© National Literacy Trust 2020
T: 020 7587 1842 stokereads.org.uk #StokeReads
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and a registered charity in Scotland no. SC042944. Registered address: 68 South Lambeth Road, London SW8 1RL.
What is Story Quest?
Story Quest is a series of free story trails that were originally developed for families in Stoke on Trent to
enjoy. Families can join characters Josh, Yasmin, Grandpa Matt and Valiant the puppy as they hunt for
treasure, meet local celebrities and travel back in time.
How do you write a Story Quest?
This guide includes lots of top tips from the creators of Story Quest to help your child to write their very
own adventure. It also includes an example story for them to use as a guide, or to adapt and edit to include
their own characters and ideas.
Why write a Story Quest?
Story Quest is designed to support children to create meaningful experiences around their homes and local
area. This activity supports national curriculum requirements for children’s' reading, writing and spoken
language skills while also promoting physical activity.
Who can write a Story Quest?
Anybody! This activity is designed to be used by all ages and abilities. While older children may be able to
complete this independently, younger children may require the support of a parent or family member.
Where can the Story Quest be based?
Story Quest is all about having adventures close to home. This might be a local green space or park - it
could be even closer than that and be based in your very own home!
What resources do I need to write a Story Quest?
Paper
Pen/pencils
Our guide to writing your own Story Quest
Lots of imagination
How can I find out more about Story Quest?
Facebook: Follow our Stoke Reads Facebook page
Website: Visit our website at www.storyquest.org.uk
Write your own Story Quest
All text © National Literacy Trust 2020
Writing your own Story Quest
Planning your characters
Planning the quest
You then need to come up with a story idea- this is the reason your characters will go on a Story Quest.
Here are some ideas:
You have lost something and go on a quest to find it
You are playing a game of hide and seek
A pet has escaped
Planning the route/drawing your own map
Next you need to consider the route that your characters will take. For an escaped pet related quest, your
characters may begin searching outside in the garden, then search downstairs before finding the pet
asleep somewhere upstairs!!
You could use a graphic organizer (like the one below) to show the order of the locations on the route. You
may even like to get creative and illustrate your very own map in the style of Claire Elsom who illustrated
the maps in the Story Quest booklets.
Characters are a great place to start.
For your Story Quest, you’ll need two or three
main characters to go on an adventure. Perhaps
you’d like to base the characters on you and your
best friend, or you could invent your own people.
You may even wish to use the original characters
(Josh, Yasmin and Grandpa Matt.)
Kitchen
Living
Room
Bathroom
Bedroom
END
Garden
START
Joanne Owen
Story Quest author
All text © National Literacy Trust 2020
Creating your challenges
Puzzles
Puzzles including words with missing letters, reversed words and scrambled words are fun ways to get
your characters around the route. Why not try creating some for each of the locations on your route?
Word with missing letters: __ I T C __ E N (Answer: Kitchen)
Reversed Words: NEDRAG (Answer: Garden)
Scrambled Words: BTHRMOOA (Answer: Bathroom)
Riddles
Riddles could be used to guide the characters to the exact location where the item you are searching for on
your quest can be found. For example, you may have directed your characters to look in the bedroom but
you need to give them a clue that the item is under the bed. You could include a riddle like this:
If you’re feeling tired,
This is where you lay your head
It’s not under the pillow
It’s hiding under your …..
Fun physical activities
Try to think of different ways for your characters to travel from one place to the next or physical activities
that they could do along the way! You could begin by making a list of different ways to move (e.g. hop, skip
or jump!)
Writing your Story Quest
Now it’s time for you to put all of your ideas together and write your very own Story Quest. Deciding on a
title is a good place to start. Why not use alliteration or rhyme to make your title memorable?
Look at the other Story Quest titles:
Pitch Perfect, Mammoth Mystery, Tunstall Time Travel (Alliteration: two or more words in a row, or close
together, that begin with the same letter)
The Christmas History Mystery (Rhyme: words that sound the same when spoken out loud)
Story Introduction
Begin by writing a paragraph to introduce the reader to your characters and the reason for the quest.
Story build-Up
This is where you will use your puzzles, riddles and physical activities to show where the characters go on
their quest.
Story conclusion
Write a final paragraph to complete your story- this might include the character’s thoughts and feelings
upon completing their quest.
All text © National Literacy Trust 2020
“Grandpa, have you seen Valiant?” shouted Josh.
“Not since breakfast, why?” replied Grandpa Matt.
“I can’t find him and I was going to take him for a walk,” said Josh with a sigh.
“Let’s try and find him together. We might even be able to have some fun along the way!” Grandpa Matt reassured him.
“And remember:
Adventuring together can be full of surprise
Wonders await when you open your eyes!”
Starting to write your Story Quest
We have provided an example for you to use as a guide when writing your own Story Quest adventure.
This can be easily edited to include your own story ideas!
Maybe you would just like to change the character names to include your family and your own pet. You
might even like to include some of your own clues, activities and puzzles. Or perhaps you’d like to write
your very own Story Quest adventure from start to finish!
Example one- Story Quest in search of Valiant
OVER TO YOU-CLUE 1
Complete the missing letters to find
out where to go first. Then
complete the activity below.
G__ R__ E __
OVER TO YOU-CLUE 2
Reverse this word to find out where
to go next and then complete the
activity below.
NEHCTIK
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
OVER TO YOU-ACTIVITY 2
Stretch up tall to search above the cupboard then
squat down low to search under the table. Can
you hold each stretch for 30 seconds?
No luck finding him here Story Questers! Move
on to the next clue to work out where to go
next!
All text © National Literacy Trust 2020
Suddenly they both heard a loud snoring sound and looked at each other with a knowing glance.
“Aha… so that’s where he’s hiding!” said Josh.
They both crouched down to find Valiant fast asleep under the bed.
“Looks like all of that adventuring has really taken it out of him!” chuckled Grandpa Matt.
“But wonders will await when he opens his eyes…” said Josh with a wink as he placed Valiant’s favourite bone beside his
paw.
With that, they crept out of the room leaving a chorus of Valiant’s snores behind them.
OVER TO YOU-CLUE 3
Unscramble these letters to find out where to go
next and then complete the activity below.
BTHRMOOA
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
OVER TO YOU-ACTIVITY 3
While you search, can you find any
words on containers beginning with the
same letter as your name? Try on the
back of toothpaste tubes and shampoo
bottles!
He’s not hiding in here Story Questers!
Try the next clue to find out where’s
up next!
OVER TO YOU-CLUE 4
Crack the code by changing the numbers into letters to work out
which room you should head to next.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
2
5
4
18
15
15
13
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
OVER TO YOU-ACTIVITY 4
Looks like you might be close Story Questers! Can you solve
the riddle to work out where to find him in the room?
If you’re feeling tired,
This is where you lay your head
He’s not under the pillow
Valiant’s hiding under your __ __ __
We’d love to hear about your Story Quest! Post photos on the
Stoke Reads Facebook page and tell us all about it!