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In today’s online world with so many ways of capturing language, handwriting might seem outmoded. However, handwriting has a huge benefit that may not be obvious. It is a key element in other parts of language literacy, such as reading and spelling. In fact, the act of forming letters helps the brain develop. It strengthens recognition of letters and their sounds. Handwriting connects muscle memory with what we see and hear. Processing letters by forming them with our hands, physically, helps solidify words in our brain.

Why is Handwriting So Important? Handwriting practice is useful for much more than handwriting. The motor control used in the fingers, hand, and arm while writing transfers to other physical skills that children may need, such as using buttons or tools; playing a cards, a musical instrument, or a video game; tying shoelaces; or braiding hair. In addition, most arts and crafts and some sports rely on hand control. A wide range of professions, such as electrician, mechanic, baker, dentist, or surgeon require manual dexterity as well. Both cursive and printing increase retention of information over typing, and both make the brain ready for deeper learning. Every part of the brain is engaged in handwriting, which requires recognition, recall, spatial skills, and muscle coordination.

How to Teach Your Child Handwriting Like most learning, handwriting happens in stages. The youngest learners are learning to control a pencil and make intentional marks. Kids naturally want to doodle, make pictures, and imitate adults. Channeling their scribble energy into tracing or completing pictures makes repetition fun. Practice makes progress! Use handwriting practice sheets to learn the different strokes needed to make letters. Once your learner has basic control, challenge him or her to practice tracing, completing, or writing funny or meaningful words and names in fun tasks. Encourage your child to say each letter’s sound while writing it to reinforce the sound-symbol relationship and say each whole word at the end. After completing a sentence, have your child read it, or read it aloud yourself to reinforce that writing is communication, just like talking.

Teaching Cursive Handwriting

Just like learning to print, it is helpful to practice the strokes or shapes used to make cursive letters.

The next step after strokes are familiar is to practice cursive letters. As with manuscript letters, grouping cursive letters that start the same way or have the same strokes can be very efficient. An additional step for learning cursive is the joining of the letters. Since the letters don’t start and end in the same places, it’s important to focus on the joining of letters into words. Using a handwriting cursive workbook with silly sentences or fun facts makes practice a breeze.

Additional Handwriting Tips for Parents

• Get unlimited use out of each handwriting practice sheet that you use by putting it in a clear plastic sleeve. Have your child write with a dry-erase marker on the plastic sleeve. Wipe off the writing afterward with felt and insert another page.
• Encourage a consistent, comfortable grip. Your child’s hand should be relaxed and not pressing too hard on the paper. Keeping the pencil point sharp also helps keep the pressure appropriate.
• To strengthen and improve your child’s fine motor skills and dexterity, have your child pick up paper clips, toothpicks, cotton balls, or coins; cut shapes out of paper; or knit or crochet.
• Tilt the paper to the left for right-handers and to the right for left-handers. Make sure children can see what they are writing and can move their hand across the page easily.
• Left-handers should adjust the strokes for cross pieces, such as in t, f, and some capital letters, so that they pull the pencil toward their writing hand.
• Some tools can help beginning writers:
  
  • for grip: A rubber grip slides onto the pencil and guides finger placement.
  • for posture: A slant board keeps the paper at a good angle to discourage slouching.

Fun Game and Activity Ideas

Augment current games: Get more out of any standard word-based commercial game by offering players additional game points for writing out any words they form. Sidewalk/sand art: Have your child brainstorm words to illustrate or positive words of encouragement. Give your kids chalk and to write the words on the ground and decorate them. Or if you are at the beach or have a sandbox, have them write and draw in the sand. Air writing: Play charades but write a word in the air, one letter at a time, instead of acting out words. The “writer” indicates how many letters are in the word and then draws each letter in the air as players guess each letter and the word as well. The winner of the round becomes the next “writer.” Foggy mirror message: After a shower or bath, have your child write a word or short message in the fog on the mirror.

Additional Resources:

For full-color activity books with handwriting practice sheets, check out Evan-Moor’s Handwriting Fun and Handwriting Fun! Cursive.

For a classroom or homeschool reproducible resource, check out the all-in-one Handwriting: Manuscript and Cursive practice book and e-book.

Kathy Jorgensen has been an educator most of her life, starting as a peer tutor in second grade and tutoring her way through high school and college. After teaching grades 2 through 12, she spent two decades editing standardized tests. Kathy happily returned to her teaching roots, providing instruction and practice in Evan-Moor’s math and science products. When she’s not polishing words on the page, Kathy is flitting down the dance floor indulging her passion for Scottish country dancing as a dancer, choreographer, and teacher.

Every kid is a natural storyteller, but many struggle to get their pencils to paper. A great writing activity is one that inspires kids to write down their big and wonderful ideas—while also sneaking in essential writing practice!

Here are 8 fun writing prompts, games, and projects to help kids in Grades 4-6 get engaged and enthusiastic about writing.

1) Alphabet Autobiography

An autobiography tells the story of someone—and that someone is you! An alphabet autobiography is a unique way for students to share details about themselves.

Ask students to write the letters of the alphabet on the left-side of their page. Then, prompt them to write a sentence with a personal detail for each letter.

For example:

• A is for apple pie. I make it every November with my mom for Thanksgiving!

2) Paired Dialogue

Pair up students, and ask them to share a piece of paper. Give each pair a starting line of dialogue. One student writes the first line of dialogue and passes it to the other student. The other student writes a second line in response, and then returns the paper to the first student.

Students can only “talk” on paper—not out loud! At the end, you can ask them to read their dialogue out loud.

Some starting lines:

• “Hold on, do you know how to drive this thing?”
• “Wait, what’s that in your bag?”
• “Why are you in that tree?”

3) A New Point of View

Ask kids to choose an inanimate object and imagine the world from that object’s perspective. Give your students the title, “Life as a _____.”

Some fun objects to write about include refrigerators, toasters, pencils, windows, and chairs… or anything that inspires kids to see the world through different “eyes.”

4) Restaurant Reviews

Writing that’s applicable to real life can encourage reluctant writers to pick up their pens. Ask your students to write a review of their favorite restaurant. Use these questions to get them started:

• What did they eat?
• What did they like?
• What didn’t they like?
• How did the restaurant feel?

Learn more about our real-world writing activities here.

5) Nature Notes

Go on a walk in nature and compile “Nature Notes.” Encourage students to notice details around them using their five senses. Try using questions from the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding exercise:

• What are five things I SEE?
• What are four things I HEAR?
• What are three things I can TOUCH?
• What are two things I SMELL?
• What is one thing I TASTE?

6) Letters to Your Future Self

Ask students to write to themselves in the future. Seal up their notes, and then return their letters to them at the end of the school year.

Ask them to answer:

• What are you grateful for right now?
• What are you excited about?
• What do you think will change this year?
• Write three predictions.

7) Local Hero Biographies

Ask students to write a biography of an unexpected local hero, like the cheerful barista at the coffee shop. Discover our 6 steps to teach kids how to write a biography here.

8) How-To Directions

Everyone likes to give directions about their favorite activities! Ask students to write “how-to” paragraphs about:

• How to Clean a Room
• How to Clean a Pet’s Cage
• How to Make an Ice-Cream Sundae
• How to Eat a Potato
• How to Make a Friend
• How to Grow a Garden
• How to Tell a Joke

Download our free printables to help your students write a “how-to” paragraph.

Most of the time, kids just need a starting point to get into the writing spirit. If you can engage your kids in a writing activity or project that lights up their imagination, their pencils are guaranteed to dance across their page. Want more writing activities? Writing Fabulous Sentences & Paragraphs, Grades 4-6 features lively, creative, and scaffolded lessons to help young students become strong and confident authors.

Monika Davies is a freelance author of over 60 books for kids and a writing workshop facilitator for adult-sized writers. She’s passionate about writing and creating learning material that is playful, informative, and sparks curiosity for all readers.

In today's digital age, where screens seem to dominate every aspect of our lives, it's more important than ever to carve out space for screen-free activities, especially for your children. While technology undoubtedly offers incredible learning opportunities, there's a special magic in the simplicity of unplugged, hands-on activities. Enter brain games—a captivating and enriching way to engage young minds while promoting screen-free learning at home.

Check out the free printables from Brain Games and Activities below. 

Five Benefits of Brain Games and Activities

Brain games, challenges, and brain teasers offer a myriad of benefits for children of all ages.

1. Cognitive Development: Brain games stimulate various cognitive functions such as memory, attention, problem solving, and logical reasoning. By engaging in these activities, your kids can exercise their mental muscles, leading to enhanced cognitive development.
2. Critical Thinking: Brain games encourage children to think critically, analyze information, and make decisions. Through activities that involve logic, reasoning, and creative thinking, your child can develop essential problem-solving skills that are invaluable in both academic and real-life situations.
3. Language Development: Many brain games involve language-based activities such as word searches, puzzles, and riddles, which can help improve vocabulary, spelling, and language comprehension skills.
4. Social Interaction: Some brain games can be done collaboratively, fostering teamwork, communication, and social interaction among children. These activities provide opportunities for kids to learn from one another and develop important social skills.
5. Screen-Free Fun: In a world saturated with screens, providing kids with opportunities for screen-free fun is crucial for promoting balance and healthy development. Brain games offer a refreshing alternative to digital entertainment, allowing your children to engage in enriching activities without the distractions of screens.

Ways to Include Brain Games in Your Child's Routine

Incorporating brain games and activities into your child's routine is easy and fun. Here are some tips for home:

1. Set Aside Dedicated Time: Designate a specific time each day or week for brain games and activities. Whether it's after school, before bedtime, or on weekends, having a consistent routine will help ensure that brain games become a regular part of your child's schedule. Researchers recommend just 15 minutes of time devoted to simple and challenging brain exercises.
2. Make It a Family Affair: Get the whole family involved in brain games and activities. Whether it's working on puzzles together or competing in a friendly word search challenge, involving the whole family can make screen-free learning even more enjoyable.
3. Encourage Creativity: Brain games and activities provide opportunities for children to express their creativity and imagination. Encourage your child to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions to challenges.
4. Celebrate Achievements: Celebrate your child's accomplishments and progress in brain games activities. Whether it's completing a challenging puzzle or finding all the hidden words in a word search, acknowledging your child's efforts will help boost their confidence and motivation.
5. Have a book like Brain Games and Activities: Keeping a colorful activity book on hand for car trips and school breaks is a great way to keep kids screen free and provide instant boredom busters.

Evan-Moor's Brain Games and Activities book is a treasure trove of screen-free fun for children ages 4–11. Packed with entertaining and educational activities, including puzzles, word searches, mazes, and more, this activity book provides hours of engaging entertainment while promoting cognitive development and critical thinking skills. Try these free activities below.

Free Brain Games and Activities Worksheets 

Brain Games and Activities Ages 4-5 Get the free "Fun with Numbers" printable here.

Brain Games and Activities Ages 6-7 Get the free "Castle Project" printable here.

Brain Games and Activities Ages 8-9 Get the free "Crack the Code" printable here.

Brain Games and Activities Ages 10-11 Get the free "Find the Word" printable here.

By incorporating Brain Games and Activities into your child's routine and promoting screen-free learning at home, you're not only providing them with valuable educational opportunities, but also fostering a love for learning that will last a lifetime.