Writing activities
to challenge and delight young minds
Deep inside the Australian bush and the whispering eucalyptus gumtrees, a clever little sugar glider is busily sorting through stacks of magical ink from giant gum-leaf scrolls. The Australian bush is bursting with secret stories and the wombats, koalas and kookaburras are populating this very page with their favourite scribbling games, word puzzles and storytelling adventures!
📝 How to Use This Interactive Workbook
To type and draw on this workbook, you must save it to your device first.
Web browsers (like Chrome or Safari) will disable the interactive features.
Download — Click the button below to save the PDF to your computer, tablet or mobile.
Open — Open the downloaded file using a free PDF reader (like Adobe Acrobat) or your tablet's built-in markup tool.
Complete — Click the blue boxes to type your text, and use your device's drawing tools to sketch in the blank spaces!
📨 How to Save & Submit Your Work
Once your child has finished writing and drawing, please follow these steps to save their progress and share it with me:
- 💾 Step 1 (Save): Click File > Save As in your PDF reader, or tap the Share/Done icon on your tablet. Rename the file to include your child's name (e.g., Sam-Writing-Activity.pdf).
- 📧 Step 2 (Email): Open your email application, compose a new message to: tidings@astoldbythewriter.com.au; attach your saved PDF, and hit send! I cannot wait to read their stories and see their beautiful illustrations.
Troubleshooting & Drawing Help
➕ Q1: I clicked the blue boxes but I cannot type anything!
- The Fix: Your file is likely still open inside your internet browser tab. Close that tab, go to your device's Downloads folder, right-click the file and choose Open With a dedicated PDF reader like Adobe Acrobat or Apple Books.
➕ Q2: How do I draw in the blank spaces on an iPad or Tablet?
- The Fix: Open the PDF in your native app (like Files or Apple Books). Tap the screen to reveal the menu, then tap the Markup icon (it looks like a pen or marker tip). Your child can now draw using a stylus or finger. Turn markup off, type in the text box again!
➕ Q3: How do I draw in the blank spaces on a Computer?
- The Fix: Open the PDF in the free Adobe Acrobat Reader app. Click on Tools at the top, select Fill & Sign (or Comment) look for the Draw Freeform / Pencil icon. Use the computer mouse to sketch.
Writing Activities
These writing activities outline a series of engaging Australian bush-themed exercises designed for children aged 5–9. The exercises encourage creativity, vocabulary and storytelling skills. The activities focus on imaginative tasks involving bush creatures and environments, while including drawing, writing, matching and creative design exercises. They aim to develop artistic expression, vocabulary and storytelling abilities in young children.
There are story-based drawing challenges from designing outfits with found bush items, illustrating animals freeing themselves and creating comic strips. Connecting animals to their fashion emergencies is good for vocabulary matching, while filling in story blanks, composing poems and inventing animal alarm cries will support creative writing. There are design tasks of drawing currency notes featuring animals while maintaining the leaf-themed bush money. There is even a secret decoding exercise using animal symbols and letters to interpret a hidden word.
The interactive exercises match animals to behaviours and emergencies highlighting scenarios such as overpriced bakery menus. Additional elements invite adults to share a child’s completed activities via email to feature on the author’s website. The activities incorporate funny, educational themes such as bush fashion, currency, security and nocturnal activities. And the exercises promote creative thinking through rhyming riddles, comic strips and imaginative design challenges.
Creative
Thinking and Writing
Example
🗺️ Scribble Maps
could lead to Exciting Treasure
This activity builds fine motor skills and creative narrative thinking for budding young readers and writers
Communication
is the key
Example
✉️ The Secret Mailbox for the animals living in the Australian bush
This activity encourages purposeful, practical communication skills
The Magic
of Storytelling
Example
🦸 Create a Fantastical and Whimsical Comic Strip
This activity uses visual storytelling to bridge the gap between drawing and writing