We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
Are you looking for a fun new idea to get your kids excited about writing? Try co-authoring a story with your child. This Fold-A-Story elementary writing activity is so much fun and guaranteed to cause more than a few giggles when the story is revealed.
My son and I tried this last week and it was such a hit that he has already asked several times to do it again. He has fantastic ideas, but he struggles to get them down on paper. Finding new and fun ways to take the pressure off is crucial to his success. And, he loved this one! If your child struggles with writing check out 8 Ways to Help Your Struggling Writer.
I wrote stories like this when I was in elementary school. I don’t remember what we called it back then, but the idea is simple enough. And, I do remember loving it. This simple activity adds some mystery and suspense to writing time and is also just a fun way to write a story with others.
How to write your Fold-A-Story:
- First, grab a sheet of paper. Any kind will work.
- The first person writes a paragraph then folds the paper so just the last line is showing.
- The second person uses that last line, that is now showing beneath the fold, as a writing prompt to write their paragraph.
- After the second person has gone the first person could write again or a friend, parent or sibling could join in.
This makes a great group activity in a classroom or co-op setting, but it also worked great for us at home. You just have to have a minimum of two people.
Here’s what our story looked like.
I started the story, my son wrote the middle, and my husband finished it. Reading it out loud was hilarious because so many parts were disjointed. And, I was surprised at the fantastic conversation that followed.
We discussed how each of us wrote something totally different from the other two. Most importantly, I think this helps to show kids that there are no wrong answers when it comes to creative writing. My son is a bit of a perfectionist. (I say this while looking around sheepishly and whistling because I have no idea where he got that from). Anyway… when it comes to writing there have been times that I have had to convince him that he can’t get it wrong. This activity took away the need. It was just obvious.
I sectioned our paper into 3 parts because my son hates staring down an empty piece of writing paper. It’s better for him if he can visually see how much of the page is his to write in.
I hope you enjoy this activity with your kids. Let me know how your stories turn out in the comments.
Heidi
