A 30-minute writing task for your YEAR 4 child - The Hand!

🌟 Week Nine Writing Challenge! 🌟🎃

This week, we’re looking at something wonderfully mysterious…
The Hand! ✋

I thought I’d choose this subject today as it’s Halloween and as I walk through the streets near my house, I keep spotting hands decorating doors and windows — some waving hello, some reaching out, some even holding little pumpkins. 🎃

They made me think how often hands appear in stories.

A hand that reaches through a door…
A hand that picks up a letter no one saw dropped…
A hand that taps gently to say, “I’m here.”
Hands can be friendly, magical, or a little bit spooky — and they’re perfect for creative writing.

🕯️ This week’s theme: The Hand

Your Year 4 child will explore how small details — like a hand’s movement or texture — can bring suspense, curiosity, and life to a story.
They’ll focus on describing what’s seen, felt, and imagined, all while keeping the tone mysterious but fun.

You’ll find below:
✅ A short reading prompt
✅ A writing toolkit for describing hands
✅ A 30-minute creative task to try at home

📝 Try this at home (about 30 minutes)

Reading Prompt:

A hand appeared from behind the tree.
It held something shiny — a small key that glimmered in the moonlight.
Then, just as quickly, it disappeared.

Task:
Write your own short story inspired by this moment.
Who does the hand belong to?
What does the key unlock?
Is it magical, mysterious, or a little mischievous?

💡 Tip:
End your story just before the big reveal — it keeps your reader wondering!

🪶 Writing Toolkit: The Hand

Adjectives:
gentle, pale, soft, gloved, shadowy, curious,
spooky, green, wrinkled, bony, slimy, glowing, mossy, trembling

Verbs:
reached, opened, brushed, hovered, waved, curled, beckoned,
crept, twitched, glimmered, lingered, trembled

Similes:
as pale as moonlight, soft as silk, light as a feather,
green as misty swamp water, cold as a midnight breeze, smooth as seaweed

Onomatopoeia:
tap, rustle, creak, whisper,
slither, snap, scrape

Personification:
the hand danced in the moonlight; the air held its breath;
the hand shimmered with eerie light; the fingers stretched as if waking from a dream

Metaphors:
a shadow come alive, a whisper of magic, a secret waiting to be told,
a flicker of forest magic, a ghost of green light, a story reaching from the dark

Example sentences:

✨ Curious:
I couldn’t see anyone there, only a green hand peeking out and waving quietly.

🌿 Mossy and mysterious:
A soft green hand, as smooth as seaweed, brushed against the door and then disappeared.

💫 Magical:
A glowing green hand shimmered in the moonlight and waved as if it wanted to say hello.

🌙 Gently spooky:
Out of the shadow came a small green hand, trembling a little but waving kindly.

🌟 Friendly:
I saw a green hand with tiny sparkling fingers, waving to me from behind the curtain.

💡 Parent Tip

Encourage your child to use senses and feelings — what does the hand look like, sound like, or make the character feel?
This helps them write with emotion, not fear.

Ask:
➡️ What is the hand doing?
➡️ What might happen next?
➡️ How can you make it feel magical or exciting instead of scary?

🌙 A Friendly Halloween Finale

Hands can be mysterious, magical, or kind — it all depends on the story you tell.
They can reach out to help, hold something secret, or wave from the shadows.

Happy Halloween, everyone! 🎃👋

Anna Donovan
Qualified Teacher (QTS 2005)
Specialist 11+ Exam Essay & Creative Writing Tutor