Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Story Starter Cards: Adventure: Free Printable Card Set for Year 3
- ForYear 3
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Story Starter Cards: Adventure is a free printable card set for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8). It has ten adventure openers to cut out, such as a rusty door creaking open or a compass that will not stop spinning. Children pick a card and write what happens next. It takes about 30 minutes and needs only paper and a pencil.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages. Page 1 is the activity for children. Page 2 is for the grown-up, with notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard and a stretch idea.
What is on the sheet
The sheet is a set of ten adventure openers on cards to cut out. Each one is a single line, such as a rusty door creaking open, a compass that will not stop spinning or a message in a bottle at your feet. Children pick a card at random, read it aloud, then write what happens next on separate paper. They can work alone or with a partner. The aim is a short adventure story with a beginning, a middle and an ending.
- The old map led straight to the edge of a cliff.
- I pushed the rusty door and it creaked open.
- Nobody had ever crossed the bridge at midnight, until tonight.
- The compass spun round and round and would not stop.
- Behind the waterfall was a hidden cave.
- We found a key buried under the oak tree.
- The boat drifted away and we were alone on the island.
- A tiny light flickered at the end of the tunnel.
- The rope ladder swayed as I climbed higher.
- A message in a bottle washed up at my feet.
How to build a short adventure
Start with the card
Read the opening line twice. Ask what the place looks like and who is there. The answers give the first sentences of the story.
Use the senses
Add what the character can hear, see, feel or smell. A creaking door or a cold, dark tunnel makes the reader feel they are there.
Make something go wrong
Adventures need a problem. The character might be stuck, lost or chased. Without a problem, the story has nothing to solve.
Find a way out
Decide how the problem ends. The character might be clever, brave or lucky. Finish with a sentence about what happens next or how they feel.
Why start with an opening line?
Many writers find the blank page the hardest part. An opening line removes that problem. The first sentence is already there, so a child can spend their effort on ideas rather than on starting. Adventure suits Year 3 well because it has clear parts: a place, a person, a problem and a way out. Children know these from books and films, so they can borrow the shape and make it their own.
Each card in this set leaves a question open. Why does the compass spin? Who sent the message in the bottle? Open questions give children a reason to keep writing. The cards also give choice. Picking at random means nobody waits for the perfect idea. Two children can pick the same card and compare, which shows how one opener can lead to very different stories.
Skills and curriculum link
- Story ideas
- Sentences
- Imagination
- Planning a story
- Writing by hand
Ideas that help children write
- Beginning, middle and endMost stories have three parts. The opener begins the story, a problem fills the middle and the ending solves it. Children can tap out the three parts on their fingers before they write.
- SettingThe setting is where the story happens. A few details, such as the weather, the light or the sounds, help the reader picture the scene.
- Problem and solutionA story gets exciting when a character faces a problem and has to act. The solution does not need to be big. It needs to make sense.
- Sentence boundariesEach sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, a question mark or an exclamation mark. Reading aloud helps children hear where one sentence stops.
Key words
- OpenerThe first line of a story. It starts the reader off.
- SettingThe place and time where a story happens.
- CharacterA person or animal in a story.
- ProblemSomething that goes wrong and has to be solved in the story.
- EndingThe last part of a story, where the problem is solved.
- AdventureAn exciting journey or event, often with some danger or mystery.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes for you.
- Cut out the cards. Younger children may need a grown-up to help with the cutting.
- Work through the activity together the first time. Pick one card at random and read it aloud. Talk about what could happen next.
- Your child writes what happens next on separate paper. Ask about their choices, such as who is there and what goes wrong.
- Come back to it another day with a new card. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Before writing, answer three questions aloud: who is there, what do they find and what goes wrong. Jot down a word or two for each answer. Then write one sentence for each. A pair can talk it through first.
To stretch confident children
Pick two cards and join them into one longer adventure with a problem and a solution. Decide which card comes first and how the second one fits in. Use time words such as later or suddenly to link the parts.
Make it a game
Take turns. Each player reads a card, then adds one sentence to a spoken story. Keep going round until the story ends. Try one rule: every sentence must add something new, such as a sound, a place or a surprise.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forThe story is a list of things that happen, with no problem.
Try thisAsk, what goes wrong? Make it harder for the character, then write how they deal with it.
Watch forThe story stops suddenly with no ending.
Try thisAsk how the adventure finishes. Write a last sentence about what the character does or feels.
Watch forCapital letters and full stops are missed out.
Try thisRead the story aloud and pause at each full stop. Put a finger on every place where the voice drops, then check the punctuation.
Talk about it
- Which card would you pick first, and why?
- Where might this adventure take place? What can you see and hear?
- What would you do if you found the key buried under the oak tree?
- What is the scariest or most exciting part of your story?
- How would your story change if a different character was in it?
- What is a good way to end an adventure?
Take it off the page
Draw a treasure map
Draw a map for your story with a start, a path and a place marked X. Add labels for the places the character passes through.
Make your own cards
Write new adventure openers on small pieces of paper. Mix them up and swap with a friend or family member.
Message in a bottle
Write a short mystery message on a strip of paper and roll it up. Hide it somewhere safe for someone else to find and write a story about.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first card, then let them lead. Ask questions rather than giving ideas. Praise effort and imagination, not only neat handwriting or spelling.
Teachers
Use the cards as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task or a table activity. They need no preparation beyond printing and cutting. Page 2 gives support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Pair the cards with adventure books and outdoor play. Children can write one story each, or take turns on one. The set can be used again with a different card for brothers and sisters.
Where this fits in
Before this, children usually write short, simple sentences about their own experiences or a picture. Story starter cards add a little more: they ask for a sequence of events and a problem, rather than a single idea.
After this, children can plan longer stories with a clear beginning, middle and ending. They can add dialogue, build more detail into settings and begin to improve their work by reading it aloud and checking it. At Key Stage 2 these are all part of composition in the writing curriculum.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Story Starter Cards: Adventure for?
It is written for Year 3 (ages 7 to 8), in Key Stage 2. Younger children can try it with a grown-up writing or helping. Older children can use the stretch idea on page 2 to join two cards into one longer story.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or another group, and use different cards each time.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 30 minutes for one child or a pair. Children can write a longer story or stop sooner, depending on the card they pick and how much they want to say.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can add colour themselves if they want to decorate their cards.
- What if my child cannot think of anything to write?
Try the help idea on page 2. Ask three questions before writing: who is there, what do they find and what goes wrong. Short spoken answers can become the first sentences of the story.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing and cutting, and page 2 has ideas for support and stretch.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. Children read, think, talk and write by hand.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.