Take Creative Writing Outdoors!

"I can't think of anything to write!" If you've ever heard this from a pupil, and wondered how to spur them on, Juniper Green Primary took an approach that might solve the problem. Chris Leslie from our Learning team recently visited Juniper Green to find out more.

Creative writing is inspired by the world that lives and breathes around us, and yet we're usually forced to ask pupils to write in a classroom.

Juniper Green Primary pupils recently visited Jupiter Artland sculpture gardens, to see if it helped them with story writing. The results are some of the most charming, inventive pieces of writing I've ever seen from primary pupils: so impressive, in fact, that they've even published a book!  

In groups, the pupils wrote down why they thought the experience helped them to learn.

Caitlin: I get better ideas outside because inside is quiet and calm but outside everything is moving and you can focus better. I like the feel of the fresh air!

Matthew: If you see a hole in a tree or a bit of grass in an unusual shape what could that hole or grass be? You learn better outdoors because you feel like you're in the story. Things are so unpredictable when you learn outdoors.

Stewart: It's better when you can see the real life size of things. I get better ideas. Your art can be better as well because you can see what you are drawing.

Megan, Andrew and Rebecca wrote about their favourite sculptures: Our favourite was the Life Mound. It was fun climbing round and round, and there was a good view at the top. We thought the Weeping Girls were very mysterious - it was weird that they had no faces.

Some pupils told me about the writing process:

Josh and Ellie: All the pupils were put into groups to work in new teams. We started fourteen different stories to present to parents. We got together and started thinking about our settings and plot. When the parents came it was exciting and fun!

And the pupils didn't stop there, using their vivid memories of Jupiter Artland to create a board game!

Hannah, Becky and Anna: People in our school came up with the idea of making a board game based on Jupiter Artland because all the sculptures really inspired us. We made counters based on four different sculptures. We made the board by looking at the map of Jupiter Artland and putting some of our favourite games together, for example, Uno, Charades and Picturika.

The creators of the book and board game are modest about their achievements: visit them and you'll find, like I did, that all they really want in the way of recognition is for you to play the game with them and be sporting enough to perform a mime at the end. On this occasion I was spared the experience, choosing to give the floor instead to some enthusiastic pupils. I left with my dignity intact and my eyes opened to how we can get pupils to genuinely enjoy writing!

This project was partly funded by our Live Literature Funding scheme - find out more here.

Juniper Green have produced a book with all the stories - contact them for more information! Here are a few examples of the wonderful stories written, with distinct elements of fairytales and fables!

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