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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.

Incorporating financial literacy lessons into your curriculum is a great way to engage students in learning real-world math applications and life skills. Money-based word problems and real-world stories allow students the opportunity to learn important financial concepts, explore realistic opportunities, and make choices about using money, collecting allowances, applying for credit cards, and more.

Celebrate Financial Literacy Awareness Month in April with free printables from Financial Literacy Lessons and Activities, a valuable resource for promoting financial education and empowering kids with essential money management skills.

Download these free sample activities from Financial Literacy Lessons and Activities for grades 1–8 here.

Five Topics to Include in Financial Literacy Activities

These financial topics are a simple way to introduce the concepts of buying, earning, budgeting, saving, and borrowing into your lessons. Hands-on games, activities, and classroom discussions can engage students in learning these important life concepts and create fun learning experiences they will remember.

The lessons are already done for you and easy to implement. From getting students engaged to showing how math is used in daily life, we’ve got you covered with these free financial literacy printables and worksheets.

Activities Include:

• A real-world story
• Vocabulary and concept practice pages 
• Money-based word problems and math applications
• Hands-on partner and whole-class game

Create memorable and engaging math lessons with hands-on financial literacy games and activities. The real-life applications in Financial Literacy Lessons and Activities allow students to explore financial choices with the understanding that there isn’t a right or a wrong answer.

For more free activities and lesson ideas, subscribe to our e-newsletter here!