Building Silly Sentences: A Fun Writing Activity for Kids
If you’re looking for a way to make writing time exciting for your kindergarten and first-grade students, you’re in the right place! Building Silly Sentences is a fun writing activity that helps students practice sentence structure while letting their imaginations run wild. In this post, I’ll walk you through how to use this product in your classroom and share tips on how to differentiate it for your learners.
I have included materials for you to get your Building Silly Sentences Writing Center set up, as well as a few cards for you to sample with your students. The full version and holiday editions can be purchased HERE or are available in the Early Elementary Resources All Access Membership.
Here are the downloadable files that you’ll need for these lessons:
- Building Silly Sentences COLOR VERSION – Differentiated Writing Center Set Up and Sample
- Building Silly Sentences BLACKLINE VERSION – Differentiated Writing Center Set Up and Sample
Why is Building Silly Sentences a Fun Writing Activity?
The Building Silly Sentences Writing Center lets students create hilarious sentences using color-coded word cards. It’s perfect for introducing correct sentence structure in a way that’s low-pressure and full of creativity. This fun writing activity encourages your students to engage with words and create sentences that will have everyone laughing.
Here’s how it works:
- Students choose a WHO, WHAT, and WHERE by matching cards to their sentence-building mat. Each mat is color-coded for easy matching, so even your youngest writers can follow along.
- They write their sentences on one of the differentiated recording sheets. With 10 recording sheet options, you can pick the one that’s just right for each student’s needs.Please note that the sample linked above only has 2 recording sheet options.
- Optional: Students can illustrate their silly sentences on certain sheets, adding an artistic twist to their writing practice!
How to Use It in Your Classroom
This writing station can be used in so many ways! It’s flexible and can easily fit into your existing classroom routines. Here are a few ideas to incorporate this fun writing activity:
- Literacy Centers: Set up the Silly Sentences station as one of your literacy centers. It’s simple for students to use independently, giving you time to focus on other small groups.
- Early Finishers: Have fast workers? Let them spend their extra time building silly sentences! This activity keeps them engaged and practicing their writing skills.
- Morning Work or Small Groups: Whether it’s a fun start to the day or a focused small group activity, students will love coming up with silly sentences and sharing them with classmates.
Differentiation Made Easy
One of the best parts of this activity is how easy it is to differentiate for your students. The recording sheets come in three levels: 5, 8, or 12 sentences per page, with or without handwriting lines. You can assign sheets based on each student’s writing abilities. For your more advanced writers, try the Silly Story option, where students can build a short story based on their cards.
To challenge students even further, have them come up with their own words to add to the box of prompts using color-coded index cards. It’s a great way to extend the activity and let students take ownership of their writing.
Holiday Fun with All Access Membership
If you’re looking to add even more excitement to this fun writing activity, don’t forget about the holiday-themed options available in the All Access Membership. These include themes for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and more! It’s a great way to bring seasonal fun into your classroom while continuing to reinforce those important sentence-writing skills.
Why Your Students Will Love It
The word cards allow students to mix and match endless combinations – with over 750,000 possible sentences in the full version! From silly animals dancing in strange places to wacky adventures happening in outer space, students will have a blast creating their sentences.
As they write, you’ll notice their confidence grow. The activity is low-risk, so even students who usually shy away from writing will be eager to participate. Plus, the bright bulletin board letters and posters included will make your writing center a fun and welcoming space!
Bring Fun to Writing Time!
If your writing block needs a little spark of fun, the Building Silly Sentences Writing Center is just the tool you need. It’s easy to set up, highly engaging, and packed with options to meet every student’s needs. This fun writing activity will have your students eager to write and share their silly creations with the class.
Give it a try in your classroom, and watch your students gain confidence, build sentence-writing skills, and most importantly, have fun!
Other Writing Center Activities for Your Classroom
- 6 Classroom Writing Center Activities for the K-2 Classroom
- Setting Up Your Classroom Writing Center
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