School’s out for summer! However, before kids jump into  “lazy mode,” implementing a summer learning routine is important.  There are so many skills kids can work on this summer, but to keep those creative juices flowing—writing is key! However, writing boring essays may not be the way to go. Instead, try using the summer things they love to inspire them to write. Think slip-n-slides, vacations, and ice cream. Luckily, teachers and parents can relax this summer too. These Summer Writing Choice Boards have all the fun summer writing prompts kids love! Plus, it is the perfect free summer writing activity to keep students or your kids creatively writing all summer.

Why is Summer Writing Important?

Summer vacation is a blast!  Taking a break from schoolwork is important, but keeping those writing skills sharp can be a challenge. That’s where summer writing comes in! Even a little bit of writing practice over the summer can make a big difference. Here are five reasons to use these free summer writing activities:

1. Beat the Summer Slide: Writing skills can get rusty without practice. Summer writing helps kids retain what they learned in school and prevents the dreaded “summer slide.”
2. Boost Creativity: Writing activities can spark kids’ imaginations. They can create fantastic stories, explore new ideas, and express themselves freely.
3. Create Confidence: By tackling different writing prompts and activities over the summer, kids can see their skills improve and feel proud of their accomplishments.
4. Sharper Skills for Fall: By keeping their writing muscles active, kids will be better prepared for the writing demands they’ll face when school starts again.
5. Fun and Flexible: There are endless fun and engaging summer writing activities to spark the imagination. 

The good news? Summer writing doesn’t have to be boring! Luckily, these FREE Summer Writing Choice Boards will give kids all the summer writing practice they need to grow. Make sure to grab it at the bottom of this blog post!

What is a Choice Board?

Learning is always better when kids can pick and choose the topic that interests them. Imagine standing at the ice cream truck, but instead of picking just one flavor, you get to choose a few! A writing choice board is kind of like that, but for fun writing activities.

The free summer writing activity is a board with sixteen squares, each with a different summer writing prompt. These prompts can be anything from writing about the rainy day blues to reviewing a favorite summer restaurant! The cool part is, that kids can pick a few of the squares that sound the most interesting to them!

Writing choice boards give kids the freedom to choose what they write about. Additionally, it gives them fun summer writing prompts to get them started. Kids will love having a whole bunch of fun writing adventures waiting for them to pick!

Free Summer Writing Prompts

Writing is an essential skill that takes time and lots of practice. Honestly, summer is a fantastic time to create writing stamina. Typically, kids have more free time, no homework, and overall feel less exhausted. Make sure kids have all the cool writing supplies they need to be successful writers! These Ticonderoga pencils are the absolute best for smooth writing, along with these cute neon Ticonderoga erasers!

While the free Summer Writing Choice Boards provides many writing options, it also provides a framework. Instead of staring at a blank page with no idea what to write, kids have a specific topic or question to guide them. 

Thankfully, this is a relief for kids who might feel overwhelmed by the open-ended nature of writing assignments.  For example, kids can choose sensory writing and explain the colors, scents, and tastes that remind them of summer. Another option is exploring nature to find something unusual, and then writing about it in detail. 

Additionally, the summer writing prompts cover different types of writing.  A few of these are persuasive writing, a nonfiction report, creative writing, and even poetry. 

Honestly, there are so many choices no matter what summer activities your kids enjoy! Plus, as kids transition back to school the writing doesn’t have to stop. There are writing prompt choice boards for fall, winter, and spring as well! 

Ways to Use the Free Summer Writing Choice Boards

Luckily, choice boards are simple to use. Allowing kids to make an independent choice is one way, while structuring their choice is another option. Here are some ways to use the free Summer Writing Choice Boards.

Independent Choice

• Free Selection: Let the kids choose the writing prompts from the board that they find most interesting or appealing. This gives them complete control over their writing experience and allows them to explore topics they’re passionate about.
• Variety is Key: Encourage kids to choose prompts that vary widely. For example, pick one fiction prompt, and one non-fiction prompt. Or, choose a creative writing activity and then a more structured prompt that focuses on a specific skill like writing a poem. This exposes them to different writing styles and challenges them to step outside their comfort zone.

Structured Choice

• Bingo Style: Turn the board into a bingo game! Kids can choose a specific number of prompts to complete. They can choose four in a row or a diagonal line. This adds a fun element and encourages them to tackle prompts they might not have chosen otherwise.
• “Draw a Prompt” Game: Cut up each writing prompt square and place them in a bag. Let kids draw which prompt they will write about that day. This adds an element of fun and surprise to choosing writing activities.

No matter how you choose to use the free Summer Writing Choice Board, remember to make it an engaging and positive experience.  Make sure kids have some ownership over their writing, offer support when needed, and most importantly, celebrate their creativity and written work!

Writing Growth in Upper Elementary 

Honestly, kids will have so much fun practicing summer writing! When they complete the choice board, they will be ready to rock and roll into longer, more structured writing. 

Thankfully, to keep the momentum going there are Writing Prompts and Rubrics that cover opinion, informative, and narrative writing. It has fifteen different high-interest writing prompts. Kids will learn to focus on the prompt given while writing good sentences and paragraphs, using their best grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Using this resource, upper elementary kids will become successful writers any time of year!

Snag the FREE Summer Writing Choice Boards below!

Save this summer activity!

Make sure to save this free summer writing activity to your favorite summer Pinterest board. You will be able to come back to this resource when you are ready to create confident and successful writers!