10 Ways Middle Schoolers Can Have Fun with Writing

The Library Adventure uses affiliate links, see our policies for more information.

Whether your middle schooler struggles with writing or aspires to be a novelist, these 10 activities will help him have fun with words while improving his composition skills.

Fan Letters

Middle school tends to be the time when many kids – especially girls – begin to develop an interest in and admiration for celebrities. Help your child find out how to contact his or her favorite musician, author, or actor, and have her write a thoughtful letter complimenting that person’s work. Depending on who she chooses, she might even receive a response! Many celebrity addresses are available from fanmail.biz.

Fan Fiction

Hand in hand with fan letters goes fan fiction, non-canon stories set in the fictional world of a book, TV show, movie, or video game. Challenge your middle schooler to write his or her own original story starring characters from a favorite book. (Note: There are many online communities for fan fiction, some of which are not family friendly. Use caution when posting fan fiction online.)

Magnetic Poetry

Use magnetic tiles printed with a variety of words to assemble interesting original poems. Buy a kit, use the online version, or just use words cut from magazines. Photograph or write down the poems to save them before taking them apart and creating more!

Nostalgic Book Reviews

It’s hard to believe, but middle school kids do get nostalgic for their earlier childhood days. This is why they love to recommend their favorite childhood books to younger kids. In a library setting, these reviews make a great display or book list. At home, they’re a great way to strengthen the bond between older and younger siblings.

Quizzes

Young teens love to take quizzes in magazines and online. If your middle schooler is a frequent quiz-taker, ask him or her to try creating a quiz for his or her friends and siblings to take.

Bio Poems

Kids who like quizzes might also like to write a bio poem. This type of poem follows a specific form and asks the writer to tell about himself or herself in a given number of words per line. This is great for kids who always feel like they have nothing to write about!

Mad Libs

Though middle school kids might require some ground rules before they start calling out just any word to fill in a mad lib, they do love the ridiculous stories that can result. Mad Libs are also a great way to review the parts of speech. Get started at MadLibs.com.

Pen Pal Letters

Does your middle schooler have a long distance friend or relative around his or her own age? Exchange addresses and start a pen pal correspondence. This activity helps keep letter writing alive and carves out some much-needed screen-free time for tweens and young teens.

Journaling

The Dork Diaries and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series have made it cool to keep a journal. Help your middle schooler choose and decorate a book of his own then give him freedom to write whatever he likes.

Round-Robin Stories

Gather a group of your child’s friends, and have them take turns adding just one line to a story or poem. When everyone has had a few turns, read the story aloud.

For more information on middle school writing, check out the links below:

• Making Writing Meaningful to Middle School Students
• Middle School Writing Fun on Pinterest
• 25 Ways to Get Kids Writing