Looking for activities to keep the children entertained and happy during the summer break? Five-year-old Jayce Joyce from Birmingham may just have the answer – or questions, to be more precise. 

Jayce, who joined Mensa a month before his fifth birthday, has taken his passion for reading and writing to create an online workshop full of fun quizzes, activities and competitions aimed specifically at a younger audience.  

Jayce’s Summer Fun Activity, which he’ll deliver via social media over six weeks assisted by his mum Anim, covers everything from short story writing and singing to jokes, riddles and sketching. And each week, a lucky participant will win a prize.  

Asked to describe the aims of the workshop, Jayce says that he wants to inspire a culture of reading and writing among children of any age, to help build self-confidence and – most importantly, while school’s out for summer – involve everyone in fun and relaxing activities.  

An audience with Jayce 

After publishing his first book series, Jayce’s sweet tooth and A beach with no sea, simultaneously at the age of four, Jayce worked a circuit of nurseries, primary schools, libraries, bookshops and community groups to talk about his stories and promote literary pursuits to other children.  

The response was beyond Jayce’s dreams, with his own experience encouraging his peer group to write their own stories. This ultimately led to the idea for the first Summer Fun Activity event. 

Mensa journey 

In April, Jayce was assessed by Lyn Kendall, British Mensa’s Gifted Child Consultant, at four years and 11 months old. His IQ score of 150 placed him in the top 0.1% for his age and within the top-ranking table of an exceptionally gifted child.  

When he was just two, Jayce could write CVC [consonant-vowel-consonant] words, phrases, and short sentences. He even read a book, ABC of Science, to the amazement of his family.  

As inspiration for his books, Jayce draws on experiences and knowledge from trips to museums, zoos and other attractions. He also enjoys reading fiction and non-fiction, and his love for National Geographic children’s books has strengthened his curiosity.  

Jayce now seeks to use his talents to inspire other children. He has also recently been invited to read to a large audience at Birmingham Library during Black History Month in October. 

To find out more about Jayce’s Summer Fun Activity and other events, visit jaycesworld.co.uk