When Writing Starts With Play

Reading and Writing opens up the whole world

Fun writing ideas to spark imagination (no pressure allowed!)

One of the loveliest things about children and writing is that, deep down, they want to tell stories. Before spelling, before handwriting, before worrying about “doing it right”, children naturally imagine, narrate, and invent worlds.

Somewhere along the way, writing can start to feel a bit serious. This page is your gentle reminder that writing doesn’t have to begin with a blank page and a sigh. It can begin with laughter, curiosity, and a simple question:

“What do you think would happen if…?”

Writing doesn’t need rules to begin

At Why Play Learning, we see writing as play first and skill second. When children are given playful prompts, they relax. When they relax, ideas flow. And when ideas flow, writing happens naturally.

That’s why fun prompts work so well. They remove the fear of getting it wrong and replace it with imagination, silliness, and possibility.

Children might:

• write one sentence

• dictate a story for you to write down

• draw instead of write

• create a comic strip

• or talk through their ideas out loud

  
  

All of it counts. All of it is writing.

Silly ideas are powerful ideas

Some of the best writing starts with prompts that make children laugh or feel intrigued. Ideas like:

• discovering a secret door

• inventing a strange creature

• designing a completely useless invention

• waking up somewhere unexpected

• becoming very small (or very old!)

These ideas invite children to think, imagine, and explore language without even realising they’re doing “literacy work”.

Silly ideas are often the safest place for children to experiment – and that’s where confidence grows.

No age limits, no expectations

Writing prompts work for a wide age range because they’re open-ended.

A younger child might:

• draw a picture and label it

• tell you what happens next

• write a single sentence

An older child might:

• write a full story

• experiment with humour, suspense, or dialogue

• turn the idea into a poem, script, or comic

An adult might:

• All of the above

The same prompt, completely different outcomes – and all of them valid.

Keep it light (really light)

If writing feels heavy, it stops being creative. A few gentle reminders:

• spelling does not matter at this stage

• neat handwriting is not the goal

• length is not important

• finishing isn’t required

Ten joyful minutes is worth far more than an hour of struggle.

Some families like to treat writing prompts as:

• a warm-up activity

• a rainy-day idea

• a “choose one” option

• a bedtime storytelling game

• or something to dip into when inspiration strikes

Writing builds more than literacy

When children write freely, they’re not just practising words. They’re also:

• organising thoughts

• expressing emotions

• exploring identity

• building confidence

• learning that their ideas matter

These are skills that reach far beyond writing.

Check it out: prompt cards for instant inspiration

To make this even easier, I’ve creating simple writing prompt cards for the free resources page. These will be designed to:

• be printed and cut out

• used as daily writing starters

• picked at random

• kept in a jar, box, or notebook

Perfect for those moments when someone says,“I don’t know what to write.”

You’ll be able to use them alongside drawing, journalling, storytelling, or just talking ideas through together.

One last thing…

If your child only writes one word today – that’s fine.

If they tell a story instead of writing it – that’s fine.

If they laugh and say something completely ridiculous – that’s wonderful.

Writing grows best when it begins with play.