If you want a fun way to build your child’s critical thinking and reasoning skills, one of the best games you can play is probably one you already know.

Would You Rather?

Just two options and one simple question:

“Which would you choose?”

The magic is not really in the answer.

It’s in the explanation.

Engaging with classic literature can be hard work for a child.

Not because they aren’t clever enough to understand it, or because the stories are too old, or so dated they don’t make any sense.

It’s often because the language gets in the way.

Old-fashioned references. Archaic vocabulary. Long, winding sentences that seem to go on forever. Dense descriptions that can turn a young reader off, before the story has even had a chance to begin.

“Have you checked it?”

“Yes...”

Every parent has had this conversation.

Your child finishes their homework, you ask whether they’ve checked it, they say they have, and then you glance at it and immediately spot three missing full stops, ten spelling mistakes and a sentence that appears to have wandered off halfway through and never come back.

So what’s going on? Are they being lazy?

No, not necessarily.

The truth is that most children are not naturally good at checking their own work. And there are a couple of very understandable reasons why.

If I had to give just one piece of creative writing advice that works at almost any age and ability level, it would be this:

Vary your sentence lengths.

That's it. Not fancy vocabulary. No complicated techniques.

Just change the length of your sentences.

It sounds almost too simple, but it makes an enormous difference.

In a world where ChatGPT can write poems in seconds and AI can paint portraits, many parents are asking us: Where does that leave human creativity, especially for our children?

Whether your child is in primary school just beginning to explore their imagination or in secondary school navigating more complex creative tasks, the question remains the same: how do we help them develop their unique voice in a world where technology can do so much?

Have you ever said something like, “My child’s creative, so they’re not really into maths!”, or “My child’s got a scientific brain, languages just aren’t their thing…”?

If so, you’re not alone. It’s a narrative I hear all the time and one I think we should start challenging.

Creativity has always had its place in learning, but it’s becoming a core skill being assessed in students. It’s now a formal part of some Year 7 Entrance Exams and it’s catching parents off guard. Schools are introducing tasks that test imaginative thinking, clear communication and original problem-solving. These new tasks aren’t just about writing stories. They ask children to think on their feet, use language purposefully and respond to unusual prompts in thoughtful, original ways.