Inspire creative storytelling in your classroom with our Roll & Write: Narrative Writing Activity. This interactive and flexible resource helps students plan and write imaginative stories by using dice rolls to generate random narrative prompts. With six unique story mats and differentiated planning and writing templates, students will have fun while developing their understanding of narrative structure, including character, setting and plot.

This activity is designed to support learners as they explore the key parts of a narrative. Students roll a die three times to determine their “when”, “who” and “where” prompts. They then use a scaffolded planning page to organise their ideas across the story structure - character, setting, beginning, middle and end - before moving on to the included writing templates to draft their stories. The roll-and-write format encourages creativity and keeps even reluctant writers engaged.

Roll & Write: Narrative Writing Activity is ideal for Year 1–3 classrooms and can be used in literacy rotations, whole-class lessons, writing groups or independent tasks. It’s a fantastic way to introduce or consolidate narrative writing, build writing fluency and support differentiated instruction. With multiple writing templates, students can write at their own level while working from the same fun prompts.

Key Learning Outcomes

• ✅ Identify and apply narrative elements including character, setting and plot
• ✅ Use planning templates to structure creative writing
• ✅ Write imaginative stories using scaffolded support
• ✅ Strengthen written expression and fluency through storytelling
• ✅ Engage with randomised prompts to boost creativity and critical thinking

What’s Included

• 6 themed Roll & Write activity mats (with “when”, “who” and “where” prompts)
• Story planning templates for narrative structure support
• Differentiated writing pages in both 18mm and 14mm line formats
• Blank planning pages for drawing or additional scaffolding

Materials Needed

• Printed activity mats (preferably on card)
• Dice (one per student or per roll type)
• Pencils or markers
• Printed planning and writing templates (A4 or A3)

How to Use

1. Each student rolls a die three times to determine their “when”, “who” and “where” prompts from the mat.
2. Students record their prompts on the planning sheet and map out their character, setting, beginning, middle and end.
3. They write their story using one of the included writing templates.
4. Students can illustrate, edit or publish their stories as desired.
5. Invite students to share their stories with a partner or add them to a class collection.

Ideas for Classroom Use

• 💡 Use during writing rotations as an independent narrative task
• 💡 Set up as a fast finisher challenge to inspire creative writing
• 💡 Support reluctant writers with visual planning or peer collaboration
• 💡 Allow students to swap prompts and try rewriting with a twist
• 💡 Bind finished stories into a classroom anthology or mini-library

Top Teacher Tips

• 💛 Print activity mats on thick cardstock or laminate for repeated use
• 💛 Use coloured dice or assign each prompt (when, who, where) to a different die
• 💛 Enlarge templates to A3 for younger students or to allow for illustrations
• 💛 Encourage students to highlight the parts of their story that match each prompt

Roll & Write: Narrative Writing Activity offers a fun, imaginative and scaffolded approach to story writing - perfect for building narrative confidence and inspiring creativity in young writers.

Available in our basic fun font and all Australian state fonts.