Writing Rockstars Blog 

You’re not alone!

But you can’t ignore the kids’ schooling for weeks on end. They’ll forget things. Their skills will get rusty!

That’s why you've got to keep schooling going with holiday inspired activities.

Take advantage of this time of year to blend learning with the excitement of the season!

Below are holiday writing activities for all your kids, both young and old:

1) Have younger children write a few sentences or a paragraph in a letter to Santa on how deserving they are this year -- both the good things they do and the things they could do better. This requires critical thinking, which is strong skills practice. They can add their wish list afterward.

2) Ask your older kids to write letters from Santa to your younger children. They can focus on adding detail to practice their descriptive writing. Your younger children will know that Santa is watching!

3) In the same vein, ask your older teens to write a few notes from your Elf on the Shelf to your younger kids. They'll love a short poem, riddle or joke from their visiting Elf.

Inspiring holiday joy and excitement in their younger siblings will be a huge reward for the time and effort your older teens put into their writing!

But if you have no younger children in your immediate famly, try this assortment of holiday scifi and fantasy writing prompts for older kids from author Justin McLachlan: http://www.justinmclachlan.com/1027/holiday-writing-prompts/.

Enjoy!