Mumsnet users share their top tips for encouraging their children to write, with Premier League

[EllieMumsnet]

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Writing, be it in a diary, a poem, a short story or even a letter can be a great way to help children explore their creativity whilst inspiring them to write more. With that being said the Premier League would like to know your top tips for encouraging you DC to write more and explore their creative side.

Here’s what the Premier League have to say: “Our Premier League Primary Stars education programme uses the appeal of football to inspire kids to learn, be active and develop important life skills. More than 15,000 primary schools use the free teaching resources for maths, English, PSHE and PE and take advantage of incentives and competitions available for their school. However, sometimes young writers need a little extra boost and that’s why we are proud to bring back our Writing Stars poetry competition, which last year inspired more than 25,000 children to write a poem. This year’s competition theme is diversity and, with the support of a fantastic judging panel including singer Olly Murs, former footballer Rio Ferdinand, Children’s Laureate Lauren Child and poet Joseph Coelho, we are encouraging children to pick up a pen and explore what it means to be beautifully different and wonderfully the same. To read some of the poems already submitted by celebrities, please click here.”

Do you find that reading to your children frequently helps develop their imagination and also inspires them to write stories too? How about encouraging your children to keep a diary to write their everyday experiences in? Do you make sure that your DC write thank you letters after their birthday and Christmas in order to help them practice writing? Do you go on days out that will help them explore the things around them and develop their imagination?

Whatever your top tips are, share them on the thread below and you will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

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I try and fire their imagination. I ask them to close their eyes and imagine the scene. Or put themselves in the characters place. Then ask them:
How does it feel?
What do you smell?
What do you hear?
What do you see?
And record those answers.

I think the best tip is to give them a love for it! Surround them with books and stories. Let them enjoy the magic of having a fantasy world that they can enjoy and create. And encourage them in their creativity. Never poo-poo creative ideas and stories as silly. Let them explore their imagination unbridled!

It helps to start long before kids are at writing age- read to them from birth! Making sharing stories a positive part of your daily routine.
And pay attention to what captures their attention and imagination, as they get a bit older you can see this in how their imaginative play develops. Listen to them!
And when they are writing stories of their own, take an interest- read them, ask about the characters, and join in!

Spend time together painting, drawing, reading and play acting its more fun than watching the TV or tablet

Reading has always been top of my list, and we all read in this house! It's a great way to encourage imagination, spark conversations and engage with other resources. I work in a school and we often use a piece of text to spark a written piece of work (Sherlock Holmes is our current muse!) or to gain an insight into something we haven't studies before. We owe so much to the written word!

I didn’t give either of my daughters the MMR but they had individual vaccines for Measles and Rubella. I’ve been advised this week they’re not recognized and have been offered the MMR for my 9 year old. Has anyone got any advice on whether I go ahead please? I would value your opinion in addition to what I can see on the web!

Do you find that reading to your children frequently helps develop their imagination and also inspires them to write stories too?
Absolutely! We read every night and also discuss what’s happened in the story, and what we think will happen next. It develops their imagination and conversation skills.

How about encouraging your children to keep a diary to write their everyday experiences in?
We started a diary after a bereavement in the family, schools idea. Although different now, 2 years on, she still likes to write down what she’s been up to!

Do you make sure that your DC write thank you letters after their birthday and Christmas in order to help them practice writing?
I did when they were younger but her writing skills are excellent now.

Do you go on days out that will help them explore the things around them and develop their imagination?
Hands on activities are great! Whether it’s science or nature, exploring and being hands on is often the best way to learn

I read a lot myself and have always read to my boys. I also always pack notepads and pencils/colours in my handbag,my boys always ask for a notebook to doodle/write in when we are out. We always chat about what they have written/drawn.

give them the time with no tv or electronics

Nurturing a love of books has helped my DC want to create her own stories. She likes to make her own books with illustrations, utilising her art skills definitely inspires her to write too.

We have craft days with her friends and encourage to write letters to family and friends who live abroad! They don’t mind writing them as they love posting them and the excitement of waiting for letters to arrive

My son is not very physically creative - he has never been into arts and crafts etc (neither was i as a child) but he loves technology so that’s where my focus is for him. I can encourage him to be curious and knowledgeable about technology as much as he wants to.

I have tried all avenues and fail to inspire our daughter to write anything although she is very creative in other ways

We read loads, have loads of books everywhere and we model the behaviour ourselves.

Dd knows mum has her special pen for writing letters and cards. We don't send emails we write letters and send cards to relatives. We write to fairies, elves, father Christmas, anyone we can think of!

DD adores drama so I encourage her to write her ideas for stories and plays (she's quite good). Always making up stories wherever we go, on the train we spot something and make up a story then write it in our notebook.

helly, have you tried getting your DD to write and draw comics? That works brilliantly for my friends son who is a very reluctant writer. He's not writing, he's making a comic book!

Travel always seems to inspire the imagination and they come home with plenty of stories to tell

We recently bought our daughter an 'imagination book' which is where she writes. draws etc.. her thoughts, things she sees, like etc and she writes poems and songs in this book. Anything that she wants!

I have always tried to encourage creativity and for them to explore their creative side and be imaginative. I think reading with them helps because it gets their imagination going and my DS especially is always wanting to make up his own adventure stories.

Get them to read lots a different books to give them starting ideas

Drawing and writing comic books , Print off pictures and get them to write a story about them (They are called story starters) Keep a dairy . Write letters, shopping lists and to do lists. All helpful

My eldest son and daughter are creative and artistic.
To encourage this side of there personally I have:

* Made up a craft box which consist of paint, pencils, glue, glitter, buttons, mini things to stick, books on craft and art, paint brushes, different papers and little things I find around the house such as toilet paper rolls, boxes and empty cartons.
*
On their birthday the got there very own artist sketch book from the works along with pencils. No one is aloud to look in their book unless they are showing you something.

They have access to YouTube to watch how to videos.

We also have various drawing books like marvel how to draw comics and fashion books.

Simple things go along way.

Allow them time to read and create their own stories. It takes a lot of encouragement!