Writing: Family Writing Fun

A Take-Turns Family Story

 

Today's Snack: Get two people together. Make a banana split and take turns eating it. Pour a big glass of milk, and put two straws in it. Drink it together!

 

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Supplies:

5 pieces of lined writing paper,

cut in half so that the pages are 8½" x 5½"

 

Staple these 5 sheets inside one piece of plain white paper,

cut in half for a front cover and a back cover,

so that it forms a mini-book

 

Thin marker pens for text,

and colored markers for illustrations

 

 

You can create a family story, and have fun taking turns telling it, with this simple activity.

 

Gather each family member and discuss a story idea. Develop it while still just talking about it for as long as you need. Decide, in general, what the beginning, middle and end of the story are going to be, and the main character or characters, before you start to write.

 

Give each family member a different color of thin marker.

 

Now write the story, taking turns!

 

Whoever goes first should write the first sentence on a piece of lined paper, and pass it on to whoever is going second.

 

That second person should write the second sentence of the story, making sure it makes sense after the first sentence, and then pass the paper on to the next family member who is participating.

 

Every "writer" should have a different-color marker. Then it will be great fun to go back and re-read the story and see who wrote what.

 

Keep going with the story until you are almost near the end of the fifth and last page. Then make sure whoever fills in the last line can wrap up the whole story into a sensible conclusion.

 

Make a hilarious front cover design by basically doing the same thing, only with art, not writing. The first family member, using his or her color marker, draws one letter or line, the next one draws another letter or another line in a different color, and on you go until you are happy with your front-cover design.

 

Teamwork may not produce a fantastic piece of literature . . . but it sure will be fun and meaningful for your family!