Games, books, activities and ideas to get your kids reading!
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
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Here is a simple, elegant, wonderful game that’s great for: • Story-building • Fostering imagination • Putting events in sequence • Inspiration for writing a story • Staving off boredom while you’re waiting at a restaurant • General all-round silliness. There are nine dice. Each one has six simple pictures. For instance, a happy […]
If your kids could use a little brush-up on their spelling, beezi might be the game that does it. My son and I took the game for a test drive. He figures he’s a better speller than his mother (who is a writer by trade, a-hem). We really enjoyed beezi. For off, it […]
If you’re looking for an activity that will get your kid writing, Breakfast on a Dragon’s Tail, by Martin Springett, is a new and interesting concept book. Dragon’s Tail gives you the beginning of a story, and your kid writes the rest. There are 13 book bites in all, each one an […]
Here is a great video that teaches what Silent E does. (Spoiler alert: For one thing, it makes a hug huge!) Thanks to thekidshouldseethis.com, who brought this to my attention via a tweet. Their website is fantastic – it’s a collection of videos that kids just gotta see. And if you’re in […]
This one’s for kids who are already good spellers and who think spelling is fun. (To me it’s a no-brainer, but I have to remember that not everyone reads the dictionary for fun.) Anyway, that kid will appreciate this great online spelling bee from Oxford. It’s fast and it’s fun […]
Do you have a kid you’re trying to encourage to write more? Is your kid discouraged because she’s worried that her writing isn’t good enough? Here’s some great advice from a young author, Maureen Johnson, who is currently working on her 10th novel for teens. She will tell your kid (in her […]
It’s time to get writing again – and here’s a wonderful incentive for kids in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). Write 150 to 250 words about what you’re most looking forward to this school year. And you could win a Dell Inspiron Duo Laptop (value $550) or a backpack full […]
I have a theory that a really great pencil might get your kid to do more writing. Now, hear me out. (And let me assure you right now this isn’t an ad and I’m not being paid by anyone.) I’m not just talking about a pretty pencil. It’s not some “normal” pencil […]
OK, this is a great tip but it might be a bit… er… nerdy. But then, so am I. And so is my kid, who wears it like a badge of honour. You’ve seen these QR codes, right? They’re on ads, posters, marketing material. Maybe you never knew what they […]
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