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Weekly Wordy Challenge

A simple fun activity to inspire tall tales.

Are you ready to take up the weekly wordy challenge?  

Follow the missions to collect words, images and numbers to create a story.

Perfect for ages 7 to 11 years.

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You will need

  • Something to write/scribble/draw with
  • Something to write/scribble/draw on
  • Some imagination

Then follow the missions via the drop-down links below.

Each mission collects different words, images and numbers which then become your tools to write a story.

Try this out each week and see what different surprises each mission produces. 

Go into the kitchen (preferably whilst there’s no messy cooking going on)

• Write down the first thing you spot that is silver.

• Write three words to describe whatever you can smell.

• Draw your last favourite meal (it might be one you ate recently, or one from a special occasion on a birthday, or from some time ago) Make sure you draw everything on the plate/in the bowl.

• Go into your bedroom and go to the place where you keep your socks. Count each sock singularly and write down the number (it should be even but if it is odd, has the washing machine eaten a sock?).

• Look under the bed, draw the first imaginary made up thing that pops into your head that might live there.

• Lay on your bed and try to remember the last dream you had. Write down three things from the dream (objects, vehicles, landscapes, characters, happenings)

Take your writing things with you when you go outside or look from a window.

• Write down three things you hear.

• Write down three shapes (a front door could be a long oblong, a tree could be twisty, a grass edge could be curvy).

• Write down three textures of things you see and imagine how they feel (bark of a tree might be gnarly or barky, a pavement might be smooth, flat or bumpy).

Gathered all your words?  You're ready to make your story

Try to include as many of the words you have collected as possible.  Perhaps tear them up and arrange them in different orders to see where they fit best together.

Showing off your Story

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  • Take a piece of paper or card and fold it on the middle to make a book shape.
  • Start by writing the name of the author at the bottom of the front cover – that’s you!
  • Then maybe add the title, if you have one, at the top.
    Sometimes it is easiest to begin with a drawing as our brains tell us what the story looks like before we’ve figured out all the words and actions. 
  • Then write your story in the middle two pages. Keep it short and fun. 
  • Finish off by writing a bite size blurb on the back, what will you write to entice your reader in? 

Hints and Tips

Every great story has

- a strong beginning to hook us in.
- an interesting middle to keep us reading. 
- and an exciting end that is memorable.

Every word guides us through the adventure or says something we need to know about the place or the characters. Try not to meander too much with ‘once upon a time…’ launch us straight into the action.

Think;

  • When is your story set? Right now? In the past? In the future?
  • Who is it about? Do you have one central character that we can get to know and follow. Maybe they are part of a series and they pop up in your future books.

All done?

Read your story to the other humans in your home or to an animal - they love to be read to.

Do a new story each week. Follow the three missions to see if you get different outcomes or set yourself some new challenges.

Enjoy!

Parents and carers: If your child would like to share the stories created by this wordy challenge, or suggest new word collecting missions - you can send them via social media @NottsLibraries on Twitter and Facebook or email arts@inspireculture.org.uk 

The Weekly Wordy Challenge has been created by Jayne Williams inspired by Word Wednesday developed by Jayne as Artist in Residence in Leicester Libraries. In association with The Spark Arts for Children