For a fun exercise, try making up a word starting with every letter of the alphabet. Arkity-ark, blooble, callywickle – don’t worry about them sounding good, just let loose and write! Made up words also help children develop awareness of the sounds of different letters. Nonsensical words challenge kids to figure out the phonetics of the word with no prior knowledge of the word’s use in common speech. [4] X Research source

Internal rhyme uses words that rhyme within the same sentence, such as “There is fun to be done” from The Lorax. [5] X Research source Try writing 10-20 sentences with internal rhyme: “There is glue in my shoe” or “I’m in Heaven with Kevin,” for example. End rhyme uses rhyming words at the end of sentences, such as “Would you? Could you? In a car?” Eat them! Eat them! Here they are,” from Green Eggs and Ham. [6] X Research source A great way to practice end rhyme is to write a few poems using potential characters from your story. Try using an ABCB rhyme structure, where the two B lines rhyme. For example: “It’s in my hair / it’s on my nose / but luckily / I have a hose. ”

Play around with similar repetitive structures in your writing so that kids will want to repeat your lines again and again and again. [7] X Research source Don’t be afraid to use questions! Questions lend themselves well to repetition and rhyme. For example, “A boat? A plane? A flying car? Not here, not there, not where you are!”

Focus on using rhyme, repetition, and nonsense words in a way that is fun for you and the reader. This will make the moral of your story seem more natural and intrinsic to your story, instead of blatant and overstated. [8] X Research source

Try starting your story in a normal location – a house, school, bank, park – and letting your imagination run wild from there. [9] X Research source

Create characters that are brimming with life, fantasy, silliness, and completely unique traits. Write a list of a few potential character names and some of their physical as a writing exercise. For example, the Flaren might have green wings and wear a rainbow baseball cap.

If you are able to draw inspiration from pop culture, kids will instantly find your story relatable. Travel is another great way to broaden your horizons and expose yourself to new situations and people that you can use later in your writing. [10] X Research source