Reason to write #2. Linking literacy and computer games.

I know I’m not the only one worried about how much time my children spend glued to a screen of some description. I’m trying my level best to keep screen time to a bare minimum but, come on, sometimes you’ve just got to cook dinner/ clean the floors/ put the seventh load of washing in the machine and before you can say ‘Daddy pig,’ Peppa is playing on the telly, Tik-Tok is on your daughter’s phone and the eldest is loading up ANOTHER game of Fifa.

I need to do a name check here- my friend Nichola told me that she had been using computer games to encourage her lovely boy to write and I thought ‘what a good idea.’ And, over the past couple of weeks, I’ve added what I hope are other ‘good ideas’ to the theme. If you have any flashes of inspiration that you’d like to share, please do so in the comments section below.

Reasons to write- linking literacy to your child’s favourite computer game:

·       - Write a character description of a favourite character from a favourite game

·        - Write a settings description based on your game

·         -Create a non-fiction report about the game- the game manufacturers and their inspiration, the main characters, the game story etc. Include photographs and/ or illustrations

·         -Create a ‘games review’ blog online- write a weekly post  

·         -Script and film a ‘games review’ video

·         -Take a character from a favourite game and write them into a favourite story or a different game, for example, how would your avatar from ‘Animal Crossing’ manage if they were to participate in Crash Bandicoot? ‘Wreck-it Ralph’ is brilliant for inspiration here.

·         -Create a comic strip based on a computer game

Hopefully, these activities should inspire even the most devoted computer game players to put down the control pad and pick up their pencil. Happy writing everyone 😊