20 Screen-Free Activities to Encourage Writing

Writing doesn't always have to mean sitting at a desk with a pencil in your hand.

For children, some of the best opportunities to develop writing skills happen when they don't even realise they're practising. From personal experience this has been the best way to encourage my children to write. 

From creating treasure maps and writing secret clues to making mini books and keeping a nature journal, everyday play can provide endless reasons for children to pick up a pencil, experiment with words and share their ideas.

And when writing has a purpose, especially one they've chosen themselves, it can feel much more exciting than being told to "do some writing".

That's why we've put together 20 simple, screen-free activities to encourage writing through creativity, imagination, play and the world around us.

Why encourage writing through play?

Writing is about so much more than forming letters correctly.

Children are developing a whole collection of skills when they write. They're learning to organise their thoughts, choose words, describe experiences, tell stories, communicate ideas and build confidence in expressing themselves.

Play gives children a reason to use those skills.

A treasure hunt needs clues.
A café needs a menu.
A magical creature needs a name.
A story needs characters.
And a treasure map needs labels!

The writing becomes part of the adventure rather than the main event.

For younger children, this might mean drawing pictures and adding a few letters or labels. Older children might enjoy writing longer stories, instructions, poems or imaginary newspaper articles.

There really isn't a right or wrong way to do it.

20 screen-free writing activities for children

1. Nature Name Hunt 🌿

Head outside and find something beginning with each letter of your child's name.

They could write down what they've discovered or draw each object alongside its name.

It's a lovely way to combine outdoor exploration, letter recognition and early writing.

2. Make a Mini Book 📖

Fold a few sheets of paper together to create a tiny book.

Give it a title and encourage your child to fill the pages with drawings, characters and their own story.

Don't worry about spelling mistakes — the important thing is giving them the freedom to become an author.

3. Post a Letter 💌

Who doesn't love getting something through the post?

Encourage your child to write a letter to a grandparent, friend or family member. They can decorate the envelope, add a stamp and pop it in the post.

It gives writing a real purpose and creates something lovely for someone else to receive.

4. Create a Treasure Hunt 🗺️

Hide a small treasure somewhere in the house or garden.

Your child can write clues for someone else to follow — or you can write the first clue and let them take over.

This is a great activity for encouraging descriptive language, sequencing and problem-solving.

5. Invent a Creature 🐾

What would your imaginary creature look like?

Give it a name, draw it and write about where it lives, what it eats and what makes it special.

Maybe it has wings. Perhaps it lives underneath a giant mushroom. Or maybe it has 12 legs and eats nothing but strawberries!

There are no limits when imagination takes the lead.

6. Start a Nature Journal 🍂

Take a notebook outside and find something interesting.

Draw it, label it and write a few sentences about what you've discovered.

You could record the weather, spot birds, describe changes in the seasons or keep track of plants growing in the garden.

7. Make Story Stones 🪨

Collect a few smooth stones and draw simple characters, animals or objects on them.

Pick three stones and use them to create a story.

What happens when the dragon meets the rabbit and discovers a mysterious key?

Let your child decide!

8. Create an Imaginary Menu 🍽️

Turn your kitchen, garden or playroom into an imaginary café or restaurant.

What will you serve?

Children can create a menu, invent dishes and write descriptions for their customers.

"Dragon soup" and "unicorn cupcakes" are perfectly acceptable additions!

9. Write a Postcard From Somewhere Magical ✈️

Ask your child to imagine they've travelled somewhere completely magical.

Perhaps they're visiting a dinosaur island, a fairy village or the moon.

What can they see? Who have they met? What have they been doing?

They can write a postcard telling someone all about their adventure.

10. Make a Treasure Map 🏴☠️

Draw an imaginary island, woodland or garden and create a treasure map.

Add labels, landmarks and written directions.

You could even hide a treasure at the end and let another family member follow the map!

11. Continue the Story ✍️

Give your child a sentence to get them started:

"When I opened the little wooden door, I couldn't believe what I saw..."

Then let them take the story wherever their imagination leads.

If they get stuck, ask questions rather than telling them what to write:

Who was there?
What happened next?
How did your character feel?

12. Go on a Word-Collecting Walk 🚶

Take a walk and look for interesting things to describe.

Collect words that describe what you can see, hear, smell and feel.

When you get home, use some of the words to create a poem or short piece of writing.

13. Create a Wanted Poster 🔎

Invent a mischievous character and create a WANTED poster.

Include their name, appearance, what they've been up to and the reward for finding them.

This works particularly well for children who enjoy stories involving adventures, detectives and mystery.

14. Write a Recipe 🥣

Make something simple together — perhaps biscuits, sandwiches or a fruit salad.

Then ask your child to write down the ingredients and instructions.

They could even design their own recipe book.

15. Write a Character Diary 📔

Choose a favourite book character or invent a new one.

What happened to them today?

How are they feeling?

What are they worried about? What are they excited about?

Writing from another character's point of view is a great way to encourage imagination and emotional vocabulary.

16. Leave Messages for a Woodland Friend 🧚

Create a tiny fairy, elf or woodland creature door using cardboard, sticks or other natural materials.

Then leave little written messages for its imaginary resident.

Perhaps the fairy has left a note asking for help — and your child needs to write a reply!

17. Use the Five Senses 👃

Choose an object, place or experience and describe it using all five senses.

What can you see?
What can you hear?
What can you smell?
What can you taste?
What can you feel?

This is a simple way to introduce children to more descriptive writing.

18. Make Your Own Newspaper 📰

Create a family or imaginary newspaper.

You could include:

• A headline

• A news story

• The weather

• An interview

• An advert

• A funny story

• A sports report

Older children can take on different roles and create their own newspaper together.

19. Create a Story in a Jar 🫙

Write different ideas on small pieces of paper and pop them into a jar.

You could have one jar for characters, one for settings and one for objects.

Pick one from each and use them to create a story.

For example:

Character: A forgetful wizard
Setting: A woodland
Object: A mysterious key

What happens next?

20. Write a Letter to Your Future Self 💭

Ask your child to write a letter to themselves to open in a year's time.

They could write about their favourite things, what they've been doing, their friends, their hopes and what they think might happen in the future.

Seal it away somewhere safe and open it together later.

It's not only a wonderful writing activity — it's a lovely little time capsule of childhood.

 

Keep writing playful

One of the most important things to remember is that writing doesn't have to be perfect to be valuable.

If your child doesn't know how to spell a word, help them sound it out. If they want to write three pages about a dragon, let them. If they would rather draw the story first and add words afterwards, that's absolutely fine too.

Try not to correct every spelling mistake or worry about neat handwriting.

Instead, show interest.

Ask them:

"Tell me about what you've written."

"What happens next?"

"I love that character — where did you get the idea from?"

When children see that their ideas matter, writing becomes something they can enjoy rather than something they have to get right.

Looking for more screen-free ideas?

We've created our 20 Screen-Free Writing Activities sheet to give you inspiration at a glance for creative writing at home.

Pop it somewhere easy to reach and choose an activity whenever you're looking for something to do together.

Because sometimes the best way to encourage children to write isn't to sit them down and ask them to write.

It's to give them something worth writing about.

At Badger & Burrow, we're all about encouraging children to create, explore and be inspired — with play that sparks imagination, creativity and curiosity, without needing a screen.

Download the '20 Non-Screen Activities to Support Writing' activity sheet, grab a pencil and let the adventures begin. 🌿✏️