Printable
Story Starter Cards
Blank pages are the enemy. These cards remove the hardest part of writing — the beginning — with openings, characters, places and 'what if' twists you can mix freely.
Ages
7-9, 9-11, 11-14
Level
Lower KS2, Upper KS2, KS3
Subject
English
Duration
20 min
What you'll need
- Printed cards
- Scissors
- A tin or envelope
What the learner will explore
- Story openings
- Character and setting
- Narrative voice
How to do it
- 1
Print and cut the cards, then keep them somewhere handy.
- 2
Draw one opening card and one twist card.
- 3
Write for ten minutes without stopping.
- 4
Read it aloud — no corrections on the first read.
Make it easier
Tell the story out loud or record it instead of writing.
Make it harder
Draw three cards and use all of them in one story.
Try it differently
Turn the card into a comic strip or a stop-motion scene.
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Voleio activities are ideas and planning support, not educational or medical assessment.