Childlike
Childlike
Exploring Concrete Detail through Sensory Description
Write a vivid descriptive paragraph+ based on a single image of a child’s environment. You won’t be analyzing the child—you’ll be describing what you see, smell, feel, hear, and imagine. The goal is to practice concrete detail and sensory writing.
Open the image gallery here:
Scroll through until one photo grabs you. It could make you feel inspired, confused, sad, warm, even annoyed. Doesn’t matter—just have a strong emotional reaction. That’s your child.
✅ Choose someone you feel something about—love, worry, frustration, curiosity. The feeling helps your writing come alive.
You’re writing based on observation, not opinion. Imagine you're standing in that room. Use your senses.
Sight – Colors? Cluttered or clean? Calm? Aggressive? Rich? Cold?
Sound – Voices? Wind? Street noise? Music? Machines?
Taste – Any food in sight? If not, what food might belong there?
Smell – Clean laundry? Sweat? Smoke? Spices?
Touch – Soft pillows? Wooden floor? Plastic toys? Heavy clothing?
💡 Use a sensory brainstorm list if you get stuck. Specific is better than fancy.
You will submit your paragraph as a Google Question on Google Classroom. Here’s how it works:
You will post your paragraph directly into the question response.
You’ll be able to see your classmates' writing after you submit.
You are encouraged to comment positively or constructively on 2–3 peers' responses.
Your Full Name
Child’s Name & Location (from the image title)
Your Paragraph (5+ sentences of vivid sensory description)
By Mr. Tretyak
Child: Ryuta, Tokyo, Japan
Looking at Ryuta, I saw his video game system centered in this room. It was a small screen and an older system, but it was clear (thanks to the prominent mess directly in his seating area) that this was a major portion of his life. The game system and Japanese voices came from the TV as I looked, lightly holding my breath to avoid the scent of a video game driven youth.
His room was clean, overall, especially the wonderful, wooden floors that echoed when I walked in his home. Yet, it was clear he spent most of his time immobile, glaring into Anime comics and escaping into the infinite possibilities that aren’t his life
Be descriptive, not judgmental.
Low-key weird or specific is good.
Focus on what’s really there, and what it makes you feel.
Engage with your classmates—be kind, be curious.