How to Improve Your Tween’s Creative Writing Skills with a Game
Creative writing games are some of the best tools you can use to help your older kids with their writing. We always have some of these board games for teenagers on hand in our homeschool.
Over the years we’ve played games as part of our language arts lessons to help with grammar and vocabulary, but this is one of our favorites because it helps to come up with unique ideas for creative writing assignments.
My kids sometimes struggle to think of things to write about, so I regularly try to improve their story building skills. Being able to think creatively and tell a complete and thoughtful story takes practice. Instead of forcing them to sit and write story after story, we play this game which allows them to think on their feet and practice telling tales quickly and easily.
It’s fun to play this game as a part of school and it can often be finished in less than 30 minutes, making it easy to include in your tween’s lesson plans.
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Rory’s Story Cubes is one of my favorite resources for improving creative writing and story building skills for tweens and teens.
Playing Rory’s Story Cubes
Each package contains 9 cubes that have unique symbols on the side, like:
- Alien face
- Airplane
- Fire
- Shooting star
- Tree
- Bee
- Magic wand
All counted, there are 54 different images you to use within your story.
If you’re playing the traditional way, when it is your turn, roll the cubes. Take a look at what figures you rolled and choose one to start with. Then use the rest of the pictures to weave together a story, using all 9 images that are facing up.
Aside from this, there are many other ways to play, guaranteeing that you’ll never be bored.
Two of our favorites are:
- Pick someone to start and have them roll all 9 cubes. That person chooses a picture and begins a story. The play then moves around the circle, with each person choosing a different image and adding it on to the tale until all cubes have been picked and the story is completed.
- Make it a race! Split the cubes among 2 players, with one left over. Have each player roll their cubes to see what they will have to work with. Have someone roll the extra cube. That is the picture both players have to start their story with. Then, as quickly as they can, they will each build a story, shouting done when they are finished. Then they can share their story with everyone.
Can a Game Really Help My Child With Writing?
Yes!
Some kids struggle in language arts because they don’t know what to write about. If you’ve ever been faced with a child crying as they look at a blank sheet of paper, you know what I mean.
This fun, simple game helps flex those creative muscles. It gives students extra confidence they need when writing stories.
There is less pressure for kids when they’re just playing a game compared to sitting down to write a paper. While playing Rory’s Story Cubes, they are brainstorming tons of ways to build a story.
What I love about this game:
- It’s Portable – It comes in a small magnetic lockbox that is easy to take anywhere.
- It’s Flexible – There are infinite stories in these cubes. The only limit is your imagination.
- It’s a Helpful Tool – We can just build stories orally or I can have my kids write them down as part of their language arts lessons.
There are a wide variety of cube sets available, aside from the original one. So choose one or more that your teen will enjoy. You can even combine cubes from different sets to make your stories even more creative!
Use this fun game as part of your middle school language arts plans. You can even use it to keep the learning going in a relaxed manner if you’re taking a break from school. Either way, pull out some educational games and let your older kids think they’re just having fun.
More Middle School Writing Inspiration
- Brainstorming Tips for Teens
- Writing Product Reviews Online is a Creative Way to Get Teens Writing
- Play one of these word games to build your child’s vocabulary and spelling skills.
- Improve Creative Writing with StoryBuilders
- Quick Way to Make Vocabulary Fun and Challenging
We have those cubes but haven’t used them in ages – you’ve inspired me to dig them out, thanks! I’m a big app fan and I’ve seen the online version but there is something very special about the tactile experience of handling and rolling the dice, isn’t there?
Great article, Megan! I’m pinning this for later, as well as featuring this post as part of next week’s Thoughtful Spot Linkup. Thank you so much for sharing this resource there.
These look so fun. Thanks for sharing at the After School Linky Party!