3rd Grade Writing Activities
In third grade, learning gets kicked up a notch, and more complex concepts will land squarely on your child's plate. Want to help, but aren't sure how? From fun activities to learn about place value, to outdoor games that teach parts of speech, we've got the goods to keep your child on track all year long.
Play Sentence Scramble!
Third graders have learned to construct simple sentences, but they are still exploring ways to make their writing more interesting and effective. This hands-on family activity gives your child practice creating compound sentences, a classic part of third grade curriculum.
Race for Spelling Patterns!
In this high energy, interactive game, third graders are challenged to a race involving spelling patterns in words. This is one race your child will want to run again and again! And it will do wonders for her reading fluency.
Build Vocabulary with Prefixes and Suffixes
Learning prefixes and suffixes is a great way to boost vocabulary quickly. And these letter combos are best learned in the context of the words that they create. Here's an easy game to get your child thinking about these beginnings and endings, in between a lot of shouting and laughing.
Play Word Bags to Learn Parts of Speech
Parts of speech can be a difficult and dreary concept for many kids, but you can quickly turn that feeling around by creating this fun, easy learning game that your child will enjoy playing!
Morse Code Messaging
Kids and codes go together like dashes and dots. Teach your child Morse code, a little bit of history that she'll pick up in a flash!
Storyboarding: Using Pictures to Teach Words
Third graders have to develop whole ideas and write them down in a logical way. And you can help! Here's a technique called "storyboarding."
The Zoo Stories: A Fun Writing Activity
Is your child a budding writer? Or does he hit a wall when starting a writing assignment? Here's a fun exercise that turns a Saturday trip to the local zoo into an all-out writing frenzy.
What's a Zipper? A Writing Game
A great way to teach children the power of a good explanation.
Create a Venn Diagram Creature!
Venn diagrams provide a perfect starting point for your child to brainstorm ways that two ideas or objects are similar or different. Introduce your child to this technique by helping her create a Venn diagram fantasy creature!
Create a Traditional Japanese "Sempuyo"
Hand making books is an traditional Japanese art that has been passed down for hundreds of years. Encourage your child to explore this unique custom by helping her create a "sempuyo," a Japanese book with accordion-style pages.

