From idea to finished story
Spark an idea, plan it, then illustrate it.
Play & create
Creative writing, drawing and design activities
Open-ended activities that build imagination and skill. There is no single right answer, so each page gives example responses and a checklist instead of an answer key.
- 1Learn it
- 2See it worked
- 3Try it online
- 4Print it
- 5Check your answer
Start here: learning journeys
All creative activities lessons with practice and answers
Story startersTwelve original story starters for ages 7–14 with a beginning–problem–ending planner, a model opening paragraph and a checklist for improving your story.. PrintDrawing prompts and comicsImaginative drawing prompts plus a step-by-step guide to planning a four-panel comic strip — panels, speech bubbles and captions — with a printable template.. PrintPlanning a story (story mountain)Plan a story in five parts with a story mountain: opening, build-up, problem, resolution and ending. Online + Print
Guidance
How to get the most from these
- Praise effort and specific choices, not just the finished product.
- Plan briefly, create freely, then improve one thing.
- Display finished work — an audience is motivating.
Last reviewed: 25 September 2026