Looking for a fun way to break into the children’s magazine market? Why not write a quiz? Quizzes are especially popular with teens, but magazines for younger kids print them too. And getting a quiz accepted for publication in a magazine is often easier than trying to place a feature piece. Quizzes aren’t just for the novice writer, though. Seasoned children’s magazine writers will find creating quizzes a welcome and enjoyable diversion. Plus, they often pay well.
Ready to get started? Here are some tips on how to write fun quizzes for kids.
Choose a Kid-friendly Topic
Kids are more likely to take a quiz if it relates to a topic they care about, like animals, peers, or school issues. Not only should the topic be kid-friendly, it should also be age appropriate. Take the subject of dog breeds. A quiz for young children might ask them to match different breeds with their typical behaviors or characteristics. A quiz for teens, on the other hand, might assess which dog breed best describes the quiz taker’s friendship style (i.e., an eager-to-please golden retriever, a protective German shepherd, etc.).
Review Published Quizzes in Children's Magazines
Before writing a quiz, be sure to research magazines that print quizzes. Consult Children’s Magazine Market or do an internet search, then gather past issues of the magazines from the library. Many ezines print fun quizzes for kids, too, and have samples available on their websites. Get to know different quiz-writing styles and which magazines are potential markets.
Decide on a Quiz Format
There are a variety of quiz formats to choose from, including multiple choice and true or false. Quizzes can also be either objective, with right and wrong answers, or subjective. Which quiz format is best depends on the goal of the quiz. Is it meant to test the reader’s knowledge on a topic? If so, write an objective quiz. Is it designed to reveal a personality trait? A subjective quiz works best.
Do the Research When Writing a Quiz
An objective magazine quiz will be fact-checked, so be sure to research the questions and answers. Even with subjective quizzes, credible sources should be consulted on topics that are not within the writer’s expertise. For the dog quizzes mentioned above, a writer might check with private breeders and dog clubs for common behaviors and characteristics of different breeds of dogs.
Write Light and Fun Quiz Questions
Kids don’t like to read anything that’s tedious, much less take a quiz that’s more work than fun. So make the questions light and enjoyable. Young children like simple words and short sentences. Teens have more patience, but might relate better to quizzes that include teen lingo (like “BFF”), as long as it’s not overdone. Keep questions to a minimum, too — 5 to 10 at most.
Make the Answers Clear and Few
Complicated answers can frustrate kids, who prefer choices that are clear and easy to understand. Also, limit multiple choice answers to three or four. Finally, keep the scoring as simple as possible. One way to do this is to list the answers in an order that follows a pattern (where all “A” choices have a similar theme and might be worth 3 points). This technique is especially useful for subjective quizzes.
Use the Answer Key for Scoring, Explanations, and Advice
The answer key is where quiz takers find out how well they did on the quiz. It’s also a place where they can learn more facts about the topic or get advice. For self-assessment quizzes, kudos might be offered for a near-perfect score, as well as tips on how to improve for the less-than-perfect tally. A good answer key, like a well-written conclusion, will provide closure and food for thought.
After writing a quiz, give it a test run. Ask a child or teen to take it, and get feedback. Then make any necessary changes. Remember, writing quizzes for kids is a great way to break into the children’s magazine market or simply to write something fun and different for kids. Just try it and see.
For more information on writing magazine articles for kids, see:
- Five Ways to Begin a Children's Magazine Article
- Five Ways to End a Children's Magazine Article
- Marketable Topics for Children's Writers
Susie Yakowicz - Susie Yakowicz is a Minnesota freelance writer whose work has appeared in dozens of publications for children and adults.
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