Writing is paradoxically both at its historical height and at its historical low. Due to the internet and communication devices like phones, people are typing and writing more than ever. In that sense, writing has become much more popular, especially in the younger generation.
But in terms of actual writing, which is meant to convey meaning or argue an academic point, most kids need to catch up where they should be. Even when writing for school, students skip their tasks and outsource their work to top essay services online.
So how can we spark this interest? Kids respond well to reward structures, so having some gifts for young writing may be useful. Let’s take a look at some great gift ideas that can be shared with your child
Diaries
Diaries are blogs for old people but writing and maintaining one can be very engaging. To be fair, not all kids may appreciate this gift for young authors, as it was a bit archaic even 30 years ago.
Diaries were always a more noble, high-class thing in the 1800s, and those who maintained such logs after that period were a rare few.
So, why should you bother with this gift?
Well, people like to talk about themselves. So, if you harness this instinct and make your kid write about their days and lives regularly, this will sharpen their writing skills.
It is a known fact that the best way to understand something is to try to explain it to someone else. There’s even a saying that if you can’t explain your ideas to a child, you don’t understand them yourself.
Explaining, or in this case, narrating your life in writing, forces you to have a concrete flow of thoughts. The student has to take the chaotic and random events of a day and build a small narrative. This does wonders for their speaking and writing skills.
And the final benefit is that of consistency. By their very nature, Diaries encourage people to write consistently and regularly. This is the only way to develop a skill set.
Some other gifts may be exciting, yes, but that excitement can quickly wear off as kids are notoriously distractible.
The fact that Diary requires daily logs will help to build that all-important habit. Try to get a nice one too. Leather Bound Diaries with custom engraving is one of the best gifts for young writers.
Themed notebooks and writing supplies
For the last 300 years, IQ rates in the Western World have been steadily climbing due to better nutrition. Unfortunately, for the first time in three centuries, those rates have started to drop.
Is there a single cause or explanation for that? No, of course not. The issue can have multiple causes.
However, some causes are more impactful than others.
One of the reasons is that technological development fails to consider human nature and the human body.
It is suspected that the lack of handwriting in modern schools is a key factor in the decline of IQ in students.
Our minds and our bodies are not separate, and it seems that taking the time to learn to write by hand stimulates the mind in a way that typing can never do. In this case, the high-tech solution can make kids dumber.
You are also more careful when writing by hand, as you cannot backspace and get rid of typing mistakes.
Given that handwriting is so important, the best gift would be a notebook and a pen.
However, the issue is that these things are not perceived as gifts; they are taken for granted as school supplies.
So, for young kids especially, you have to sweeten the pot.
More often than not, branded notebooks are better received by kids who like to write. For young boys, it will most likely involve a notebook with pictures of their favorite anime, video game, or comic book character, while girls will have a broader range of what they will like. Pop culture stars, animals, and even a notebook that is well-colored can pique their interest.
It will be the same for pens. As long as it’s not bland, it will work. Just make it feel like a gift, not a necessity like a pair of socks.
Media of any kind
Most people don’t think about it this way, but every piece of content available had to be written first. Even visual or audio media had a writer who came up with the ideas and outlines.
Creative writing gifts do not have to be directly related to the act of writing. For example, watching an excellent movie can inspire someone to pursue a career in scriptwriting. Alternatively, someone who has an ear for music but no talent for singing can choose to start a career in writing songs. Even video games often need a boost in writing.
Overall, most people have the impression that the culture is stagnant. Every movie is a sequel of a once-popular franchise, and the quality of storytelling has gone down. Algorithmic analysis of popular songs also shows that they are getting dumber and more repetitive.
There has never been a better time to pursue a career in entertainment media writing because the competition is so bad.
So, if you manage to give your young student a well-written movie, an inspiring poem, or even a good game, it can inspire them to pursue creative writing. Some parents even gave their kids vinyl records of classic stories such as Grimm Fairy tales, European folklore, or classical music to spark their creativity.
Again, a writer’s gift ideas can be more subtle than giving someone pens and paper.
Interactive games
The human brain hates to sit around and just listen. This is why school is often perceived as dull; you are not an active participant in your education. You are expected to do nothing but sit there.
Workshops, private tutoring, and even games are better because you get a more personal touch. You get to do something, to speak, and be more than an observator. Aside from the regular stuff for writers that you can give to a student, it is also possible to give them puzzle games or board games.
Often, board games are highly creative and stimulating without causing brain rot, which is associated with online games.
The only problem with these types of games is that many of them are one-offs. Once the puzzle is solved, there’s no use doing it a second time. Try to get something more repeatable, so you can avoid buying a game every week. Gifts for kids who like to write can also be fun and encourage social interaction. Board games help to solve that isolated intellectual problem early, as they encourage socialization.
Conclusion
Everyone’s path towards the arts can be different. There is a tired trope that every artist has to be a tormented soul who struggles, but that is not generally true. Sure, some of the best artists were tortured souls.
However, in general, people get into art due to their love for the craft. Everyone has that one movie, that one book, or a painting that made them pursue this path. Gifts for young authors have to reflect the person who is receiving the gift.
It can be as simple as a nice-looking notebook, a leather-bound Diary, a classic storybook, or a vinyl record with fairy tales.