Appropriate grades or age groups:
Preschool and Younger
Elementary School
Middle School
High School & Beyond

Estimated time to complete activity or implement technique:
30 minutes or less

Materials needed (if applicable):
pencil and paper

Activity set-up/instructions or description of technique:
After your child has finished reading a book or having one
read to them, have them write a group story. This can be with a parent or with siblings and can be an alterative ending to the book they just read or an entirely new story about one of the charaters. Start them off with a lead in sentence (Snoopy uses "it was a
dark and stormy night"; mine was "Max saw a dark shape drop from the tree in the corner of his yard.")
Next, allow each child to make the next sentence in the story. Once they've given the initial sentence,
allow everyone else to help "perfect" the sentence structure, grammar, etc. (they cannot change the meaning or slant).
Build a twisting turning story and help draw it to a conclusion.

As an added bonus, let them submit the letter to a local writing contest (check with your school or public library).
Even if theirs isn't an official winner, they'll have built skills by having fun creating a story all their own.

Other suggestions or comments:
I am an independent literacy consultant practicing in metro-Altanta.