Fun Writing Activities For Preschoolers And Kindergarteners

Teach kids how to write with these helpful activities

If your students or children are just learning how to write or practicing the basics, try these fun and engaging activities for preschool- and kindergarten-age kids.

Writing letters

Give children non-paper ways to practice writing letters. Draw letters to guess on each other’s backs, on a foggy window, or in sand or dirt. Big muscle movements are great for solidifying learning.

Shaving cream writing

A fun activity for writing letters is in shaving cream (or finger paint). You can also put hair gel in a plastic bag and add a bit of food coloring for less mess. A little planning may be necessary before starting this challenge, especially when coming up with a list of age-appropriate words.

• Cover a cookie sheet or tabletop in shaving cream (make sure it won’t damage the surface—we don’t want you to hate us!).
• Make a list of letters that are easy for children to sound out. Have kids write the letters from your list using their fingers to write in the shaving cream or other substance.
• After each letter, they can “erase” it and start over again.

Talk about good, clean fun!

Writing nouns and adjectives

Outdoor explorers

Bundle those kiddos up as needed, and then send them into the great outdoors in search of things they can find and describe in five words.

• Have them identify an outdoor object they want to describe.
• Write down the most creative words for them that they can think of for each.
• Have them draw a picture of their object, using some of the words they used to describe it. (Example: if they found a leaf and described it as brown, they can color a brown leaf!)
• Then have them write a title for the picture (example: brown leaf).
  • If they can’t write it on their own, make dotted lines in the shapes of the letters for them to trace.

Writing a story

Have your child answer a writing prompt to help them create their own story.

• For example: You wake up with a super power. What is it, and how do you use it?
  • Look at this fun list of super powers for inspiration.
• Find more writing prompts for younger children here! For example:
  1. Write about a new country you created. Make up a language for that country and tell us all the rules.
  2. Write about an adventure you and your best friend had. Make sure it has a beginning, middle, and end.
  3. List the top three places you want to visit and why.
• Have them try to write down their story on several pieces of paper. You can fill in the blanks.
• Have children illustrate their story and then read it back to you.

Creating signs

Curate a captivating museum

Whether it showcases art, dinosaurs, inventions, beach treasures, or LEGO creations, all good museums need informative signage and a knowledgeable docent.

• Direct your child to create signs for each exhibit, and then explain what the exhibit is about to the museum guests (you!).

For more on how kids learn how to write, read this teacher-written article about the education behind early writing skills. Plus there are some writing bonus activities if you’re looking for more!