to write a story in class. Passion is a wonderful muse after all, so if the children choose a topic that they really care about you should end up with some very good results!

How Can Mighty Writer Help?

If you want to take your pupils' writing skills to the next level, consider using Mighty Writer. This innovative resource is designed to make writing fun and engaging for young learners, while also developing their core literacy skills. With Mighty Writer, your pupils will love writing and you'll love the results! 

Want to learn more about the Mighty Writer resource? Download our free Teachers Guide by clicking the link below!

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32 good story starters for KS2 and free writing

Young girl story writing

We’ve put together some good story starters for KS2 to help your pupils with writer’s block. We’ve also got KS1 story starters covered too, if you have some younger pupils.

Read past the story starters and you’ll also find a guide to free writing that you can use alongside the story starters. Jump start your story writing lessons in KS2 today!

What are story starters?

A word or words that begins a story. Intentionally opened ended, they point children towards a particular theme or situation and can remove the tricky initial phase of story writing.

Ideal story starters for KS2

  • The three of them peered into the dark cave.
  • Suddenly, it turned around and faced her.
  • Time stopped. People stopped. Cars stopped. Everything around me paused, frozen in time.
  • The creature screamed and ran towards them.
  • Her stomach dropped.
  • I had never seen an alien. But I guess there’s a first time for everything.
  • Am I in hell?
  • As he walked along the cold, dark night, a rustling began from the trees…
  • Then, a flash.
  • Ben is 8, but in his world, that means something very different.
  • This time she woke up early to try and catch it out. The clock struck 7. It was time…
  • A hot, tingling sensation worked it’s way up my spine. It couldn’t be, could it?
  • It was exactly as I feared.
  • “We’ve been waiting a long time” Mum said. “Where on earth has he got to?”
  • I sat on the grass and watched as it flailed in the wind.
  • It was the smell that hit her first. She knew, long before she could see it, exactly what was next.
  • He dashed down the stairs, as fast as his legs could carry him. The post had arrived, but was it what he’d hoped for?
  • “Help!” A frightened shriek came from inside. I crept towards the door…
  • “Can you see that?” He asked. I could barely believe it, but…
  • It was a cold and miserable morning. The clouds were low and chill and setting in. But still, we couldn’t stop due to the weather.
  • “Welcome.” We all looked round in awe. “This is the future.”
  • That familiar feeling returned, as if I was being watched. What was out there?
  • The rumours were true. The warnings were real and the time has come. Were we ready for what was about to happen?
  • The three friends set out on their journey, with nothing but each other to help them for what lied ahead.
  • The car lurched down the road when suddenly a thud came from below.
  • The tap on my shoulder woke me. “Shhh” she said with a finger pressed to her lips. “Follow me”.
  • Outside, the sun was shining, with children and adults alike basking in its warm glow. For Caroline, she could only watch on with her nose pressed against the window.
  • Sally looked around the spaceship, eyes widening with each step. She had never seen anything like it.
  • “Will you keep it down!” Grandpa thudded from downstairs with his walking stick. But of course, it wasn’t me making all the noise.
  • It was the first time I’d been on holiday. I stood for a moment and took it all in. The first thing I noticed was…
  • Outside, the leaves were falling and the grass was turning into a murky brown. Out went summer barbecues and in came Autumn dew.
  • I felt an odd sensation in my shoe.

All children need is a tiny prod in the right direction and they will come back with the most amazing tales for you to laugh, cringe, wince or cry at! Feel free to expand upon and adapt our examples; we are only prodding you to get the creative juices flowing.

Free writing to help with story writing

If after you have given children story starters, they are still struggling, it could be a confidence issue. Free writing is a fantastic way of freeing children of their own worries over their own writing.

Principles of free writing

Free writing is pretty much what it says on the tin. But there are some principles to stand by to ensure free writing has the desired effect of kick-starting creative juices. Children are given a writing implement (whatever they feel most comfortable with) and something to write on and told to write. Just write. Here’s a few pointers to make clear to children before they begin.

  • Don’t stop writing during the allotted time.
  • You’re going to time the free write and encourage those who stop to think to keep going.
  • If that means writing the same word or letters over and over until a new thought comes into the writer’s head, then so be it.
  • The work won’t be marked, or even looked at if the writer doesn’t want it to.
  • Spelling, punctuation and grammar doesn’t matter.

Last tip: if your class are adhering to the rules okay, have a go yourself! It’s really good practice to have a go at the activity you expect your pupils to have a go at, plus it’s really enjoyable!

It’s good to start off with short one-minute bursts of free writing in the beginning. Demonstrate you mean what you say with marking, SPaG and reading out: it’s an unusual experience for pupils for their work not to be scrutinised. This activity will help pupils empty their head of worries, ruminating thoughts and distractions from their writing. It might also provide them with inspiration for story writing. Have a go at free writing before beginning any creative writing session, or even use it to begin a story. Provide them with the story starter and then get them to continue the story writing during the free write. It’s only a minute or two and could make all the difference to their writing.

<a href="https://blog.hope-education.co.uk/author/amber-vaccianna/" target="_self">Amber Vaccianna</a>

Amber Vaccianna

Hope Education writer

Ideas for Teaching & Learning | Primary

23 september 2020.

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Creative writing and fiction

Once upon a time

Enjoying a wide range of fiction and being able to write stories are core primary school literacy objectives. In this section you'll find lots of expert advice as well as fun and engaging creative writing resources to encourage your child to write their own stories and develop their phonics , grammar and reading skills.

Fire your child's imagination with these creative writing resources for your child

Explore a range of unique resources to help your child develop their creative writing skills. Find out how creative writing is taught in school and discover ways to inspire your child to inject that special spark into their story writing. You'll also find worksheets that focus on the creative writing objectives and skills for each school year, including how to structure a story, express character feeling and improving descriptions by adding powerful verbs.

We also have planning frames, story templates and writing tasks for each school year, and if you want even more engaging and in-depth resources to encourage your budding author, download our KS1 and KS2 creative writing toolkits! You'll also find out how reading and writing are assessed , what reading schemes are and how to foster a love of reading that will last your child a lifetime.

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Children have such amazing imaginations and make up stories all the time. Encouraging them to write them down can be more of a challenge though! To encourage the budding writer in your home to put pen to paper, why not look at these:

  • Story writing planning cards
  • Writing an adventure story
  • Adventure story starter
  • Describing a story setting
  • Dilemma story starter
  • Understanding story maps
  • Completing a story map
  • Introduction to story characters
  • Empathising with story characters

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

Storytelling: building the next generation of fiction writers

  • Storytelling for Early Years Foundation Stage children
  • Storytelling support for KS1 children
  • Storytelling ideas for KS2

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

Encourage budding authors with our KS1 and KS2 creative writing toolkits!

Bursting with fill-in prompt sheets and inspiring ideas to get even the most reluctant writer started, the KS1 Creative Writing Toolkit is the perfect way to encourage children aged 5 to 7 to put pen to paper. And if your KS2 child longs to write stories, download our KS2 Creative Writing Toolkit , packed with gorgeously-illustrated pages to write on, is what you need to inspire them.

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

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Writers for Life: Enhancing progress in KS2 writing

IPEELL writing

What is Writers for Life?

Writers for life is our new intervention designed to Increase the writing skills and confidence of children in Key Stage 2 using self-motivation and metacognitive skills.

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Writing provides a valuable vehicle for children to express ideas, thoughts and feelings and to deepen understanding. It plays a vital role in learning and academic attainment.

However, our research has shown that since 2021, writing enjoyment has dropped to its lowest levels in over ten years.

Building on our existing success in supporting and developing primary writing , we have designed this new intervention which aims to improve writing quality and empower children to take ownership of the writing process. Core approaches drawn from the whole-school IPEELL programme have been adapted to meet the needs of children that will benefit from focused teaching to accelerate progress towards age-related expectations.

Writers for Life will support teachers to build pupils' engagement with writing, developing their skills, confidence, independence and enjoyment. Based on the IPEELL approach , it uses memorable experiences, develops positive attitudes and draws upon Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) to improve pupils’ writing.

Who should use Writers for Life?

The intervention is aimed at teachers and teaching assistants supporting children in upper Key Stage 2 who have low prior attainment or lack writing stamina.

Writers for Life can be used as both a complement to reinforce IPEELL or as a standalone intervention for less confident writers.

How it works

Writers for Life offers a streamlined, fully planned set of three learning sequences each made up of five sessions.

Lesson content and supporting tools have been carefully designed to reduce cognitive load, allowing children to focus on approaches that support independence in writing across a range of text types.

Teachers will be provided with an intervention facilitator’s manual and two webinars to support pupils’ progress.

Why use Writers for Life?

Based on eef research in partnership with the calderdale excellence partnership, can be used across different text types in all subject areas, works with existing teaching methods, provides a structure to help organise pupils’ writing, provides a method for pupils to evaluate their work, provides a framework for children to take ownership of the writing process, accessing the writing intervention.

The cost of the intervention is £350 per school and it can be used for groups of up to 10 children. Schools that participated in Improving Writing in KS2 (IPEELL) will receive a £50 discount.

The programme provides:

  • Teaching materials including a handbook and sample text types
  • Pupil-facing resources
  • A year of National Literacy Trust premium membership
  • Training webinars

New dates scheduled for Writers for Life

The next round of training will take place on Monday 1 July 2024 via Zoom :

  • Session one: 9.30 - 11.30
  • Session two: 12.30 - 14.30
"...Pupils are exposed to a range of genres and build their experience and understanding through explicit success criteria. Pupils are confident and enthusiastic writers and current books show that pupils are making good progress in their writing." Ofsted (2017) following an inspection of a school which has implemented the IPEELL structure in classroom practice.

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

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https://www.talkforwritingshop.com/product-page/how-to-teach-fiction-writing-at-key-stage-2

How to Teach Fiction Writing Pie Corbett 9781853468339

How to Teach Fiction Writing at Key Stage 2 is a practical manual designed to help teachers of junior classes to focus on key aspects of developing children’s story writing. It presents a series of essential writing workshops full of creative ideas and fun activities, and advice including how to monitor NLS links.

What are the writing genres and their features in Key Stage 2?

by Danielle | Feb 22, 2024 | Blog , Creative Writing | 0 comments

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

Here are the main writing genres your children will learn during primary school education and their key features:

Narrative/Story Writing:

  • Story start, build up, problem and resolution.
  • Characters, setting, and plot development.
  • Descriptive language to paint a vivid picture.
  • Chronological sequencing of events.
  • Use of dialogue for character conversations.
  • Written in 1st or 3rd person.
  • Usually past tense.
  • Includes story continuation.

Descriptive Writing:

  • Detailed descriptions of people, places, objects, or events.
  • Sensory language engaging sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.
  • Use of vivid adjectives and adverbs.
  • Use of literary devices and figurative language.
  • Organised structure with a clear focus.
  • Usually written in 3rd person.
  • Creative use of language, rhythm, and rhyme.
  • Imagery and figurative language (similes, metaphors).
  • Short lines and stanzas.
  • Emotional expression and focus on feelings.
  • Varied poetic forms (haiku, acrostic, free verse).

Plays and Scripts:

  • Character names presented appropriately.
  • Stage directions in brackets.
  • No quotation marks.
  • Acts and scenes.
  • Setting description.
  • Engaging plot, with clear beginning, middle and end.

Explanation Writing

  • Clear introduction outlining the topic.
  • Explanation of the topic presented in clear and logical order.
  • Use of headings and sub-headings.
  • Facts and statistics to support writing.
  • May include diagrams and charts.
  • Technical vocabulary related to the topic.
  • Clear paragraphs.

Information Writing

  • Introduction of the main topic to be discussed.
  • Organised structure with paragraphs for different points.
  • Use of facts, examples, and details to explain a topic.
  • Subheadings and bullet points for clarity.
  • Conclusion summarising key points.

Biographical and Autobiographical Writing

  • 1st person (autobiographical) and 3rd person (biographical).
  • Written in chronological order, with description of events.
  • Factual (biographical), emotions and reflections (autobiographical).
  • Formal writing.

Persuasive Writing

  • Clear opinion stated in the introduction.
  • Arguments supported by reasons and evidence.
  • Strong conclusion urging the reader to take action.

Discussion Writing

  • Introduction, outlining the topic.
  • Paragraphs, each focussing on a different idea.
  • Balanced discussion, showing both sides of the argument.
  • Evidence and examples to support viewpoints.
  • Conclusion, summarising the topic and reaching an overall conclusion.

Letter Writing

  • Appropriate greeting.
  • Clear purpose for writing (e.g., thank, inquire, share information).
  • Well-organised paragraphs.
  • Understanding of audience (formal or informal writing).

Diary Writing

  • 1st person.
  • Past tense.
  • Chronological events.
  • Informal language.
  • Expressing emotion.
  • Some descriptive details.

Reports (Newspaper etc)

  • Introduction, body, and conclusion structure.
  • Headings and subheadings for different sections.
  • Use of facts, research, and details to present information.
  • Organised in a logical and sequential manner.
  • Unbiased information.

Are you interested in supporting your child further with creative writing?

Our creative writing clubs and courses run online for families and also as after-school clubs in schools. To find out more about our online courses, please visit our Upcoming Courses. If you are a school interested in hearing about our after-school clubs, please visit our Schools page, or send us an email at [email protected].

key stage 2 creative writing ideas

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Creative writing pack

Creative writing cover

A versatile KS4 pack filled with teaching ideas and activities to help students at different stages of creative writing. The pack includes essential sections on sentences, the use of tenses and suggestions for tackling 'problem' areas of writing, from sense based writing to using pictures as prompts. Practical support to inspire your students.

What's included?

  • KS4 curriculum assessment objective map
  • lesson plans and ideas along with tailor-made resources.

What's inside?

Introduction (page 1)

  • Summary of pack

Getting students started (page 2)

Generating an idea for a story (page 3)

Tenses (page 4)

Narrative point of view page 4-5)

Varying sentences (page 6)

Improving vocabulary and descriptions (pages 7-8)

Conflict (page 9)

Beginnings (page 10)

Plans and planning (page 10)

Resources (pages 11-83)

  • Law and order in Britannica
  • Packing your bag
  • Encounter with Gromitz’ spy
  • Getting across to Tongwe Island
  • Extract from Beast Quest – Krabb, Master of the Sea, by Adam Blade
  • How to have TipTop paragraphing skills
  • Diary Openings
  • Dead Trial by Matthew Green
  • An Active Imagination by Virginia E. Zimmer

This is a sample student activity from the KS4  Creative Writing pack:

When writing one way of making sure that your work is interesting and engaging is to vary your sentence lengths. This activity is a fun way of practising this skill. 

1. Write down your mobile phone number.  If there are any zeros in it then change these to any number of your choice between 1 and 9.  If you don’t have a mobile phone, use your home phone number.

2. Choose one of the following titles:

Christmas     The Mistake Theft Loneliness

3. Select one of the following genres:

Horror     Fantasy Romance     Comedy

4. Write a paragraph for your selected title and genre making sure that the number of words in your sentences follows the pattern of your telephone number.  For example, if your telephone number is 447798146372, then the first sentence must contain 4 words only, the second also 4 words, the third seven words etc.

Writing under these artificial constraints will help you to focus on sentence structure.  It will also demonstrate to you how varying sentence length can make your writing more interesting and can also change the mood and dramatic impact of your writing.

Writing plan

Before you start writing your paragraph, sketch out a brief plan on the following page.

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Exciting writing! Resources to help improve KS2 English writing.

Exciting writing! Resources to help improve KS2 English writing.

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

d_bunyan

Last updated

22 February 2018

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COMMENTS

  1. Creative writing

    Celebrate World Book Day in this fun and interactive KS2 guide from BBC Bitesize. KS2 English Creative writing learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers.

  2. Creative Writing Tasks for KS2 Students

    Subject: Creative writing. Age range: 7-11. Resource type: Worksheet/Activity. File previews. ppt, 2.89 MB. ppt, 5.43 MB. ppt, 5.36 MB. You can find 48 creative writing tasks with picture prompts in these ppts. Unlike technical, academic, and other forms of writing, creative writing fosters imagination and allows students to have a voice.

  3. Creative Writing KS2 Worksheets

    LKS2 Creative Writing Challenges Activity PowerPoint - This fantastic PowerPoint contains three different categories and is a great way to get everyone in your class excited about writing. Narrative Writing KS2 PowerPoint - Teach the art of narrative writing with the help of this handy PowerPoint.

  4. Creative writing prompts for KS1 and KS2 English

    Try these story starters, structures, worksheets and other fun writing prompt resources for primary pupils…. by Laura Dobson. DOWNLOAD A FREE RESOURCE! Creative writing prompts - 5 worksheets plus word mats for KS1 and KS2 pupils. Download Now.

  5. KS2 Imaginative Writing Ideas Activity Pack

    This imaginative writing ideas pack is a fantastic resource to help inspire your Key Stage Two children's creative writing pieces. You can use this resource both in the classroom and at home to inspire your children's stories.In this imaginative writing ideas activity pack, there are six sheets of prompts to help inspire your children's creative writing. Each prompt is captioned 'tell ...

  6. 25 Creative Writing Prompts For KS1 And KS2

    Writing Ideas For Key Stage One Children (Ages 5-7) With KS1 children, it's a great idea to use their interests and surroundings as inspiration for their creative writing. Coming up with a whole new story can be a big challenge, so the ideas and activities are aimed to help KS1 children to consider one or two things they are really interested ...

  7. KS2 RESOURCE PACK: Creative Writing with Jacqueline Wilson

    This resource pack includes: Lesson 1: Big ideas. Lesson 2: creating characters. Lesson 3: the beginning - starting a story. Lesson 4: The middle - making something happen. Lesson 5: The end - finishing the story. Work sheets.

  8. 7 Techniques for Generating Story Writing Ideas in KS2

    1. Create a Classroom Story Generator. A story generator is guaranteed to get the creative juices flowing! Here's how to do it: Create three lists: 1) Characters. 2) Scenes. 3) Situations or tasks. Write the ideas on paper and cut them out, then fold them up so you can't see what's written on them.

  9. Creative Writing Prompts Story Starters

    PNG, 5.9 MB. 20 more Key Stage 2 (KS2) or early KS3 imaginative / creative writing story starters cards, featuring high quality photo prompts, vocabulary banks, prompt questions and more. These full-page story generators can be used across a range of abilities and ages, especially in Year 4, 5, 6 and 7, to spark ideas for fiction.

  10. KS2 Creative Writing Pack

    KS2 Creative Writing learning pack: ... Key Stage 2 Maths; Key Stage 2 SATs; Key Stage 2 Science; Topics. School life. ... With a complete guide to the writing expectations outlined in the national curriculum, the KS2 creative writing toolkit offers ideas, suggestions and challenges to budding writers. Can they craft an intriguing detective story?

  11. 32 good story starters for KS2 and free writing

    Ideal story starters for KS2. The three of them peered into the dark cave. Suddenly, it turned around and faced her. Time stopped. People stopped. Cars stopped. Everything around me paused, frozen in time. The creature screamed and ran towards them. Her stomach dropped.

  12. 5 awesome independent writing ideas for moderation in KS2

    3. Beach Comparison. Thinking outside of the box for this next writing opportunity, an excellent one for those auditory and visual preference learners, they will write two detailed contrasting paragraphs. The first will focus on the chaos and the turbulence of a shoreline in a thunderstorm, just think of the adjectives alone.

  13. Creative writing and fiction

    Encourage budding authors with our KS1 and KS2 creative writing toolkits! Bursting with fill-in prompt sheets and inspiring ideas to get even the most reluctant writer started, the KS1 Creative Writing Toolkit is the perfect way to encourage children aged 5 to 7 to put pen to paper. And if your KS2 child longs to write stories, download our KS2 Creative Writing Toolkit, packed with gorgeously ...

  14. Writers for Life: Enhancing progress in KS2 writing

    Writers for life is our new intervention designed to Increase the writing skills and confidence of children in Key Stage 2 using self-motivation and metacognitive skills. Writing provides a valuable vehicle for children to express ideas, thoughts and feelings and to deepen understanding. It plays a vital role in learning and academic attainment.

  15. Key Stage 2 Archives

    Photos for Writing is a free teaching resource created by Pie Corbett (with photographs by Nicola Stables).It is a repository of ideas for using photos or other images in the classroom to spark writing. ... The innovation stage will look at other areas of our world which are wonderful and how some animals have made remarkable adaptations to ...

  16. How to Teach Fiction Writing at Key Stage 2 by Pie Corbett

    How to Teach Fiction Writing at Key Stage 2 is a practical manual designed to help teachers of junior classes to focus on key aspects of developing children's story writing. It presents a series of essential writing workshops full of creative ideas and fun activities, and advice including how to monitor NLS links.

  17. 10 Summer Holiday Creative Writing Ideas for KS2

    10 Summer Holiday Creative Writing Ideas for Key Stage 2. Here are a few ideas to keep your children writing over the summer holidays! Happy writing! My Favourite Summer Memory: Write about your most cherished memory from a past summer holiday. Describe the location, the activities you enjoyed, and the special moments that made it unforgettable ...

  18. Writing Frames and Templates

    Writing Frames and Templates. These Writing Frames and Templates are great to help children start to write. They can be far more useful for your students than giving them a blank piece of paper. They can help children with ideas of what to write and how to structure a text. We have a wide selection of writing frames and templates to help your ...

  19. Francis (KS2, Fiction)

    This resource contains ideas for creative literacy planning for the spine-tingling film 'Francis' by Dave Eggars. This film is available on the Literacy Shed. Suitable for Key Stage 2. It contains tried and tested ideas for: engaging your class in vibrant discussion; applying their ideas to a piece of imaginative and creative writing

  20. What are the writing genres and their features in Key Stage 2?

    Here are the main writing genres your children will learn during primary school education and their key features: Narrative/Story Writing: Story start, build up, problem and resolution. Characters, setting, and plot development. Descriptive language to paint a vivid picture. Chronological sequencing of events.

  21. Creative writing

    Creative writing. Browse this rich collection of English teaching resources, teaching ideas, templates and creative writing lessons to develop students' descriptive writing, narrative writing and creative writing skills. You'll find compelling picture prompts, supportive word banks and carefully scaffolded resources to engage even the most ...

  22. Creative writing teaching pack

    Creative writing pack. A versatile KS4 pack filled with teaching ideas and activities to help students at different stages of creative writing. The pack includes essential sections on sentences, the use of tenses and suggestions for tackling 'problem' areas of writing, from sense based writing to using pictures as prompts.

  23. Exciting writing! Resources to help improve KS2 English writing

    This six-page resource is the enemy of boring writing! It can help children across KS2 to write in more interesting ways. Specifically made for writing narratives, it can be used to other types of writing too. This document includes the following resources: - Fronted adverbials, differentiated four ways; - 'Writing a sentence' process ...