**Snappy dragon rhymes - with key colours. ** Great for all ages, especially early years, developing rhythm, rhyme, language, creativity and expressive confidence. Scope for drama, music and art developments. Once there was a dragon dressed in red. He liked to stay all day in… You can guess the last word, as can the children, though some may prefer to offer alternative rhymes. Red is just one example of the numerous colours featuring in these crazy dragon verses, which lend themselves to being enacted, and even sung to a made-up tune, as well as chanted and clapped. Follow on with dragon sketches or try my dragon’s menu for easy, crazy writing fun.

This beautiful and fascinating picture of a lush, flowery meadow will inspire children to colour in the details with thought and imagination. It promotes understanding of the natural world, including mini-beasts and birds, and develops fine motor skills, colour sense and pattern and shape awareness, also offering a focus for discussion. See also my video-poem - ‘Summer Grass’ - https://youtu.be/WWBSjiBTDOg

Seaside writing resource for young children. “Shells can be…” with short, thick writing lines between shell representations for describing words. Supporting guide sheet for teacher also included. Start by handing round some shells, encouraging children to study, feel and listen to them. Discuss their properties, prompting for words like curly, light, hard, smooth, rough, shiny, hollow, round, twisty, pretty, patterned and delicate. Then present sheet, demonstrating how they can have a go at writing their word ideas on the lines. Perhaps try some together on the board first. After the activity, invite all to choose a word to read out or say. The shells can then be coloured or decorated.

A lively, familiar town scene, with mum, child and dog, for young children to colour. The varied items in the picture are clearly represented and outlined, and will engage your Early Years or KS1 class. It also encourages critical thinking about colour choices and helps develop fine motor skills. Will support cross-curricular topics to do with the environment, family, transport, houses and more.

This attractive colouring sheet features a boat on a wavy sea, with a waving sailor (female), beautiful fish below, plus shells, seaweed, birds, clouds, sun and kite. A cheerful, stimulating and informative picture, with wide scope for colouring and discussion. Supports study of seaside, ocean, seabed, seasons, holidays, travel, colour and more. Develops fine motor skills and colour differentiation. **SEE ALSO: ** - Yr 1 Phonics - UNDER the SEA https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/yr-1-phonics-under-the-sea-11912400, UNDER THE SEA graded picture frames - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/under-the-sea-picture-poem-frames-ey-ks1-11927198, POND COLOURING SHEET - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/pond-colouring-sheet-12047603 , + SEASIDE WRITING + COLOURING SHEET - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/seaside-writing-colouring-sheet-simple-12099515 .

This lively picture will engage young children, with its interesting details and colouring scope. The resource supports autumn, nature, animals, movement and colour studies, as well as developing fine motor skills and artistic expression. See my Hedgehog and Leaf colouring sheets and squirrels/woods writing frames for more autumn wood activities.

Young children will enjoy thinking up a word or more to complete the given phrase - I can see… , and having a go at sounding it out and writing it on the line provided. They can then be rewarded with colouring fun, shading in this fascinating picture. For the writing, encourage children to study the picture and identify some of its features first, then let them choose their favourite one or few to write. Examples to prompt for if needed - a snail, a bird, flowers, grass, leaves, sky, the sun, a ladybird. Able writers could be encouraged to add a describing word or other embellishment. The resource promotes literacy, fine motor control, colour and shape awareness and an appreciation of the natural world.

This lively seaside picture has two wavy line spaces for describing words for the sea: “The sea is … and …”, and there’s a whole line below for further ideas. Young children will enjoy thinking up two words or more to describe the sea and having a go at writing them, before colouring in the waves, sea creatures, sand, bucket and spade and more. Children in my poetry workshops use the sheet with enthusiasm, for both writing and colouring. See my two harder versions too, plus Shells writing sheet: - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/seaside-writing-frame-r-y1-12099509, https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/seaside-writing-frame-y2-3-12099502 (free) and https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/shells-can-be-illustrated-writing-frame-guide-sheet-12099487 . Video (looking at shells) https://photos.app.goo.gl/wkeZ8K6iCfcFQneZ9

Young children will enjoy thinking up a word to complete the phrase - This butterfly is…, sounding out their word and having a go at writing it. Colouring the picture could be a reward for their writing effort. Perhaps prompt for words like - pretty, colourful, red, blue, gentle, peaceful, soft, floaty, little, dancing, flappy, happy, beautiful. Let them attempt long words as they wish, building confidence in independent, expressive writing.

Young children will enjoy thinking up a word for the hedgehog, to complete the phrase - This hedgehog…, sounding it out and having a go at the writing. Perhaps prompt for - spiky, shy, prickly, quiet, little, crawly, spiny, brown, hungry, sleepy, friendly, busy or cute. Present the colouring activity as a reward for the writing effort, to ensure children give it a try. This will build their confidence in writing, as well as helping them focus on this animal’s features and natural environment, nurturing an appreciation of the natural world.

Young children will enjoy thinking up a word to complete the phrase - This squirrel is…, and writing it (by sounding out) on the line provided. Keen writers can add more below. Colouring fun could be presented as a reward for the writing effort. Word ideas to prompt for, where needed - bushy, furry, grey, red, cute, climbing, skipping, busy, happy, hungry, a baby, young, fluffy, in a tree.

Young children will enjoy thinking up a word or more to complete the phrase - ‘This rabbit has’, and having a go at writing it on the line provided. Colouring in the picture could be presented as a reward for the writing. If word ideas are needed, perhaps prompt for - a tail, ears (or big ears), whiskers, fur, fluff, a smile, grass, flowers (to eat), or 4 paws. Supports literacy, fine motor skills, colour differentiation, creativity and an appreciation of animals and nature. I also have a frog writing + colouring sheet: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/frog-writing-colouring-sheet-1-line-12045415

Supports Literacy, PSHE, mental wellbeing and physical exercise, as well as poetry, drama and all-round creative expression. This is a fun writing challenge, involving similes and action words, with scope for enrichment. A monster (s/he) can be any sort you like, with three heads and two tails perhaps, and this one has moods - happy, cross, excited, ?.. How does a monster behave when cross? Do they charge around the monster school, stamping on books like an angry giant? When happy, does s/he glide like an angel, or perform back-flips like a gymnast? The warm-up actions sheet will spur extended ideas. Hand-sketched illustrations. SEE MY SEA-MONSTER FOOD sheet too!

Woods are fascinating places, especially at twilight, when it starts to twitch with furtive activity and colours fade and blend mysteriously. Your children may spot an owl, a robin, a fox, a hedgehog, a rabbit and two squirrels amongst the moonlit branches of this wintry wood. The hand-drawn scene will inspire ideas and language for writing, also guiding artwork, promoting an appreciation of the natural world, celebrating leaf colour, illustrating the concepts of evening, night skies, autumn and winter, and providing discussion spurs for your class.

Young children will love colouring in this lively dragon and its surroundings. Their ideas can fly like the creature, as they experiment with different colour combinations and pencil strokes. See also my dragon poetry worksheets for Early Years and KS1 and my Dragon’s Menu alliteration game.

Summer oak tree in full bloom, to colour in. The picture includes nesting birds, busy squirrels, a butterfly, two ladybirds and a tiny, dangling spider. This cheerful picture also includes sun, clouds, distant birds, flowers, grass, and falling oak leaves. An educational and enjoyable colouring activity for young children.

Young children will enjoy thinking up a word or more to complete the phrase - This frog is…, and having a go at writing it on the line provided. More words can be added below, as wanted. Encourage sounding out and emergent writing, rather than accuracy, with this writing activity, to build confidence in independent writing. Perhaps prompt for - green, hoppy, wet, patchy, jumpy, friendly, smiling, splashy or croaking, if ideas are needed. See my other simple writing sheets on wildlife themes for more variety.

Children of all ages will love this inspiring, yet simple creative writing frame. The flowing lines between the gliding, twirling dragonflies offer infinite scope for poetic expression. IDEAS: Some children may like to fill the lines with adjectives (glittery, bright, fast, delicate…), others with verbs (darting, gliding, shooting, dancing…); others again might write phrases (like - dazzling dragonflies hovering in the silky blue), similes (fast as jets, bright as bows…), or rhymes (delicate dragonfly/in the azure sky/lightly, brightly zig-zagging by). PREPARE your class by building ideas and language, perhaps with the help of watching real ones, live or on a video, miming their movements and sharing language ideas. Supports Literacy, including poetry, vocabulary and creativity. Also supports topics: seasons & weather, mini-beasts, flight, animals, forces, travel, symmetry, colour, movement, environment, and more. **SEE ALSO: BUTTERFLY - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/butterfly-picture-poem-frame-eyfs-y1-guidance-notes-11885225 , LADYBIRD - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/ladybird-picture-poem-frame-early-yrs-yr1-guidance-notes-11885212, SPIDER - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/2-spider-picture-poem-frames-guide-11887282 .

A fun literacy activity, supporting transport, journey and design studies. Recommended for Juniors (7-11 yrs). The illustrated writing sheet invites ideas for colour, name and vehicle features, with wide scope and plenty of writing space for imaginative ideas. Two similes are also invited: as shiny as, and as fast as. Will appeal to boys and girls alike, and to writers of all working levels.

Children love colours, and are always keen to say which their favourite colour is, so they’ll love this writing and colouring sheet. There is one writing line, starting - I like the colour ___ , with a large space for them to write their favourite one. Let them sound it out and have a go at the writing, even if the spelling is wrong, to build confidence in writing. Later, they could repeat the task with a word card to guide their spelling. They can colour in the shapes with that colour, or with a mix for variety and design fun. This resource promotes shape and pattern awareness as well as literacy, colour sense and fine motor control.