creative writing enrichment activities

20 Creative Writing Activities for Elementary Students

By andy minshew.

• November 23, 2021

Did you know that November is National Novel Writing Month? While your young learners are probably not ready to write an entire book, this month is a great time to practice creative writing skills with your students. Not only can creative writing be helpful for teaching vocabulary and sentence structure, but it can also encourage students to use imaginative thinkin g —and even find a genuine love of writing!

All of these 20 creative writing activities can be used with elementary school students to practice reading and writing skills. We’ve included options for both early elementary students, who may still be learning to write, and elementary students in upper grades who are ready to work on projects of their choosing.

1. Join the NaNoWriMo organization’s Young Writers Program (YWP) ! Together, your students can work on all sorts of age-appropriate writing challenges and activities throughout the year—including a project of their choice in November!

2. To practice pre-writing skills and collaborating on a project, try these shared writing project activities .

3. If you have any budding cartoonists in your class, this Finish the Comic activity from author Jarrett Lerner can be a great way for younger students to practice writing dialogue.

4. Teach your students about adjectives and writing descriptions with this Popcorn Adjectives activity .

5. Students can learn about creative writing by studying imagery and poetry by established authors. Using this writing worksheet , kids can write out their thoughts about a poem and draw images that stand out to them.

6. To teach creative thinking skills with kindergarteners and early elementary students, try this Mystery Seed writing activity .

7. Get families involved, too! Share these fun home writing activities with your student’s families to help them practice at home.

8. Print out and put together a Writing Jar with tons of creative writing prompts to inspire your students.

9. Check out this resource for even more writing prompts focused on imaginative thinking.

10. Try blackout poetry , an activity that encourages students to make their own beautiful art from a work that already exists.

11. Creative writing isn’t limited to fiction. This narrative writing activity can teach students to write events clearly and in sequence from their real life.

12. For a creative writing project that’s just plain fun, try this Roll a Story activity.

13. This nonfiction project helps children learn to write a letter as they write to a loved one of their choice.

14. If you want to give your students some freedom in choosing a writing assignment, hang up this Writing Prompt Choice Board in your classroom and let them answer whichever prompt they’d like!

15. Encourage students to keep their own journal throughout the year. You could even give them time each morning to respond to a journal prompt .

16. Use this journal page template to help students structure and compile journal entries.

17. These printable Mad Libs can teach children different parts of a sentence while they use their imaginations to create a story.

18. Use this What? So What? Now What? exercise (#6 at the link) to help students structure their creative writing projects.

19. To teach children how to create descriptive sentences, play this Show, Don’t Tell writing activity .

20. If you’d like to hold a month-long creative writing activity, try this 30-Day Writing Challenge for kids .

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51 Creative Writing Activities For The Classroom: Comics, Prompts, Games, And Pretend Play

January 4, 2024 //  by  Milka Kariuki

Creative writing can be tough for learners of any age. From knowing where to start to establishing the vocabulary to develop their story, there are a bunch of different skills they’ll need to perfect their creative writing pieces. There are so many creative writing activities out there, but which ones are best for your kiddos? Our list of 51 creative writing activities is the perfect place to start looking if you’ve got a creative writing unit coming up! Read on and see which ones might grab your little writers’ attention!

1. Make Your Own Comic Books

We bet your kiddos just love comic books! Let them create their very own in the style of the super popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid books! Encourage your students to come up with their own plot, dialogue, and illustrations to spark their creativity. Even your most reluctant writers will love this fun activity! 

Learn More: Puffin Schools

2. Mad Libs

Using Mad Libs is a super popular way to develop your little creative writers! Use these free printables to get their creative juices flowing as they try to come up with words to fill the gaps to create weird and wonderful new stories. The best thing is that you can use these printables as many times as you like as their answers will be different each time!

Learn More: Teacher Vision

3. Flash Fiction

Flash fiction is a fantastic way to get your kiddies writing creatively while keeping things short and sweet! Use the range you prompts included in this resource to challenge them to write a creative story in less than 100 words. Flash fiction is amazing because your students won’t be overwhelmed by a huge writing task and it also means that your more confident writers will need to focus on the quality of their work, not the quantity! 

Learn More: TES

4. Write a Story Based on the Ending

Test your students’ creativity by providing them with writing prompts that start at the end! In backward story writing, your budding writers will need to plan and pen a story that eventually leads to the ending you give them. This idea is a fantastic way to turn your traditional creative writing lesson on its head and in many ways take the pressure off your kids, as ending their stories is often the most difficult part for them!

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

5. Found Poetry

Your learners will love this fun and creative found poetry activity. You can encourage them to collect words or a group of words from a favorite story or song then write them on a piece of paper or cut them out of a printed page. The overall goal is to have them rearrange the words differently to make an interesting poem with a unique writing style or genre!

Learn More: Homeschooling Ideas

6. Picture Dictionary

A picture dictionary is a brilliant way to support every member of your younger elementary class in their creative writing. The words paired with pictures give your writers a ‘dictionary’ that they can use pretty independently, so your less confident writers or non-native English-speaking students can still access your writing lessons! 

Learn More: Twinkl

7. Creative Journal Writing

Why not start a creative journal with your kiddos? Have them engage in daily journaling activities by giving them a different creative prompt each day. For instance, write a story about what would happen if dogs took over the world or what would you do if you were the security guard at a zoo and someone stole an animal? The fun is never-ending with these prompts!  

Learn More: Think Written  

8. Roll a Story

Roll-a-Story is one of the best ways to help any of your kids who are suffering from a bout of writer’s block! They’ll roll the dice to discover the character, setting, and problem for their story then set to work weaving their creative tale! It could be a story about a wise doctor being chased by a mysterious creature in a casino, or maybe a rich artist losing their wallet in a library. Then it’s up to your students to fill in the gaps!

Learn More: TPT

9. Pass-it-on Story Writing

There’s no telling quite where this fun writing game will end up! Start by writing the first sentence of a story on a piece of paper then pass it around your class, having your kids come up with a sentence that continues the story. The paper is then passed around the whole class until every student has contributed. Finally, once it makes its way back to you, read out your collaborative story to the whole class!

Learn More: Minds In Bloom

10. Picture Writing Prompts

Creative writing prompts activities test not only your little ones’ imaginations but also their ability to craft a story and dialogue from that. Display an intriguing picture prompt for your class and have a discussion about it, recording their ideas. You could discuss what the person or animal in the picture is doing or what they’re thinking, where they think the picture was taken, and much more. They can use your collective notes to inspire their story!

Learn More: Pandora Post

11. What’s the Question?

What’s the Question is a simple, yet super engaging game that requires your young learners to think creatively. Spark their creativity by writing an answer on the whiteboard such as “the moon would explode,” and task your kiddos with coming up with a question to match it. There’ll be lots of laughs as everyone shares what they came up with!

Learn More: That Afterschool Life

12. Creative Writing Printables

This website is absolutely full of quick and fun graphics for children that’ll encourage their creative writing! The cute graphics and simple directions make it an easy bellringer activity for your writing class. Just print out some of these cool sheets and let your students get creative as they write thank-you notes to helpful heroes or finish little cartoon comics!

Learn More: Jarrett Lerner

13. Paint Chip Poetry

Nothing says creative writing quite like figurative language! Grab some of these free paint swatches from your local home improvement store and have your students create metaphors about their chosen color! We love this low-prep activity as once your kids have finished their poems, they’re a ready-made multi-colored display that’ll brighten the walls of your classroom! 

Learn More: Fabulous In Fifth

14. Story Storm Activities

Once again, these Jarrett Lerner activities do not disappoint! Your students will have a blast pretending they are the principal for a day and they’ll get to create their very own rules for the school. Not only will this be an engaging writing exercise that we’re sure they’ll love getting creative with, but it also challenges children to think about why rules in school are important.

Learn More: Tara Lazar

15. Story Bag

Story bags are a fantastic way to destroy any kind of writer’s block! Grab an assortment of random objects from your home or classroom and pop them into the story bag. Next, gather your students around and pull out all the objects in the bag. Can they then write a story connecting all the items? Be sure to leave time to let them share their stories at the end of the lesson!

Learn More: Life Hack

16. Change the Ending

An easy way to ease your kiddos into the writing process is by having them rewrite part of a story. Grab their favorite read-aloud, and challenge them to come up with a new ending! They’ll need to finish the story in a way that makes sense, but aside from that, they can be as creative as they like! Your reluctant readers will like this one as much of the work on setting and characters has already been done! 

Learn More: Make Beliefs Comix

17. Plot Twist Writing Prompts

BUT WAIT – there’s a twist…This fun writing practice is perfect for older middle or high school but could also be simplified for younger students. Write these twist prompts on notecards and have your kids draw one each before letting them go off and write a story around their chosen twist! They’ll be eager to share their finished work with classmates at the end. After all, who doesn’t love a good plot twist?

Learn More: Pinterest

18.  Craft Box Craft

Every kid loves the book The Day the Crayons Quit for its creative narrative about this familiar box of coloring supplies! This extension activity rolls art and creative writing into one! Your students will have fun coming up with dialogue for each of the different crayons and you could even make it into a fun display for your classroom walls!

Learn More: Buggy And Buddy

19. Dialogue Pictures

Personalizing writing activities always makes it more engaging for kids! Print out a picture of yourself with a blank speech bubble, and model how to add in some dialogue. Then, let your kiddos practice speech bubbling with a photo of themselves, a pet, or a favorite celebrity, and have them come up with some interesting things for each of their subjects to say!

Learn More: SSS Teaching

20. Figurative Language Tasting

Your students will be creative writers in no time after practicing their figurative language with food tasting! Not only do tasty treats make this activity incredibly fun, but it also brings the writing process of metaphors and hyperbole to life. Just give each of your kids a few pieces of candy or snacks, and have them practice writing figures of speech relating to each one! They’ll have the words on the tip of their tongue- literally! 

Learn More: It’s Lit Teaching

21. Explode the Moment

One of my favorite writing concepts as a teacher is ‘exploding the moment’. This method is perfect for showing your kiddies that even the smallest moment can be turned into an imaginative, descriptive story! Start by having them brainstorm some ideas and expand on tiny memories like losing a tooth, getting a pet, or making a winning goal in a soccer game!

Learn More: Raise The Bar Reading

22. Round-Robin Storytelling

Round-robin storytelling is the perfect collaborative creative writing activity! This one can be done verbally or in writing, and it challenges your class to build a story using a given set of words. They’ll have a fun and challenging time figuring out how to incorporate each piece into one cohesive story.

Learn More: Random Acts Of Kindness

23. Acrostic Poems

Acrostic poetry is one of the least intimidating creative writing exercises as there are no rules other than starting each line with the letter from a word. Challenge your kiddies to use each letter in their name to write lines of poetry about themselves, or they could choose to write about their favorite food or animal!

Learn More: Surfin’ Through Second

24. Sentence Sticks

This exercise requires minimal prep and can be used in so many different ways. All you’ll need are some craft sticks in which you will write sentences with blanks and word banks. Your young writers can then pull a stick and fill in the blanks to practice creative thinking! Task them with a different goal each time; can they make the sentence silly or sad for example?

Learn More: Liz’s Early Learning Spot

25. Conversation Prompts

These fun prompts require your kids to think creatively and answer a range of interesting questions. They’ll be excited to write stories about waking up with a mermaid tail or describe what is in a mystery package delivered to their doorstep! These creative prompts are perfect for bellringers or transitions throughout the school day!

Learn More: Twitter

26. Pretend Play Writing

Do you remember playing with fake money and fake food when you were younger? This idea takes it a step further by incorporating some writing practice! All you’ll have to do is print the templates for dollars, shopping lists, and recipes then let your little learners have fun with these play-pretend writing ideas!

Learn More: Prekinders

27. Question Cubes

Your class will be on a roll with these amazing question cubes! Whether the cubes are used for responding to a story, brainstorming the plot of a story, or practicing speech and listening, they are an easy, affordable tool for your little readers and writers! You can snag some foam dice at the dollar store and hot glue questions on each side to spark some creative writing ideas for your class.

Learn More: A Love 4 Teaching

28. Balderdash

Not only is Balderdash an addicting board game, but it can even be used in the classroom! Your little learners will have a blast as they create made-up, imaginative definitions for words, important people, and dates. Whoever guesses the real answer out of the mix wins the points!

Learn More: EB Academics

29. Two Sentence Horror Story

This creative writing exercise is best for older students and would be a great one to try out around Halloween! You’ll be challenging your learners to write a story that runs chills up their readers’ spines, but there’s a twist…the story can only be two sentences long! Your kiddos will love writing and sharing their writing to see who can come up with the spookiest short story!

30. Telephone Pictionary

Another game that your kids will be begging to play over and over again is telephone pictionary! The first player will write down a random phrase, and the next person must draw their interpretation of the phrase. The third player will write what they think the picture is and so on!

Learn More: Imagine Forest

31. Consequences

You need at least two players for this fun creative writing game. Each pair or group of kids will start by having one person write a random phrase and conceal it by folding the paper. Then, they pass it to the next student to fill in the blank using the prompt. Once all the blanks are filled in, let them unfold the paper and get ready to reveal some seriously silly stories!

32. Story Wands

​​Story wands are a fun way to have your kids respond to stories and study what makes something their favorite. Responding to what they’re reading is a super helpful exercise in preparing them for creative writing as it allows your students to connect to their favorite stories. By figuring out what elements make stories great, this is sure to help them in their own creative writing assignments!

Learn More: Little Lifelong Learners

33. The Best Part of Me

Probably my favorite creative writing activity, this one is infused with social-emotional learning and self-esteem building! Let your students get to choose their favorite physical characteristics about themselves; whether it be their eyes, hands, feet, etc. Then, they take a picture to attach to their written reasoning! Make sure to boost the creative element of this writing task by encouraging your learners to use a bunch of adjectives and some figurative language!

Learn More: Sarah Gardner Teaching

34. Me From A-Z

Challenge your kiddos to get creative by coming up with 26 different words to describe themselves! Me From A-Z gives your students the opportunity to explore who they are by coming up with words describing them in some way using each letter of the alphabet. Why not let them decorate their lists and turn them into a display celebrating the uniqueness of each of your class members?

35. How to Make Hot Chocolate

How-to writing is a great way to get the creative writing wheels turning in your kiddies’ brains! They’ll have a fun time coming up with their instructions and ways to explain how to make hot chocolate! Do they have a secret recipe that’ll make the best-ever hot cocoa!? Once they’ve written their instructions, be sure to try them out and do a taste-test of their recipes!

Learn More: Teacher Mama

36. Give Yourself a Hand

Hands up if you love this idea! For this creative writing activity, have your little ones trace their hand on a piece of paper and decorate it with accessories. Then, encourage them to write a list of all the different things they do with their hands all over their tracing! This is a great warm-up to get the creative gears turning.

Learn More: Write Now Troup

37. Word Picture Poem

A word picture poem is a fantastic way to challenge your kids to write descriptive poetry about a common object! Your little poets will learn to find beauty in ordinary things and strengthen their sensory language skills and their vocabulary. For some added fun, you can even task them with writing a short story about the item as well! The results are sure to be fun to read!

Learn More: Teaching With Terhune

38. Shape Poem

Shape poems are some of the most creative poetry as they combine words and art into one! First, your young poets can choose an object to use as their muse and lightly trace an outline onto some paper. Then, they’ll write words along the outlined shape in the form of a poem that describes the object! The result is a bunch of fun and striking poems that’ll look great displayed around your classroom!

39. Crazy Hair Poetry

Here’s another one that combines writing and art! Start by guiding your kiddos in drawing a self-portrait then adding some crazy hair by blowing watercolor paints around! After the paint dries, have your kids come up with a short but creative poem describing their hair art.

Learn More: Grade School Giggles

40. Fingerprint Poetry

Nothing is more creative than getting your kiddies to let down the barriers in their mind and tap into their stream of consciousness! Show them how to pick a topic and then let their words flow straight from mind to paper in a swirling pattern. This fingerprint idea can be used for a get-to-know-you activity as well!

Learn More: Kristen Dembroski

41. Doggie Haiku Poems

Put a fun twist on classic haiku poetry! Your students will have a paw-some time writing three-line poems about dogs which they can then illustrate afterwards! Before starting the activity, you can use Dogku by Andrew Clements as a read-aloud to get your class hooked on this idea!

Learn More: Teaching Fourth

42. Fractured Fairy Tale

Ever wondered if the Big Bad Wolf was framed? Or if Sleeping Beauty was actually a snorer? Your writers in training will have a fun time taking a classic fairytale and putting their own spin on it! Following five simple steps, your kids will be funky fairytale authors in no time!

43. Letter Writing

These creative letter-writing prompts are sure to boost your kiddies’ imaginative writing skills! Whether writing to a pen pal or a favorite celebrity, letter writing is a great way to practice handwriting, word flow, descriptive language, and communicating all rolled into one! Have your writers grab their pencils and let the creativity flow as they write fun response letters to these prompts!

44. Hersey’s Kisses Similes

Teach sensory language and similes by connecting this tasty treat with the sense of taste! Your students will have a lovely time brainstorming how chocolate connects to each of our senses and applying that knowledge by writing some sweet similies! What a fantastic way to teach them how to use these essential creative writing tools!

Learn More: Teacher By The Beach

45. Sensory Poetry

Another great way to teach sensory details is to have your learners write poems about their favorite foods! Task them with writing a line for each sense to describe the food! Everyone will be hungry after this creative writing lesson so it might be a good idea to have some snacks on hand!

Learn More: Mrs. Tice’s Class

46. Season Personification

Each season of weather has an array of characteristics making this the perfect activity to practice personification in creative writing! Allow your little writers to choose a season to write about as if it were a person with human characteristics. Winter is a no-brainer! It’s Elsa!

Learn More: Write Shop

47. Class Book of Character Traits

To be creative writers, your kids need to know how to create realistic characters for their stories. For this class book, you’ll start by giving each student two opposing character traits. Next, have them demonstrate these traits by illustrating two characters and displaying them through dialogue!

Learn More: Crafting Connections

48. Socialgrams

With Instagram being all the rage these days, your kiddos will have a fun time creating a ‘socialgram’ on paper! Challenge them to create a descriptive and engaging caption to go along with their “photo” in the post. Then, classmates can comment on each other’s work! 

Learn More: Breezy Special Ed

49. Story Introduction Worksheets

Creative writing worksheets are a simple, minimal-prep tool to use in your creative writing units. Print out a variety of options, and have your kids practice their skills by finishing imaginative story introductions. By giving them a place to start their story, you can really take the pressure off your kids which will help ease them into the creative writing process!

Learn More: Lanternfish ESL

50. Dialogue Worksheets

Here’s another low-prep option for the last-minute planners! Pre-written dialogue can help guide the mood of the story and allow your kiddies to just focus on filling in the characters’ actions. This is also a great way to model how dialogue is spaced out and balanced in a story!

Learn More: ESL Writing Worksheets

51. Character Trait Posters

In this personalized character trait activity, your students will create a poster of themselves and label it with a bunch of different character traits. Descriptive, interesting characters are what make a story captivating, so this is a great introduction to understanding characters and their physical as well as personality traits! This is an activity that’s sure to help them build a strong foundation for their creative writing skills to build from!

Learn More: Life In First Grade

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Creative Ways to Use Graphic Novels in the Classroom! 🎥

10 Creative Writing Activities That Help Students Tell Their Stories

Lower the stakes and help them get started.

“I don’t have a story. There’s nothing interesting about my life!” Sound familiar? I don’t know a teacher who hasn’t heard students say this. When we ask our students to write about themselves, they get stuck. We know how important it is for them to tell their own stories. It’s how we explore our identities and keep our histories and cultures alive. It can even be dangerous when we don’t tell our stories (check out this Ted Talk given by novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and share it with your students for more on that). Storytelling is essential for every subject, not just English Language Arts; students dive deeper and engage when they practice thinking about how their own stories intersect with historical events, civic engagement, and the real-world implications of STEM. These 10 creative writing activities can work in every subject you teach:

Here are 10 of our favorite story telling activities that inspire students:

1. write an “i am from” poem.

Students read the poem “I am From” by George Ella Lyon. Then, they draft a poem about their own identity in the same format Lyon used. Finally, students create a video to publish their poems. We love this one because the mentor text gives a clear structure and example that students can follow. But the end result is truly unique, just like their story.

2. Design a social media post to share an important memory

How can you use your unique perspective to tell a story? We want our students to learn that they are truly unique and have stories that only they can tell that other people want to hear or could relate to or learn from. In this activity, students watch two Pixar-in-a-Box videos on Khan Academy to learn about storytelling and perspective. Then, they identify an interesting or poignant memory and design a social media post.

3. Create an image using a line to chart an emotional journey

How do you show emotion using a single line? In this activity, students watch a Pixar in a Box video on Khan Academy to learn about how lines communicate character, emotion, and tension. Then they experiment with these aspects as they write their story. We love using this for pre-writing and to help students explore their story arc. Also, for students who love to draw or learn visually, this can help them get started telling their story and show them that there are many different ways to tell a story.

4. Tell the story behind your name

Sharing the story behind our name is a way to tell a story about ourselves, our culture, and our family history. And if there isn’t a story behind it, we can talk about how we feel about it and describe what it sounds like. In this activity, students use video to introduce themselves to their classmates by discussing the origin of their name. This project asks students to connect their names (and identities) to their personal and familial histories and to larger historical forces. If you’re looking for a mentor text that pairs well with this one, try “My Name” by Sandra Cisneros .

5. Develop a visual character sketch

Give students the time to create a character sketch of themselves. This will help them see how they fit into their story. In this lesson, students create a visual character sketch. They’ll treat themselves like a character and learn to see themselves objectively.

6. Create a webpage to outline the story of your movie

Building a story spine is a great way to show students how to put the parts of their story in an order that makes sense. It’s an exercise in making choices about structure. We like this activity because it gives students a chance to see different examples of structure in storytelling. Then, they consider the question: how can you use structure to set your story up for success? Finally, they design and illustrate an outline for their story.

7. Respond to a variety of writing prompts

Sometimes our students get stuck because they aren’t inspired or need a different entry point into telling their story. Give them a lot of writing prompts that they can choose from. Pass out paper and pencils. Set a timer for fifteen minutes. Then, write 3-4 writing prompts on the board. Encourage students to free-write and not worry about whether their ideas are good or right. Some of our favorite prompts to encourage students to tell their story are:

• I don’t know why I remember…
• What’s your favorite place and why?
• What objects tell the story of your life?
• What might surprise someone to learn about you?

8. Create a self-portrait exploring identity and self-expression

Part of what makes writing your own story so difficult for students is that they are just building their identity. In this activity, students explore how they and others define their identity. What role does identity play in determining how they are perceived and treated by others? What remains hidden and what is shown publicly?

9. Film a video to share an important story from your life

Encourage students to think about how to tell the story of a day they faced their fears. Students consider the question: How can you use different shot types to tell your story? They watch a video from Pixar in a Box on Khan Academy to learn about different camera shots and their use in storytelling. Then, they use Adobe Spark Post or Photoshop and choose three moments from their story to make into shots. We love using this to help students think about pace and perspective. Sometimes what we leave out of our story is just as important as what we include.

10. Try wild writing

Laurie Powers created a process where you read a poem and then select two lines from it. Students start their own writing with one of those lines. Anytime that they get stuck, they repeat their jump-off line again. This is a standalone activity or a daily writing warm-up, and it works with any poem. We love how it lowers the stakes. Can’t think of anything to write? Repeat the jump-off line and start again. Here are some of our favorite jump-off lines:

• The truth is…
• Some people say…
• Here’s what I forgot to tell you…
• Some questions have no answers…
• Here’s what I’m afraid to write about…

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Enriching Creative Writing Activities for Kids

The world is made up of stories.

Through stories we learn, we empathise, we communicate, and we grow.

In the realm of education and personal development, creative writing is a powerful tool. Particularly for children, engaging in creative writing activities can have profound benefits. It not only nurtures their imagination but also enhances their cognitive, linguistic, and emotional skills.

Here’s a comprehensive guide to inspire you as you help the children around you write creatively.

The Importance of Creative Writing

If you’re wondering how writing fiction (making up stories) can help children, you’re in the right place. Creative writing is a multi-faceted tool that can help kids grow and learn more than you realise.

4 Benefits of Creative Writing for Kids

Creative writing offers a multitude of benefits to children, making it a valuable addition to any learning routine. These benefits span across several dimensions, from cognitive development to emotional well-being.

1. Creative writing enhances language skills . As children experiment with words and sentences, they improve their vocabulary and grammar. This practice also boosts their spelling and punctuation skills, providing an all-round linguistic development.

2. Creative writing helps in cognitive development . Creating a story or a poem requires logical structuring and sequencing of thoughts, thereby enhancing thinking skills. It also improves concentration and memory as children need to keep track of their narratives.

3. Creative writing is a powerful tool for emotional expression . It provides a safe space for children to express their feelings and thoughts, which promotes emotional well-being and empathy.

4. Creative writing activities can boost self-confidence . Completing a writing task, irrespective of its size, can give children a sense of accomplishment, which can improve their self-esteem and confidence.

Editor’s Note : Learning to write creatively will also create a curiosity and a hunger in a child for good stories – which can lead to a love of books, a treasure trove of knowledge and joy!

How Creative Writing Enhances Thinking Skills

Creative writing, by its nature, demands an exercise of the imagination. When children engage in creative writing activities, they learn to think beyond the obvious, fostering their creative and critical thinking skills:

• Through the process of creating characters, developing plots, and building settings, children enhance their problem-solving skills . They learn to imagine different scenarios, consider various outcomes and make decisions that drive their narratives forward.
• Moreover, creative writing encourages analytical thinking . As children read and revise their work, they evaluate their writing critically, spotting areas of improvement and making necessary adjustments.
• Finally, creative thinking is at the heart of creative writing. Coming up with unique ideas, crafting original stories, and expressing thoughts in new ways all contribute to the development of creative thinking skills.

In essence, creative writing is not just an artistic endeavor but a cognitive exercise that strengthens children’s thinking abilities. It is an integral part of personal and academic growth that can pave the way for a multitude of creative writing jobs in the future. For more insights on creative writing and its significance, explore our article on what is creative writing .

Types of Creative Writing Activities

There are countless ways to engage children in creative writing. The key is to provide diverse and interesting writing activities that spark their imagination and curiosity. Let’s explore three popular types of creative writing activities for kids .

Story Writing

Story writing is a fundamental aspect of creative writing. It encourages children to create their own characters, settings, and plots, helping them to develop their storytelling skills. Start by prompting them with a simple scenario or idea, and let their creativity take the lead. For example, ask them to write a story about a magical creature living in their backyard, or a superhero with an unusual power.

To make the activity more engaging, consider incorporating visual aids such as picture prompts. This not only stimulates their imagination but also helps them to visualize the story more effectively. For a list of interesting writing prompts, check out our article on creative writing prompts .

Poetry Writing

Poetry writing is another excellent way to nurture creativity. It allows children to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas in a unique and artistic way. Encourage them to experiment with different forms of poetry, such as haikus, limericks, or free verse. This not only introduces them to various styles of poetry but also helps them to appreciate the beauty and rhythm of language.

To inspire their poetic journey, introduce them to a variety of poems. Read the poems together , discuss the themes and emotions conveyed, and encourage them to create their own poems. Remember, the focus is not on creating perfect rhymes or following strict rules, but on expressing themselves creatively.

Writing Plays

Writing plays provides an opportunity for children to explore dialogue, character development, and dramatic structure. It encourages them to think about how characters interact and communicate , which can greatly enhance their understanding of human behavior and relationships.

To start, prompt them to write a simple scene involving two characters. Gradually, they can progress to more complex scenes involving multiple characters and plot twists. Once the play is written, consider staging a small performance . This not only brings their stories to life but also fosters a better understanding of the elements of drama.

Remember, the goal of these creative writing activities for kids is not perfection but creative expression. Encourage them to experiment with different styles, genres, and ideas. Most importantly, ensure that the writing process is enjoyable and fun . For more tips and resources on creative writing, check out our article on how to teach creative writing .

Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

To foster creativity in young writers and make the writing process more enjoyable, a variety of creative writing prompts can be used. These prompts can ignite the imagination and encourage kids to express their thoughts and ideas in unique ways. Three effective prompt types include:

Story Starters

Story starters are great ways to spark imagination and get the creative juices flowing. They provide children with the beginning of a story, allowing them to develop and expand on it in their own unique way. This can be an engaging way to get kids to think creatively and practice their writing skills.

Here are a few examples:

• “Once upon a time, in a kingdom filled with candy…”
• “The tiny alien had never seen a human before, and…”
• “As the door to the ancient castle creaked open…”

These prompts encourage children to think creatively and explore different narrative paths , enhancing their understanding of what is creative writing .

Picture Prompts

Visual stimuli can also serve as effective creative writing prompts. Picture prompts involve presenting children with an image and encouraging them to write a story based on what they see. This can help stimulate their imagination , as they can interpret the image in various ways and create a story that reflects their interpretation.

For example, showing a picture of a deserted island can prompt stories about shipwrecked pirates, stranded travelers, or magical creatures living in solitude.

Using picture prompts not only enhances creative thinking but also stimulates visual processing skills, making them a valuable addition to any collection of creative writing activities for kids .

“What If” Scenarios

“What If” scenarios are another type of creative writing prompt that can stimulate a child’s imagination. These prompts pose hypothetical situations that encourage kids to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions or narratives.

Examples of “What If” scenarios include:

• “What if you woke up one day and realized you could fly?”
• “What if animals could talk? What would they say?”
• “What if you found a magic lamp with a genie inside?”

Such scenarios can lead to a plethora of unique and interesting stories, keeping kids engaged and excited about writing.

The use of these diverse prompts within creative writing activities for kids can not only cultivate a love for writing but also enhance creative thinking and problem-solving skills. For more inspiration on creative writing prompts, refer to our article on creative writing prompts .

Creating a Conducive Environment for Creative Writing

Part of fostering a love for creative writing in children involves creating the right environment. A well-thought-out space, a consistent schedule, and the proper tools can make a significant difference in a child’s attitude towards writing.

Setting Up a Writing Space

Creating a dedicated writing space is a crucial step in stimulating a child’s creativity. This doesn’t necessarily require a large area; a small, quiet corner of a room can serve as an excellent writing spot. The aim is to provide a distraction-free zone that allows kids to focus on their thoughts and ideas.

• The space should be comfortable and inviting . A well-lit area with a desk and a comfortable chair is a good start.
• Decorate the space with inspiring art or objects.
• Ensure there’s plenty of paper and pens or pencils available. Some children may respond well to a personal journal – a special place to jot down ideas or thoughts.
• Make sure the area is quiet and free from interruptions like noise from televisions or other devices. This will help children concentrate and dive deep into their creative writing activities.

Encouraging a Regular Writing Schedule

Consistency is key when it comes to nurturing writing skills. Encourage children to write regularly, whether it’s daily or a few times a week. Establish a routine that suits the child’s schedule and is easy to follow. This can be a specific time of day or a set duration each week.

While it’s important to maintain consistency, it’s also crucial to ensure that writing doesn’t feel like a chore. If a child seems uninterested or disengaged, it might be worth revising the schedule or incorporating new, exciting creative writing prompts to reignite their enthusiasm.

Providing the Right Tools

1. While a basic pen and paper are sufficient for most writing activities, providing a variety of writing tools can make the process more engaging for children. Different colored pens, markers, and paper can inspire creativity and make writing more enjoyable.

2. Consider also providing resources like a dictionary or thesaurus to help children expand their vocabulary. This can enhance their writing skills and encourage them to explore new words and phrases.

3. In the digital age, kids might also enjoy typing their stories on a computer or tablet. There are many kid-friendly writing apps that can make this more fun and interactive. However, it’s crucial to ensure that screen time is monitored and balanced with traditional writing methods.

Creating an encouraging environment is a fundamental aspect of fostering a child’s love for creative writing. By setting up a dedicated writing space, maintaining a regular writing schedule, and providing the right tools, you can make creative writing activities for kids more appealing and enjoyable . For more advice on nurturing a child’s love for writing, check out our article on how to teach creative writing .

Enhancing Creativity through Writing Exercises

One of the most effective ways to boost creativity in children is through engaging and fun-filled writing activities. These exercises not only enhance their imaginative thought process but also help in improving their writing skills – without them realising it!

Word games are a great way to expand a child’s vocabulary while also sparking creativity. An example of a word game could be ‘ Story Chain ‘ where a child starts a story with just one sentence and then others add on one sentence at a time, making the story as wild or as tame as they want. Another game could be ‘ Word Association ‘, where a child says a word, and the next child says a word that comes to mind, continuing the chain. These games not only stimulate the imagination but also improve language skills.

Character Building Exercises

Character building is an essential aspect of creative writing.

To help kids understand this concept, they can play a game called ‘ Character Sketch ‘. In this game, children are asked to describe a character in detail, including their appearance, personality, likes, dislikes, and background story. This activity encourages children to think deeply about their characters and understand how character traits can influence the plot of a story.

For more guidance on character development, refer to our article on what is creative writing .

Setting and Plot Development Exercises

Setting and plot are two fundamental elements of any story. An effective exercise to help children understand these elements is ‘ Setting the Scene ‘. In this activity, children are given a scenario, and they have to describe the setting in detail, including the time, place, and atmosphere. They can then develop a plot based on this setting.

Another exercise is ‘ Plot Twists ‘, where children are asked to write a story and then introduce an unexpected twist in the plot. This exercise not only promotes creativity but also helps children understand the importance of surprises in keeping a story engaging. For more ideas for creative writing prompts, check out our article on creative writing prompts .

By incorporating these exercises into their writing routine, children can develop their creativity and enhance their writing skills. Remember, the goal of these activities is not just to improve writing abilities, but also to encourage children to enjoy the process of writing and express their thoughts and emotions creatively.

Unleash the Magic of a Child’s Imagination

By supporting and facilitating children as they explore and experiment with words, characters, settings, and plots you’ll be giving them so much more than a headstart in language skills. You’lll be cultivating a problem solver, a sensitive spirit, and a confident explorer!

Is there anything greater you can offer a child?

Brooks Manley

Creative Primer  is a resource on all things journaling, creativity, and productivity. We’ll help you produce better ideas, get more done, and live a more effective life.

My name is Brooks. I do a ton of journaling, like to think I’m a creative (jury’s out), and spend a lot of time thinking about productivity. I hope these resources and product recommendations serve you well. Reach out if you ever want to chat or let me know about a journal I need to check out!

Here’s my favorite journal for 2024: 

Gratitude Journal Prompts Mindfulness Journal Prompts Journal Prompts for Anxiety Reflective Journal Prompts Healing Journal Prompts Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Journal Prompts Mental Health Journal Prompts ASMR Journal Prompts Manifestation Journal Prompts Self-Care Journal Prompts Morning Journal Prompts Evening Journal Prompts Self-Improvement Journal Prompts Creative Writing Journal Prompts Dream Journal Prompts Relationship Journal Prompts "What If" Journal Prompts New Year Journal Prompts Shadow Work Journal Prompts Journal Prompts for Overcoming Fear Journal Prompts for Dealing with Loss Journal Prompts for Discerning and Decision Making Travel Journal Prompts Fun Journal Prompts

Creative Writing Jobs – What You Can Do with a Creative Writing Degree

You may also like, how to journal for self growth and improvement (+ 20 self growth journaling prompts).

How to Start and Keep a Diet Journal: A Guide to Food Diaries

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Walking by the Way

the road to inspired learning

Eight Free Creative Writing Lessons

February 17, 2012 by Ami 17 Comments

I know I throw around the word favorite all the time. But this is the truth: teaching creative writing lessons is my favorite. 

I have taught creative writing enrichment for summer school students. I have taught creative writing in various homeschool settings and co-ops. I have taught big students and little students. And I love it. 

Since I love to share homeschool co-op class ideas , I have compiled the creative writing lessons from a co-op class that I taught. 

Creative Writing Lessons for a Homeschool Co-op Class

First, please remember that any teacher can use these creative writing lessons. You don’t need to be teaching homeschoolers. You can be a classroom teacher or a homeschool teacher at home with one student. You can even be a librarian who needs a fun program series.

Second, I used these creative writing lesson plans with upper elementary students (with maybe a few 7th graders thrown in). However, you can adapt and use them for older students or younger students!

Creative Writing Lesson Plans

Creative writing lesson one.

The first lesson focuses on cliché and metaphor. It prompts students to consider how words matter.

Grab lesson one here .

Creative Writing Lesson Two

The second lesson teaches students about sensory details: why they are important and how to include them in their writing. Students will begin using sensory details to evoke smells and sounds and sights.

Grab lesson two here.

Creative Writing Lesson Three

The third lesson introduces showing vs. telling. Students learn how to recognize authors who utilize showing, and students are able to articulate the difference between showing and telling.

Grab lesson three here.

Creative Writing Lesson Four

The fourth lesson teaches students how to capture images. We use examples of poetry and prose to discuss this important writing skill.

Grab lesson four here.

Creative Writing Lesson Five

The fifth lesson introduces the story elements of character and conflict.

Note: You may choose to split this lesson into two lessons since it covers two big elements. I only had nine weeks with my students, so I had to jam character and conflict together.

Grab lesson five here.

Creative Writing Lesson Six

The sixth lesson introduces the students to point of view and perspective. We have fun reading poems and using pictures to write descriptions from different points of view.

Grab lesson six here.

Creative Writing Lesson Seven

The seventh lesson puts everything we’ve learned together. I read the students some fractured fairy tales, and we watch some, too. Students then use the prewriting activities and their imaginations to begin drafting their own fractured fairy tales.

Grab lesson seven here.

Creative Writing Lesson Eight

The eighth lesson focuses on revision. After a mini-lesson, students partner up for peer editing.

Grab lesson eight here .

For our final class day, students bring revised work, and I host coffee shop readings. This is a memorable experience for students (and their teacher).

Creative Writing Lessons FAQ

Since posting these creative writing lessons, I have had lots of questions. I decided to compile them here in case you have the same question.

Q: What are copywork quotes? A: Copywork quotes are simply great quotes that students copy as part of their homework assignments. You can use any quotes about writing. I’ve included my favorites throughout the printable packs.

Q: Can I use this with a younger or older student? A: Absolutely! Just adapt it to meet the needs of your student.

Q: Can I use this for my library’s programming or my homeschool co-op class? A: Yes! I just ask that it not be used for profit.

Do you have any questions about teaching creative writing? What’s your biggest hang-up when it comes to teaching creative writing? I’d love to hear from you and help you solve the issue.

January 7, 2016 at 1:57 pm

Hi Theresa,

As long as you are not profitting from using them, they are yours to use! Enjoy! Wish I could be there to help facilitate all those young writers! 

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22 Writing Activities To Help Kids Hone Their Writing Skills

Written by Maria Kampen

Prodigy English is here! Get your students playing — and learning — today.

• Prodigy English

Fun writing activities

Creative writing activities, academic writing activities, at-home writing activities, daily writing activities, simple writing prompts for kids.

• How writing activities can bring reluctant writers out of their shells

Try some other educational activities

When kids start writing, they’re unlocking a whole new world of imagination to explore. It’s a great way for them to be creative, express themselves and practice key reading and writing skills. 

But as most kids — and adults — will tell you, writing is hard! It can be intimidating to put pen to paper for the first time, and sometimes the challenge of a blank page seems like too much to overcome. 

Writing shouldn’t be scary for kids. These 22 fun writing activities can help them:

• Use their imagination
• Think up new stories and ideas
• Share their writing with friends and family

Use them in your classroom or at home to get kids excited about writing!

Writing is supposed to be fun! Use these activities to help kids stretch their imagination and record their thoughts on paper in a fun, low-stress environment.

1. Try online ELA games like Prodigy English

Great for: Grades 1 to 6

Online games are a great way to engage students in the learning process — and Prodigy English is bringing the power of game-based learning to language and reading skill practice!

As students build and create, they’re always practicing key reading and language skills that help them write clearly and effectively. Every correct answer gives players more energy to gather resources, complete daily tasks and earn Wishcoins.

Plus, you can send questions about the topics you want them to practice and collect insights about their learning.

2. Poetry scavenger hunt

Great for: Middle and high school students

Words are all around us, so encourage your students to take inspiration from the real-life writing they see every day. Have students collect printed words and phrases from the world around them, including:

• Magazine ads
• Graphic novels
• Newspaper headlines
• Social media captions

Students can collect and arrange their words on a piece of paper to make a unique piece of poetry. Encourage them to find a key idea and expand on it in creative ways, then have students share their work with the class. 

3. Create your own comic strip

Great for: Grades 4 to 10

Students learn in all sorts of ways. For visual learners, creating a comic strip to accompany their story can help them express themselves in a visual medium. 

Give students a set number of panels and challenge them to come up with a quick story — just a few sentences. Then, they can illustrate their scene in the style of comic books. 

Remind students the point isn’t to be the best artist — it’s to write a story that’s short and exciting. 

4. Create your own Madlib

Great for: Elementary and middle school students

Give students vocabulary practice and help them write a silly story at the same time!

Fill a sheet with the outline of the story, then remove key words like:

For younger students, add a word bank to get them started. As students fill in words, they’ll craft a unique story filled with unexpected twists and turns.

Once students start getting in the habit of writing, these creative writing activities can pull new ideas out of their heads and encourage them to experiment with different genres. 

5. Acrostics

Great for: Grades 3 to 8

Acrostic poems are a great way to introduce your students to poetry! Start with a meaningful word or name and use it as a theme for the poem. 

Writing the word vertically, students can go down the letters and write a short word or phrase that starts with each letter. Acrostic poems help students write within a structure and theme, so it’s easier for them to get started. 

6. A letter to your future self

Great for: Middle school and high school

Where do your students see themselves in a year? Five years? Ten years?

A letter to their future selves is a great way for students to explore their own story, and brainstorm what they want to achieve. Not only can students practice their letter-writing skills, they can use their imaginations to develop a growth mindset . 

For extra nostalgia, store the letters for students and mail them out once the right amount of time has passed. 

7. Write a “Choose your own adventure” story

Great for: Grades 5 and up

Whether it’s a fairy tale, detective story or drama, chances are you’ve had a student tell you they don’t know how their story is supposed to end. 

A “Choose-your-own-adventure” story lets students brainstorm different storylines and endings. Once they’re done, encourage them to share their stories with the class so their peers can go on the adventure too.

8. Write a fake advertisement

Great for: Grades 6 and up

Good writing doesn’t just happen in books — it’s all around us!

Whether students are writing advertisements on their own or as part of a project-based learning assignment , this activity helps them build key media literacy skills and practice their snappy storytelling. 

Have students make up a new product and advertisement, or encourage them to re-imagine an ad for something they love. It’s also a great way to bring media literacy and interdisciplinary learning to your classroom. 

9. Make a story map

Great for: Grades 2 to 8

Not every student is going to be comfortable putting pen to paper right away. Story maps can help students brainstorm details like plot, characters and setting in a way that makes sense for visual learners. 

Have students use charts to set out the beginning, middle and end of their stories. Mind maps can also help them plot out details about their characters or setting. 

Encourage students to present their story map as a finished product or use it to start writing!

Writing isn’t all fairy tales and short stories — it’s also an important part of learning in middle school, high school and college. Use these academic writing activities to help students understand proper essay structure, grammar and more. 

10. Story chains

Great for: Grades 4 to 8

Stories are better when they’re enjoyed with friends and classmates. And story chains encourage every student to get involved!

Put students in small groups of three to six. Give each student a blank piece of paper and have them write the beginning of a story. Then, pass it to the next student in the group so they can write what happens next. 

For extra educational value, have students work together to summarize a story from your lesson or an important historical event. 

11. Persuasive essays

Sometimes writing is about more than just telling a story. It’s about convincing your readers of your point of view. 

Have older students practice their debate skills with persuasive essays. Start with a prompt, then let students make their case. Some of our favorite prompts for this writing assignment include:

• Is it more important to be right or to not hurt someone else’s feelings?
• What important historical figure do you think belongs on the ten-dollar bill and why?
• Do you think you’re born with your personality traits, or do you gain them as you grow up?

Most importantly, make sure students back up their opinions with solid facts and arguments that convince readers to care. 

12. Solve a real-world problem

Great for: Grade 6 and up

Climate change, litter, bullying, bad cafeteria food — no matter what students pick, there are lots of real-world problems for them to solve. 

Challenge students with a writing assignment that addresses a problem they see in their world. How would they fix it? Whether it’s a short paragraph or a longer essay, encourage them to find something they’re passionate about. After all, that’s where good writing comes from!

13. Vocabulary challenge

Great for: Elementary school students

Vocabulary challenges combine vocabulary strategies with student writing to make your next language arts lesson plan even more engaging. 

Give students a new word (or two or three). Once you’re done practicing it and they know what it means, challenge them to use it in a story as creatively as possible. 

14. Teach citations

Great for: Grades 1 to 12

Footnotes, endnotes and bibliographies are the least exciting part of writing, but they’re essential skills. As students write more complex research papers, they need to know how to give credit where credit is due. Thankfully, there are lots of online resources to help!

The Purdue Online Writing Lab offers teachers and students resources for all stages of the writing process, including citations. To practice, students can write an annotated bibliography as part of a project-based learning assignment or the first step in writing a longer research paper. 

Writing isn’t just something happening in the classroom. These at-home writing ideas can help you support your child as they experiment with prose and poetry.

15. Write letters to a pen pal

Great for: Grades 3 and up

Everyone likes getting mail! Got a friend with kids in a different part of the country, or far-away family members? A pen pal can be a great way for kids to build friendships and practice their writing skills at the same time. 

16. Bring a home object to life

“It’s as big as a mountain!”

“That’s the fluffiest thing I’ve ever felt!”

The ways kids describe things can crack us up sometimes. Full of wonder and hyperbole, it’s the perfect spark for creative writing, too.

Encourage kids to practice their figurative language skills with a description of something in your home. Let them pack as much alliteration and exaggeration into the description as they can, then do a dramatic reading out loud.  

17. Write reading reactions

If you want to boost reading comprehension and writing skills at the same time, this is the perfect activity. After your child is done reading, encourage them to write a few sentences about what they just read. 

Did they like it? What do they think happens next? Which character was their favorite and why? Learning how to express opinions in writing is a valuable skill. 

18. Document family stories

Great for: Grades 4 and up

Every family has a unique story, including yours. Make memories with your child when you share stories about important family events or your childhood. 

Kids can even interview grandparents, aunts and uncles to record their memories. When you’re done, store them in a shared space so everyone can go back and reminisce.

Writing is a muscle, and you have to flex it every day to get stronger. Use these daily writing activities to make writing part of your everyday routine. 

19. Journaling

Great for: Everyone

Sometimes, you’ve just gotta write it out. 

Whether you’re trying to make sense of life or just need a place to organize your thoughts, journaling is a great way to unwind, practice mindfulness and build social emotional skills . 

All kids need to get started is a notebook and a pen. Let them know you’re not going to read it, but they’re welcome to come to you if there’s something they want to talk about. 

20. Blog about your interests

Great for: High school and up

Everyone’s passionate about something. Whatever your students love, encourage them to share it with the world! Blogging is an accessible and fun way to express themselves, nerd out about the things that bring them joy and share their opinions with the world. 

Sites like WordPress and Wix offer free website builders to help students get started. This is a great way for kids to build computer skills and digital literacy .

21. Free writing

Write, write, write and don’t stop. That’s the premise behind free writing, a writing practice that can help unlock creativity, discover new ideas and take the pressure out of a blank page. 

Give students a five-minute timer and challenge them to write continuously, without worrying about formatting, spelling or grammar. They can write about whatever they want, but there’s only one rule: don’t stop. 

22. Answer daily writing prompts

Make time to exercise your brain with daily writing prompts! At the start of the day or as a quick brain break , set aside time for students to respond to a quick daily writing prompt. 

Students should have a dedicated journal or binder to make it a seamless part of your lessons. Whether or not you choose to read their writing is up to you, but it’s important to build good daily habits. 

A blank page can be a scary sight for a student who doesn’t know what to write about. 

Use writing prompts to:

• Kickstart a student’s imagination
• Start your lesson with a fun writing activity
• Give students a topic to debate in writing

Some of our favorite simple writing prompts include:

• Write a story about a wooden door, a can of soda and a blue shoe. 
• If you met a monster looking for new friends, what would you do?
• What’s your favorite season? What makes it the best?
• If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
• Describe your dream birthday cake. 
• Write a story about being cold without using the word “cold.”
• If you could decorate your bedroom any way you wanted, what would it look like?
• Is it better to have lots of friends or just a few really good friends?
• Write a story in 10 words or less.
• Write a story about the best surprise you’ve ever received. 

For more writing prompts you can use in and out of the classroom, check out our full list of 225 writing prompts for kids .

Writing activities can bring reluctant writers out of their shells

Writing is hard and can be intimidating for a lot of students. 

But even the quietest and most reluctant students have lots of stories to tell! You just have to encourage them to get their words out. 

Writing activities help remove some of the pressure and give students:

• A fun way to approach writing 
• A starting point for their stories
• Chances to share their writing with students

No two stories are the same, just like your students. Every story can start in a different way, and that’s the beauty of writing prompts.

Whether it’s writing activities or math problems, there are lots of ways to get reluctant learners excited about your lessons with educational activities. 

Here are some of our favorites:

• 37 Quick & Easy Brain Breaks for Kids
• 30 Virtual School Activities Students & Educators Love  
• 27 Best Educational Games for Kids to Play Sorted by Subject  
• 15 Geometry Activities to Engage Students Across Grade Levels
• 36 Fun Word Games for Kids To Help with Vocabulary & Literacy
• 15 Fun, Free & Effective Multiplication Games For Your Classroom
• 20 Exciting Math Games for Kids to Skyrocket New Math Skills On-The-Go
• 21 Classroom Games to Boost Teacher Effectiveness and Student Learning
• 25 Social Emotional Learning Activities & How They Promote Student Well-Being

Which ones can you use in your next lesson?

Prodigy English is a brand-new game-based learning platform helping students build key math skills. As students explore and build a world of their very own, they’ll answer curriculum-aligned reading and language questions that help build essential skills and encourage a love of learning. 

Sign up for your free teacher account and get access to teacher tools that help you differentiate learning and track student progress as they play.

22 Creative Writing Enrichment Activities! Grades 7-12

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Also included in.

Description

Use these 22 Create Writing Enrichment Activities for middle and high school to strengthen writing skills. These projects are perfect for early finishers looking to expand on their current knowledge of creative writing.

This product is perfect for extra credit, gifted students, bell ringers, and so much more! 22 unique creative writing activities are provided for students to engage in! I like to use them for students who finish assignments early. They are fun, different, and interesting to grade.

Activities include:

• Personal Biography
• Persuasive Speech
• Blackout Poetry
• Acrostic Poetry
• 2 short story prompts
• "Experience of a Lifetime" activity
• Letter to the author
• Cover letter
• Personal Interview
• Professional interview
• Teacher-for-a-day Lesson plan
• Comic Strip/Graphic Novel
• Instagram activity
• Facebook Activity
• Twitter Activity
• Glogere Poster PSA
• Pinterest Activity
• Interview a classmate

Enjoy! Download the preview for a better idea of what the product includes!

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Writing Enrichment Activities

Writing is one of the most difficult subjects to teach and to learn. Writing requires great effort and constant revision. Children often do not know where to start as they stare at a blank page. They also get discouraged when they are asked to make revisions. That is why it is important to emphasize that writing is a process. If we stress that the natural process of writing requires brainstorming and revision it will not feel so overwhelming. The links below explain the writing process through the use of anchor charts or posters. To reinforce what is taught, it is beneficial to have children recreate their own anchor chart or poster.

Anchor chart samples

• 5 Quick Writing Process Posters and Downloads
• The Writing Process
• Reviewing the Writing Process with Play Doh

Brainstorming graphic organizers

• Graphic-Organizer Easy to Use
• Brainstorming Graphic Organizer
• Brainstorming Graphic to Help Students Organize Their Thoughts

Writing Contests

Children who enjoy writing, love to enter writing contests. Listed below are writing contests that are made available on an annual basis. Periodically check the websites for submission deadlines.

Short story writing contest:

• International Short Story Writing Contest for School Children

Math essay contest:

• Math Essay Contest

Sports essay contest:

• Sports Matter Student Contest

Middle school and high school:

• Top Writing Contests for High School Students
• Essay Competitions
• High School Student Essay Contest
• Private Frontier Essay Contest
• Essay Writing Contests for Students

History and political essay contests:

• American History Essay Contest
• We the Students Essay Contest
• Freedom Festival Essay Contest
• Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contest
• Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest

Novel Writing (Fiction)

Many children love to write fictional stories.  NaNoWriMo  is a great program for anyone, of any age, who wants to write a novel. NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, which is in November. The program provides authors support, tools, and a writing schedule.

NaNoWriMo has a special program designed for elementary, middle school, and high school writers called, “Young Writers Program.” Printable and online resources such as workbooks, blogs, and videos are available on the website. There is also a summer writing camp. A discounted  self-publishing offer  is available through NaNoWriMo.

Grade level writing expectations tied to Common Core Standards

First Grade Writing Expectations

• Your 1st Grader’s Writing Under Common Core Standards

Writing prompts and scaffolded worksheets:

• First Grade Journals
• Writing First and Last Name
• Do First Grade Opinions Matter?

Second Grade Writing Expectations

• Your 2nd Grader’s Writing Under Common Core Standards
• Narrative Writing Prompt
• Paragraph Writing Worksheet
• Book Report Outline
• Biography Booklet

Third Grade Writing Expectations

• Your 3rd Grader’s Writing Under Common Core Standards
• How to Write a Paragraph for Third Grade
• A Simple Way to Teach Third Graders How to Write a Simple Paragraph
• Printable Handwriting Worksheets
• Informational Writing Graphic Organizer

Fourth Grade Writing Expectations

Five paragraph essays, complete with introductory paragraphs and conclusions.

• Your 4th Grader’s Writing Under Common Core Standards
• Fourth Grade Writing Standards
• What is a Narrative? Key Features

Writing prompts and scaffolded worksheet:

• 4th Grade Writing Worksheets
• Organization in Writing

Fifth Grade Writing Expectations

At least five paragraph essays, including an introductory paragraph, three paragraphs in the body, and one concluding paragraph.

• Your 5th Grader’s Writing Under Common Core Standards
• How to Write a Five Paragraph Essay
• The Five-paragraph Essay Made Easy
• Outline an Informative Paragraph
• Informational Writing: Outline the Paragraph
• My Research Notes

Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grade Writing Expectations

More complicated introductory paragraphs which include:

• a hook: a catchy way to get and keep the reader’s attention
• a thesis statement: a general statement about the main idea of the essay

Introductory paragraph information and videos:

• Why Do We Need Great Essay Hooks?
• How to Write an Introduction Paragraph: Hook Strategies
• Writing an Introductory Paragraph

Body paragraphs include:

• topic sentence: main idea of the paragraph
• reasons, details, or facts to explain the main idea

Body paragraph explanation and videos:

• How to Write a Body Paragraph
• Paragraphs Tips: 5 Steps on How to Write a Paragraph

Concluding paragraph

• summary statement: statement that sums up very briefly in one sentence what was stated previously
• clincher: thought provoking statement or question designed to help the reader want to remember what they just read

Concluding paragraph videos:

• How to Create a Concluding Paragraph
• How to Write a Conclusion Paragraph

All students should be able to write three different types of essays:

1. Personal Narrative: a true story about your life

• Writing the Personal Narrative
• Writing a Personal Narrative Draft for Kids
• How to Write an Imaginative Narrative for Kids

2. Narrative Essay: writing a story

• How to Write an Imaginative Narrative for Kids (Episode 2)
• Narrative Essays

3. Expository Essay: “expose” the reader to information about a subject

• How to Write Expository Essays
• Learn the Basics of Writing the Expository Essay
• Expository Essay Example, Step by Step

In the higher grades, students will be asked to expand writing with other types of essays with more complicated sentences:

1. Cause and Effect Essay:

• How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay
• Cause and Effect Essay
• Cause & Effect Essay Structure

2. Persuasive Essay: try to change someone’s opinion about a specific topic

• Identify Persuasive Texts
• How to Write a Persuasive Essay
• The 6th Grade Persuasive Essay
• Recognizing Persuasive Language

3. Research Essay: with citations (references)

• How to Write a Research Paper

4. Comparison/Contrast Essay:  similarities and differences

• The Comparison/Contrast Essay
• How to Write a Compare & Contrast Essay

4th Grade Creative Writing Activities

• Most Popular
• Most Recent

ELA Matters

Engaging both middle school and high school learners!

8 Activities to Engage Students in Writing

Writing is an essential part of learning and it can open the doors to greater understanding, expression, and success. Unfortunately, many students find writing to be a difficult task. That is why it is important for teachers to create engaging activities to help their students become better writers. By introducing activities such as quick writes, flash fiction, infographics, roll-a-stories, or collaborative writing projects; teachers can provide stimulating outlets that allow students to express creative ideas while developing their skills in writing and communication.

The ELA Matters team has come together to provide you with ideas and helpful resources to engage your students in writing activities. We’ve pooled our ideas, insights, and expertise so that you can empower your students!

Write Flash Fiction

Opportunities for short writing are ideal according to Lesa from SmithTeaches9to12 . Options such as quick writes or flash fiction can get students to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboards with less pressure!

Flash fiction is one of Lesa’s students’ (and Lesa’s!) favorite writing activities. Flash fiction is a work of fiction that is a few hundred words or less. 

To get students to write flash fiction, introduce or review elements of fiction–character, Freytag’s pyramid, conflict, etc.– and provide examples to students. Use examples such as 55-word stories from Steve Moss as mentor texts for students. They can read and analyze structure and content before embarking on writing their own short, short stories. 

This creative writing exercise is useful in a variety of ways:

• to review elements of fiction
• to incorporate new vocabulary
• to explore genre before a particular drama or novel study unit
• to practice sentence structure or other grammar lessons
• to change focus and bridge a gap between units
• to keep as a sub-plan for when you take your personal time off!

If you want the whole shebang ready to go for you, check out this resource that walks teachers and students through the whole process

Using Mentor Texts for Inspiration

Jen from The Supported Teacher recommends using mentor texts for teaching writing: 

“Mentor texts are one of the most powerful ways to teach writing because they offer students both a model to follow (in other words, build in scaffolding) as well as inspiration for what to say.”

Mentor texts can range from a single sentence to a picture book to a song lyric or an entire excerpt. Jen has found the most success using mentors that can be read and analyzed within a class period so that you can shift your focus back to writing before the class ends. 

Using a mentor text to teach writing is helpful because it asks students to zero in on a specific aspect of the writing that is working particularly well – and then invites students to immediately practice that technique or skill in their own writing. 

When students get to be the author, they become better readers too! They start caring more about what an author is doing and why because they experienced firsthand the challenge of writing and the thoughtfulness that goes into writing something beautiful.

Click here to read more about how Jen uses mentor texts in the secondary classroom!

Incorporate Visual Aids

  Marissa from Creative Classroom Core has found that incorporating visual aids into her lessons can be extremely helpful to encourage middle school writers.  

Marissa has found writer’s block to be a very real thing, and sometimes her students can really struggle with coming up with ideas for what to write about.  She has found that incorporating visual ideas like photographs, illustrations, and videos into her lessons allows students to draw inspiration to help them craft their own stories. Sometimes all it takes is a quick glance at a photograph or illustration to really get the creative juices flowing!

In addition, incorporating visual aids helps to break up the monotony of writing instruction, and is a great way to keep students engaged.

The best part?  Marissa loves that adding visual aids to her lessons does not require a ton of prep work on her part.  A quick YouTube or Google image search can provide a wealth of resources to inspire young learners!

Click here for more of Marissa’s writing tips for engaging middle school writers!

Characterization

For creative writing, Katie from Mochas and Markbooks likes to give students plenty of opportunities to focus on characterization.

One method to help students flesh out their characters is a character profile that they fill out, detailing aspects of their protagonists all the way from nicknames to religious beliefs. Students tend to become more invested in their characters after really “getting to know them” through the creation of a profile, and therefore take more pride in their writing. Katie has found that when students go through this process, they know their characters as well as they know themselves, and the writing flows much easier.

Another important outcome of creating a character profile is for students to fully understand their character’s motives, desires, and beliefs. Through this understanding, tackling major aspects of the plot, like the conflict and its resolution become easier to write when students know how their character would respond.

For more creative writing ideas, check out this post all about sources of inspiration for narratives.

Collaborative Stories

One thing Carolyn from Middle School Cafe knows is that students love to work together (especially if it’s their friend) and while she can’t allow that all the time, she likes to incorporate partner work where she can. 

Collaborative stories are the perfect activity to allow students to work with partners and get them writing. Collaborative stories are a fun and engaging activity for students as it encourages teamwork, problem solving, and creative thinking.

Collaborative stories are easy to implement and require very little prep.  Divide the class into in pairs (or groups of three, but keep the groups small), and provide them with a picture that will serve as the setting for their story. Each partner then begins a story based on the picture given and after a few minutes, partners switch stories and continue writing for another few minutes before switching again. Do this as often as needed or until students finish their stories.

Collaborative stories are a quick, fun Friday activity that encourages participation and lots of laughs! At the end of this writing, each student ends up with two unique stories.

Images and Infographics

Similar to Marisa, Miss K love to use images and infographics to help her high schoolers work on their writing in quick bursts and to help generate discussion. She will create a Do Now centered around the NYTimes “ What’s Going on in this Picture ” or “ What’s Going on in this Graph. ” 

Miss K will use the current weekly post from the site, or she will go back and find one connected to the current class topic. When starting new research topics, Miss K has found that using images and graphics can help students think outside the box instead of starting with what is just in their heads. They often need help to do so —using images to introduce a topic and to generate writing has strengthened class discussion and the student’s research. 

Once students complete the writing, Miss K will have them turn and talk and then join a larger group discussion to dissect what they see in the image/graphic. It is a low-risk, high-reward scenario because there is no wrong answer. The fun part – checking back at the end of the week to see how close the student analysis was once the photo background/caption is revealed! 

Roll A Story

Students often have trouble figuring out what to write when given an assignment. How about a fun activity that gets students writing and practically eliminates the “I don’t know what to write about” blues?

Samantha from Samantha in Secondary loves to use Roll a Stories with her students!

What is that?!

The concept is simple. Choose the overarching theme you’d like your students to write about. For example, a suspenseful story, a mystery, a fairytale, a story about a season, etc. Come up with some simple options for the story elements you want students to include. Get some dice from your local dollar store. Then, get writing! 

Students love the unpredictability and trying to get all of the pieces to “fit” into the story. 

To read more about how Samantha uses this fun creative writing activity for routine writing and more, click here to read a longer blog post all about it. 

You can also see all of her Roll a Story resources by clicking here . There are plenty of options to choose from, plus a free resource to test!

Happy writing!

Student Choice in How to Publish

“ Begin with the end in mind, ” is a phrase drilled into every pre-service teacher’s brain, but also one that Natayle Brown from Hey Natayle likes to refer back to when teaching writing:

“So often with writing units, we tend to have our students jump from the planning stage right into the blinking cursor of a draft. It’s not until we’re nearing the end of our drafts or staring at the word DEADLINE that we even utter the word “publishing.” And when we do, it may or may not be tied directly to the pressure of a final grade. The whole concept of publishing is almost a complete afterthought, right?”

With your next writing unit, engage your writers by beginning with the end in mind and FIRST brainstorming the final product. How do your students want to see themselves as a published author? Will it be through a magazine article? A short story? A comic, documentary, podcast, or audiobook?

Giving students a choice in how they publish their work will connect them more meaningfully to their purpose for writing – and as a result, engagement will skyrocket.

Just be sure to add a few days to the end of your unit for time to work on publishing. Then, wrap it up with a fun Author’s Celebration and provide a moment for students to share and honor one another’s work.

How do you include low-stakes writing in your classroom?

Join the conversation with the ELA Matters team over on  Instagram  or  Facebook !

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• Writing Activities

105 Creative Writing Exercises To Get You Writing Again

You know that feeling when you just don’t feel like writing? Sometimes you can’t even get a word down on paper. It’s the most frustrating thing ever to a writer, especially when you’re working towards a deadline. The good news is that we have a list of 105 creative writing exercises to help you get motivated and start writing again!

What are creative writing exercises?

Creative writing exercises are short writing activities (normally around 10 minutes) designed to get you writing. The goal of these exercises is to give you the motivation to put words onto a blank paper. These words don’t need to be logical or meaningful, neither do they need to be grammatically correct or spelt correctly. The whole idea is to just get you writing something, anything. The end result of these quick creative writing exercises is normally a series of notes, bullet points or ramblings that you can, later on, use as inspiration for a bigger piece of writing such as a story or a poem. 

Good creative writing exercises are short, quick and easy to complete. You shouldn’t need to think too much about your style of writing or how imaginative your notes are. Just write anything that comes to mind, and you’ll be on the road to improving your creative writing skills and beating writer’s block . 

Use the generator below to get a random creative writing exercise idea:

List of 105+ Creative Writing Exercises

Here are over 105 creative writing exercises to give your brain a workout and help those creative juices flow again:

• Set a timer for 60 seconds. Now write down as many words or phrases that come to mind at that moment.
• Pick any colour you like. Now start your sentence with this colour. For example, Orange, the colour of my favourite top. 
• Open a book or dictionary on a random page. Pick a random word. You can close your eyes and slowly move your finger across the page. Now, write a paragraph with this random word in it. You can even use an online dictionary to get random words:

• Create your own alphabet picture book or list. It can be A to Z of animals, food, monsters or anything else you like!
• Using only the sense of smell, describe where you are right now.
• Take a snack break. While eating your snack write down the exact taste of that food. The goal of this creative writing exercise is to make your readers savour this food as well.
• Pick a random object in your room and write a short paragraph from its point of view. For example, how does your pencil feel? What if your lamp had feelings?
• Describe your dream house. Where would you live one day? Is it huge or tiny? 
• Pick two different TV shows, movies or books that you like. Now swap the main character. What if Supergirl was in Twilight? What if SpongeBob SquarePants was in The Flash? Write a short scene using this character swap as inspiration.
• What’s your favourite video game? Write at least 10 tips for playing this game.
• Pick your favourite hobby or sport. Now pretend an alien has just landed on Earth and you need to teach it this hobby or sport. Write at least ten tips on how you would teach this alien.
• Use a random image generator and write a paragraph about the first picture you see.

• Write a letter to your favourite celebrity or character. What inspires you most about them? Can you think of a memorable moment where this person’s life affected yours? We have this helpful guide on writing a letter to your best friend for extra inspiration.
• Write down at least 10 benefits of writing. This can help motivate you and beat writer’s block.
• Complete this sentence in 10 different ways: Patrick waited for the school bus and…
• Pick up a random book from your bookshelf and go to page 9. Find the ninth sentence on that page. Use this sentence as a story starter.
• Create a character profile based on all the traits that you hate. It might help to list down all the traits first and then work on describing the character.
• What is the scariest or most dangerous situation you have ever been in? Why was this situation scary? How did you cope at that moment?
• Pretend that you’re a chat show host and you’re interviewing your favourite celebrity. Write down the script for this conversation.
• Using extreme detail, write down what you have been doing for the past one hour today. Think about your thoughts, feelings and actions during this time.
• Make a list of potential character names for your next story. You can use a fantasy name generator to help you.
• Describe a futuristic setting. What do you think the world would look like in 100 years time?
• Think about a recent argument you had with someone. Would you change anything about it? How would you resolve an argument in the future?
• Describe a fantasy world. What kind of creatures live in this world? What is the climate like? What everyday challenges would a typical citizen of this world face? You can use this fantasy world name generator for inspiration.
• At the flip of a switch, you turn into a dragon. What kind of dragon would you be? Describe your appearance, special abilities, likes and dislikes. You can use a dragon name generator to give yourself a cool dragon name.
• Pick your favourite book or a famous story. Now change the point of view. For example, you could rewrite the fairytale , Cinderella. This time around, Prince Charming could be the main character. What do you think Prince Charming was doing, while Cinderella was cleaning the floors and getting ready for the ball?
• Pick a random writing prompt and use it to write a short story. Check out this collection of over 300 writing prompts for kids to inspire you. 
• Write a shopping list for a famous character in history. Imagine if you were Albert Einstein’s assistant, what kind of things would he shop for on a weekly basis?
• Create a fake advertisement poster for a random object that is near you right now. Your goal is to convince the reader to buy this object from you.
• What is the worst (or most annoying) sound that you can imagine? Describe this sound in great detail, so your reader can understand the pain you feel when hearing this sound.
• What is your favourite song at the moment? Pick one line from this song and describe a moment in your life that relates to this line.
•  You’re hosting an imaginary dinner party at your house. Create a list of people you would invite, and some party invites. Think about the theme of the dinner party, the food you will serve and entertainment for the evening. 
• You are waiting to see your dentist in the waiting room. Write down every thought you are having at this moment in time. 
• Make a list of your greatest fears. Try to think of at least three fears. Now write a short story about a character who is forced to confront one of these fears. 
• Create a ‘Wanted’ poster for a famous villain of your choice. Think about the crimes they have committed, and the reward you will give for having them caught. 
• Imagine you are a journalist for the ‘Imagine Forest Times’ newspaper. Your task is to get an exclusive interview with the most famous villain of all time. Pick a villain of your choice and interview them for your newspaper article. What questions would you ask them, and what would their responses be?
•  In a school playground, you see the school bully hurting a new kid. Write three short stories, one from each perspective in this scenario (The bully, the witness and the kid getting bullied).
• You just won $10 million dollars. What would you spend this money on?
• Pick a random animal, and research at least five interesting facts about this animal. Write a short story centred around one of these interesting facts. 
• Pick a global issue that you are passionate about. This could be climate change, black lives matters, women’s rights etc. Now create a campaign poster for this global issue. 
• Write an acrostic poem about an object near you right now (or even your own name). You could use a poetry idea generator to inspire you.
• Imagine you are the head chef of a 5-star restaurant. Recently the business has slowed down. Your task is to come up with a brand-new menu to excite customers. Watch this video prompt on YouTube to inspire you.
• What is your favourite food of all time? Imagine if this piece of food was alive, what would it say to you?
• If life was one big musical, what would you be singing about right now? Write the lyrics of your song. 
• Create and describe the most ultimate villain of all time. What would their traits be? What would their past look like? Will they have any positive traits?
• Complete this sentence in at least 10 different ways: Every time I look out of the window, I…
• You have just made it into the local newspaper, but what for? Write down at least five potential newspaper headlines . Here’s an example, Local Boy Survives a Deadly Illness.
• If you were a witch or a wizard, what would your specialist area be and why? You might want to use a Harry Potter name generator or a witch name generator for inspiration.
• What is your favourite thing to do on a Saturday night? Write a short story centred around this activity. 
• Your main character has just received the following items: A highlighter, a red cap, a teddy bear and a fork. What would your character do with these items? Can you write a story using these items? 
• Create a timeline of your own life, from birth to this current moment. Think about the key events in your life, such as birthdays, graduations, weddings and so on. After you have done this, you can pick one key event from your life to write a story about. 
• Think of a famous book or movie you like. Rewrite a scene from this book or movie, where the main character is an outsider. They watch the key events play out, but have no role in the story. What would their actions be? How would they react?
• Three very different characters have just won the lottery. Write a script for each character, as they reveal the big news to their best friend.  
• Write a day in the life story of three different characters. How does each character start their day? What do they do throughout the day? And how does their day end?
•  Write about the worst experience in your life so far. Think about a time when you were most upset or angry and describe it. 
• Imagine you’ve found a time machine in your house. What year would you travel to and why?
• Describe your own superhero. Think about their appearance, special abilities and their superhero name. Will they have a secret identity? Who is their number one enemy?
• What is your favourite country in the world? Research five fun facts about this country and use one to write a short story. 
• Set yourself at least three writing goals. This could be a good way to motivate yourself to write every day. For example, one goal might be to write at least 150 words a day. 
• Create a character description based on the one fact, three fiction rule. Think about one fact or truth about yourself. And then add in three fictional or fantasy elements. For example, your character could be the same age as you in real life, this is your one fact. And the three fictional elements could be they have the ability to fly, talk in over 100 different languages and have green skin. 
• Describe the perfect person. What traits would they have? Think about their appearance, their interests and their dislikes. 
• Keep a daily journal or diary. This is a great way to keep writing every day. There are lots of things you can write about in your journal, such as you can write about the ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ of your day. Think about anything that inspired you or anything that upset you, or just write anything that comes to mind at the moment. 
• Write a book review or a movie review. If you’re lost for inspiration, just watch a random movie or read any book that you can find. Then write a critical review on it. Think about the best parts of the book/movie and the worst parts. How would you improve the book or movie?
• Write down a conversation between yourself. You can imagine talking to your younger self or future self (i.e. in 10 years’ time). What would you tell them? Are there any lessons you learned or warnings you need to give? Maybe you could talk about what your life is like now and compare it to their life?
• Try writing some quick flash fiction stories . Flash fiction is normally around 500 words long, so try to stay within this limit.
• Write a six-word story about something that happened to you today or yesterday. A six-word story is basically an entire story told in just six words. Take for example: “Another football game ruined by me.” or “A dog’s painting sold for millions.” – Six-word stories are similar to writing newspaper headlines. The goal is to summarise your story in just six words. 
• The most common monsters or creatures used in stories include vampires, werewolves , dragons, the bigfoot, sirens and the loch-ness monster. In a battle of intelligence, who do you think will win and why?
• Think about an important event in your life that has happened so far, such as a birthday or the birth of a new sibling. Now using the 5 W’s and 1 H technique describe this event in great detail. The 5 W’s include: What, Who, Where, Why, When and the 1 H is: How. Ask yourself questions about the event, such as what exactly happened on that day? Who was there? Why was this event important? When and where did it happen? And finally, how did it make you feel?
• Pretend to be someone else. Think about someone important in your life. Now put yourself into their shoes, and write a day in the life story about being them. What do you think they do on a daily basis? What situations would they encounter? How would they feel?
• Complete this sentence in at least 10 different ways: I remember…
• Write about your dream holiday. Where would you go? Who would you go with? And what kind of activities would you do?
• Which one item in your house do you use the most? Is it the television, computer, mobile phone, the sofa or the microwave? Now write a story of how this item was invented. You might want to do some research online and use these ideas to build up your story. 
• In exactly 100 words, describe your bedroom. Try not to go over or under this word limit.
• Make a top ten list of your favourite animals. Based on this list create your own animal fact file, where you provide fun facts about each animal in your list.
• What is your favourite scene from a book or a movie? Write down this scene. Now rewrite the scene in a different genre, such as horror, comedy, drama etc.
•  Change the main character of a story you recently read into a villain. For example, you could take a popular fairytale such as Jack and the Beanstalk, but this time re-write the story to make Jack the villain of the tale.
• Complete the following sentence in at least 10 different ways: Do you ever wonder…
• What does your name mean? Research the meaning of your own name, or a name that interests you. Then use this as inspiration for your next story. For example, the name ‘Marty’ means “Servant Of Mars, God Of War”. This could make a good concept for a sci-fi story.
• Make a list of three different types of heroes (or main characters) for potential future stories.
• If someone gave you $10 dollars, what would you spend it on and why?
• Describe the world’s most boring character in at least 100 words. 
• What is the biggest problem in the world today, and how can you help fix this issue?
• Create your own travel brochure for your hometown. Think about why tourists might want to visit your hometown. What is your town’s history? What kind of activities can you do? You could even research some interesting facts. 
• Make a list of all your favourite moments or memories in your life. Now pick one to write a short story about.
• Describe the scariest and ugliest monster you can imagine. You could even draw a picture of this monster with your description.
• Write seven haikus, one for each colour of the rainbow. That’s red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. 
• Imagine you are at the supermarket. Write down at least three funny scenarios that could happen to you at the supermarket. Use one for your next short story. 
• Imagine your main character is at home staring at a photograph. Write the saddest scene possible. Your goal is to make your reader cry when reading this scene. 
• What is happiness? In at least 150 words describe the feeling of happiness. You could use examples from your own life of when you felt happy.
• Think of a recent nightmare you had and write down everything you can remember. Use this nightmare as inspiration for your next story.
• Keep a dream journal. Every time you wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning you can quickly jot down things that you remember from your dreams. These notes can then be used as inspiration for a short story. 
• Your main character is having a really bad day. Describe this bad day and the series of events they experience. What’s the worst thing that could happen to your character?
• You find a box on your doorstep. You open this box and see the most amazing thing ever. Describe this amazing thing to your readers.
• Make a list of at least five possible settings or locations for future stories. Remember to describe each setting in detail.
• Think of something new you recently learned. Write this down. Now write a short story where your main character also learns the same thing.
• Describe the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen in your whole life. Your goal is to amaze your readers with its beauty. 
• Make a list of things that make you happy or cheer you up. Try to think of at least five ideas. Now imagine living in a world where all these things were banned or against the law. Use this as inspiration for your next story.
• Would you rather be rich and alone or poor and very popular? Write a story based on the lives of these two characters. 
• Imagine your main character is a Librarian. Write down at least three dark secrets they might have. Remember, the best secrets are always unexpected.
• There’s a history behind everything. Describe the history of your house. How and when was your house built? Think about the land it was built on and the people that may have lived here long before you.
• Imagine that you are the king or queen of a beautiful kingdom. Describe your kingdom in great detail. What kind of rules would you have? Would you be a kind ruler or an evil ruler of the kingdom?
• Make a wish list of at least three objects you wish you owned right now. Now use these three items in your next story. At least one of them must be the main prop in the story.
• Using nothing but the sense of taste, describe a nice Sunday afternoon at your house. Remember you can’t use your other senses (i.e see, hear, smell or touch) in this description. 
• What’s the worst pain you felt in your life? Describe this pain in great detail, so your readers can also feel it.
• If you were lost on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere, what three must-have things would you pack and why?
• Particpate in online writing challenges or contests. Here at Imagine Forest, we offer daily writing challenges with a new prompt added every day to inspire you. Check out our challenges section in the menu.

Do you have any more fun creative writing exercises to share? Let us know in the comments below!

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

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Ultimate List of Enrichment Activities, After-School Classes & Programs

Where do we stand with enrichment? Are “after-school” activities going to command more of the spotlight? Will it be enough to just enrich , or are parents going to need more of an education replacement, or at least a much heavier supplement? 

While I might not have all of the answers, here is a deep dive into the many activities one might consider to be enrichment. This list can also be relied on more heavily by families needing to bolster their kids’ everyday learning activities. 

What is an enrichment activity or class?

Enrichment is an experience where kids can extend their learning to improve or enhance skills, knowledge, and well-being. After-school enrichment activities and classes can include academics, sports, arts, and more, and are offered with the goal of providing entertainment and enjoyment, while sharpening and fleshing-out student skill sets. 

Even more exciting are the benefits that kids get mentally and emotionally . As they build skills, they’re learning problem-solving skills that they can apply in other situations. While they work through the challenges of learning something new, they also prove to themselves that they can accomplish hard things, which is a huge confidence builder . 

Depending on the type of program your child is enrolled in, they may get to interact with other kids during enrichment activities. This allows them to participate in social and emotional learning (SEL). SEL is a process through which children and teens gain knowledge, skills, and attitudes that help them develop healthy identities and manage their emotions. SEL also teaches kids how to achieve their goals, make responsible decisions, and show empathy for others.

Types of after-school enrichment activities

Coding for kids can take a variety of forms, ranging from Scratch summer camps to advanced Python programs . But beyond that, enrichment can come from any of the many available coding “toys” like those from LEGO, Sphero , and others.

Here are a few examples:

Sphero Bolt —A programmable robotic ball that offers two types of visual coding for kids . 

Sphero RVR —An autonomous robot car that can be programmed with text-based and block-based coding . 

LEGO Robotics —LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 or the LEGO Education SPIKE Prime Set can offer robotics fun through the familiarity of the classic building set. 

Read More:  What is Sphero and How Does it Work?

Courses to consider: 

Coding tutoring :

• View all after-school coding classes

Board games

When it comes to activities, the goal isn’t purely entertainment, so while board games are great and can hold kids’ attention, parents should strive for options that require deeper levels of thinking. 

On a basic level, this could mean something like chess or checkers, or, even the strategy of Monopoly (which has multiple themed editions for another layer of learning) or word-focused fun of Scrabble. 

If your child is a chess enthusiast, they’ll love leveling up their game with online chess coaching and lessons . There are also board games that help teach coding fundamentals, like Robot Turtles, and math skills like Tri-Facta. 

Here is a list of educational board games . 

Arts & crafts

When you hear “arts & crafts” you may immediately think about glue, paper shreds, and big messes. But, these activities can certainly be enriching, especially if they involve creating something new and different, or something innovative if kids are given a prompt and only a set amount of resources, etc. 

In addition to exploring drawing as an art form, whether that's through creating comic style art or another genre they're excited about, taking art digital with graphic design or photography  is an exciting option (more on these later)! Likely to be new to many young artists, digital art transforms paper works into share-ready masterpieces.

Learn More: Digital Arts Summer Camps

And, while not everyone has access to a 3D printer, there are many options now, with some being quite affordable. Thus, learning 3D modeling and then being able to print creations on a 3D printer can be a great activity for kids (see how the “Taco Bros” are using their 3D printing skills for good .)

Here are some ideas from the iD Tech blog:

• DIY Light-Up Holiday Sweater
• DIY Memory Book
• DIY Pop-Up Card

You know about Minecraft, I’m sure. But did you know that in addition to all of the fun kids have with the game, Minecraft can be incredibly educational as well ? There are a number of benefits listed via that link (creativity, problem-solving, etc.) but kids can also go from playing to turning their attention to Minecraft mods .

Here are a few Minecraft resources:

• Blog:  Is Minecraft educational?
• Blog:  What are Minecraft mods?
• Blog:  How to make a Minecraft server
• Blog:  What is adventure mode in Minecraft?
• Blog:  Minecraft modding for kids
• Course: Minecraft Modding with Java Tutoring

AI Exploration

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become part of our daily lives and will likely shape the future in ways we don’t even realize now. Supporting your child’s interest in AI could help them develop advantageous skills.

Plus, these tools are simply fun to play with. Your child will need to think of scenarios, come up with prompts, and learn to improve their input to get better results from the AI model they’re using.

There are several free tools to get started with AI, including OpenAI’s Chat GPT-4 (language) and DALL-E 2 (visual art). If your child has shown interest, you can help guide them with an online course in artificial intelligence .

Sports, Dance & Exercise

Enrichment doesn’t have to be only about the “brain,” in which something like esports coaching might be a perfect fit, it can also be about the body. Not to mention that exercise offers awesome benefits for both the body and mind.

Now, this could really be any sport, but I’m trying to keep in mind the fact that many kids are stuck at home—often on their own. So, basketball is one of the easier sports for kids to play at length on their own.

In addition, though, there are also virtual instruction opportunities with something like a "smart" soccer ball , where kids can go through interactive training, and even join live classes. 

The last thing many kids want to do is to have to go through a day that involves math in school, and then be tasked with more math during their after-school enrichment time. 

So, look to make math fun, which means turning to supplemental activities that have a math component in order to “sneak” in the skill-building, for lack of a better term. 

Think about things like creating a new recipe where kids need to double the given yield, or money management where kids are adding or subtracting from their allowances, and even couponing where you present different percentage-off coupons to kids and have them calculate new checkout totals, etc. 

All that said, there are also math apps , and then the math board games mentioned above. Here are some resources on how to make math fun:

• 8 ways to make math fun for kids & teens
• 15 fun ways to practice math
• 30 ways to make math fun for elementary kids

Not to mention that tutoring doesn't have to fit into the "boring" box that tutoring might be traditionally known for. For instance, iD Tech has a number of  online math tutoring courses , including options in  pre-algebra ,  algebra I ,  algebra II , and  geometry . 

With after-school enrichment, one approach is to have kids dive into large projects that can be broken up over a number of days, with kids chipping away and progressing during each sitting. The other approach is to go for breadth and to allow for kids to jump into quick-hitting options.

Design lends itself to both, as kids can take on a larger design project, like creating something in Maya such as video game assets, designing a website with HTML , or special FX for films, and more. This could also be a personal branding exercise where kids create a logo and online presence. 

A “smaller” option could involve mini design exercises , like creating graphic quotes for social media or making a tri-fold monster doodle activity.

Content Creation

What kid doesn’t watch YouTube or Instagram reels? Just like many adults have a favorite content creator, so do kids! Many children look up to creators and want to learn how to do something similar. Encouraging them to become content creators instead of content consumers also teaches them a valuable lesson about social media.

Whether they’re interested in video content, graphics, blogs, or something else, there’s a tool that they can use to get started! Here are a few ways to get started:

• Challenge writers to create a blog on Blogger or Live Journal .
• Encourage photographers to create an Instagram page.
• Show short and long-form video makers how to create a Youtube channel.

From there, you can challenge your child to choose a theme, create a content plan, and get to work! A few niche ideas to explore might include:

• Animal care
• Jokes/comedy
• How-to guides

As your child builds their interest, you can support them with online courses. For example, private lessons on Video for Youtube can expedite skills .

Photography 

Photography is more than just a fancy word for taking pictures. It can be an involved, enriching activity if approached correctly. For instance, a photographer can adopt a particular theme and style, where they specialize in taking certain types of photos and expand on their style using Photoshop . 

Not to mention that a camera is a tool, and requires precise skill and developed experience in order to truly understand all that it’s capable of, from the lens and flash, to viewfinder, shutter speeds, aperture, and more. 

Theater and Acting

For kids with a flair for dramatics, theater might just be the perfect fit. Plus, acting in plays or home movies forces kids to hone in on several skills. They have to memorize lines, think quickly, express emotions, and ultimately be confident enough to get on stage. 

There are several entry points to performing arts, which makes it accessible no matter where you live. If you’d like to take a DIY approach, you can encourage your child to choose a favorite actor, then watch the actor’s (age-appropriate) movie catalog. From there, they can interpret and research movie themes, acting techniques, storylines, and more. 

You can also enroll your child in online or in-person acting classes. There are a variety of online acting courses to choose from—including free options . If your child is interested, they can also audition for parts in plays via local theaters, community centers, and schools.   

Movie Making

Movie making may have meant one thing years ago, but today, the opportunity is out there for anyone to try and create a special effects blockbuster thanks to the many available tools - like Adobe Character Animator , Premiere , After Effects , and more - or, to create a simple yet entertaining stop-motion movie from an iPhone. 

Knowledge of these cutting-edge programs gives kids the tools they need to become the next YouTube or TikTok star! And with the right expert mentorship and guidance, they can leverage the power of these popular platforms to share (and maybe even monetize) their ideas with a wide audience.

Filming and producing videos allows kids an outlet for self-expression as they carve out their path from imaginer to storyteller. 

Drawing & Animation

Like most activities, drawing and animation can be fun at the entry-level, but can be even more beneficial at the advanced levels that follow. The same goes for video games (and yes, video games can be good for kids ), where kids can have some good entertainment just by playing them, but can take things to new heights in terms of conceptualizing their own games, or even learning how to develop. 

Anyway, back to drawing—it’s an art for good reason! A great enrichment activity, then, would be to task your child with something like character design , where they go through the different steps of defining a character, and then bringing them to life through animation and even 3D design. 

Journaling is a great way for kids to express gratitude, work through their feelings, build writing skills, and share memories that they’ll cherish for years. Journaling also takes on many forms. While traditional journaling is word-based, it can also be rooted in art. Plus, they can have different themes, depending on your child’s interests.

Examples of different types of journaling include:

Travel journal : Log all the travels you’ve been on and what you did in different locations.

Sports journal : Keep notes about the sports you play, your role on the team, and what’s going well during games.

Feelings journal : Identify your feelings and emotions by writing down what’s happening and how you feel about it.

Art journal : Draw or paint to express what you’re thinking and feeling.

Bullet journal : Create a monthly theme and set up a layout however you like, whether that’s just journaling or including a calendar and to-do list.

Traditionally, there of course is trying to learn a new instrument, but when it comes to music as the focus of your enrichment activity, it can mean more. For instance, kids can get involved with digital music production , feeding their inner-composer to create the next big electronic music hit!

By using professional software to create their own beats, and then learning how to polish them to studio quality, kids can realize creative potential they may have never known existed. 

Robotics can be a ton of fun, but also provides benefits like problem-solving, teamwork, and even visual programming. Plus, robotics sets are accessible, including options from VEX and LEGO, and others. And who knows where involvement in robotics might lead—robotics engineer, programmer, designer?

Learn More: VEX Robotics Summer Camps

Robotics also lends itself to teamwork and collaboration - even if your child is in an online course. For instance, a virtual robotics course brings kids together to program robots with graphical code blocks, and to explore topics like AI and computational thinking.

Strategy, logic, and a lifelong pastime await on the board! Not only is chess fun to play, but kids will also enjoy its competitive potential and endless opportunities for learning.

So, if you're looking for a low-tech hobby that's incredibly family friendly, chess is both a simple solution and a limitlessly complex (while still fun!) mental challenge for kids.

Cooking and Baking

As we discussed above, cooking and baking can help kids learn important math skills in a fun way. Getting in the kitchen can also provide a sense of accomplishment as kids learn how to create food from basic ingredients. They’ll learn important fine motor skills as they work on measuring, stirring, and chopping. You’ll also get the chance to provide some useful information on healthy eating while in the kitchen.

Depending on your child’s age, you may need to accompany them in the kitchen or take them to a cooking class. Likewise, you might need to invest in child-friendly tools, like a kid-safe knife set. As they become more skilled, you can set them up with a recipe or instructional video and let them work on their own (just be sure to jump in for anything involving hot surfaces).

There are a variety of resources online, including the following recipe round-ups:

• Kid-friendly baking recipes
• No-bake recipes
• Recipes kids can make all by themselves

Gardening is an entertaining way for kids to get outside without having to go too far. They can have fun getting a little dirty while also learning lessons in science. Growing their own food can also instill a sense of appreciation for the food they find on their plates every day. 

To start, you’ll need:

• Space to plant (either a section of your yard or a few pots)
• Seeds (make it interactive by letting them choose what to plant)
• Garden spades

While you’re at it, you can teach them (or help them research) information about gardening. That includes everything from soil quality to photosynthesis to watering schedules. 

The brain’s elasticity is what allows us to learn. When you’re younger, the brain is more elastic, making learning languages far easier than when you’re older . That said, teaching your child a second language at a young age can be both fun and easy. 

There are a ton of ways to learn languages. You can sign your child up for DuoLingo, which teaches language for free via a gamified app. Or, expedite the process with an online course or tutor.  

Creative Writing

Writing is a wonderful enrichment activity because it doesn’t take much to get started, and the opportunities are endless. Meaning, a child can sit down with a pen and paper or word processor, and with a prompt, can write creatively on what they’re tasked with. 

For instance, how about:

• If you could change your name, what would it be and why?
• If you could have lunch with anyone in the world, who would it be?
• Which is better, baseball or golf?

You could go on and on, and here is a list of kids writing prompts to consider. 

Don't be fooled...

Meaning, don't be fooled into thinking an activity  can't  be enriching. I think we as parents sometimes fall into the idea that if something is fun, it can't be beneficial. Just like when it comes to food—if it tastes good, it can't be healthy!

But, there is definitely a balance that can be struck, with plenty of fun activities being enriching and "nourishing" for our kids. 

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Ryan Barone has been in EdTech and with iD Tech for 13 years—building experience, expertise, and knowledge in all things coding, game dev, college prep, STEM, and more. He earned his MBA from Santa Clara University after obtaining his Bachelor’s degree from Arizona State, and loves sharing about minecraft coding classes , game design for kids , and more.  

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iD Tech Privacy Policy

Id tech privacy policy publish date: 10/26/2023.

internalDrive, Inc. (“iD Tech”) respects your privacy and recognizes the importance of your personal information. We are committed to protecting your information through our compliance with this Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy applies to all individuals who visit and/or use iD Tech/internalDrive, Inc.'s websites, services, and products that collect data and/or display these terms ("iD Sites & Services"). This Privacy Policy describes the types of information we may collect when you visit an iD Tech website, open an account or receive iD Tech Services and our practices for using, maintaining, protecting and disclosing that information. 

All references to "us," "we," or "our" refer to iD Tech/internalDrive, Inc.

All references to "child" or "children" refer to children  under the age of 13.

By accessing or otherwise using any of our iD Sites & Services, you consent to the terms contained in this privacy statement, including the collection, use, and disclosure of data as described below.

California Residents:  iD Tech’s  PRIVACY NOTICE FOR CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS  supplements the information contained in this Privacy Policy and applies solely to visitors, users, and others who reside in the State of California.

I.   Information We May Ask You To Provide

Through our iD Sites & Services, we collect information about you and/or your student when you choose to provide it to us. For example, we collect information from you so you can use iD Sites & Services, purchase products and services, register for and obtain an account, request information, apply for a job, register for one of our programs, or verify your age. In general, we may ask you to provide us with the following types of information about you and/your student:

• Contact information such as name, email address, mailing address, phone numbers (note to parents/guardians of children: if we have actual knowledge that a user is under 13 years old, the child will be asked to have their parent or guardian continue the registration process);
• Month, day, and year of birth;
• Gender preference;
• Course interests;
• Billing information such as credit card number and billing address;
• User names to third-party systems (for example, Facebook);
• Information provided on forums or chat rooms within our iD Sites & Services (note to parents/guardians of children: forums and chat rooms permit a child user to enter comments through which the child could provide personal information that would be visible to other users);
• Information included in résumés and job applications; and
• Health, any participation limitations or needs, immunization and allergy information.

Note to Parents/Guardians : We only collect the information described above, from someone we know to be a child, after the child's parent or guardian provides us with verifiable consent, unless one of the limited exceptions discussed below applies. For more information and/or to review these limited exceptions, please see the " Our Commitment to Children’s Privacy " section below. II.   Information Collected Automatically Cookies and other Tracking Technologies We may use cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, log files, Local Storage Objects, or other technologies to collect certain information about visitors to and users of iD Sites & Services, such as the date and time you visit iD Sites & Services, the areas or pages of iD Sites & Services that you visit, the amount of time you spend viewing or using iD Sites & Services, the number of times you return to iD Sites & Services, other click-stream or usage data, and emails that you open, forward or click through to iD Sites & Services. For example, we may automatically collect certain information, such as the type of web browser and operating system you use, the name of your Internet Service Provider, Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, software version, and the domain name from which you accessed our iD Sites & Services. We use this information to monitor and improve our iD Sites & Services, support the internal operations of our iD Sites & Services, personalize your online experience, verify e-signatures, and for internal analysis.

We may also use cookies, web beacons, and other similar technologies from third party partners such as Google for measurement services, better targeting advertisements and for marketing purposes.  These cookies, web beacons, and other similar technologies allow us to display our promotional material to you on other sites you visit across the internet.  Our third-party advertising partners may also use these technologies to identify your browsing interests over time and across different websites to deliver targeted advertisements. 

iD Sites & Services do not recognize “Do Not Track” headers or similar mechanisms.

iD Tech partners with Rakuten Advertising, who may collect personal information when you interact with our site. The collection and use of this information is subject to Rakuten’s privacy policy located at  https://rakutenadvertising.com/legal-notices/services-privacy-policy/ . Our Sites & Services may also use other third-party plug-ins to provide additional services and benefits. These third parties may collect information about you as well. When we use a third-party plug-in we will attempt to provide you with the identify the plug-in, so you can visit the sites of the third-parties to view the privacy policy under which the information they collect is identified and controlled. 

We may also collect geolocation information from your device so we can customize your experience on our iD Sites & Services. In most cases, you are able to turn off such data collection at any time by accessing the privacy settings of your device and/or through the settings in the applicable GPS application. Social Media You also can engage with our content, and other offerings, on or through social media services or other third-party platforms, such as Facebook, or other third-party social media plug-ins, integrations and applications. When you engage with our content on or through social media services or other third-party platforms, plug-ins, integrations or applications, you may allow us to have access to certain information in your profile. This may include your name, email address, photo, gender, birthday, location, an ID associated with the applicable third-party platform or social media account user files, like photos and videos, your list of friends or connections, people you follow and/or who follow you, or your posts or "likes." For a description on how social media services and other third-party platforms, plug-ins, integrations, or applications handle your information, please refer to their respective privacy policies and terms of use, which may permit you to modify your privacy settings.

When we interact with you through our content on third-party websites, applications, integrations or platforms, we may obtain any information regarding your interaction with that content, such as content you have viewed, and information about advertisements within the content you have been shown or may have clicked on. Information from Third Party Services We may also obtain other information, including personal information, from third parties and combine that with information we collect through our Websites. For example, we may have access to certain information from a third-party social media or authentication service if you log in to our Services through such a service or otherwise provide us with access to information from the service. Any access that we may have to such information from a third-party social media or authentication service is in accordance with the authorization procedures determined by that service. If you authorize us to connect with a third-party service, we will access and store your name, email address(es), current city, profile picture URL, and other personal information that the third party service makes available to us, and use and disclose it in accordance with this Policy. You should check your privacy settings on these third-party services to understand and change the information sent to us through these services. For example, you can log in to the Services using single sign-in services such as Facebook Connect or an Open ID provider.

III.    Your Ability To Control Cookies And Similar Technologies As noted, we may use cookies or similar technologies to monitor and improve iD Sites & Services, support the internal operations of iD Sites & Services, personalize your online experience, support the e-signature process, and/or for internal analysis. This includes the use of third-party cookies. We use these technologies to keep track of how you are using our iD Sites & Services and to remember certain pieces of general information. 

You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. Check the “Tools” or “Help” tab on your browser to learn how to change your cookie and other tracking preferences.

If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the functions of iD Sites & Services and/or some of our services will function improperly, in particular the inability to log in or manage items in your shopping cart. We do not share cookie data with any third parties. IV.   How We May Use Your Information We may use the information we collect from and about you and/or your student for any of the following purposes:

• Allow you to register yourself or your student with iD Sites & Services, or to otherwise register and open an account with us;
• Allow you and/or your student to use iD Sites & Services;
• Fulfill orders, process payments, and prevent transactional fraud;
• Respond to your or your student’s requests or inquiries;
• Provide you or your student with information about our products and services;
• Consider you for employment or a volunteer opportunity;
• Register you or your student in one of our programs;
• Verify your student's age;
• Monitor and improve iD Sites & Services, support the internal operations of iD Sites & Services, personalize your online experience, and for internal analysis;
• Protect the security or integrity of iD Sites & Services and our business;
• Facilitate the sale or potential sale of our business or any of our assets; or
• As required by law.

V.   How We Share Information We do not sell or otherwise share your or your student’s information with any third parties, except for the limited purposes described below. Parents/guardians of children under the age of 13 have the option of consenting to the collection and use of their child's personal information without consenting to the disclosure of that information to certain third parties.  

1.   Law Enforcement And Safety

We may access, preserve, and/or disclose the information we collect and/or content you and/or your student/child provides to us (including information posted on our forums) to a law enforcement agency or other third parties if required to do so by law or with a good faith belief that such access, preservation, or disclosure is reasonably necessary to: (i) comply with legal process; (ii) enforce the Terms and Conditions of iD Sites & Services; (iii) respond to claims that the content violates the rights of third parties; or (iv) protect the rights, property, or personal safety of the owners or users of iD Sites & Services, a third party, or the general public. We also may disclose information whenever we believe disclosure is necessary to limit our legal liability; to protect or defend our rights or property; or protect the safety, rights, or property of others.  2.   Service Providers; Colleges and Universities Information collected through iD Sites & Services may be transferred, disclosed, or shared with third parties engaged by us to handle and deliver certain activities, such as housing, meals, payment processing, mail/email distribution, software providers, and to perform other technical and processing functions, such as maintaining data integrity, programming operations, user services, or technology services. We may provide these third parties’ information collected as needed to perform their functions, but they are prohibited from using it for other purposes and specifically agree to maintain the confidentiality of such information. Some of these providers, such as payment processors, may request additional information during the course of offering their services. Before you provide additional information to third-party providers, we encourage you to review their privacy policies and information collection practices. 3.    Business Transfer During the normal course of our business, we may sell or purchase assets. If another entity may acquire and/or acquires us or any of our assets, information we have collected about you may be transferred to such entity. In addition, if any bankruptcy or reorganization proceeding is brought by or against us, such information may be considered an asset of ours and may be sold or transferred to third parties. Should a sale or transfer occur, we will use reasonable efforts to try to require that the transferee use personal information provided through our iD Sites & Services in a manner that is consistent with this privacy statement. VI.            Our Commitment To Children’s Privacy Protecting the privacy of children is paramount. We understand that users and visitors of our iD Sites & Services who are under 13 years of age need special safeguards and privacy protection. It is our intent to fully comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). 

Our iD Sites & Services are intended for general audiences. We do not knowingly permit anyone under 13 years of age to provide us with personal information without obtaining a parent's or guardian’s verifiable consent, except where:

• the sole purpose of collecting the name or online contact information of a parent or child is to provide notice and obtain parental consent;
• the purpose of collecting a parent’s online contact information is to provide voluntary notice to, and subsequently update the parent about, the child’s participation in our iD Sites & Services that do not otherwise collect, use, or disclose childrens' personal information;
• the sole purpose of collecting online contact information from a child is to respond directly on a one-time basis to a specific request from the child, and where such information is not used to re-contact the child or for any other purpose, is not disclosed, and is deleted by us promptly after responding to the child’s request;
• the purpose of collecting a child’s and a parent’s online contact information is to respond directly more than once to the child’s specific request, and where such information is not used for any other purpose, disclosed, or combined with any other information collected from the child;
• the purpose of collecting a child’s and a parent’s name and online contact information, is to protect the safety of a child, and where such information is not used or disclosed for any purpose unrelated to the child’s safety;
• we collect a persistent identifier and no other personal information and such identifier is used for the sole purpose of providing support for the internal operations of iD Sites & Services; or
• otherwise permitted or required by law.

If we receive the verifiable consent of a child's parent or guardian to collect, use, and/or disclose the child's information, we will only collect, use, and disclose the information as described in this privacy statement. Some features of our iD Sites & Services permit a child user to enter comments, such as forums and chat rooms, through which the child could provide personal information that would be visible to other users. If you are the parent or guardian of a child user, please advise your child of the risks of posting personal information on this iD Sites & Services or any other site. VII.           Parental/Guardian Rights If you are a parent or guardian, you can review or have deleted your child's personal information, and refuse to permit further collection or use of your child's information. To exercise any of these rights, please email us at  [email protected] or send your request to:

iD Tech ∙ PO Box 111720 ∙ Campbell, CA 950011 Client Service Toll Free Number: 1-888-709-8324

VIII.         Restrictions On Child Users Children under 13 years of age are prevented from accessing areas of iD Sites & Services which include, but are not restricted to, client account information, unless approved by their parent or guardian and any course content defined as age inappropriate by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). IX.            Forums And Chats We may offer forums and chat rooms. Please be aware that anyone may read postings on a forum or in a chat room. Furthermore, any information which is posted to a forum or chat room could include personal information, which would be disclosed and available to all users of that forum or chat room, and is therefore no longer private. We cannot guarantee the security of information that any user discloses or communicates online in public areas such as forums and chat rooms. Those who do so, do so at their own risk. We reserve the right to monitor the content of the forums and chat rooms. If age-inappropriate content or potentially identifiable information is seen, it may be removed or edited by us for security, privacy, and/or legal reasons. We will not republish postings from forums or chat rooms anywhere on the Web. X.             Links And Third Parties

At our discretion, we may include or offer third-party websites, products, and services on iD Sites & Services. These third-party sites, products, and services have separate and independent privacy policies. You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third parties. We have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of linked sites, products, or services.

Our iD Sites & Services may contain links to other third-party websites, chat rooms, or other resources that we provide for your convenience. These sites are not under our control, and we are not responsible for the content available on other sites. Such links do not imply any endorsement of material on our part and we expressly disclaim all liability with regard to your access to such sites. Access to any other websites linked to from iD Sites & Services is at your own risk.  

XI.             Legal Basis for processing Personal Data and Your Data Protection Rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (EEA), iD Tech’s legal basis for collecting and using your personal information as described in this policy depends on the personal Data we collect and the context in which we collect it.  ID Tech may process your personal data:

• To provide the services which you requested or purchased;
• Because you have given us permission to do so;
• To provide you with better services, including conducting audits and data analysis;
• For payment processing;
• For marketing; and 
• To comply with the law

You have certain data protection rights. iD Tech aims to take reasonable steps to allow you to correct, amend, delete or limit the use of your Personal Data.

If you wish to be informed about what Personal Data we hold about you and if you want it to be removed from our systems, please contact us at  [email protected] .

In certain circumstances, you have the following data protection rights:

• The right to access, update, or delete the information we have on you. Whenever made possible, you can access, update, or request deletion of your Personal Data directly within your account settings section. If you are unable to perform these actions yourself, please contact us to assist you.
• The right to have your information corrected if that information is inaccurate or incomplete.
• The right to object. You have the right to object to our processing of your Personal Data.
• The right of restriction. You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information.
• The right to data portability. You have the right to be provided with a copy of the information we have on you in a structured, machine-readable, and commonly used format.
• The right to withdraw consent. You also have the right to withdraw your consent at any time where iD Tech relied on your consent to process your personal information.

Please note that we may ask you to verify your identity before responding to such requests.

You have the right to complain to a Data Protection Authority about our collection and use of your Personal Data. For more information, please contact your local data protection authority in the European Economic Area (EEA). XII.           International Visitors  (non GDPR Locations) Our iD Sites & Services are operated and managed on servers located in the United States. If you choose to use our iD Sites & Services from the European Union or other regions of the world with laws governing data collection and uses that differ from the United States, then you recognize and agree that you are transferring your personal information outside of those regions to the United States and you consent to that transfer. XIII.          Data Security Commitment To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we have put in place reasonable physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect. We also use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol on your account information and registration pages to protect sensitive personal information. Sensitive data is encrypted on our iD Sites & Services and when stored on the servers.

XIV. How You Can Access, Request A Copy, Correct, Or Ask For Information To Be Deleted Access to certain personal Information that is collected from our Services and that we maintain may be available to you. For example, if you created a password-protected account within our Service, you can access that account to review the information you provided.

You may also send an email or letter to the following email or call the number provided to ask for a copy, correction, or ask us to delete your personal Information. Please include your registration information for such services, such as first name, last name, phone, and email address in the request. We may ask you to provide additional information for identity verification purposes or to verify that you are in possession of an applicable email account. Email: [email protected] Phone: 1-888-709-8324 XV. How To Contact Us/Opting Out Of Electronic Communications If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or if you have provided your email and/or address and prefer not to receive marketing information, please contact us via email or call at the number provided below.  Make sure you provide your name as well as the email(s) and address(es) you wish to have removed. 

If you have signed up to receive text messages from us and no longer wish to receive such messages, you may call or email us at the address provided below. Please provide your name, account email, and the number(s) you want removed. Email: [email protected] Phone: 1-888-709-8324 XVI.         Terms And Conditions Your use of our iD Sites & Services and any information you provide on our iD Sites & Services are subject to the terms of the internalDrive, Inc. (referred to as “iD Tech”) Terms and Conditions. XVII.         Privacy Statement Changes We will occasionally amend this privacy statement. We reserve the right to change, modify, add, or remove portions of this statement at any time. If we materially change our use of your personal information, we will announce such a change on relevant iD Sites & Services and will also note it in this privacy statement. The effective date of this privacy statement is documented at the beginning of the statement. If you have any questions about our privacy statement, please contact us in writing at [email protected] or by mail at PO Box 111720, Campbell, CA 95011. XVIII.          Your Credit Card Information And Transactions For your convenience, you may have us bill you or you can pay for your orders by credit card. If you choose to pay by credit card, we will keep your credit card information on file, but we do not display that information at the online registration site. For your security, your credit card security number is not stored in our system.

We use state-of-the-art Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption technology to safeguard and protect your personal information and transactions over the Internet. Your information, including your credit card information, is encrypted and cannot be read as it travels over the Internet. XIX.         Social Networking Disclaimer iD Tech provides several opportunities for social networking for both participants and staff on sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube. These sites are not affiliated with iD Tech and offer their own individual social networking services. Please read the following Terms and Conditions carefully, as well as the Terms and Conditions of the sites in which iD Tech has created a forum ("Group"). These Terms and Conditions are a legal agreement between you and iD Tech and apply to you whether you are a visitor to these sites or any site with an official iD Tech affiliation. iD Tech is a member of several pre-existing sites (as mentioned above). There may be, however, portions of  www.iDTech.com  that include areas where participants can post submissions. Any of the above-mentioned "Sites" (or other similar sites) have their own distinct rules and regulations. iD Tech reserves the right to take action to remove any content deemed inappropriate by the sites or by iD Tech standards. iD Tech will not be held liable for any loss of content or disagreements that may arise between the individual social networking site and the user. You understand that by registering for an iD Tech program, your participant(s) may access and upload content to social networking sites. In order to access certain features of the social networking sites or pages on iDTech.com, and to post Member Submissions, the majority of these sites require that the user open an account with them. Please note that these sites have their own individual Terms and Conditions that must be followed. Age requirements are outlined within each Site's Terms and Conditions. You hereby authorize your participant to access social networking sites while at camp and create an account if they choose to do so and if they meet the requirements listed by each site to create an account. Interaction with other users:

• iD Tech is merely providing a medium in which to socialize online with fellow participants. Users are solely responsible for interactions (including any disputes) with other Members and any volunteers that may advise and assist participants with projects and activities via your use of the iD Site & Services.
• You understand that iD Tech does not in any way screen Members or review or police: (i) statements made by Members in their Member Submissions or the Member Submissions in general; or (ii) statements made by Users or any information a User may provide via the iD Site & Services.
• You understand that your participant(s) is solely responsible for, and will exercise caution, discretion, common sense, and judgment in using the various iD Sites & Services and disclosing personal information to other Members or Users. 
• On behalf of your participant(s), you agree that they will take reasonable precautions in all interactions with other Members, particularly if they decide to meet a Member offline or in person.
• Your participant's use of the social networking sites with which iD Tech is affiliated, their services, and/or Content and Member Submissions, is at your sole risk and discretion and iD Tech hereby disclaims any and all liability to you or any third party relating thereto.
• On behalf of your participant(s), you agree that they will not harass, threaten, intimidate, bully, stalk, or invade the privacy of any individual in connection with your use of the social networking sites with which iD Tech is affiliated and their services, whether or not an individual is an iD Tech Member; and you further agree not to advocate such activities or to encourage others to engage in any such activities.
• On behalf of your participant(s), you agree they will not give their social networking information to an iD Tech staff member.
• You and your participant(s) should also be aware that under no circumstances are iD Tech employees allowed to give personal contact information for social networking sites. This must be arranged by the participant's parent/guardian through the People Services Department.

XX.        Copyright & Intellectual Property Policy: You agree that you and your participant will not use the social networking sites to offer, display, distribute, transmit, route, provide connections to, or store any material that infringes copyrighted works, trademarks, or service marks or otherwise violates or promotes the violation of the intellectual property rights of any third party. internalDrive, Inc. has adopted and implemented a policy that provides for the termination in appropriate circumstances of the accounts of users who repeatedly infringe or are believed to be or are charged with repeatedly infringing the intellectual property or proprietary rights of others. XXI.       Disclaimer:   BY USING THE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES OR SUBMITTING A MEMBER SUBMISSION, YOU AGREE THAT INTERNALDRIVE, INC. IS NOT RESPONSIBLE, AND WILL IN NO EVENT BE HELD LIABLE, FOR ANY: (A) LOST, ILLEGIBLE, MISDIRECTED, DAMAGED, OR INCOMPLETE MEMBER SUBMISSIONS; (B) COMPUTER OR NETWORK MALFUNCTION OR ERROR; (C) COMMUNICATION DISRUPTION OR OTHER DISRUPTIONS RELATED TO INTERNET TRAFFIC, A VIRUS, BUG, WORM, OR NON-AUTHORIZED INTERVENTION; OR (D) DAMAGE CAUSED BY A COMPUTER VIRUS OR OTHERWISE FROM YOUR ACCESS TO THE SITE OR SERVICES. THE SITE, SERVICES, INTERNALDRIVE, INC., CONTENT, AND MEMBER SUBMISSIONS ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITH NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. INTERNALDRIVE, INC. AND ITS SUPPLIERS EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE SITE, SERVICES, INTERNALDRIVE, INC., CONTENT AND MEMBER SUBMISSIONS, WHETHER THE PROVISION OF SERVICES OR YOUR SUBMISSION OF A MEMBER SUBMISSION WILL PRODUCE ANY LEVEL OF PROFIT OR BUSINESS FOR YOU OR LEAD TO ECONOMIC BENEFIT, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF QUALITY, AVAILABILITY, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN ADDITION, INTERNALDRIVE, INC. MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY THAT THE SITE OR SERVICES WILL BE ERROR FREE OR THAT ANY ERRORS WILL BE CORRECTED. SOME STATES OR JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES. ACCORDINGLY, SOME OF THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. XXII.         Indemnification:   You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold iD Tech, its officers, directors, employees, and agents, harmless from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, arising out of or in any way connected with: (i) your access to or use of social networking sites, their services, iD Tech Content and Member Submissions; (ii) your violation of these Terms of Use; (iii) your violation of any third-party right, including, without limitation, any intellectual property right, publicity, confidentiality, property, or privacy right; or (iv) any claim that one of your Member Submissions caused damage to a third party or infringed or violated any third-party intellectual property right, publicity, confidentiality, property, or privacy right.

iD Tech Terms & Conditions

Id tech general terms & conditions publish date: october 26, 2023.

These Terms and Conditions apply to all pages found at www.idtech.com  and all Programs operated by internalDrive, Inc. (referred to as "iD Tech") including but not limited to iD Tech In-Person programs and iD Tech Online Programs. These terms apply to all lessons, classes, courses, and options offered by iD Tech (hereinafter referred to individually as “Program” or collectively “Programs”).

Privacy Policy: By using iD Tech’s website, registering you or your student for a Program, and/or affirmatively giving your agreement, you are agreeing on your own behalf and that of your student to abide and be bound by the Privacy Policy found HERE and the Terms and Conditions contained and referenced herein.

Online Programs: If you are purchasing, or you or your student is participating in an Online Program you also agree on your own behalf and on behalf of your student, to be bound by the additional terms and conditions found HERE .

On-Campus Programs: If you are purchasing, or you or your student is participating in, an On-Campus Program, you also agree on your own behalf and on behalf of your student to be bound by the additional terms and conditions found HERE .

I. Code of Conduct

To promote the best learning environment possible, all students and parents will be held to this Code of Conduct. Failure to comply with this Code of Conduct or engaging in actions or attitudes that seem to be harmful to the atmosphere, other participants, or staff, in the opinion of iD Tech can lead to removal from a Program or Program(s). iD Tech reserves the right to dismiss students from a Program and prevent a student from attending additional Programs without any prior warning for (1) violating any of the terms of this code of conduct, or (2) if iD Tech determines that a Program is not a suitable and/or productive environment for a student (this includes incidents in which a student does not have sufficient English language skills to participate in the Program; participation in courses requires a high level of English understanding). Refunds will not be given for students dismissed for failure of the student or the parent to abide by the Code of Conduct, or if it is determined that a Program is not suitable for a student. While iD Tech strives to maintain excellent relationships with students, in some rare cases, we may determine that iD Tech is not a compatible environment for every student.

Students and parents/guardians may NEVER:

• Disrupt, bully, intimidate, or harass others;
• Use inappropriate language (for example, students cannot use of swear or curse words, racial, gendered, homophobic/transphobic, stereotypical, or culturally insensitive words, even if done in a joking manner);
• View, display or post any inappropriate material (including sexual content, material depicting inappropriate violence, racism, bullying, etc.) during a Program;
• Share Program information (including lesson plans, etc.) with third-parties, without permission from iD Tech;
• Impersonate another person; or
• Contact instructors outside of the Program.

Students also may NEVER:

• Engage in Internet hacking;
• Create an account on or log into third-party websites without the permission of their instructor;
• Use false information to create an account on or log into third-party websites;
• Share personal information with staff members or ask staff members for their personal information;
• Share or create video or audio recordings of iD Tech staff or another student without the permission of iD Tech.

Students and parents/guardians MUST:

• Follow directions/instructions of iD Tech personnel;
• If online, ensure the student attends the Program in an appropriate, private setting;
• Dress appropriately during the Program;
• Adhere to the terms of use of any sites used, including following the specified age policies; and
• Only share material that is related to lessons and appropriate.

II. Age Policy

iD Tech offers Programs for students ages 7-19. Therefore, students may interact and/or room with a student that is within this age range including 18 or 19 years old. Please note the age range of the Program being registered for.

If a student is 18 or 19 years old and participating in an On-Campus Program, they must successfully pass a criminal and sexual offender background check prior to being allowed to attend. Clients are responsible for all costs and fees associated with any background checks required for a student to attend.

III. Special Accommodations

If a student requires an accommodation to participate, or needs an aid to attend in an iD Tech Program, a parent/guardian must call iD Tech at 1-888-709-8324, no less than three weeks prior to your student’s first day of the Program to make needed arrangements.

If a student requires an aide to participate in an iD Tech Program, the aide must be age 18 or older, may not be a family member, and if it is an On -Campus Program, the aide must successfully pass a criminal and sexual offender background check prior ro being allowed to attend with the student. Aides may also be subject to fingerprinting. Clients are responsible for all direct costs, including background check processing fees, parking, and compensation for the aide’s attendance.

IV. Payment Policy

• Unless otherwise noted, all financial transactions are made and quoted in U.S. Dollars.
• All Payment Plan Fees, fees paid for Online Programs, and the $250 per week deposit for On-Campus Programs are non-refundable and non-transferrable.
• Other than if iD Tech needs to cancel a class, there are no refunds, credits or replacement days for classes missed. If iD Tech needs to cancel a class, iD Tech will either provide you a pro rata credit or reschedule the canceled class(es).
• If iD Tech cancels an entire Program for any reason, the fees paid for the Program will be refunded, less the non-refundable fees, as set out above. Non-refundable fees (other than the Payment Plan Fee, if any) will remain in your account as a fully transferable credit that is valid for three (3) years.
• iD Tech has the right to charge a $25 late fee on any payments not paid by the due date. For balances that are over 30 (thirty) days past due, iD Tech has the right to charge a 1% monthly finance charge and send the balance to a collection agency for collection (collection agency and legal fees may apply).
• All fees (registration, administrative, late, etc.) must be paid prior to the start of a Program, unless a payment plan has been agreed to. Students will be withdrawn from a Program if the Program has not been paid in full prior to the start of the Program, or if at any time a payment is not paid by the due date. No refunds, credits, or make-up classes will be provided if a session is missed due to a delinquent payment.
• By agreeing to a subscription or payment plan, you are authorizing iD Tech to auto charge the credit card on file as agreed at the time of purchase and as set out in My Account.
• A $35 returned check fee will be assessed for any checks returned or card transactions that are not honored.

V. Reservation Changes

To provide outstanding Programs, we may have to limit your ability to make changes (such as registering for a different course or changing attendance dates) and/or cancel a Program. Please reference the Terms and Conditions for specific Programs (linked above) for the rules and restrictions for changes and cancellations for that Program.

VI. Promotions and Discounts

Promotional discounts are limited to one discount per student. There may be other limitations as to how they apply, and codes must be submitted at the time of registration. iD Tech will not honor retroactive adjustments, and the total discounts received cannot exceed the total cost of the products purchased.

The Refer-a-Friend Program is a voluntary Program that applies to Small Group Classes and In-Person Programs.

• Each Referral Code can be used a maximum of 10 times. The code can only be used by students attending iD Tech for the first time (may be limited to certain Programs) and must be applied at the time of registration.
• A tuition credit will be given for each new student that registers for an In-Person Program or Small Group Class using a referral code and attends the course for which they registered.
• The Refer-a-Friend Program does not apply to siblings.
• Students may not refer each other to both qualify for the Refer-a-Friend Discount.
• Tuition credit will be applied after the referred client registers, pays in full and attends the Program. If the referred friend cancels his/her Program, the credit will be removed, and you will be responsible for any account balance that is created as a result of the lost credit.
• All tuition credits must be used in the Program term in which they are earned, can be used to offset Program tuition and other fees incurred, but do not entitle you to any form of payment.
• Tuition credits have no cash value.

VII. Certificates/Vouchers

All certificates/vouchers are non-refundable, non-transferable, and not redeemable for cash. Certificates/vouchers must be redeemed at the time of registration. Certificates/vouchers are valid until the specified expiration date, without exception. They are valid for up to the amount issued, and any amounts not used are forfeited.

VIII. General Releases

• Media Release: As a condition of participation, you authorize iD Tech and its partners to take photos, videos, images, audio, and testimonials of and/or from you and your student and agree that said content may be used by iD Tech in promotional materials, marketing collateral, and online media. These images, testimonials, photos, videos, and audio may be shared and used by corporate partners, the media, or other organizations that work with iD Tech. You also agree that all projects and work created by your student during an iD Tech Program may be used by iD Tech in promotional materials, online, and other print media, and may be shared and used by corporate partners, the media, or other organizations that work with iD Tech. You understand that iD Tech, its owners, agents, partners, facility providers, and employees will not be held liable for damages and injuries associated with use of any content released herein, including any and all claims based on negligence. You agree that all images, testimonials, photos, video, and audio taken at or in connection with an iD Tech Program are the sole and exclusive property of iD Tech, and that iD Tech has a royalty-free, perpetual license to use copies of all student work and projects created at an iD Tech Program.
• Name and Likeness Release: As a condition of participation, you authorize iD Tech and the press to use your student's full name and likeness in print, radio, TV, and other mediums.
• Project/Hardware Release: Some iD Tech Programs are project-based. In such instances, iD Tech will attempt to provide your student with the knowledge to produce a working project. Some iD Tech Programs include take home hardware. In those instances, iD Tech will send home a product or voucher for a product. However, there will be instances when a project or product or product voucher cannot be sent home, posted, or delivered, and you agree that iD Tech is not responsible if the game, project, product or voucher does not work properly and/or is not compatible with outside systems. You release iD Tech from any responsibility for failure to provide a copy of the project or product voucher, or a non-functioning/non-compatible/non-complete game, project, product voucher or product. Refunds will not be issued for not receiving products, product vouchers, or being provided a copy of the project, and/or non-functioning/non-compatible/non-complete projects, product vouchers or products. If you have issues with a product voucher or product, you must contact the manufacturer directly. Product vouchers only cover shipping within the continental U.S. Therefore, if you require the product to be shipped outside the continental US, you are responsible for all shipping and handling costs.
• Software Accounts: Some iD Tech Program activities require creation and/or use of an online account or require an online account to be created for your student. You consent to create or have iD Tech create account(s) as needed for your student to participate in Program activities. During non-instructional time, students may have access to websites that require accounts to be set up. While it is against iD Tech rules for students to set up accounts without their instructor’s permission, there may be instances where a student may create an account without the knowledge of iD Tech or its employees. In such instances, you release iD Tech and its employees from any and all responsibility and liability for accounts created by your student without iD Tech’s knowledge.
• Game Ratings: iD Tech takes its corporate responsibility and iD Tech family values very seriously. However, we cannot guarantee that younger students at iD Tech will avoid all contact with or mention of games rated "T" for Teen, or "M" for Mature. iD Tech will make a concerted effort to minimize both direct and indirect exposure to any games not rated for a student’s age group. Students attending courses designed for older ages have a greater chance of being exposed to materials rated for that older age group. If a student is attending a course for ages 13+, they may be exposed to games rated "M" for Mature by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board). You voluntarily assume any and all risks, known or unknown, associated with your student’s exposure to game content at an iD Tech Program.

IX. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold internalDrive, Inc.,iD Tech, its officers, directors, employees, and agents, harmless from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees and costs, arising out of or in any way connected with your student’s participation in an iD Tech Program.

X. Arbitration Agreement

You agree that any dispute other than collection matters, arising out of or relating to this Agreement, you or your student's participation in a Program with internalDrive, Inc., or otherwise arising between the parties, including, without limitation, any statutorily created or protected rights, as permitted by applicable state/provincial or federal laws, shall be settled by arbitration to be held in Santa Clara County, California, in accordance with the Commercial Rules of the American Arbitration Association, and judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator(s) may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. The prevailing party in the arbitration shall be entitled to recover expenses including costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees associated therewith. Should any part of this contract be found invalid or not enforceable by a court of law, then the remaining portion shall continue to be valid and in force. You hereby acknowledge that you understand the terms of this ARBITRATION AGREEMENT, and you agree to comply with all of its terms and provisions.

XI. Rights Reserved

internalDrive, Inc. reserves the right to update or modify these Terms and Conditions at any time. iD Tech is not a university-sponsored program. iD Tech reserves the right to cancel or modify any and all classes, lessons, Programs or courses for any reason.

XII. Release of Liability

ON BEHALF OF MY SON/DAUGHTER/WARD, I, THE PARENT/GUARDIAN, IN EXCHANGE FOR THE RIGHT OF MY SON/DAUGHTER/WARD TO PARTICIPATE IN ID TECH PROGRAM(S), HEREBY RELEASE INTERNALDRIVE, INC., ITS OWNERS, AGENTS, PARTNERS, FACILITY PROVIDERS, AND EMPLOYEES FROM LIABILITY (INCLUDING CLAIMS BASED UPON NEGLIGENCE) FOR ANY AND ALL DAMAGES OR INJURIES TO MY SON/DAUGHTER/WARD OR DAMAGE OF ANY PERSONAL PROPERTY. I AGREE TO BE FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY AND ALL SUCH DAMAGES OR INJURIES WHICH MAY RESULT DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY FROM ANY NEGLIGENT ACTS OR ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH INTERNALDRIVE, INC. HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND THAT I AM NOT RELEASING INTERNALDRIVE, INC., ITS OWNERS, AGENTS, PARTNERS, FACILITY PROVIDERS, AND EMPLOYEES FROM GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR INTENTIONALLY TORTIOUS CONDUCT. TO THE EXTENT THIS RELEASE CONFLICTS WITH STATE/PROVINCIAL LAW GOVERNING RELEASES, THIS RELEASE IS TO BE GIVEN THE FULLEST FORCE AND EFFECT PERMITTED UNDER STATE/PROVINCIAL LAW. SHOULD ANY PART OF THIS CONTRACT BE FOUND INVALID OR NOT ENFORCEABLE BY A COURT OF LAW, THEN THE REMAINING PORTION SHALL CONTINUE TO BE VALID AND IN FORCE. XIII. Copyright

iD Tech partners with and uses the intellectual property of some amazing companies. You and your student agree to uphold the copyright and trademark rights of iD Tech, their partners, and any company whose products are used at an iD Tech Program.

15 Best Enrichment Activities For Kids

Enrichment activities give kids a chance to explore the things that they’re interested in outside of school that may not be offered as a class. 

These are fun extracurricular activities with the sole purpose of enriching the lives of children and broadening their horizons.

Before we get into the list of enrichment activities, we’ll briefly cover what they are as well as some of the associated benefits that kids can gain from them. 

This is by no means a complete list, but it can open the door to a whole world of possibilities for children of all ages outside an academic setting.

Table of Contents

What is an Enrichment Activity?

An enrichment activity is an extracurricular activity that allows children to learn about new things that interest them outside of a typical school schedule. 

Enrichment activities are typically in addition to the traditional topics covered at school and are intended to complement a complete education. 

They can be a hobby like learning the piano or something to make productive use of after school time, or they can be an outside class in a chosen subject like coding or robotics. 

Benefits of Enrichment Activities

The benefits of enrichment activities extend beyond the classroom and include improved critical thinking, expanded creativity, and a boost in confidence. 

Depending on the type of activity, children will have the chance to work with others and develop the skills necessary to be part of a team and if applicable, compete with others.

Kids can learn about subjects that they’re interested in, and this helps them take a deeper look at what motivates them to succeed in life or what career they want to pursue. 

Enrichment activities offer a chance to discover something about themselves, and it can afford an opportunity to decide which path they’d like to take in their education. There are plenty of fun activities available for children of all ages starting at elementary school.

Kids who participate in these types of educational activities often see a marked improvement in the quality of their studies while in school.

Kids with an interest in computers and mathematics can enjoy enrichment activities that are focused on coding. Coding features a large variety of specialties, and students get the chance to build things from scratch using programming languages used to produce some of today’s most popular games and software. 

Coding teaches children how to think logically as well as the importance of problem-solving. Coding is a part of the increasingly popular STEM fields, and kids who pick it up and stick with it have fantastic prospects for their future.

Learning how to code is easier than ever, and it can be done entirely online or in person in a classroom, thanks to many online coding classes and after-school programs.

Creative Writing

Creative writing allows students to use their imagination to craft stories and learn a time-honored skill in the process. It’s a great enrichment activity for young writers who work well alone and love reading.

A wandering mind is an excellent thing for creative writing, and kids can apply their spontaneity and sense of wonder freely as they learn proper grammar and vocabulary rules to serve them academically. Creative writing encompasses a broad range of disciplines and can include poetry, songwriting, screenwriting, and the standby classic fiction.

It takes very little in the way of investment, and it can be done with simple pen and paper. Or it can be as advanced as children can handle with computer software suited for even the most seasoned writers. It can also significantly improve someone’s storytelling abilities. 

Learning to play chess gives children a valuable set of skills that translate to life outside the game, including critical thinking, problem-solving, and the power of memorization. Chess is one of the oldest known strategy games, and it’s easy to learn but can take a lifetime to master.

There are online chess lessons and camps available in-person and online 24/7 to players around the globe. Thanks to the massive popularity of this classic game of kings, queens, and pieces, there is no shortage of ways to learn to play chess. 

Kids can begin to learn as early as age 4, and it often becomes a lifelong hobby for many.

Photography

Learning photography has been made super accessible to children due to the technological advancements with phones and tablets. Modern smartphones are capable of producing professional-level photographs so your kids can focus on learning the basics like composition and lighting.

You can even find useful guides built into most apps that help apply the rule of thirds to photos. Photography is a classical style of art, but it has also become a means for children to interact with the world. It’s a good way for kids to express themselves, and it’s so easy to do. Kids can go on YouTube or other online websites for photography lessons .

Children can enjoy the thrill of watching something they have built come to life through robotics. Robotics allows kids to apply logical thinking to real-world problems that can be tackled through the use of automation and coding.

Robotics involves elements of manual dexterity and gives students a chance to work with their hands. They can use their minds to create the code that issues commands to the robot and make it perform tasks. It’s a good activity for kids and is a form of creative expression that mixes things up a bit. 

The field of robotics is ever-evolving, and it’s engaging enough to draw children and inspire them to learn more about STEM.

Animation & Drawing

If your kids have a natural desire to draw and want to bring their ideas to life with motion, then animation and drawing are a good place to start. There are many online animation classes and programs in which you can enroll your artistic children. 

The future of drawing is digital, and those who learn from a young age can get on the ground floor of the next generation of creators. It’s a great opportunity for creative kids who want to express their vision through animated storytelling. 

There is also a performance aspect that is part of it which allows kids who are so inclined to show off their vocal talents to bring characters to life.

Astronomy brings the wonders of the universe down to Earth for children to study closely. Through the use of telescopes and binoculars, there is a chance to see our celestial neighbors up close.

There is a simply massive set of scientific studies and programs that kids can dig into with astronomy and learn what makes the world go round. Learning astronomy is about looking up into the night sky with an inspired sense of the scale of things and lets them imagine limitless possibilities.

The world needs astronauts and explorers of every kind to push the envelope and discover new things about the universe, and kids make up the next generation of these brave explorers.

Dance & Music

You’ll be hard-pressed to find two things that go better together to enrich the lives of children than music and dance. These are two of the oldest forms of human expression and give youngsters an opportunity to have fun while doing so. 

There are countless forms of dance and music, with something for everyone. Both activities exercise the mind and body, harness the electricity of improvisation, and are just plain fun to take part in. 

Dance and music lessons encourage kids to come out of their shells and participate in a group activity that promotes collaboration.

Piano Lessons

For any child who wants to learn about the fundamentals of music, there is no better way to get started than with piano lessons. Through it’s just one instrument, kids can learn about the magic of music theory.

Learning the piano provides a solid foundation for students to build upon and branch out to other musical instruments. It can become the catalyst for a lifelong hobby or through serious dedication, a career, but perhaps most importantly, it can provide endless joy. 

Music is an important part of life, and learning the piano lets children step behind the curtain and see how the real magic is performed. Our guide on online piano lessons for kids can help you find a way for your child to learn.

Arts & Crafts

There’s a reason that arts and crafts remain a staple enrichment activity for students from K-12. Arts and crafts allow your children the opportunity to work with their hands and express their inner world in a way that is visible for all to see.

It encompasses a huge selection of enrichment activities for kids to enjoy including painting, sculpting, woodworking, and jewelry making, among many others. The best part is that you can do arts and crafts anywhere. Whether it’s at a studio to keep any mess at a minimum, or you can make space for it at home and go the online route.

Sports are a tried and true enrichment activity that encourages children to work as a team toward a shared goal. Most team and individual sports can improve a child’s physical fitness, hand-eye coordination, and even problem-solving skills through spirited competition.

Your kid’s school may already offer a wide selection of sports to participate in year-round, including baseball, basketball, football, soccer, hockey, and track and field. Otherwise, there are private clubs that you can enroll children in. 

Sports can teach kids about leadership, effective communication skills, and how to think quickly in specific situations. These lessons extend beyond the court and provide parallels to real-world issues everyone faces.

Volunteering

Volunteering allows children the chance to do something great for their community. There are volunteer opportunities for kids of all ages across a large variety of sectors. It can involve helping feed the homeless, being part of a team that builds new homes for those in need, or providing social interaction for the elderly.

Depending on which organization your child volunteers for, they may receive recognition and work which is a nice addition to any college admissions application. There is always a need for good kids who want to help make their community a better place and the most effective change is always done at the local level by people who care. 

Speech is a useful skill for anyone to build confidence in themselves and conquer a common fear. The ability to successfully convey a message to an audience is extremely useful in life, and those who can do it often stand out.

Learning to deliver a speech is more than just reciting words that have been memorized, and a good course, whether online or at school can teach kids how to impart emotion into the presentation. Speech enrichment programs teach students how to play off the crowd, read a room, and present accordingly.

Being a more confident speaker can improve all aspects of a child’s life including one-on-one interactions, classroom dynamics, and how to engage with the public.

Language Learning

With over 7,000 languages and dialects, those who pick up even one additional language can have an advantage in the ever-changing global landscape of the future.

Being multi-lingual is fast becoming the norm, and learning a new language is simpler than ever with learning apps, online courses, and traditional classes at school. Modern learning methods have added a lot of fun to the process and can make the whole journey feel like a game, where the prize is a better understanding of the world.

Extracurricular study of a new language pairs nicely with in-class studies and can also serve as a standalone education. 

Film Making

For kids who want to get into filmmaking, there has never been a better time. There is an abundance of online learning resources and after-school programs designed to teach you everything there is to know about filmmaking and video editing.

Filmmaking lets students work in other production aspects, including lighting, sound, and set design. There is a whole world to explore with just this one activity, and it’s all fueled by imagination.

Much of the work of filmmaking is done with creative software suites which are great for children to get familiar with. The creative market of the future demands people who are knowledgeable about this kind of technology, and learning about the filmmaking process at an early age can help them in their future careers. 

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Euro 2024 Football Tournament Booklet Of Activities: Reading, Creative Writing, Coloring, Games,Quiz

Subject: English

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

3 July 2024

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This resource includes:

• A variety of activities
• 16 activities

Content: You will receive 8 PDFs (46 pages):

• Bookmarks and Book Swap
• Euro Country and Flag Facts Sheet
• Euro Report Writing Sheet
• Flag Match and Country Alphabet
• Football Creative Writing Templates
• Poetry Sheet & Write a Poem
• Euro 2024 Quiz
• Word Search
• Crossword Puzzles
• Seek & Find

Discover the ultimate Euro 2024 Football Tournament Booklet of Activities, a comprehensive and engaging collection designed to bring the excitement of the UEFA Euro 2024 right to your fingertips. This booklet is packed with a variety of fun and educational activities that cater to children and football enthusiasts alike. Dive into the world of football with reading passages that capture the thrill of the tournament, fostering a love for reading while learning about the rich history and memorable moments of Euro 2024.

Unleash your creativity with our creative writing prompts, where young writers can craft their own stories and scenarios inspired by their favorite teams and players. The coloring pages offer a delightful way to express artistic talents, featuring iconic tournament scenes and team logos ready to be brought to life with vibrant colors.

Engage in a range of exciting games that test your knowledge and skills, from interactive football-themed puzzles to challenging quizzes that make learning about the tournament both fun and informative. This booklet is the perfect blend of entertainment and education, ensuring hours of enjoyable and productive time for all participants.

Whether you’re a teacher looking for classroom resources, a parent seeking fun educational materials, or a football fan wanting to immerse yourself in the Euro 2024 fever, the Euro 2024 Football Tournament Booklet of Activities has something for everyone. Get ready to celebrate the beautiful game with this all-in-one activity booklet, and let the football festivities begin!

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12 Things to Do in Kazan, the Magical Capital of Tatarstan

After  Moscow  and  Saint Petersburg ,  Kazan  is arguably  Russia ’s nicest big city and its most multicultural one. The capital of historical Tatarstan is home to the country’s only Kremlin with a mosque inside. Included in Unesco’s World Heritage Sites list, it is quite unique. However, there are plenty of other things to see and do in Kazan. The place to be is Bauman Street, the pedestrian street lined with neoclassical buildings and churches, cool cafés, and lots of street performers. Another pedestrian street is Kayuma Nasyri, with loads of colorful wooden houses and old mosques.

• 1.1 Explore the Kazan Kremlin
• 1.2 People Watch on Bauman Street
• 1.3 Soak Up History on Kayuma Nasyri Street
• 1.4 Visit Kazan’s Most Important Church
• 1.5 Bike Along Rivers and Lakes
• 1.6 Admire Soviet Brutalist Architecture
• 1.7 Discover Kazan’s New Kitchy Architecture
• 1.8 Visit the Temple of all Religions
• 1.9 Learn About Tatarstan and Russia at a Museum
• 1.10 Try Tatar Cuisine
• 1.11 Join a Local Festival
• 1.12 Explore the Rest of Tatarstan
• 2.1 Things to Do in Kazan – Photos
• 2.2 Related posts

Things to Do in Kazan

Explore the kazan kremlin.

One of the most important things to do in Kazan is visiting its grand  Kremlin . Ivan the Terrible built the medieval citadel to replace the ruins of the former residence of Kazan Khans. This monumental fortress is close to the confluence of the Kazanka and Volga Rivers. Hence, the views are outstanding and sunsets unforgettable. The Kremlin is home to the Governor’s Palace, several museums, towers, churches, and a mosque. The lavish  Kul Sharif Mosque  is from a recent date. It stands on the place of an old mosque destroyed by Ivan the Terrible. The Kremlin’s oldest structure is the  Annunciation Cathedral  from the 16th century. However, its most famous landmark is the  Söyembikä Tower , whose origin is unclear. It owes its name to the Kazan queen Söyembikä, who threw herself to her death from the tower.

People Watch on Bauman Street

Kazan’s main drag  Bauman  is a 1,3-kilometer long pedestrian street in the city center. It bears the name of Nikolay Bauman, a local revolutionary hero. This lively street is where everything happens. Restaurants, bars, shops, churches, and museums line the street. The street begins at the Kremlin and goes all the way to Pushkin Street. Nevertheless, the pedestrian area doesn’t end there. It continues, albeit with a different name: Peterburgskaya Street. At the beginning of the street, close to the Kremlin, you’ll find the late 17th-century  Cathedral of Saint Nicholas . Closer to the end, you will see the  Epiphany Church  with its red bell tower. Take your time, and be sure to notice the little stars on the floor dedicated to Tatar celebrities!

Soak Up History on Kayuma Nasyri Street

Another pedestrian street well worth spending time at is the historical  Kayuma Nasyri . Unlike Bauman Street, there aren’t many shops or commerce of any type. Instead, you’ll find several mosques and some of the most colorful wooden houses in Russia. Kayuma Nasyri is the best-preserved aristocratic street in the Old Tatar Settlement, one of Kazan’s oldest neighborhoods. Noble Tatar families, rich merchants, and representatives of the higher clergy owned the 19th-century houses that line the street. The highlight of the street is the beautiful  Märcani Mosque . It marked the beginning of a multi-faith religious tolerant society in Russia, proclaimed by Empress Catherine II at the end of the 18th century. It is the oldest mosque in Kazan and all of Tatarstan, but also one of the biggest.

Visit Kazan’s Most Important Church

The  Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral  is Kazan’s most distinguished church and one of its spiritual symbols. Upon arrival, you will immediately notice its unique colorful decoration. The church belongs to the so-called Russian baroque, a style that dominated the late 17th and early 18th centuries in Russia. Though it’s unclear who built the church, its resemblance to the early 18th century churches from Ukraine is quite evident. The church impressed many Russian emperors, including no other than Catherine II. Not only that, but three famous Alexanders also visited and wrote about it: Pushkin, Von Humboldt, and Dumas.

Bike Along Rivers and Lakes

Biking is, without a doubt, one of the most fun and relaxing things to do in Kazan! The mighty  Volga and the Kazanka Rivers  surround the city. Additionally, several canals and the Kaban Lakes cross it in the middle. We biked along the rivers on a newly built promenade enjoying the views, and through a bizarre new luxurious neighborhood. Then we went to the National Cultural Center Kazan and turned on Pushik Street to see the  Opera House.  From there, we biked all the way to the  Kaban Lakes . We went back to the bike rental shop along the  Bulak Canal . The shop is right under the Kremlin, between the Kazanka River and Baturina Street. Don’t forget to bring your passport or any other valid ID.

Admire Soviet Brutalist Architecture

Just like all other big Russian cities, a variety of brutalist buildings from the Soviet Period dots Kazan. A bunch of large soviet residential blocks lies on the eastern outskirts of the city. Another massive soviet neighborhood is north of the center, across the Kazanka River. You can see that one from the top of the Kremlin. Among the many interesting buildings, our favorite was the abovementioned  National Cultural Center Kazan . Built in 1991, it is one of the most active museums in Kazan. You’ll recognize the building for its simple red tuff façade and the tall obelisk named Freedom.

Discover Kazan’s New Kitchy Architecture

One of the things that caught our eyes when we were in Kazan’s Kremlin is the plethora of new interesting buildings. Once we got closer, we realized how unusual they are, with weird decorative elements and materials. The one building that we noticed immediately is the so-called  Agricultural Palace , which is the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazan. You’ll easily recognize this lavishly decorated building by its 20-meter high bronze tree. Critics say it combines everything from the baroque to the renaissance, but tourists love it! Another building that we loved for its bold kitschy appearance is the  Tatar State Puppet Theater . Its castle-like structure seems to come from a Russian fairy tale.

Visit the Temple of all Religions

One of the most interesting things to do in Kazan is to go on an excursion to the  Temple of all Religions . This colorful temple is on the outskirts of the city. Consequently, you will have to take a public bus, hire a private taxi, or book an organized excursion. We are not talking about a religious building, but rather a cultural center. Its architecture incorporates an orthodox church, a mosque, and a synagogue. Though it is still under construction, it will eventually have 16 domes, representing the 16 major religions in the world. According to its authors, the Khanov Brothers, it’s a temple of culture and truth.

Learn About Tatarstan and Russia at a Museum

Kazan has several interesting museums. If you didn’t have time to visit the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, you are lucky. The Kazan’s Hermitage exhibits some of its pieces.   Apart from temporary exhibitions, the Hermitage displays European, Asian, and National art from different periods. The  National Museum of the Republic of Tatarstan , Kazan’s premier museum, is across the Kremlin’s main entrance. Here you’ll find large archeological and ethnographic collections. If you have Soviet nostalgia, visit the  Soviet Lifestyle Museum  inside a communal flat. If you are looking for something even more unusual, visit the  Museum of Chak Chak  dedicated to the traditional Tatar dough pastry.

Try Tatar Cuisine

Contrary to our expectations, we enjoyed food all around Russia. It is usually very well prepared, and there are plenty of dishes to choose from. Tatarstan is a great place to savor food since it combines local cuisine with Russian and Asian influences. The Echpochmak, a triangular pie, the Chak-chak, a sweet soft dough, and the Koymak, a kind of pancake, are its highlights. We had lunch on a beautiful terrace in  Tatarskaya Usadba . They offer delicious food, but you have to be patient with your order. If you want to try typical Tatar food, go to  Dom Tatarskoi Kulinarii . If your thing is quick, delicious, and cheap local food, go to  Dobraya Stolovaya  or  Tubatay . Finally, if you want to try something even more exotic, the  Rubai  offers delicious Uzbek food.  

Join a Local Festival

Kazan hosts numerous events and festivals all year round. Our last day was a holiday. Locals were singing and dancing to their national songs. Later we realized that we had attended the celebrations of Tatarstan national day. The city’s greatest local festival is  Sabantuy . It takes place after the crop planting and includes horse races, wrestling matches, and all kinds of singing events. If you happen to visit Kazan in February, you’ll be delighted by its  Opera Festival . If you visit in July or August, don’t forget to attend the  Kazan Jazz Festival . The concerts are held inside the Kremlin’s Pushechnyy Dvor every Thursday evening.

Explore the Rest of Tatarstan

Tatarstan’s cultural heritage is so rich that it has three Unesco World Heritage Sites. Obviously, Kazan is one of them. The other two are Bolgar and Sviyazhsk.  Bolgar  was the medieval capital of Volga Bulgaria, a state that existed between the 7th and 13th centuries. The Bolgar Historical and Archaeological Complex has several mosques, mausoleums, and palaces from that period. Sviyazshk , on the other hand, is a fortress from the 16th century that the Russian army used as a base during the siege of Kazan. Its most important landmark is the Assumption Cathedral.

Where to Stay in Kazan

Kazan is one of Russia’s top tourist destinations. Thus, you have several hotels to choose from. We wanted to stay on the main street, so we chose the  Shalyapin Palace Hotel . It proved a wonderful idea since the hotel is elegant, rooms are comfortable, and views over Bauman Street splendid. Another gorgeous hotel on the same street is the historic  Nogai Hotel . The large constructivist building from 1937 used to host publishers and writers. If you are still not satisfied, book a room in Kazan’s best hotel:  Kazan Palace by Tasigo . This delicately designed hotel is an art nouveau palace from the beginning of the 20th century.

Things to Do in Kazan – Photos

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Visiting Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan in Russia

Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan and the 6th largest city of Russia . It officially bears the title of the “Third Capital of Russia” due to its rich cultural and historical heritage. It also serves as the Capital of Tatarstan. Furthermore, this beautiful city is on the banks of the Volga River and Kazanka River. It is noted for its centuries-old religious tolerance. So, the Cathedral of all Religions is a true example of its religious harmony. Nearly half of its residents are ethnic Tatars. So a visit allows you to experience the unique foods and traditions of Tatar culture.

How to Get To Kazan Russia

Kazan is located about 800 km east of Moscow and easily accessible by train. Although, we reached there from Novosibirsk and after visiting it went to Moscow. While Vosstanie-Passazhirskaya is the name of the train station that mainly serves Kazan city. Whereas you can book your train ticket from the Russian Railway Website .

Kazan has one international airport that operates several domestic as well as a few international flights. The airport is about 25km from the city center. Further, you can reach the city center by bus, Train or Taxi.

To go to Kazan in your own car is another way. From Moscow, you can follow the M7 route to reach Kazan in around 12 hours. Whereas from Perm, you can follow the E22 route to reach Kazan.

How to Get Around Kazan Russia

The transportation system of Kazan city composes of trains, buses, trolleybuses, and taxis. The fare of one ride is 25 Rubles.

• Most of the attractions of Kazan city can be visited on foot. Especially you can visit the most of city attreactions at the area from Kazan Kremlin to Millenium Park via Bauman street .
• Kazan subway is a more convenient way to getaround the city of Kazan into Russia. It is listed among Guinness World Records as the shortest metro system in the world. Kazan Subway has 5 stations and one can get from one end to another for 10 minutes.
• Lat but not the least, Taxis in Kazan are also affordable. Therefore, you can call a taxi by using Yandex Taxi App.

Where to Stay in KAzan Russia

You can book a dormitory bed in the city center Hostel for under $10. You can find a good hostel from a large number of hostels around Bauman Street. I have booked with People Hostel for my short stay in Kazan. Besides, it was very near to Kazan Kremlin.

Initially, we had a plan to visit Kazan as a day trip while going from Novosibirsk to Moscow on our long Trans Siberian Train Route. However, due to a change in our plan, we have to cancel our next ride to Moscow and consequently opt for air travel from Kazan. So, we decided to take a little rest while our stay in Kazan.

Places to see in KAzan Russia

I regretted that I have only one day for this fairytale city. Due to some unforeseen reasons, I have to shorter my original plan. So, I have left Kazan City in such a way that seems I never came to this city. This city has abundant sights with a rich historical background that it can offer to its tourists. I spent my day while walking from one point to another. So, I decided to start my day at Kazan Kremlin.

Kazan Kremlin

I left my luggage at my hostel and came out for my day’s tour to Kazan City. I followed the Bulak Cannel and took my way toward Kazan Kremlin. After a few minute’s walk, I passed beside the Pyramid Cheops hotel(Piramida Kheopsa). It was a beautiful Hotel with Egyptian themes. Finally, I crossed Levo Buachava Street and entered Kremlin Park. If you go slightly further toward Kazanka River then you can reach Kazan Circus.

Entrance to Kazan Kremlin

The entrance to Kremlin park is exotic. You can enter the park after passing through a three-step Heart lane. Here you can get a beautiful photo of the Kul Sharif Mosque from a unique angle. Here a large row of steps leads me to the Gigantic wall of the Kazan Kremlin. Now Starting from Preobrazhenskaya Tower, I passed to another unnamed tower and finally reached Taynitskaya tower. Not to mention there were a couple of Viewing platforms to watch the left side Panorama views of the city. Taynitskaya is one of the two entry points to Kazan Kremlin. Also, the Spasskaya Tower on the Southern side is the other point of entrance.

Entry Fee to Kazan Kremlin

Entry to Kazan Kremlin is free. However, you have to take an entrance ticket to one of the many inside museums. The ticket range is 150 to 300 Rubles for different Museums. However, you can take a day ticket for 700 Rubles and enjoy your day while visiting these museums. The list of inside museums is quite high. Although, some of them include

• History Museum of  the state of Tatarstan
• Museum of The courtyard of the CAnyons
• Hermitage Kazan Center And Museum of Natural History of Tatarstan
• Manzeh Exhibition Hall
• Museum of Islamic Culture in Kul Sharif Mosque
• Histry Museum of Annunciation Cathedral

Kazan Kremlin from my Eyes

When I entered the Kremlin the first look of the Uphigh view was splendid. I was the three different shapes of building in my first view. That was Suvumbike Tower like a conical one, The palace Church resembles with a layer of rectangles and Presidency Palace. All these points were on my left side. On my right side were the Museum of the courtyard of canyons and Kazan Hermitage compounds.

Just after this view, the Cathedral of Annunciation popped up from the left and the Kul Sharif mosque from my right. These two buildings that were popping up from two different sides made a spellbound effect on me. The color combination and architecture were just fantastic. After then I went through the small garden that has the attraction of Monument to Kazan Kremlin Builders.

After visiting the Kremlin, I spent a little time on the eastern observation deck. From this deck, you can spot a large number of Kazan attractions beyond the Kazanka River. At the far end, you can spot the Kazan Arena, Farmers’ palace, Kazan Cathedral, and a few more.

Farmers’ Palace and Park

After spending a couple of Quality time, I head forward to Farmers’ Palace. I came out from Voskresenskaya tower which is at the east/North end of Kazan Kremlin. I have to come back along the outward of Kremlin. Here I have crossed the road and entered into the Farmers’ Palace and Park.

This Palace is a building that serves as the Ministry of agriculture and the food Republic of Tatarstan Russia. Although it is state-building even then It is a must-see place in Kazan. You can definitely admire the entrance that reflects the objective of the building and office. After its construction in 2008, this building has quickly become one of the city’s most famous modern landmarks. 

Cathedrals of Kazan City

Now I took the Southern route and my next stop was a couple of Blue and White cathedrals. The first one was the Church of the Great Martyr that was just beside the Farmers’ palace. You have to take a left turn while going back to Kazan Kremlin Road. It is a stone church that is related to Saint Paraskeva. It is an old church that was restored and partly rebuilt in 1904.

The second one The Kazan Cathedral was even more majestic. It is as beautiful but less rated than the Kazan Cathedral of St Petersburg.

Chernoye Ozero, The Black LAke

Here I took a route to Bauman Street. On the way, I made a small detour and reached Chernoye Ozero. Chernoye means black and Ozero means lake. So, this small artificial lake is called Black Lake. There is a garden in the eastern part of this park. Its main entrance is known as the famous and romantic “lovers arch”.  The park often hosts festivals and concerts here. It is also commonplace for locals to walk on the outer jogging path. You can also sit on one of the benches and read a book or just relax.

Peter and Paul Cathedral Kazan

This golden yellow cathedral painted with turquoise mosaics was a true gem in the heart of the city. We have also visited a cathedral with the same name in St Petersburg beside the Neva River. Although, its counterpart in St Petersburg is a part of the fortress. However, this one is an active prayer place and its bright colors are a feast for our eyes. Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral is a Russian Orthodox church that was built in 1722.  It was partly reconstructed in 1824-1825. While a more large-scale reconstruction took place in 1888-1890. As it was very near to Bauman Street that was my next and last stop, so, I couldn’t visit it from inside.

BAuman Street KAzan

The main pedestrian street of Kazan starts From the Kremlin and ends at the “Ploshchad Tukaya. It is a pleasant walk of about 2km. . As Kazan’s busiest pedestrian street where you’ll find the highest concentration of restaurants, cafes, monuments, and souvenir shops in the city. After visiting Peter and Paul Cathedral, I came to this historical street. You can see many fun performers in the afternoon till night. Many other prominent sub streets also make their way from BaumanStreet. One of which, the Musa Jalil street is also a famous one among foreigners. It is the best place for lodging in Kazan too. After visiting this street, I decided to go to my Hostel.

What we missed in Kazan Russia

The first and foremost thing is that we believe we missed the whole of Kazan. This city is not for one-dayers. At least it needs three days that include a full day of Kazan Kremlin. It was a shame if we couldn’t visit the Cathedral of all religions. Besides a full day to visit Sviyazhsk is also recommended. Sviyazhsk is a beautiful island about 65km from the city center and one can reach it in one hour. Last but not the least, the Museum of Socialist life is another top attraction to see Kazan History.

Hey, This is Rashid and I am here to share my Wide Angle Dreams with you, with the aim to provide you a Wide Angle to catch your bucket list dreams of travelling and trekking. If you love to travel but feel that you are bound in tough daily routines and find very little time to catch your travelling dreams, then you are at a right place.

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A writing room: the new marketplace of writer classes, retreats, and collectives.

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A Writing Room is one of the fast-growing writer collectives. The four co-founders (left to right): ... [+] Reese Zecchin, Director of Production; Jacob Nordby, Director of Writer Development; A. Ashe, Creative Director; Claire Giovino, Community Director.

The past decade has brought an explosion in the number of books published each year in the United States (an estimated three to four million annually). In turn, this explosion is bringing a growing and evolving marketplace of writer classes, retreats and collectives. It is a marketplace creating new jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities—both for mainstream tech, marketing and managerial workers, as well as for writer/artist denizens of America’s bohemia.

The Drivers of Growth in Book Publishing

The number of book sales in the United States remains healthy, though it has leveled off in the past four years. In 2020, 756.82 million book unit sales were made in the US alone. This number climbed to 837.66 million in 2021, before falling slightly to 787.65 million units in 2022 and 767.36 million units in 2023.

What has changed dramatically has been the number of books published. Steve Piersanti of Berrett-Koehler Publishers estimates that three million books were published in the US, up 10 times from the number only 16 years ago . Other estimates put the number of published books annually at closer to four million .

The main driver of this growth in books published has been self-publishing. According to Bowker , which provides tools for self-publishing, an estimated 2.3 million books were self-published in 2021. Up through the 1990s (now the distant past in publishing), writers of all types of books, fiction and nonfiction, were dependent on convincing publishing houses to publish their work. As the technology for self-publishing and print on demand grew in the early 2000s, writers could publish on their own, and a very large number of Americans began to do so.

Fueling growth also is the level of affluence and discretionary income that an increasing segment of American society is reaching. For centuries, theorists across the political spectrum have envisioned a society, freed from basic economic needs, pursuing creative activities, with writing as a primary activity. In The German Ideology , Karl Marx could write about the economy of abundance in which individuals pursue writing as one of a series of daily activities—hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, write criticism in the evening. John Maynard Keynes in a 1930 essay, “ Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren” , envisions a time a hundred years forward (2030) in which writing is no longer the province of the upper classes. Contemporary theorists on the future of work, such as John Tamny, similarly see a blooming of creative and artistic activities by the average citizen.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, a writing room, and the emerging marketplace of writer training.

A marketplace of writing coaches, classes and retreats expanded throughout the late twentieth century and first years of the twentieth century. Published authors and even recently-minted graduates of MFA programs hung out shingles for individual coaching and small classes. Colleges expanded their writing programs and certifications, and writer retreats multiplied. Co-working and literary event spaces were established in major cities ( The Writers Room in New York, The Writers Grotto in San Francisco). But the marketplace continued to bump up against geographic and logistical limitations.

Then, along the came the internet, and its evolution.

Today, hundreds of businesses throughout the country offer assistance to aspiring writers. Many continue to offer some in-person assistance through coaching, classes or retreats. But as in other fields, the internet has allowed for a nationwide (worldwide) reach that these businesses are taking advantage of to scale. The major pre-internet writer assistance companies, such as The Writers Studio , added online courses and instruction, and the early internet-based companies from the 1990s, such as Writers.com (a pioneer in the internet field), steadily expanded their offerings. New enterprises are springing up on a regular basis, including the writer collectives.

A Writing Room is one of the fastest growing of the writer collectives, and its suite of services illustrate the how the field is evolving.

A Writing Room has its roots in the writing classes that novelist Anne Lamott had been teaching for some years, and her interest by the early 2020s in creating a larger on-going community of writers. Lamott connected with a team of four entrepreneurs who had experience with previous start-ups and expertise in online tools. In early 2023 they set out to develop A Writing Room.

Novelist Anne Lamott, one of the partners in A Writing Room.

A Writing Room launched in June 2023, and followed a few months later with an inaugural writers retreat in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Though hastily arranged, the retreat attracted more than 400 in person attendees and over 1600 attendees online. In the first half of 2024, the company set up a membership structure of monthly and annual memberships. Within months, over 550 writers had joined.

The products that members can access are aimed in part at teaching the craft of writing. In a recent author discussion (with close to 400 participants joining online) Lamott discussed the craft of writing with novelist Donna Levin . Both started publishing in the 1980s. They noted how much publishing and the role of the writer have changed, but emphasized the fundamentals that have remained over their forty years, related to craft and the responsibility of the writer: the daily commitment, the careful development of plot and characters, the numerous rewrites (as many as you think you need, and one more).

A Writing Room offers a series of on-demand courses, online discussions with authors and publishing professionals, and daily writing prompts, built around writing as craft. It further offers instruction on the paths to and options for publication, building a following of readers.

At its center, A Writing Room is about being part of a community of writers, giving and receiving regular feedback from other members, as well as feedback from writing mentors and coaches. In an interview earlier this year, Lamott explained:

The great myth about writing is that it's an entirely solitary activity. This really isn't true. Every book I've ever written has been with a lot of help from my community. I wouldn't be the writer I am today — and wouldn't even want to write — without people to share the process and finished work. Writing is a process, but it doesn't have to (and really shouldn't be) done in total isolation.

The writing process can feel overwhelming. It often does for me. Believe me, a trusted writing friend is a secret to life.

Other emerging writing collectives also emphasize community and cooperation. Levin underscored this point in the recent online discussion: “Writing can be such an isolated activity, and to some extent needs to be. You want to seek out a community that can give you the support you need and also the honest feedback.”

How the New Marketplace Is Evolving And Jobs Created

The founders of A Writing Room know that the marketplace for writer assistance is fast changing, and they need to be quick to adapt to increased competition. Already, several developments are driving change in the field:

· The entrance of major online education companies (i.e. Masters Class , Coursera, Udemy ).

· Faculty recruitment of writers with built-in audiences of sizable twitter and other social media followings.

· Partnerships with the major publishers and agencies, who hold out the promise of publication to participants of the classes, retreats and collectives.

· Specializations by race and ethnicity, gender, geography and genre.

· Market segmentation, and attention to higher income consumers.

A number of these developments reflect the changes in the broader publishing world and are likely to continue. Overall, the marketplace itself will be expanding, as publishing technology advances, along with discretionary income.

The jobs being generated by this new marketplace are a mix of tech, administrative, and writing coach positions. At A Writing Room, recent hires include a community liaison, video editor, customer support, and a “beta reader” providing feedback to writers on their drafts. The hiring process is sweeping up into jobs not only workers who have been in the regular economy, but also residents of America’s bohemia: writers and artists who previously were outside of (and often scornful of) the market system. What can be better than that.

In his 2023 book, The Novel, Who Needs It , Joseph Epstein, former editor of American Scholar , offers a paean to fiction as above all other intellectual endeavors that seek to understand human behavior. But what he says of fiction is true of other writing (memoir, history, even forms of self-help) that arouses the mind.

Yes, there are way too many books published each year, and yes only a very small percentage of writers will earn any significant income from their writing. But who knows what individual book will succeed commercially or critically, or add to our shared knowledge or wisdom. And really, why not encourage the craft of writing. How much does America benefit from most of the paper-pushing, meetings and e-mails that now pass for work in our economy of affluence.

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National library of Republic of Tatarstan

Top 12 Things to Do in Kazan, Russia

Russia's most impressive Kremlin isn't in Moscow

Kazan is not one of Russia 's most famous tourist cities, which makes sense when you consider that it's not in Russia —at least not completely. Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan, which sits within Russia 's official borders, but whose government operates autonomously in many capacities, due to the large populations of ethnic Tatars who live within its borders.

A trip to Kazan, to be sure, is like no other experience in Russia, thanks to the city's millennium of history, the diverse population (and the fact that it manages to live mostly in peace) and a standard of modernity you might not expect outside  Moscow or St. Petersburg .

Tour Russia's Most Unique Kremlin

One thing many travelers don't realize, if they've never visited Russia, is that there is no such thing as "The" Kremlin, though the one in  Moscow  usually gets the most attention.

Every Russian city of a certain size has a Kremlin (which means "citadel" in Russian), and they all feature a combination of government, religious and military buildings inside a wall, often over a body of water (the Volga River, in Kazan's case).

The Kazan Kremlin has a decidedly Islamic character, owing to the city's large Muslim population and the mosque that exists within the citadel.

Visit the Temple of All Religions

Kazan has long gained accolades not only from within Russia but from all around the world, for the fact the Christians and Muslims have lived together here in peace for nearly a millennium.

Although it's easy to see this harmony lived out among locals, one site that pays homage to co-existence is the aptly-named Temple of All Religions.

This sacred site, which features multiple architectural styles in order to achieve its aim, sits just outside Kazan's city center.

Experience the World's Religions Individually

Of course, you're welcome to appreciate Kazan's religious eclecticism in a more piecemeal fashion, if that suits you.

Within the aforementioned Kazan Kremlin, for example, you'll find the blue-domed Kul Sharif Mosque, as well as the Annunciation Cathedral, which represents Russian Orthodox Christianity.

Religious sites are abundant outside the Kremlin as well, from Märcani Mosque to St. Peter and Paul's Cathedral.

Relax in a Variety of Green Spaces

Kazan is well-known within Russia for the quality of life its citizens enjoy, and a big part of this is the wide variety of green spaces in the city. The most popular of these is Millennium Park, built to commemorate the city's 1,000th birthday in 2005. Other Kazan Parks include the Central Park of Culture and Park Imeni.

Cool Off at an Exciting Water Park

Kazan is also home to a park of another sort, in the form of Riviera Aquapark. This park comes in handy too, since Kazan is much hotter than other cities in Russia, with summer temperatures that regularly rise into the '80s and '90s. A trip to Riviera Aquapark is a particularly good choice if you won't have the time to explore the lakes you find in Tatarstan outside Kazan.

Go Back in Time to the Soviet Union

Though Kazan was never a purely Russian city, it was nonetheless under the control of the Soviet Union during the country's entire existence. A stop at the quirky Soviet Lifestyle Museum is not so much a lesson in Soviet history (though there is plenty of artwork and other propaganda in case that's your thing), but a compelling comparison of how things were under the USSR government vs today's largely autonomous regime.

Shop for Local Tatar Handicrafts

Like Moscow , Kazan is home to its own GUM department store, as well as a number of other "big box" retailers that would have Stalin rolling over in his grave. Heading to the more traditional Koltso shopping area, meanwhile, allows you to browse local Tatar handicrafts, including Tubeteika hats that are a common sight throughout Central Asia.

Check out a Variety of Festivals and Other Cultural Events

Kazan, like many other Russian cities, features a variety of festivals and other cultural events throughout the year, many of which are international and cosmopolitan in their scope. Music festivals devoted to opera and jazz roll through the city in February and August, respectively, while a high-profile festival dedicated to Muslim cinema from around the world returns every September.

Discover Local Tatar Culture

Of course, a trip to Kazan presents plenty of opportunities to experience and celebrate local Tatar Culture, whether that entails shopping for clothing items as above, sampling Tatar cuisine as below, or participating in the Karavan Festival in May, which takes places not only in Kazan but throughout the Republic. If you're interested in Tatar Culture, this might be the best time of year to visit Tatarstan!

Enjoy the Tasty Tatar Cuisine

Tatar food is a bit more evergreen than conspicuous displays of traditional culture, though some items seem more appropriate in warm or cold weather than others.

Ukha  fish soup, for example, is a more welcome choice to slurp down during the frigid winter months, while chak-chak doughnuts are more palatable when the temperature rises into the 80s and 90s. 

Ride a Riverboat During the Summer

Speaking of the warmer months, it is during this period exclusively (May to October, give or take) when boats travel on the Volga River that runs through Kazan.

While some companies do exist for the purpose of taking tourists on pleasure rides along the river, you should keep in mind that many of these boats are essentially water buses.

While this means they're affordable, they can also be quite crowded, making for an authentic experience, but a less than idyllic one.

Get Out of Town

Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan, but it's not all there is to the Republic. You could take a day trip to Raifa Monastery, which sits on the shores of a lake whose chilly waters are perfect for a dip during the summer.

The town of Bolgar is a little farther (if you do visit on a day trip, it'll be a very long day), but has been important throughout Russian history, and is currently a pilgrimage site for Muslims.

Finally, Christopol feels more like the rest of Russia, with a 1700s aesthetic that may have you feeling like you're in the time of Catherine the Great—or closer to Helsinki than to Istanbul, as it were.

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