A 30-minute writing task for your YEAR 4 child - the forest house
05.09.25
I’ve been chatting with lots of families of Year 4 children about preparing for the 11+ writing exams, so I thought I’d share some practical advice along with a creative activity you can try at home.
Getting Ready for 11+ Creative Writing 
If your child is in Year 4 (aged 8–9), now’s a great time to build their confidence gently. One of the best ways to do this is to read widely — adventure, mystery, fantasy, history, and even non-fiction. Reading expands imagination, vocabulary, and story sense without it feeling like work.
Don’t worry if your child is a reluctant reader — there are lots of ways to spark a love of books. I’ll share links to my earlier posts on reading and reading levels in the chat. Link writing to reading. After reading a passage, ask your child to describe the setting, imagine what happens next, or write from another character’s view. This makes writing feel more natural because they’re already familiar with the setting, plot, and characters. It also reflects the kind of tasks they’ll face in exams, where writing often connects to comprehension.
Try this at home (about 30 minutes) - writing challengeBecause the children are only in Year 4, today’s activity uses a positive, gentle image. As they move into Years 5 and 6, they should also practise describing darker, spookier settings — these come up often in comprehension texts and writing challenges.
Reading link (made-up extract):
“Saira and Daniel pushed open the old iron gate and stepped into the wild but sunny garden. Ahead of them stood a tall, unusual building with crooked windows and ivy climbing the walls. They felt excited to explore inside. Behind them, the woods swayed gently in the breeze, the sunlight spilling through the leaves in bright golden patches…”
Task: Describe the bright, lively woods behind the building.
Tip: A picture can really help ideas flow — you can use the one on the front of this post.Toolkit:
Adjectives: sparkling, leafy, golden, playful, twisting, dappled
Verbs: swayed, fluttered, shimmered, rustled, stretched, tangled
Similes: “as bright as a lantern”; “branches waving like friendly hands”; “leaves tumbling like dancers”
Onomatopoeia: rustle, whoosh, chirp
Personification: “the trees waved in greeting”; “the sun smiled through the gaps”; “the grass whispered softly”
Metaphors: “a sea of green”; “a blanket of sunlight”; “a maze of branches”
Alliteration: whispering woods; twisting trees; fluttering foliage
Parent tip: Sit with your child and play around with the toolkit words together. Encourage them to mix description with action. For example:
“The golden leaves fluttered like dancers as the sunlight smiled through the twisting trees.”
“The golden leaves fluttered like dancers as the sunlight smiled through the twisting trees.”
Little exercises like this are enjoyable, manageable, and powerful for building imagination, vocabulary, and confidence — all key ingredients for exam succes
I hope you enjoy the task!
Anna
Qualified Teacher and 11+ Exam Essay & Creative Writing Tutor, My Home Class Tuition.
Bespoke 11+ courses taught by year group — no mixed classes, so your child learns at the right pace with the right support.