How to write a story together
A story only needs four things: someone to be about, a place, a problem and an ending. Start with the hero. Ask what their name is, what they are good at and what they are afraid of. Their fear often becomes the problem in the story.
Let your child tell the story and do the writing yourself if they aren't writing yet. Rather than making suggestions, try asking, “And what happened next?” It's your child's story, and the strangest ideas are often the most fun.
Ideas for different ages
Four- and five-year-olds often enjoy telling a story as they draw. One picture for each event is enough, with an adult writing a sentence underneath. Six-year-olds can fill in the template with help, and older children can write on their own and roll the dice to get started.
The story dice also work in a group, at preschool or in the classroom: roll once and let each child tell their own version of the same beginning.
When the story is finished
Read it aloud at bedtime, perhaps for several nights in a row. Children who have made up a story often want to hear it again and add new details each time. Read more about why reading aloud matters, and how to make up stories together at different ages.
If your child has drawn the hero, the drawing can become a real book. If they'd like to practise drawing first, there are simple characters and shapes to draw step by step.