Playing journalists

GeT the kids away from the television and the tech toys and exercise their creative and mental selves by playing “journalists” and creating a newspaper. What you need: a large sheet of paper for every page of the newspaper, notebooks for the journalists, pens, crayons, pile of magazines, scissors and glue.

1) Set the scene

Ask the kids what they want to see in a local newspaper: news, book reviews, pet section, television listing, horoscopes and advertisements.

2) Lay it out

Take each large sheet of paper, and mark it up for articles. One column for a news item, one for a pet item and one for an advertisement.

3) Parcel out jobs

everyone has a job: go interview grandma about her activities, write a piece about what happened at school yesterday, describe what the family pet has been up to, make up horoscopes and weather reports.

4) Write it up

Write up notes into articles. Cut out neatly and glue onto the newspaper.

5) Illustrate the news

Draw pictures to go with each piece, or cut them out of magazines and glue them onto place.

Younger kids who need a bit of directing, might like to create a newsletter with these items, as handed out by the newspaper’s senior editor (you). Create cards with missions:

headline: What mummy did yesterday. Get mummy’s name, occupation and find out what she did yesterday.

Feature: Cool hobby. An interview with someone you know about their hobby.

What do they do? What do they like about it?

Tip: