Need a Laugh? Try Collective Nouns - Fun Activities to Get Kids Excited About Creative Writing
When kids are stuck on a story, bored with writing, or you just need a family giggle when learning grammar, collective nouns are your secret weapon! They're the perfect way to get everyone playing with language - and before you know it, kids are creating stories, building confidence, and yes... actually enjoying grammar!
What Are Collective Nouns?
A collective noun is a phrase used to describe a collection or group of things. It usually takes the form of: a________ of _________.
For example:
A celebration of polar bears
An embarrassment of pandas
A jam of tarts
They refer to the group in a funny, clever and descriptive way by choosing one single word to define the thing's most key characteristic. Any noun can be "collected", but here's the secret: collective nouns are the only part of grammar where there's no single "right" answer.
Think about it - we have official collective nouns like "a flock of birds" or "a school of fish," but who decided those were the only options? Collective nouns were originally just a fun quirk of language, mostly for groups of animals - often illogical and always fun. Over time this has expanded and now any noun is fair game.
Why Collective Nouns Work Magic
This freedom to decide is exactly what makes collective nouns so powerful for building writing confidence. When kids realise they can create their own phrase, suddenly they're not worried about being wrong - they're excited about being creative!
Even better, collective nouns get kids thinking visually and emotionally about words. What kind of group behaviour would create a "celebration" of polar bears? Why might pandas be "embarrassed"? Before you know it, they're building characters and imagining stories.
The best part? Parents love them too! My dad and I often make up our own collective nouns to amuse ourselves on a long car ride, over dinner, or even via text. There's something delightfully silly about debating whether it should be "a slumber of teenagers" or "a chaos of teenagers" that brings families together.
I can't tell you how many adults have told me they never knew they could make up their own collective nouns. When the whole family is laughing together over these creative word combinations, learning happens naturally - and memories are made too.
The Secret Formula
Creating your own collective nouns is easier than you think! Here's my tried-and-tested formula:
Alliteration + Humour + Perfect Fit = Memorable Collective Noun
When I was creating Frank, I wasn't sure what kind of fish to make him, so I googled 'smiling fish' - and up popped the pufferfish! I knew it was perfect straight away. Then, just to amuse myself, I drew a whole conga line of them. When I added party hats to make them even sillier, 'a party of pufferfish' was born!
Try it yourself:
Think about the animal's personality, behaviour or physical appearance - Are pandas clumsy? Do penguins wear tuxedos?
Brainstorm words that start with the same letter, rhyme or maybe even have the same number of syllables - Don't worry about being "right," just play!
Pick the one that makes you smile - If it makes you giggle, it's probably perfect
Fun Activities to Try at Home
Ready to get your family creating collective nouns? Here's how it naturally happens:
Long car rides and dinner conversations. My dad and I make up collective nouns to amuse ourselves - it's become our little running joke and keeps us laughing together.
Story starters that actually work. "The celebration of polar bears was planning something..." gets kids' imaginations going without the pressure of starting from scratch.
Drawing and illustrating them. Kids love drawing what a "party of pufferfish" would look like. It brings the words to life visually.
Spotting them in real life. Once you start noticing groups of things, collective nouns pop up everywhere.
Keep it playful. The moment it becomes a lesson, the magic dies. Just play with words because it's fun - the learning happens naturally.
From Giggles to Great Writing
Here's what I love most about collective nouns: they're a gateway to bigger things. When kids start playing with "a party of pufferfish," they're not just making up silly phrases - they're building confidence with language, thinking creatively about words, and discovering that writing can be joyful.
That confidence carries over into everything else. Kids who aren't afraid to invent collective nouns are more likely to take risks in their storytelling, try new vocabulary, and see writing as play rather than work.
The best part? There's no pressure, no right or wrong answers, just pure creative fun that brings families together. Whether you're stuck in traffic, need a dinner conversation starter, or want to turn a frustrating moment into giggles, collective nouns are always there to help.
And if your family falls in love with this kind of playful grammar (like so many do!), you might enjoy Frank's Tank - where my party of pufferfish teaches nouns, verbs, and adjectives, making grammar fun. Because learning should always include laughter.
Ready to start creating your own collective nouns? What will your family come up with first?
