creative writing for 4 year olds

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300 Fun Writing Prompts for Kids: Story Starters, Journal Prompts & Ideas

Are you a parent or teacher? Here are 300 fun and creative writing prompts for kids to spark the imagination of young writers everywhere. Use these kids writing ideas as journaling prompts, story starters or just for fun!

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It’s never too early to start writing, and so we’ve created this fun list of 300 creative kids writing prompts for teacher and parents to use.

You’ll love these fun ideas for kids writing prompts to use as creative sparks to get young imaginations writing in no time!

These are perfect to use as kids journal writing prompts, as short story writing prompts, or just for exercises to help students and children of all ages tap into their creativity. Maybe your kids will write an essay, maybe a poem, or maybe even a whole book!

Whether you are a teacher or parent looking to inspire your kids to write, or maybe even an adult who would like to practice writing with a more playful and young-hearted approach, I hope you find these creative writing prompts inspiring!

Buy the Printable Cards!  We will always have this list of 300 kids writing prompts available for free, but I’m very excited to now also offer an  ad-free printable version of these prompts  in my online Etsy shop. Thank you for your support!

The Ultimate List of 300 Fun & Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

#1. Imagine a giant box is delivered to your front doorstep with your name on it. What’s inside and what happens when you open it?

#2. Write a short story about what it might be like if you woke up one morning with a mermaid tail.

#3. Which is better, winter or summer? Write about the reasons why you think winter or summer is better.

#4. Write about what would it be like if you had an alligator as a pet.

#5. If you had $1,000, what would you buy and why?

#6. Write a story using these 5 words: apple, train, elephant, paper, banjo

#7. What do you want be when you grow up and why?

#8. Who is your favorite person on the planet? What do you like most about that person?

#9. If you could have any secret super power, what would you want it to be and why?

#10. Write about 3 places you would like to travel someday. What do these three places have in common?

#11. Write about a time you felt really happy. What happened? What made you feel happy?

#12. Imagine what would happen if someone shrunk you down to be only 1″ tall. How would your life change?

#13. If you were in charge of the whole world, what would you do to make the world a happier place?

#14. Write a story about what it would be like to climb to the very top of the highest mountain in the world.

#15. If you were in charge of planning the school lunch menu, what foods would you serve each day?

#16. What are some of your favorite animals? What do you like about them?

#17. Imagine that dogs take over the world. What do they make the humans do?

#18. Write a story about flying to outer space and discovering a new planet.

#19. You are a mad scientist and have invented a new vegetable. What is it called? What does it look like? What does it taste like? Most importantly: Is it safe to eat?

#20. You go to school one morning to discover your best friend has been turned into a frog by an evil witch! How do you help your friend?

#21. Describe what it is like when trees lose all of their leaves in the autumn season.

#22. Write about your favorite sport and why you like it so much.

#23. Imagine what it might be like to live on a boat all the time and write about it.

#24. If you had one wish, what would it be?

#25. Write about what you might do if you have the super power to become invisible.

#26. You are walking through the forest when one of the trees starts talking to you. What does it say? What do you do?

#27. The weather forecast is calling for a blizzard in the middle of the summer. What do you do?

#28. What types of transportation will people have in the future?

#29. What were some of your favorite toys when you very little? Do you still enjoy playing with them?

#30. What would a day in your life be like if you were a movie star?

#31. Imagine you’ve invented a time machine! What year do you travel to?

#32. What are your favorite things to do over summer vacation?

#33. What is your favorite holiday and why?

#34. If you could meet any fictional character from a book, who would it be?

#35. You are writing a travel guide for kids visiting your city. What places do you think they should visit?

#36. What is a food you hate? Write about it!

#37. Imagine what it would be like if there was no electricity. What would be different in your daily routine?

#38. You are building a new city! What types of things do you think your city needs? How will you convince people to move to your new city?

#39. What is your favorite movie? Write your review of the movie and why you think people should watch it.

#40. Imagine you get a magic sweater for your birthday. What happens when you wear the sweater? What do you do with these new found magical powers?

#41. You are the security guard at the zoo and someone has stolen a rhinoceros! How do you track down the thief?

#42. You have been invited to have lunch with the queen. What foods do you eat and what topics do you and the queen discuss?

#43. If you could design a school uniform, what types of clothes would you suggest? What colors would they be?

#44. Imagine you are a reporter interviewing a celebrity about their life. What questions do you ask?

#45. You are running a lemonade stand. Describe the steps for how you make lemonade and the types of customers you see during the day.

#46. Write a story about being the ruler of an underwater world.

#47. Write an acrostic poem for the word “treehouse”.

#48. You decide to grow a sunflower, but the sunflower grows so tall it reaches up to the sky! Write about what happens when you decide to climb to the top. What do you discover?

#49. Imagine you look out the window and it is raining popsicles from the sky! Write a story about the experience.

#50. If you could be any animal, which one would you be and why?

#51. If you were on a spaceship, what would you be most excited about seeing?

#52. Do you have any pets at home? Write an essay about how you take care of your pets. If you do not have a pet, what type of pet might you like?

#53. Imagine you are opening a store that only sells items which are blue. What types of items do you sell?

#54. Have you ever lost something that is important to you? Were you able to find it?

#55. Write a story about a kid who is moving to a new school. How do you think they might feel?

#56. Rewrite the ending of your favorite fairy tale. For example, what would have happened if Cinderella never went to the ball?

#57. Have you ever forgotten to do your homework? What happened?

#58. Do you have a favorite song? Write about the type of music you like to listen to.

#59. Imagine your parents wake you up one morning to tell you they will take you to do anything you want to do for the whole day – you don’t even have to go to school or do your chores. What would you choose to do and why?

#60. Do you like amusement parks? What are some of your favorite rides?

#61. Write a story using these three words: detective, piano, and pizza.

#62. Have you ever been to the beach? Write about your favorite things to do. If you have never been to the beach, what would you like to do the first time you visit?

#63. Is there a favorite tv show you like to watch? Write about your favorite character and why they are your favorite.

#64. Write a poem using onomatopoeia , where the words you use are pronounced similar to the sound they make. For example, buzz, bark, sizzle, slam and pop.

#65. Have you ever had to stand in line to wait a long time for something? What did you do while you waited? How did you feel while waiting? How did you feel once the wait was over?

#66. Is it a good idea to keep ALL secrets a secret? Write about examples of when it is okay to spill a secret – and when it isn’t.

#67. Is there something you are good at doing? Write about your best strengths.

#68. What historical time period and location would you go back to live in if you could? Write about it!

#69. Write about 5 things you can do that are important for you to stay healthy and safe.

#70. Do you think thunderstorms are scary? Why or why not?

#71. What would you most like to learn over the next year? Think about things that interest you or questions you might have about the world and make a list!

#72. You are going on a trip to a jungle safari! What items do you pack in your suitcase?

#73. Imagine you are sitting at home one day and you hear someone shrieking in the living room they see a mouse in the house! Write a story about what might happen next.

#74. You are writing a letter to someone who is having a hard time making new friends at school. What do you write? What advice do you give them?

#75. Imagine you just met a magician – but their beloved rabbit who they pull out of a hat for all the tricks has been kidnapped! How do you help find the rabbit?

#76. Do you hear what I hear? Set a timer for 5 minutes and write about all of the sounds you hear in those 5 minutes.

#77. Imagine you go to get a haircut and they accidentally shave your head! How do you feel about that and what would you do?

#78. Do you find it easy to talk to people you don’t know? What are some ways you can start up a conversation with someone you have never met before?

#79. Are there any chores you have to do at home? What are they? What do you like – and not like – about each one?

#80. Open up a random book to any page. Write for 5 minutes about the first word you read.

#81. Pretend you are a writer for your city’s newspaper. Who would you like to interview for a news story and why?

#82. There are many fictional characters who live in unusual houses, such as the old woman who lived in a shoe. What kind of unusual house would you like to live in? Write about what it would be like to live in an unusual house!

#83. Write a list of 10 things you can do to practice kindness to others.

#84. Is there a homework subject you dread? Why do you not like getting homework in that subject?

#85. What is your favorite month of the year? Write about why you like it and some of your favorite things to do during that month.

#86. Imagine you are planning a surprise birthday party for someone. How do you keep it a surprise?

#87. Pretend you walked outside to find a sleeping dragon in the grass! Why is the dragon there? Is it a friendly dragon? What do you do? Write about it!

#88. What are you grateful for today and why?

#89. You were on your way to a very important event when you fell into a puddle. Now what?

#90. Have you ever watched a movie and didn’t like how it ended? Write what you think should happen instead.

#91. Can you answer this riddle from Alice in Wonderland ? How is a raven like a writing desk?

#92. Imagine you are the captain of a pirate ship. Write a diary entry for what your day was like.

#93. If you could start any type of business, what kind of business would you start? What types of products or services would you provide?

#94. Write a sequel to one of your favorite fairy tales. For example, what was Goldilocks’s next adventure after she left the bears?

#95. What is something you are afraid of? What helps you to feel less afraid of something? What would you say to a friend who feels scared to help them feel less afraid?

#96. Write a letter to your future self in 20 years.

#97. In addition to basic survival needs such as food, water, air and shelter, what are 3 things you would you need to be happy?

#98. If you could invent a robot of any type who could do anything you imagine, what types of things would you would have the robot to do?

#99. Which do like better? Apples or Oranges? How are they alike? How are they different?

#100. Why did the chicken cross the road? You are a detective and are assigned to the case. How do solve the mystery?

#101. Write instructions for how to make your favorite snack. Be sure you add your favorite tips and suggestions for how to select the best ingredients!

#102. Imagine you borrowed a friend’s favorite lucky pencil to help you pass a math test – but then it snapped in half! How will you ever tell the news to your friend?

#103. Look around the current room you are sitting in and choose 3 random objects that are nearby. Now write a story or poem that includes those three items!

#104. Write a letter to the author of a book you recently read and tell them what you liked most about the book.

#105. Ernest Hemingway is famous for writing a six word story. Can you write a story in just 6 words?

#106. What do you think will be the future for cell phones? Will people still use them in 25 years or will something else take its place?

#107. Do you want to go to college? Why or why not?

#108. Write a story or poem about a kitten who wanders off and gets lost. How does the kitten find its way home?

#109. Currently, it is required by law that kids go to school. Do you think this is a good or bad idea?

#110. If you could invent a new board game, what would it be called? How is it played? What are the rules? What makes it fun to play? Write about it!

#111. Imagine you come home to discover your entire bedroom is covered in ketchup! What on earth happened? What is your reaction? How do you clean everything up?

#112. What is something you learned today?

#113. Would you rather have a goldfish or shark as a pet?

#114. From A-Z: make a list of something for every letter of the alphabet.

#115. Have you ever gone fishing? If you have, did you like it? Why or why not? If you haven’t, do you think you might want to?

#116. What is one of the most important things you do each and every day?

#117. Write a story about Gretchen the Grouch, a girl who is always angry! Will she ever be happy? Why is she so grumpy all of the time?

#118. How do you feel when someone takes something of yours without asking? What is a good way to deal with it when that happens?

#119. Write a poem that starts with the word “if”.

#120. Write a story about a family of rabbits who live in the woods. What are some of the challenges they face?

#121. What clothes do you think are the most comfortable? What kind of clothes do you like to wear the most? What clothes do you NOT like to wear?

#122. Imagine there are no grocery stores and you must get your own food. What are some of the ways you find food? What types of things do you eat?

#123. What are 3 things you can do that are good for the environment?

#124. If you could meet any famous person today, who would you want to meet and why? What questions might you ask them?

#125. A tongue twister is a quick poem where many of the words start with the same letter and are similar in sound. For example, “Peter picked a peck of pickled peppers.” Try writing your own with this fun kids writing prompt!

#126. What is the first thing you think of when you hear or see the word green?

#127. A hero is someone who is admired for their courage and achievements. What do you think makes someone a hero? Who are some of your heroes?

#128. What did you do during summer vacation last year? What do you want to do for summer vacation this year?

#129. Write a story about a super hero dog who saves the day! Who does the dog help and why?

#130. Would you rather live somewhere that is always cold, or somewhere that is always hot? Write about which one you would rather choose.

#131. Have you ever volunteered to help a charity? If so, write about the experience! If not, what are some charities you think you might like to volunteer for?

#132. What does the word courage mean to you?

#133. What makes you unique? What are some things about you that make you an individual?

#134. Have you ever been to a museum? What is your favorite thing to look at on display?

#135. What can you do to set a good example for others to be kind?

#136. A Tall Tale is a story that exaggerates something that actually happened. Write a tall tale about something that recently happened to you.

#137. What is one of your favorite toys that you think you might still want to have and play with when you are 22 years old?

#138. Oh no! Everyone around you is sick with a nasty cold! Write a silly poem about how you try to avoid catching their germs!

#139. Personification is when a non-living object takes on human characteristics. Write a story where you personify a common electronic gadget in your house, such as the Television or toaster.

#140. Write a poem using similes, which is when you say an object is like something else. Here is an example of a simile: “Her eyes were as blue as the sky.”

#141. Have you ever read a book written by Dr. Suess? Write your own “Suess-style” story, complete with rhymes and made up words.

#142. Do you have any siblings? Think about what it might mean to be a good brother or sister and write about it!

#143. Make a list of questions to interview your parents or grandparents about what it was like when they were growing up as a kid. Then, ask them the questions and write about their answers!

#144. You are in charge of writing a new radio show just for kids! What topics will you talk about? What music do you play?

#145. What do you usually eat for breakfast every day? What, in your opinion, is the greatest breakfast food ever created? What makes it so great?

#146. Write a 12 line poem where every line is about a different month of the year.

#147. What is something you look forward to doing the most when you are an adult?

Use these prompts in your classroom!  Get the  ad-free printable version of these prompts  to inspire your students to write! Thank you for your support!

#148. Do you like to try new things? What is something new you have tried recently or would like to try?

#149. Imagine what it might be like to be alive in Egypt when the pyramids were built. Write about what it was like.

#150. A credo is a statement of personal beliefs. Try writing your own credo for things that you believe in and feel are important.

#151. The circus has come to town but they have no place to perform! How do you help the ringmaster find a place to put on a show?

#152. Do you like to act? What are some of your favorite actors or actresses? What do you think makes someone a good actor or actress?

#153. “Practice makes perfect” is a popular saying. What is something you like to practice so you can become better at it? A sport? A musical instrument? A special skill? Do you like to practice?

#154. Write about what it might be like to be water drops freezing and turning into ice.

#155. Do you think it is important to keep your room clean? What do you like about having a clean room?

#156. Imagine your parents are sending you away for a two week summer camp trip. Would you be excited? Why or why not?

#157. What are you currently learning about in history class? Write a fictional story about someone from the past you are learning about.

#158. Many wars have been fought in the past. Instead of going to war, what do you think countries could do to resolve their differences peacefully?

#159. Every year over 8 billion plastic bottles and cans are thrown away. What are some things you can do to help encourage your family and friends to recycle?

#160. Imagine if you were the principal of the school. What might you do differently? What things would you do that are the same? Write about it!

#161. Pretend that one day you are at your neighbor’s house and you notice a strange noise coming from the basement. You go downstairs to investigate to see a large machine running with many lights and buttons. Why is it there?

#162. Write an essay that starts with the line, “Tomorrow, I hope…”

#163. If you could give one thing to every child in the world, what would you want to give them?

#164. Do you have a piggy bank at home? How do you earn money to add to your savings?

#165. What qualities make a house a home? What are 3 things you think every house should have?

#166. Would you rather go scuba diving or rock climbing? Write about which one you think you would like to do more and why.

#167. Do you think it is a good idea for kids to write a daily journal? What are some of the benefits of writing every day?

#168. Do you like watching fireworks or are they too noisy? Write about a time when you saw fireworks in the sky.

#169. Oh no! Your friend has turned into a statue! How did this happen? What do you do? Does your friend ever turn back into a person again?

#170. If you could be any movie character, who would you be and why?

#171. A mysterious message appears in code on your computer screen. What could it mean?

#172. If you could go to work with one of your parents for a day, what do you think the day would be like? What types of things do your parents do at work all day long?

#173. Imagine you are the President and you are creating a new national holiday. What is your holiday about? How is it celebrated? What day of the year do you celebrate? Write about it!

#174. You won a never-ending lifetime supply of spaghetti noodles! What will you do with all of these noodles?

#175. Would you rather be a bunny rabbit or a hawk? Why did you choose the one you chose?

#176. Your teacher has been acting mysterious lately. After school one day, you notice a weird green light shining through underneath the door of your classroom. What do you do? What is happening with your teacher?

#177. Write an article about tips for how kids can be more organized and study well for tests.

#178. Look at any product in your house and read the ingredients labels. Research what each ingredient is. Do you think these ingredients are good or bad for people?

#179. If you were a doctor, what do you think would be the most important part of your job every day?

#180. The school librarian needs your help! A truck just arrived with 2,000 books and she can’t fit all the books onto the shelves! What do you do? How do you find a place to put all these books?

#181. Do you think it would be fun to plant a garden? What types of plants would you want to grow? Write about your garden ideas.

#182. What is a sport or activity you would like to try playing for the first time?

#183. Do you think kids should be allowed to do the same things as adults? What things do you think kids should be able to do that only grown-ups can?

#184. Imagine you and your parents switch places for a day. Your parents are the kids and you are now in charge! What would you do?

#185. Write a get-well letter to someone who has been sick. What can you say to make them feel better?

#186. If you could visit any planet in the solar system, which planet would you like to visit the most and why? Write about what it might be like.

#187. Have you ever been to a farm? What did you like about it? If you haven’t been to a farm, do you think you might like to visit one? Why or why not?

#188. The mayor of the city has a big problem and needs your help! What is the problem and how will you solve it?

#189. Pretend your little sister ate carrots for dinner and the next morning woke up with rabbit ears!  How did this happen? What do you do? Will she be a rabbit forever?

#190. Imagine you wake up in the morning to find out you get to relive any day of your life again for the whole day. What day would you want to experience again and why?

#191. Do you think you might like to be a firefighter? Why or why not?

#192. You are a lawyer and your client has been accused of stealing a car. How do you convince the jury your client is innocent?

#193. Think of the four elements: fire, air, earth, and water. Which of these four elements do you like the best?

#194. What would you do if you could be invisible for a whole day? Do you think you would enjoy it or be glad to be back to normal the next day? Write about it!

#195. Imagine you are a meteorologist and people are starting to get angry that your weather predictions are always wrong. What do you do?

#196. If you could create any law, what would it be? Why do you think the law is an important one to have?

#197. You are going incognito and need to hide to your identity so you aren’t recognized or discovered while you walk through the city. What type of disguise do you wear?

#198. Write a persuasive letter to your parents explaining why you should get a new pet. Make sure you provide a convincing argument they won’t be able to refuse!

#199. Your friend wants to do something dangerous. What should you do?

#200. How do you think the world would be different if there were no oceans?

#201. What do you do when someone disagrees with your opinions? Is there a better way to handle conflicting opinions?

#202. What do you think you as a kid could do to help encourage more people to read?

#203. Do you have a good luck charm? What makes this item lucky? When do you use it? How do you use it?

#204. What is at the end of a rainbow? Imagine you follow a rainbow to the end. What do you discover? Is it a pot of gold, or something else?

Use these prompts in your classroom!  Get the  ad-free printable version of these prompts  to inspire your students to write! Thank you for your support!

#205. What do you think the consequences should be for someone who is caught cheating on a test at school?

#206. Imagine you are riding your bike one day when you encounter an older kid who wants to steal your bike. What do you do?

#207. You are the lead singer and star of a famous rock and roll band, but there is one problem – your drummer is jealous of your fame! How do you solve this situation?

#208. If you could help a group of kids in any part of the world, what kids would you want to help the most and why? What are some things you think would help these kids?

#209. Everyone knows the house on the end of the street is haunted. What are some of the strange things that happen there? Why is the house haunted?

#210. You notice at school one day there is a door to a secret passage next to the janitor’s closet and decide to explore. Where does it lead? Why is it there? Do you go alone or bring a friend along?

#211. A bucket list is a list of things you want to accomplish in your lifetime. What are 5 things on your bucket list?

#212. Imagine the perfect treehouse or clubhouse for you and all of your friends as a place to hang out. Describe what it is like inside.

#213. Do you get bored easily? Make a list of things you can do whenever you feel like you are bored and there is nothing fun to do!

#214. Now vs. Then: Think about how today is different from one year ago. How have you changed? What things in your life are different?

#215. Write your autobiography about your life.

#216. It’s a heat wave! What do you do when the weather is hot? What are some of your favorite ways to stay cool?

#217. What are three important safety tips every kid should know to stay safe?

#218. What genre of books do you like to read the most? Write about the characteristics of the genre and list some of your favorite books as examples.

#219. Holiday Traditions: How does your family celebrate the different holidays and events? What are some traditions you do each and every year?

#220. Imagine one day in science class a science experiment goes terribly wrong and now you and all of your classmates have superpowers! What are your superpowers and what do you do with them?

#221. Who is favorite teacher? Why are they your favorite?

#222. You are baking a cake, but you accidentally put salt in the cake instead of sugar. Nobody will eat it! How do you feel? What will you do next time?

#223. Do you think it is important to have good table manners? What do you think some good manners to practice might be?

#224. Many schools no longer teach cursive handwriting. Do you think this is a good or bad thing? Do you know how to write cursive handwriting? Would you like to learn if you haven’t?

#225. If you were the owner of a theme park, what types of rides and attractions would have? Describe what they would be like and why people would want to visit your park.

#226. Your parents give you $100 to spend at the grocery store. What do you buy and why?

#227. Some people who are alive today grew up without computers or video games. What would you do if you didn’t have a computer or video games? How would life be different?

#228. You walk into your living room and discover there is a giant elephant standing there. How did the elephant get there? What do you do about it? How do you explain the elephant in the living room to your parents?

#229. Have you ever had a weird dream? What happened in the dream? What do you think it means?

#230. Do you like to draw or paint? Write a story inspired by a painting, doodle, or sketch.

#231. You are being sent on a mission to outer space to live in a space station for 5 years. What supplies do you pack and why?

#232. What is the scariest creature alive on earth? Describe in detail what makes it so horrifying.

#233. What do you think your pet might say if they could talk to you?

#234. Imagine your school is putting on a talent show. What act will you perform? What other acts will be in the show?

#235. If you could breathe under water, what would you do?

#236. What time of day do you think school should start? Write a convincing argument on why or why not the time of day school starts should change.

#237. If you were to start your own YouTube video channel, what would the videos on your channel be about?

#238. Do you like to cook? What are some things you like to make and eat?

#239. Your school is having a field day and you are in charge of planning the activities and games. What types of activities and games would you plan for the event?

#240. If you had a remote control drone that takes video of everything it sees from the sky and you could take it anywhere, what would you film? For example, the inside of a volcano or soar it over the plains of Africa.

#241. The Bermuda Triangle is an area of the ocean where many ships and planes have gone missing. Why do you think this could be? Write a story about what it might be like to travel there.

#242. There are 7 great wonders of the world – which one do you think is the most wonderful?

#243. If you could speak any foreign language fluently, which one would you like to speak and why?

#244. You are inventing a new flavor of ice cream! What is the new flavor called and what ingredients do you need to make it?

#245. Would you rather go to a baseball game or read a good book? What reasons do you have for your choice?

#246. You walk outside to get your mail and your mailbox starts talking to you! What does your mailbox have to say?

#247. Imagine you are a famous person. What are you most famous for? What is it like to be famous?

#248. What do you think would be the most fun job in the world to have? Give examples of why you think it would be a fun job to have.

#249. Write a poem about an object that is shiny and dazzling.

#250. Do you like to watch the Olympics? Why or why not? If yes, what is your favorite Olympic sport?

#251. What kind of car do you want to drive when you are older? Do you think learning to drive will be easy or hard?

#252. What do you think would make for a great gift to give someone on their birthday?

#253. Describe a time when you needed help and someone helped you. What did they help you with and how did it make you feel?

#254. If you could be any type of fruit or vegetable, what would you be and why?

Love these prompts?  Get the  ad-free printable version of these prompts  to use at home or in the classroom!

#255. Do you think it is more important to have a good imagination or have all the facts proven?

#256. Do you have a favorite aunt, uncle, or another relative? Write a story about their life and why you like to be with them.

#257. Think of a time you laughed really, really hard. What was so funny? Why were you laughing? Write about it!

#258. Write a poem about an emotion. For example: happy, sad, angry, embarrassed, guilty.

#259. Do you ever have a hard time falling asleep? What are some things that help you feel sleepy?

#260. If you could drive a car, where would you drive and why?

#261. Imagine you are trading places with your friend for a day. What will it be like to be at their house? What will your friend think while they are at your house? Write about it!

#262. If you could break a world record, what would it be? What do you think would be necessary to be able to break the world record?

#263. Imagine you live in Colonial times. What would it be like to grow up as a kid in Colonial America?

#264. You are building a new city. What is the name of your city? What is the weather like? What buildings will you build?

#265. What do you think it would be like to work as a sailor on big ship in the ocean each day?

#266. Imagine you are the teacher for the day. What types of activities do you make the students in the class do?

#267. How would you feel if your parents told you that you would be getting a new baby brother or sister? Write about it!

#268. Do you know any good jokes? What are some of your favorite jokes? What makes them funny? Do you think you could write your own?

#269. Imagine you are floating down a river on a raft. What types of things can you see from the river that you normally wouldn’t see from the land?

#270. You want to start a new hobby collecting something. What kinds of things would you collect and why?

#271. Your mom announces she is having a yard sale. Would you let her sell any of your things? Why or why not?

#272. Imagine you walk out your front door one morning and it is raining popcorn! What do you do?

#273.  You are camping in the woods one night and hear a scary noise. What do you do? What might be the cause?

#274. What do you think might make kids really happy to go to school? What are some things you think schools should do so that it could be more fun?

#275. Today’s lunch at the cafeteria was unusually horrible. You are a detective on the case to investigate. What do you think is the cause?

#276. If you had a tree that grows money, what would you do?

#277. What would you do if you had a unicorn as a pet?

#278. Would you rather go to the zoo or go to the aviary? Which one would you pick and why?

#279. What are some safety tips you should follow when riding a bike?

#280. You are designing the cover of a magazine. What are some of the headlines on the cover?

#281. Are you afraid of the dark? Why or why not?

#282. If you could learn to play any type of musical instrument, which one would you like to learn how to play and why?

#283. Imagine you are playing a sport that involves a ball, such as soccer, baseball or kickball. What would it be like if the ball could talk?

#284. You come home to discover a friendly alien has been living in your closet. What do you do? Why is there an alien in your closet?

#285. Is there something you are afraid of that you wish you weren’t afraid of? Write about it.

#286. Write about the best party you’ve ever been to. What made the day fun and special?

#287. What makes you feel loved and cared about? What are some ways people can show you that they love and care about you?

#288. There is a kite flying competition coming up and you are going to design your own kite. What will your kite look like? What colors will it be? Will it have any certain shape?

#289. You are given the challenge to drop an egg on the floor – without it breaking! What are some things you might try to make sure the egg won’t break?

#290. What are some of the things you can do every day to stay healthy?

#291. Do you think grown-ups are boring? Why do you think they are so boring all of the time? What is something fun that boring grown-ups could do instead of being so boring?

#292. Write a lyrical poem or song about what kids do while they are at school all day long.

#293. What are the first things you like to do when you are done with school each day? What are some of the activities you like when you are not at school?

#294. Imagine dinosaurs were still alive today. How do you think our lives would be different?

#295. Would you rather visit a volcano or a desert? Which one would you choose and why?

#296. Is there a sound you think is annoying? What types of sounds drive you crazy? Write about them!

#297. What do you think it would be like to be the size of an ant for a day? What types of things would you do?

#298. Imagine one of your stuffed animals comes to life and starts talking to you. What types of things will you talk about? What will you do?

#299. What makes you feel happiest? Write about the things in life that make you feel happy!

#300. Imagine there is no gravity. What kind of things would you do you for fun? How would some of the things you already do for fun be different?

Buy the Printable Cards!  We will always have this list of 300 kids writing prompts available for free, but I’m very excited to now also offer an  ad-free printable version of these prompts  in my online Etsy shop. Thank you for your support!

Parents and teachers, I hope you enjoyed these 300 writing prompts for kids and that you will use them to inspire your children’s creative imaginations.

These prompts of course can be used in a number of different ways and can be adapted for a variety of different styles of writing !

What do you think? Do you think these are good conversation and story starters for kids? Do you have any ideas for writing prompts you would like to share?

And of course, if you’d like to make it super fun and easy to use these prompts at home or in your classroom, be sure to get our ad-free printable version of these kids writing prompt cards now available in my Etsy shop.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on different creative writing ideas and topics for kids to write about! Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Chelle Stein wrote her first embarrassingly bad novel at the age of 14 and hasn't stopped writing since. As the founder of ThinkWritten, she enjoys encouraging writers and creatives of all types.

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500+ Writing Prompts for Kids (Journal & Story Ideas)

Hey there, future authors, creators, and dreamers. Are you ready to let your imagination run wild?

Whether you love to write stories, draw pictures, or just scribble down your thoughts, I’ve got something super cool for you. It’s a list of 500 awesome writing prompts! Think of these as little seeds you can plant in your brain, and who knows what kind of amazing stories will grow?

Grab your favorite pencil, cozy up in your writing spot, and let’s get started.

Unique Writing Prompts for Kids

Table of Contents

Sometimes, the best stories come from the most unexpected places.

Here are some unique ideas that will take your writing to new and exciting worlds.

• Imagine you find a secret door in your school that leads to a hidden world. What happens next?
• If animals could talk, what would your pet say to you?
• You wake up with superpowers one day. What powers do you have, and how do you use them?
• Write about a day in the life of your favorite toy. What adventures do they have when you’re not around?
• You discover a magical treehouse that only appears at night. What do you find inside?
• A new student at your school is actually an alien in disguise. What happens when you find out?
• You get to invent a new holiday. What is it called, and how do people celebrate it?
• Write about a time-traveling kid who visits ancient Egypt. What do they see and do?
• Imagine you can jump into any book and become part of the story. Which book do you choose, and what happens next?
• What would the world be like if kids were in charge of everything?
• Imagine a world where everything is made of candy. What would you do?
• Write about a mysterious door that only appears during thunderstorms.
• You find a map leading to a lost city. What happens next?
• Describe a day in the life of an invisible person.
• Imagine you could turn into any animal at will. Which animals would you choose and why?
• Write about a magical backpack that can hold anything you want.
• You find a message in a bottle on the beach. What does it say?
• Imagine a world where it rains chocolate milk instead of water. What’s it like?
• Write about a time when you shrunk to the size of an ant.
• Describe a town where everyone has a unique superpower. What’s yours?
• Imagine you can speak to ghosts. What do they tell you?
• Write about a magic book that comes to life when you read it.
• You find a pair of shoes that allow you to fly. Where do you go?
• Imagine a day when gravity stops working. What happens?
• You discover a secret underground city beneath your house. What’s it like?

Journal Prompts for Kids

Journaling is a fantastic way to express your thoughts and feelings. These prompts will help you reflect on your day, your dreams, and everything in between.

• What was the best thing that happened to you today?
• Describe your dream vacation. Where would you go, and what would you do?
• If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be and why?
• Write about a time you felt really proud of yourself. What did you do?
• Who is your hero, and why do you look up to them?
• What’s something new you learned recently that made you excited?
• If you could talk to your future self, what advice would you give?
• Write about your favorite memory with your family or friends.
• What are three things you’re grateful for today?
• If you could have any pet, real or imaginary, what would it be and why?
• What’s your favorite thing about yourself, and why do you love it?
• Write about a time when you helped someone. How did it make you feel?
• What do you dream about at night? Describe your most recent dream.
• If you could invent a new food, what would it be and why?
• Write about your favorite place to relax. What makes it special?
• If you could meet anyone from history, who would it be and why?
• What’s your favorite season, and what do you like to do during it?
• If you could live in any time period, when would it be and why?
• What’s the best gift you’ve ever received, and why did it mean so much to you?
• Write about a time when you were really brave. What happened?
• Imagine you could move anywhere in the world—where would you go and why?
• What’s something you want to learn to do, and why?
• Write about a time when you felt really happy. What made you smile?
• If you could trade places with any character from a book, who would it be and why?
• What’s your favorite family tradition, and why do you love it?

Funny Writing Prompts for Kids

Get ready to giggle with these silly and wacky prompts! They’re perfect for writing something that will make you and others laugh out loud.

• Write a story about a cat who thinks it’s a dog.
• Imagine you’re a superhero whose only power is making people laugh. How do you use your power to save the day?
• You wake up one morning to find that you’ve turned into your favorite food. What happens next?
• What would happen if cows started flying? Describe a day on a flying farm.
• Write about a world where everyone speaks in rhymes. What does a regular day sound like?
• Your pencil suddenly comes to life and starts telling you what to write. What kind of stories does it want to tell?
• If you could swap places with any cartoon character for a day, who would you choose, and what crazy adventures would you have?
• Imagine a talking banana who becomes your best friend. What do you do together?
• Write about a time you tried to teach a pet goldfish how to dance.
• What would school be like if all the teachers were robots programmed to be super silly?
• Imagine you have a pet dinosaur. What mischief does it get into?
• What if your shoes suddenly started talking to you? What would they say?
• Write about a day when everything you touched turned into spaghetti.
• Imagine you wake up and everyone in your town is singing instead of talking. What’s the day like?
• What would happen if you could only eat dessert for every meal?
• Describe a time when you accidentally turned your teacher into a frog.
• What if you found out your dog could do magic tricks? What tricks would it do?
• Write about a time when you switched places with your pet for a day. What did you do?
• Imagine you wake up with a giraffe neck. How does your day go?
• What would happen if you could only walk backward for a whole day?
• Write about a time when your lunch came to life and tried to run away.
• Imagine you could change the color of anything by touching it. What do you change?
• What if your favorite food could talk? What would it say to you?
• Write about a time when you got stuck inside a video game. How do you get out?
• Imagine you could make anything float by blowing on it. What would you do with this power?

Story Starter Writing Prompts

Sometimes, all you need is a first sentence to spark your imagination. Here are some story starters to help you begin your next great tale.

• The moment I opened the box, I knew my life would never be the same.
• It was a dark and stormy night when I heard a knock at the door.
• As soon as I stepped into the forest, I realized something magical was about to happen.
• I never expected to find a treasure map hidden in the old library book.
• The day I discovered I could talk to animals was the best day of my life.
• Just as I was about to give up, I saw something that made me gasp.
• When the clock struck midnight, the world around me began to change.
• I was walking home from school when I found a mysterious key on the ground.
• The letter I received in the mail this morning had only one word on it: “Run.”
• I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a dragon flying over my neighborhood.
• As soon as I opened the treasure chest, I saw something glowing inside.
• The strange noise coming from the attic turned out to be a tiny dragon.
• I never thought I’d meet a real-life mermaid, but then I did.
• The moment I touched the ancient artifact, I felt a surge of power.
• My best friend told me a secret that I could hardly believe.
• As I walked through the mysterious fog, I realized I wasn’t alone.
• The letter I found in the old oak tree was addressed to me.
• I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a giant footprint in my backyard.
• The old key I found fit perfectly into the lock of a hidden door.
• Just as I was about to give up, I heard someone calling my name.
• The moment I stepped onto the pirate ship, I knew an adventure was about to begin.
• As soon as I pressed the button, the machine whirred to life.
• I found a map hidden under the floorboards of my room.
• The sound of wings fluttering in the night made me look up in awe.
• The old man handed me a coin and said, “This will change everything.”

Picture Writing Prompts for Kids

Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words—or even more! Use these picture prompts to inspire a colorful story.

• Imagine a picture of a rainbow-colored unicorn dancing in the rain. What is the unicorn celebrating?
• Look at a photo of a deserted island. Who lives there, and what secrets does the island hold?
• A picture shows a giant moon in the sky, twice as big as normal. What’s happening on Earth?
• See a drawing of a mysterious castle on top of a hill. Who lives there, and what’s their story?
• Imagine a picture of a little girl flying a kite that’s pulling her up into the sky. Where does she go?
• Look at a photo of an ancient tree with a door carved into it. Who might live inside?
• Picture a robot sitting alone in a garden. What is the robot thinking about?
• A drawing shows a city floating in the clouds. Who lives there, and how do they get around?
• Imagine a photo of a boy holding a glowing orb. What powers does the orb have?
• See a picture of a cat wearing a wizard hat. What magical adventures does the cat go on?
• Imagine a picture of a spaceship landing in a field of flowers. What happens next?
• Look at a photo of a mountain with a hidden cave. Who or what lives inside?
• A picture shows a giant fish swimming through the sky. How did it get there?
• Imagine a photo of a tree with doors leading to different worlds. Where do the doors go?
• See a drawing of a mysterious island floating in the air. What’s on the island?
• A picture shows a dragon curled up around a pile of gold. What is it guarding?
• Imagine a photo of a tiny village inside a glass jar. Who lives there?
• Look at a drawing of a flying car zooming over a city. Where is it going?
• A picture shows a cat wearing a pirate hat and holding a treasure map. What’s its story?
• Imagine a picture of a magical waterfall that turns everything it touches into crystal. What happens next?
• See a photo of a bridge made of rainbows. What’s on the other side?
• A drawing shows a tiny person riding on the back of a giant bird. Where are they going?
• Imagine a photo of a ship sailing through the clouds. Who is on board?
• A picture shows a castle made of candy. Who lives there, and what’s it like inside?
• Look at a drawing of a forest where the trees glow in the dark. What’s the secret behind the glowing trees?

Winter Writing Prompts for Kids

Winter is a time of magic and wonder. These prompts will help you capture the coziness and excitement of the season.

• Write about building the most amazing snowman ever. What makes it special?
• Imagine you could live in an igloo for a week. What would you do?
• What if snowflakes were actually tiny fairies? Write about their adventures.
• Describe a day in a winter wonderland where animals can talk.
• What would happen if your town had the biggest snowstorm ever? How would you spend your snow day?
• Write about a secret winter festival held by animals in the forest.
• Imagine you wake up and find that everything you touch turns to ice. What do you do?
• What’s the story behind a snow globe that magically transports you to a snowy village?
• Write about a magical pair of ice skates that let you skate across the clouds.
• What would it be like to ride a sleigh pulled by reindeer through the night sky?
• Write about a day when the snow suddenly turned into marshmallows.
• Imagine you could talk to snowflakes. What would they tell you?
• What if you found a frozen lake that led to an underwater kingdom?
• Write about building a snow fort that magically comes to life.
• Imagine a world where winter never ends. What’s it like?
• Describe a snowball fight where the snowballs have a mind of their own.
• What would happen if your pet turned into a snowman overnight?
• Write about a magical scarf that keeps you warm no matter what.
• Imagine you could control the weather with a wave of your hand. How do you use your power?
• What if your town had a secret winter carnival only kids knew about?
• Write about a day when you and your friends discover a hidden ice cave.
• Imagine you find a snow globe that transports you to a winter wonderland. What do you see there?
• What if your favorite winter coat suddenly gave you the ability to fly?
• Write about a time when you met a snow fairy in the forest.
• Imagine you could skate on ice that plays music as you glide. What tunes do you hear?

Christmas Writing Prompts for Kids

Christmas is a time for joy and creativity. These prompts will fill your writing with holiday cheer!

• Write a letter to Santa, but instead of asking for presents, tell him about your year.
• Imagine you are one of Santa’s elves. What is your job at the North Pole?
• What if your Christmas tree could talk? What stories would it tell?
• Describe the most magical Christmas morning ever. What happens when you wake up?
• Write a story about a reindeer who dreams of flying but is afraid of heights.
• Imagine you find a lost present under the tree. What’s inside, and who is it for?
• What would happen if Christmas lights could talk to each other?
• Write about a snowman who comes to life on Christmas Eve and goes on an adventure.
• Imagine you could spend a day with Santa at the North Pole. What do you do?
• What if you woke up on Christmas morning and found out you were Santa for the day?
• Imagine you find a magical candy cane that grants wishes. What do you wish for?
• Write about a time when you helped Santa deliver presents on Christmas Eve.
• What if your Christmas stockings were filled with tiny talking animals?
• Imagine you wake up to find your Christmas tree has grown to the ceiling overnight. What do you do?
• Write about a gingerbread man who comes to life and goes on an adventure.
• What would happen if you found out your Christmas presents could talk?
• Imagine you spend Christmas in a cozy cabin in the snowy mountains. What’s the best part of your holiday?
• Write about a reindeer who gets lost on Christmas Eve. How do you help it find its way home?
• What if you discovered that your favorite Christmas ornament has a magical secret?
• Imagine you could bake cookies that come to life. What kind of cookies do you create?
• Write about a time when you built a Christmas tree out of snow.
• What if you found a snow globe that could show you any Christmas memory? What do you see?
• Imagine you get to design Santa’s sleigh. What does it look like?
• Write about a time when you caught a glimpse of Santa’s workshop.
• If you could celebrate Christmas with any holiday movie character, who would it be and what would you do?

Halloween Writing Prompts for Kids

Halloween is spooky, silly, and full of surprises! These prompts will help you create stories that are a little bit creepy and a whole lot of fun.

• Write about a haunted house that turns out to be friendly. What happens inside?
• Imagine you get to choose your own special Halloween superpower. What is it, and how do you use it?
• What if your Halloween costume came to life? What would it do?
• Describe the creepiest, most mysterious pumpkin in the pumpkin patch. What makes it so strange?
• Write about a group of friends who discover a secret door in a graveyard on Halloween night.
• What would happen if your pet turned into a ghost on Halloween?
• Imagine you’re a witch or wizard for a day. What spells do you cast?
• Write a story about a Halloween party where all the guests are monsters.
• What if you found a magic broomstick that could fly you anywhere? Where would you go?
• Describe the best trick-or-treat adventure ever. What makes it unforgettable?
• Write about a haunted carnival that only appears on Halloween night.
• Imagine you could turn into any Halloween creature. What would you become, and what would you do?
• What if you found a book of spells hidden in your attic? What’s the first spell you try?
• Write about a time when you discovered that your costume gave you real powers.
• Imagine you’re invited to a monster’s Halloween party. What do you see and do?
• Imagine you’re invited to a monster’s Halloween party. What games do you play, and what snacks do you eat?
• What if your shadow came to life on Halloween and started doing things on its own?
• Write about a ghost who has lost their way and needs your help to find their home.
• Imagine you and your friends explore a spooky old mansion. What do you find inside?
• What would happen if all the pumpkins in your town started glowing mysteriously on Halloween night?
• Write about a talking black cat who gives you a special Halloween mission.
• What if you found a magic wand that could bring your Halloween decorations to life? What happens next?
• Imagine you discover a hidden room in your house filled with ancient Halloween treasures. What do you do with them?
• Write about a night when the moon turns blood red and strange things start to happen in your town.
• What if you woke up on Halloween morning to find that your town had turned into a spooky Halloween land overnight?

Spring Writing Prompts for Kids

Spring is all about new beginnings and fresh ideas. These prompts will help you celebrate the season of growth and renewal.

• Write about planting a magical garden. What kind of plants grow there?
• Imagine you could talk to flowers. What secrets would they tell you?
• Describe the first day of spring from the perspective of a hibernating bear.
• What would it be like to have a picnic with talking animals in a blooming meadow?
• Write about a mysterious seed that grows into something unexpected.
• Imagine you discover a hidden spring that makes everything around it come to life.
• What if you could ride on the back of a butterfly? Where would it take you?
• Write a story about a raindrop that goes on an adventure as it travels to the sea.
• Describe a spring festival where the trees, flowers, and animals all join in the celebration.
• Imagine you find a rainbow in your backyard. What happens when you touch it?
• Write about a magical umbrella that can control the weather. What do you use it for?
• Imagine you discover a hidden garden that blooms with flowers in every color of the rainbow. What makes this garden so special?
• Write about a time when you found a baby bird that needed your help. What did you do?
• What if you could talk to insects? What would they tell you about their lives in the spring?
• Imagine you plant a magic seed that grows into something incredible. What does it become?
• Write about a spring day when the rain brings something magical to your town.
• What would happen if all the animals in the forest threw a spring party? What games do they play?
• Imagine you find a hidden waterfall deep in the woods. What do you discover there?
• Write about a butterfly that takes you on a journey to see the first signs of spring.
• What if you could make flowers bloom with just a touch? How would you use this power?
• Imagine you wake up to find that your garden has been transformed into a magical jungle. What creatures do you meet?
• Write about a time when you discovered a family of rabbits living in your backyard.
• What if you could shrink down to the size of a bug for a day? What adventures would you have in the spring?
• Imagine you find a trail of flower petals leading to a secret spot in the forest. What do you find there?
• Write about a spring day when everything you draw with chalk comes to life.

Fall Writing Prompts for Kids

Fall is a season full of colors, cozy moments, and new adventures.

These prompts will help you capture the essence of autumn.

• Write about jumping into the biggest pile of leaves ever. What surprises do you find inside?
• Imagine a talking scarecrow who tells stories about the farm. What are its best tales?
• Describe a day in the life of an acorn as it travels through the forest.
• What would happen if you discovered a secret treehouse hidden in the fall woods?
• Write about a squirrel who is preparing for winter but finds something unexpected while gathering nuts.
• Imagine you could paint the autumn leaves any color you want. What colors do you choose, and why?
• Describe the coziest fall day ever. What do you do, and how do you feel?
• Write about a magical pumpkin that grows bigger every time you make a wish.
• What if you found an enchanted forest where the trees tell stories? What tales do they share?
• Imagine a fall harvest festival where everything you eat gives you special powers. What do you eat, and what powers do you get?
• Imagine you discover a corn maze that changes every time you go inside. What’s the secret behind it?
• Write about a day when the wind carries you away on an autumn adventure.
• What if the leaves in your yard started forming shapes and messages? What do they spell out?
• Imagine you find a mysterious old lantern in the woods. What happens when you light it?
• Write about a squirrel who finds something very unusual while collecting acorns.
• What would happen if pumpkins could talk? What stories would they tell?
• Imagine you spend the night camping in the fall woods. What spooky or magical things do you see?
• Write about a time when you followed a trail of autumn leaves to a hidden place.
• What if you found a haunted scarecrow in a pumpkin patch? What does it want?
• Imagine you could control the wind on a blustery fall day. How would you use this power?
• Write about a cozy fall evening where you discover a hidden world inside a jack-o’-lantern.
• What if you could jump into a painting of an autumn scene? What would you do there?
• Imagine you find an old book of autumn legends. What happens when you read it?
• Write about a harvest festival where everything goes wrong in a funny way.
• What if you discovered a magical acorn that could grow a tree overnight? What does the tree look like, and what makes it special?

Summer Writing Prompts for Kids

Summer is a time for adventure, sunshine, and fun!

These prompts will help you capture the joy and excitement of the summer season.

• Imagine you find a hidden beach that no one else knows about. What do you do there?
• Write about a day when you build the biggest sandcastle ever. What surprises do you find inside?
• What if you discovered a secret cave while exploring the shoreline? What’s inside?
• Imagine you could swim with dolphins for a day. What adventures do you have?
• Write about a time when you found a message in a bottle floating in the ocean.
• What if the sun didn’t set for a whole week? How would you spend the extra daylight?
• Imagine you could fly a kite that takes you up into the sky. Where does it take you?
• Write about a summer carnival that’s full of magical rides and games.
• What if your ice cream cone never melted, no matter how hot it got? What flavors would you try?
• Imagine you spend the summer on a mysterious island. What do you discover there?
• Write about a time when you had the best summer camp experience ever. What made it so special?
• What if you found out your favorite swimming spot was actually home to a family of mermaids?
• Imagine you could talk to the fish in the ocean. What would they tell you about their underwater world?
• Write about a summer night when the stars seem to be extra bright. What happens under the starlight?
• What if you could visit any place in the world for your summer vacation? Where would you go, and what would you do?

Valentine’s Day Prompts for Kids

Valentine’s Day is all about love, friendship, and spreading kindness. These prompts will inspire sweet and creative writing ideas.

• Write about a time when you made a special Valentine’s Day card for someone. What did it look like, and why was it special?
• What if your pet could send you a Valentine’s Day message? What would it say?
• Imagine you find a heart-shaped treasure on Valentine’s Day. What’s inside?
• Write about a Valentine’s Day party where all the guests are animals. What do they do to celebrate?
• What if you could send a Valentine’s Day card to anyone in the world? Who would you choose, and what would you say?
• Imagine you wake up on Valentine’s Day to find that everything around you is heart-shaped. What do you do?
• Write about a time when you did something kind for a friend on Valentine’s Day. How did it make you feel?
• What if you could bake magical cookies that spread love and happiness? Who would you give them to?
• Imagine you receive a mysterious Valentine’s Day letter. Who is it from, and what does it say?
• Write about a time when you helped someone who was feeling lonely on Valentine’s Day. What did you do to cheer them up?
• What if you could create your own special Valentine’s Day tradition? What would it be?
• Imagine you could visit a land where everything is made of candy hearts. What’s it like?
• Write about a Valentine’s Day surprise that you planned for someone special.
• What if you could make a wish on a Valentine’s Day star? What would you wish for?
• Imagine you get to spend Valentine’s Day with your favorite storybook character. Who do you choose, and what do you do together?

Book-Related Writing Prompts for Kids

Books open the door to endless adventures!

These prompts will inspire you to dive into the world of stories and create your own.

• Imagine you could jump into your favorite book. What happens when you become part of the story?
• Write about a time when you found a book that had the power to change the world.
• What if your bookshelf could talk? What stories would it share with you?
• Imagine you could visit a library where every book comes to life as you read it. What book do you choose first?
• Write about a character from a book who suddenly appears in your room. What do you do together?
• What if you discovered a hidden room in your house filled with ancient, magical books? What do you find?
• Imagine you’re writing a book, and the characters start telling you what to write next. What do they say?
• Write about a time when you read a book that was so amazing, you couldn’t put it down. What made it so special?
• What if you could create your own ending for a book you’ve read? How would you change the story?
• Imagine you could visit a world from your favorite book. What would you do there?
• Write about a time when you shared your favorite book with a friend. How did they react?
• What if you discovered a secret society of book lovers who meet in a hidden library? What do they do?
• Imagine you could write a letter to your favorite author. What would you say?
• Write about a book that you wish existed. What’s the title, and what’s the story about?
• What if you could collect all the stories ever written in one magical book? What would it look like, and what would you do with it?

St. Patrick’s Day Writing Prompts for Kids

St. Patrick’s Day is full of luck, leprechauns, and all things green.

These prompts will help you celebrate this fun holiday with your writing.

• Imagine you find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. What do you do with it?
• Write about a time when you met a friendly leprechaun. What did they teach you?
• What if you woke up on St. Patrick’s Day to find that everything in your house had turned green? What’s going on?
• Imagine you follow a trail of shamrocks that leads you to a magical forest. What do you find there?
• Write about a St. Patrick’s Day parade where all the floats come to life.
• What if you found a four-leaf clover that granted you three wishes? What would you wish for?
• Imagine you spend the day in a leprechaun’s shoes. What adventures do you have?
• Write about a rainbow that appears in your backyard and leads to an unexpected discovery.
• What if you could visit a land where it’s always St. Patrick’s Day? What’s it like?
• Imagine you’re in charge of planning the ultimate St. Patrick’s Day party. What do you include?
• Write about a time when you followed a mischievous leprechaun on an adventure.
• What if you could paint the town green for St. Patrick’s Day? How would you do it?
• Imagine you discover a secret tunnel under a giant shamrock. Where does it lead?
• Write about a magical harp that only plays music on St. Patrick’s Day.
• What if your pet turned into a leprechaun for a day? What mischief would they get into?
• Imagine you find a book of ancient Irish legends. What happens when you start reading it?
• Write about a time when you found a hidden message in a bowl of lucky charms.
• What if you discovered that your family had a secret St. Patrick’s Day tradition? What is it?
• Imagine you’re part of a St. Patrick’s Day treasure hunt. What do you find?
• Write about a time when a rainbow appeared in the middle of a rainy day. What happened next?
• What if you could create your own lucky charm? What would it look like, and what powers would it have?
• Imagine you visit a castle in Ireland that’s rumored to be full of magic. What do you discover inside?
• Write about a St. Patrick’s Day where everything you touch turns to gold. What do you do with your newfound wealth?
• What if you could brew a potion that brings good luck? Who would you share it with?
• Imagine you could catch a leprechaun. What would you ask them for, and what deal would you make?

Free Writing Prompts for Kids

These prompts are designed to let your imagination run wild.

There are no rules—just start writing and see where your creativity takes you.

• Write about a time when you discovered a hidden talent you never knew you had.
• Imagine you could spend a day as any animal. Which animal would you choose, and what would you do?
• What if you could visit any place in the world, real or imaginary? Where would you go, and why?
• Write about a dream you had that was so vivid, you felt like you were really there.
• Imagine you could invent a new toy. What would it be, and how would it work?
• What if you found a secret passageway in your house? Where does it lead?
• Write about a time when you made a new friend in an unexpected place.
• Imagine you could visit any time period in history. When would you go, and what would you do?
• What if you could speak any language fluently? Which language would you choose, and why?
• Write about a time when you had to make a tough decision. What did you choose, and how did it turn out?
• Imagine you could design your dream bedroom. What would it look like?
• What if you could have any superpower for a day? Which one would you choose, and how would you use it?
• Write about a time when you had an adventure in your own backyard.
• Imagine you could trade places with anyone in the world for a day. Who would you choose, and what would you do?
• What if you could make a wish on a shooting star? What would you wish for, and why?
• Write about a time when you did something that made you really proud.
• Imagine you could visit any planet in the solar system. Which one would you choose, and what would you explore?
• What if you could create your own holiday? What name would you give it, and how would people celebrate?
• Write about a time when you helped someone and how it made you feel.
• Imagine you could live in any kind of house, real or imaginary. What would it look like, and where would it be?
• What if you could have any pet, real or imaginary? What would it be, and how would you take care of it?
• Write about a time when you tried something new and how it turned out.
• Imagine you could be the main character in your favorite movie or book. What happens next?
• What if you could travel anywhere in the world instantly? Where would you go, and why?
• Write about a time when you discovered something surprising about yourself or someone else.

Technology Writing Prompts for Kids

Technology is a big part of our lives today.

These prompts will help you explore how technology affects the world around you.

• Imagine you could create a new app. What would it do, and why would people use it?
• Write about a time when technology helped you solve a problem. How did it work?
• What if robots became our teachers? What would school be like?
• Imagine you could design your own video game. What is the storyline, and who are the characters?
• Write about a world where everyone communicates only through emojis. How does it change things?
• What if you could invent a robot to do any one task for you? What would it be, and why?
• Imagine a day without any technology. What do you do instead?
• Write about a time when you used the internet to learn something new. What did you discover?
• What if you could talk to your favorite electronic device? What would it say?
• Imagine you could build your own computer. What special features would it have?
• Write about a time when technology went wrong. How did you fix it?
• What if video games could become real life? Which game would you want to live in, and why?
• Imagine you could control all the technology in your house with your mind. What would you do with this power?
• Write about a time when you had to teach someone how to use a new piece of technology. How did it go?
• What if you could create a hologram of yourself to do your chores? How would it work?
• Imagine you discover a secret website that only a few people know about. What’s on it?
• Write about a world where everyone has a flying car. How does it change the way people live?
• What if you could create a virtual reality world of your own? What would it be like?
• Imagine you could talk to animals using a special device. What would they tell you?
• Write about a time when you used technology to stay in touch with someone far away. How did it help?
• What if you could invent a gadget that makes life easier for everyone? What would it do?
• Imagine a world where drones deliver everything you need. How does it change your daily life?
• Write about a time when you had to unplug from technology. What did you do instead?
• What if you could explore outer space using a virtual reality headset? Where would you go, and what would you see?
• Imagine you find an old piece of technology from the past. What is it, and how does it work?

Alien Writing Prompts for Kids

Aliens can come in all shapes and sizes! These prompts will help you imagine what it might be like to meet beings from another planet.

• Imagine a spaceship lands in your backyard. Who steps out, and what do they want?
• Write about a time when you discovered that your neighbor is actually an alien in disguise.
• What if you could communicate with aliens using a special language? What do you say to each other?
• Imagine you’re the first human to visit an alien planet. What do you see and do?
• Write about a day when aliens come to your school. How do they fit in?
• What if you discovered a mysterious object that turns out to be alien technology? What does it do?
• Imagine you could invite an alien to dinner. What would you talk about, and what food would you serve?
• Write about a time when you accidentally switched places with an alien. What was life like on their planet?
• What if aliens started sending messages to Earth? What do they say, and how do we respond?
• Imagine you find a tiny alien living in your backpack. What adventures do you have together?
• Write about a world where humans and aliens live together. How do they get along?
• What if you could travel through space with an alien friend? What planets would you visit?
• Imagine you discover an alien species that looks like ordinary household objects. What do they want?
• Write about a time when you helped an alien who was lost on Earth. How did you get them home?
• What if aliens had their own version of pets? What would they look like, and how would they behave?
• Imagine you could ask an alien any question. What would you want to know?
• Write about a day when you woke up to find that you’ve turned into an alien. How do you adjust to your new life?
• What if aliens decided to compete in the Olympics? What sports would they be good at?
• Imagine you could visit an alien zoo. What strange and wonderful creatures do you see?
• Write about a time when an alien visited your classroom. How did they teach differently from your regular teacher?
• What if you discovered that your favorite movie star is actually an alien? How do you find out?
• Imagine a world where aliens and humans work together to explore the galaxy. What discoveries do they make?
• Write about a time when you found an alien artifact buried in your backyard. What powers does it have?
• What if aliens had their own version of holidays? What would they celebrate, and how?
• Imagine you could travel through time with an alien companion. Where do you go, and what do you see?

Narrative Writing Prompts for Kids

Narrative writing is all about telling stories. These prompts will help you create tales that are full of imagination, excitement, and adventure.

• Write about a time when you had an unexpected adventure. What happened, and how did it change you?
• Imagine you find a secret door in your house that leads to another world. What’s it like, and what do you do there?
• Write a story about a time when you made a new friend in an unusual way.
• What if you could relive any day of your life? Which day would you choose, and why?
• Imagine you wake up one morning with the ability to talk to animals. What do they say, and how does it change your day?
• Write about a time when you had to make a difficult decision. What did you choose, and what were the consequences?
• What if you could visit any place in the world for a week? Where would you go, and what would you do?
• Imagine you’re the main character in a fairy tale. What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them?
• Write about a time when you did something brave. What gave you the courage to act?
• What if you could switch lives with anyone for a day? Who would you choose, and what would you experience?
• Imagine you discover a hidden talent that you never knew you had. How do you use it?
• Write about a day when everything seemed to go wrong, but something surprising happened to turn it around.
• What if you could spend a day with your favorite book character? What adventures would you have together?
• Imagine you find a map that leads to a hidden treasure. What do you find when you follow it?
• Write about a time when you learned an important lesson from someone unexpected.
• What if you could travel back in time to meet a famous historical figure? Who would it be, and what would you talk about?
• Imagine you’re stranded on a deserted island. How do you survive, and what do you discover?
• Write about a time when you helped someone in need. How did it make you feel?
• What if you could live in any period of history for a year? Which time would you choose, and why?
• Imagine you receive a mysterious letter that changes your life. What does it say, and what happens next?
• Write about a day when you woke up with a special power. How do you use it?
• What if you could explore a place that no one else has ever been to? What do you find?
• Imagine you’re the hero of a story that takes place in a distant galaxy. What adventures do you have?
• Write about a time when you made a mistake but learned something valuable from it.
• What if you could bring one of your dreams to life? Which dream would you choose, and what would happen?

Persuasive Writing Prompts for Kids

In persuasive writing, the objective is to get others to understand and accept your point of view.

These prompts will help you practice your skills in making a strong argument.

• Write a letter to your school principal convincing them to make recess longer. What reasons do you give?
• Imagine you’re trying to convince your family to get a new pet. What arguments do you use to persuade them?
• What if you could choose the destination for your next family vacation? Write a persuasive essay explaining why your choice is the best.
• Write a speech to convince your classmates that your favorite book should be the next class read. What points do you make?
• Imagine you want to start a new club at school. Write a letter convincing your teacher to support it. What benefits does the club offer?
• Write an essay persuading your parents to let you stay up later on weekends. What are your main arguments?
• Imagine you’re trying to convince your friends to volunteer for a community project. How do you persuade them that it’s a good idea?
• What if you could change one rule at school? Write a persuasive essay explaining why the rule should be changed.
• Write a letter to your town’s mayor convincing them to build a new playground. What reasons do you give?
• Imagine you’re running for class president. Write a campaign speech that persuades your classmates to vote for you. What promises do you make?
• Write an essay convincing your teacher to have a field trip to your favorite museum. Why is it a great choice for a class trip?
• Imagine you’re trying to convince your parents to let you have a sleepover with your friends. What points do you make to persuade them?
• Write a letter to your favorite store asking them to carry a product you love. How do you convince them it’s a good idea?
• What if you could choose the next family movie night film? Write a persuasive essay explaining why your choice is the best.
• Write an essay convincing your school to start a recycling program. What benefits does it offer?
• Imagine you’re trying to persuade your teacher to have a class party. What arguments do you use to convince them?
• Write a letter to your favorite author persuading them to write a sequel to a book you love. What reasons do you give?
• Imagine you’re convincing your parents to let you take a special class or activity. How do you persuade them it’s a good idea?
• Write a persuasive essay explaining why your favorite season is the best. What makes it special?
• Imagine you’re trying to convince your school cafeteria to add a new food to the menu. What points do you make?
• Write a letter to your local library persuading them to host a special event or program. What reasons do you give?
• Imagine you’re trying to convince your teacher to give less homework. How do you make your case?
• Write an essay persuading your friends to try a new sport or activity with you. What makes it fun and worthwhile?
• Imagine you’re convincing your family to take a trip to a place you’ve always wanted to visit. How do you persuade them?
• Write a letter to your favorite TV network convincing them to create a new show based on your idea. What arguments do you use?

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts for Kids

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, family, and celebration.

These prompts will help you reflect on the holiday and create meaningful stories.

• Write about a time when you felt especially thankful. What were you grateful for, and why?
• Imagine you could invite any three people, living or dead, to your Thanksgiving dinner. Who would you choose, and what would you talk about?
• What if you could create a new Thanksgiving tradition? What would it be, and why?
• Write a story about a Thanksgiving where everything goes hilariously wrong. How does your family handle it?
• Imagine you’re a turkey on Thanksgiving Day. What do you do to avoid becoming dinner?
• Write about a time when you helped someone who needed it. How did it make you feel, and why are you thankful for the experience?
• What if you could travel back in time to the first Thanksgiving? What do you see, and how do you participate?
• Write a letter to someone you’re thankful for, explaining why they mean so much to you.
• Imagine you’re in charge of cooking the Thanksgiving meal. What do you make, and how does it turn out?
• Write about a time when you and your family worked together to prepare for Thanksgiving. What was the best part?
• What if Thanksgiving was celebrated in a different season? How would the holiday change, and what new traditions might arise?
• Imagine you could invite your favorite fictional character to Thanksgiving dinner. How do they fit in with your family?
• Write a story about a Thanksgiving where your family decides to have a potluck with all your neighbors. What surprising dishes do people bring?
• What if you had to explain Thanksgiving to someone who had never heard of it before? How would you describe the holiday and its meaning?
• Imagine you find a magical cornucopia that fills itself with whatever you wish. What do you put in it, and why?
• Write about a time when you felt especially connected to your family during Thanksgiving. What made the day special?
• What if your Thanksgiving meal came to life and started talking? What do they say, and how do you react?
• Imagine you’re responsible for setting the Thanksgiving table. What special touches do you add to make it perfect?
• Write a story about a Thanksgiving where everyone brings a dish from their culture. What new and exciting foods do you try?
• What if you had to host Thanksgiving in a totally different place, like a beach or a mountain cabin? How would the holiday change?
• Imagine you could give one Thanksgiving meal to someone in need. Who would you give it to, and why?
• Write about a Thanksgiving where your family decides to go on a trip instead of staying home. Where do you go, and how do you celebrate?
• What if you could create a Thanksgiving parade float? What would it look like, and what message would it convey?
• Imagine you could turn your Thanksgiving dinner into a fun competition, like a cooking show. Who wins, and what do they make?
• Write a story about a Thanksgiving where you discover a hidden family recipe. How does it change the meal, and what does it mean to you?

Fourth of July Writing Prompts for Kids

The Fourth of July is all about fireworks, fun, and celebrating freedom.

These prompts will help you create stories and reflections about this exciting holiday.

• Write about a time when you watched fireworks on the Fourth of July. What made the experience special?
• Imagine you could design your own Fourth of July fireworks show. What would it look like, and what would the grand finale be?
• What if you could travel back to the first Fourth of July celebration in 1776? What do you see, and how do people celebrate?
• Write about a Fourth of July parade where all the floats are based on your favorite things. What are they, and why do they make you happy?
• Imagine you could spend the Fourth of July in any city in the United States. Where would you go, and what would you do?
• Write a story about a time when you and your friends had the best Fourth of July barbecue ever. What made it so memorable?
• What if you discovered a secret about your family’s history on the Fourth of July? How does it change the way you see the holiday?
• Imagine you could invite any historical figure to your Fourth of July celebration. Who would you choose, and what would you talk about?
• Write about a time when the weather threatened to ruin your Fourth of July plans. How did you make the best of it?
• What if you could create a new Fourth of July tradition? What would it be, and how would people celebrate it?
• Imagine you’re in charge of organizing a community Fourth of July event. What activities do you plan, and how do people enjoy them?
• Write a story about a Fourth of July where you discover a time capsule from 100 years ago. What’s inside, and how does it connect to today?
• What if you could have a Fourth of July party with people from all over the world? How would they celebrate, and what foods would they bring?
• Imagine you’re writing a letter to a soldier who is away from home on the Fourth of July. What would you say to them?
• Write about a time when you saw the most amazing fireworks display ever. What made it stand out, and how did you feel watching it?
• What if you could create your own Fourth of July outfit? What would it look like, and why would it be special?
• Imagine you could bake a cake that represents the Fourth of July. What flavors and decorations would you choose?
• Write a story about a Fourth of July where your family decides to take a road trip across the country. What do you see and do along the way?
• What if you could invite your favorite superhero to your Fourth of July picnic? How would they help make the day even better?
• Imagine you discover a hidden park where only a few people know to watch the fireworks. What’s special about this secret spot?
• Write about a time when you celebrated the Fourth of July in a totally different way, like at a beach or in the mountains. How was it different from other years?
• What if you could create a Fourth of July playlist? What songs would you include, and why?
• Imagine you’re a reporter covering the biggest Fourth of July event in the country. What do you see, and who do you interview?
• Write about a time when you made or saw the coolest Fourth of July craft or decoration. What made it special?
• What if you could spend the Fourth of July with a family from another country who has never celebrated it before? How would you explain the holiday to them, and what would you do together?

Travel Writing Prompts for Kids

Traveling opens up new worlds and adventures. These prompts will inspire you to explore different places, whether real or imagined.

• Write about a time when you visited a place that took your breath away. What made it so special?
• Imagine you could travel anywhere in the world for a day. Where would you go, and what would you do?
• What if you could explore an ancient city that no one has visited in thousands of years? What do you find?
• Write about a time when you got lost on a trip but ended up discovering something amazing. What happened?
• Imagine you could take a journey through space to visit different planets. What do you see and experience?
• What if you could visit a place from your favorite book or movie? Where would you go, and what adventures would you have?
• Write about a time when you tried a new food while traveling. What was it, and how did you like it?
• Imagine you could go on a safari in Africa. What animals do you see, and what adventures do you have?
• What if you could visit a famous landmark that you’ve always wanted to see? How does it feel to be there in person?
• Write about a time when you made a new friend while traveling. How did you meet, and what did you do together?
• Imagine you could take a trip to a place that only exists in your imagination. What’s it like, and what do you do there?
• What if you could visit the bottom of the ocean in a submarine? What creatures and landscapes do you discover?
• Write about a time when you traveled to a place that was completely different from where you live. How did it make you feel?
• Imagine you could spend a week on a deserted island. What do you do to survive, and what do you discover?
• What if you could go on a road trip across the United States? What stops do you make, and what do you see?
• Write about a time when you traveled with your family. What was your favorite part of the trip, and why?
• Imagine you could visit a place where it’s always winter. What do you do there, and how do you stay warm?
• What if you could explore the jungles of the Amazon? What animals and plants do you encounter?
• Write about a time when you visited a place with a rich history. What did you learn, and how did it impact you?
• Imagine you could take a train ride through Europe. What countries do you visit, and what do you see along the way?
• What if you could go on an adventure to the North Pole? What challenges do you face, and what do you discover?
• Write about a time when you visited a place that felt magical. What made it so enchanting?
• Imagine you could visit a castle in Europe. What stories do you uncover while exploring its halls?
• What if you could go camping in a national park? What natural wonders do you explore, and what do you learn?
• Write about a time when you visited a bustling city. What sights and sounds made the experience unforgettable?

Language Writing Prompts for Kids

Language is powerful and fun to play with! These prompts will help you explore different ways of using words to express yourself.

• Write a poem about your favorite season. How do you capture the feeling of that time of year?
• Imagine you could create your own language. What are some of the words, and what do they mean?
• What if you could learn any language instantly? Which one would you choose, and why?
• Write a story where all the characters can only speak in rhymes. How does it change the way they communicate?
• Imagine you wake up one morning and can suddenly speak to animals. What do they tell you?
• What if you had to write a letter to someone using only emojis? How do you get your message across?
• Write a story where words have magical powers. How do the characters use them?
• Imagine you could read minds. What thoughts do you hear, and how do you react?
• What if you could communicate with people in the past using letters? Who would you write to, and what would you say?
• Write a story where a character has to solve a mystery using hidden messages. How do they decipher the clues?
• Imagine you find an ancient book filled with a forgotten language. What does it say, and how do you translate it?
• What if you could speak to someone who doesn’t speak your language? How do you find a way to understand each other?
• Write a poem that describes a feeling without using the name of the emotion. How do you express it?
• Imagine you could invent a new word that everyone starts using. What is it, and what does it mean?
• What if you could only communicate through pictures and drawings for a day? How do you tell your story?
• Write a story where a character has a secret language only they understand. How does it help or complicate their life?
• Imagine you could speak the language of trees. What would they tell you about the world?
• What if you had to create a code to send a message to a friend? How do you make sure they understand it?
• Write a letter to yourself from the future. What advice does your future self give you?
• Imagine you could write a story that comes true as you write it. What happens, and how do you control it?
• What if you could translate the sounds of nature into words? What messages do you hear?
• Write a story where the main character discovers they can speak any language but can’t remember how to speak their own. How do they cope?
• Imagine you’re in a world where people communicate through music. How do they express their feelings and ideas?
• What if you had to teach someone how to speak your language? What are the most important words you’d start with?
• Write a poem or short story using a word or phrase from another language. How does it add to the meaning of your work?

Black History Month Writing Prompts for Kids

Black History Month is a time to celebrate the achievements, culture, and history of African Americans.

These prompts will help you reflect on important figures, events, and contributions.

• Write about a time when you learned about an important figure in Black history. What did you learn, and why was it meaningful to you?
• Imagine you could interview any African American historical figure. Who would you choose, and what questions would you ask?
• What if you could create a museum exhibit dedicated to Black history? What artifacts or stories would you include?
• Write a story about a child who discovers a hidden family history connected to the Civil Rights Movement. What do they learn?
• Imagine you’re participating in a march for equality during the 1960s. What are you marching for, and what do you experience?
• What if you could have a conversation with Martin Luther King Jr.? What advice would he give you about making a difference in the world?
• Write about a time when you stood up for something you believed in, inspired by a figure from Black history.
• Imagine you could travel back in time to witness a significant event in Black history. What event would you choose, and what would you see?
• What if you could write a letter to Rosa Parks? What would you say to her about her bravery and its impact on the world?
• Write a story where the main character is inspired by Harriet Tubman to overcome a personal challenge. How do they succeed?
• Imagine you could visit a classroom in the past where students are learning about Black history. What are they discussing, and how does it compare to today?
• What if you could design a poster celebrating an unsung hero from Black history? Who would you choose, and what message would you highlight?
• Write about a time when you participated in a project or event that celebrated Black culture. What did you learn, and how did it impact you?
• Imagine you could create a book of poems inspired by the Harlem Renaissance. What themes would you explore?
• What if you could attend a speech by Frederick Douglass? What would you hope to hear, and how would it inspire you?
• Write a story where the main character learns about the importance of Black inventors and their contributions to society. How does this knowledge change them?
• Imagine you could design a monument to honor African American veterans. What would it look like, and what would it symbolize?
• What if you could visit a jazz club during the 1920s Harlem Renaissance? What music would you hear, and who would you meet?
• Write about a time when you learned about the history of African American music. What genres or artists stood out to you, and why?
• Imagine you’re writing a play about a pivotal moment in Black history. What scene would you focus on, and what message would you want to convey?
• What if you could have dinner with Maya Angelou? What would you talk about, and what wisdom would you hope to gain?
• Write a story where a young artist is inspired by the work of Jacob Lawrence to create their own masterpiece. How do they express their creativity?
• Imagine you’re part of a community project to restore a historic Black neighborhood. What stories and memories do you uncover?
• What if you could visit an African American church during the Civil Rights Movement? What would the experience be like, and how would it inspire you?
• Write about a time when you learned about the contributions of African Americans to science and technology. How did it change your perspective on history?

For even more writing prompts for kids, check out these video writing prompts:

Final Thoughts

Teachers, these prompts are just the beginning of a fantastic writing journey.

Encourage your students to take these ideas and run with them, exploring new worlds and expressing themselves freely. Kids, let your creativity soar—your stories are waiting to be told.

If you’re looking for a tool to automatically generate rubrics for writing assignments, check out my Grading GPT tool. If you’d like to customize lessons plans for different learners, try my AI Custom Learning Pro tool .

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The Absolute Best Creative Writing Topics for Kids!

Creative writing is a great way for children to express themselves using imagination. At Kids Play and Create, we value young writers, and we are constantly updating our list to bring you new, fun, and imaginative writing prompts for kids.

We have story starters, icebreakers, fiction writing prompts, and fun topics to inspire kids through writing. From young students to middle school students and even high school, we have great writing prompts for all writing styles and even the most reluctant writers.

                Check the end of the article for updated Creative Writing Topics for Teens. Are you looking for Creative Writing topics for 1st grade and 2nd grade with free printables? We have that too!

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing can be used to explain many types of writing. It is a writing style that lets the writer express themselves.  Some forms of creative writing entertain the reader, while others are therapeutic.  Creative writing lets the writer use their imagination and takes the reader on a journey into their thoughts.

Is Creative Writing Important?

Creative writing is a great way to learn more about the children you work with.  You can find out things about what they like and don’t like.  Depending on the topic you choose, you can also find out things about their personality, what kind of friends they are, how they feel about themselves, and if they set goals and more.  

How do you get kids to want to write without complaining?  Give them fun topics that they will learn about themselves while writing.  On this list, you will find various good topics for both younger and older children.

Creative Writing is fun for All Ages.

Creative writing isn’t just for older children. It can be for the little ones too. Young students as early as Preschool or Kindergarten may not have the ability to write but can express themselves through drawing.

Have young students concentrate less on the writing and more on drawing a picture that goes with the topic. Children are great at expressing themselves through art.

Awesome Creative Writing Prompts for Elementary Students

1. Have the children write on top of the page:  I Am Special Because… This is a good topic to help children express themselves.

 Examples of powers they can write about are flying, super speed, eye lasers, walking through walls, shooting ice, shooting fire, changing the weather, camouflage, shapeshifting (changing shape), and turning invisible. 

When the writing activity is over, split the children into two teams, the superhero team and the villain team.  Have them vs. each other in a game of tag.  Who will champion the superheroes or the villains? 

3. What do I want to be when I grow up and why?

This is a fun topic.  Children can think about having anything in the world.  Will they pick something like peace on earth or go the million-dollar route?  

5. If I could invent a new animal, what animal would it be? 

Have the children ask themselves the following questions: What does the animal look like (what color, is it big or small, is it a combination of two animals)?  What sounds does the animal make?  What does it eat?  Where does it live?  Describe the animal’s habitat.

Creative Writing Topics for Kids

6. If I could invent a new toy, what kind of toy would I create and why? Or, If I could improve a toy, which toy would I improve, and how would I make it better?  

Talk to the children about the creative process:  First, you come up with an idea, then you have to get it made. 

Talk to the children about manufacturing toys. 

Here are some questions you can ask the children about improving a toy.  How do you want to make the toy better?  Do you want to make the remote control car faster?  Is the game challenging enough?  Do you want your doll to have more features or do more? 

You can ask the children these questions to get their brains thinking.

7. If I could make something disappear in my life, what would it be and why?

Ask the children if there is something in your life that makes them unhappy.  Is there a problem you are having?  

8 . All About me essay.

Some sample questions the children can ask are:  What are my likes and dislikes?

What is my favorite subject in school? What do I want to be when I group up?  Who is their favorite actress/actor?  Where do they want to visit? They can name the people in their family, talk about any extracurricular activities they do, etc.

9 . In what ways do I help my family?

Have children write about the ways they help their families.  Do you have chores?  If so, what are they?  Do you help your mom or dad cook?  Do you talk out the garbage? Do you take care of your siblings?  Do you have a job to help pay bills?  

10. How can I be a better friend?  

Have children think about what type of friends they are.  Are they good listeners?  Are you kind?  Do you talk about your friends to other people?  Have them think about how they would like to be treated by a friend, do they treat their friends the way they want to be treated?

The Best Creative Writing Topics for 4th and 5th grade

11. If you could be invisible, what would you do and why?

Have the children think about what it would be like to be invisible.  Would they use this new power for good or would they try to do something bad?

12. What do you think about bullies and why? 

Have the children define what a bully is to them in their paper.  Do they think they are a bully?  Do they think bullying is wrong?  Remember, these are things the children are feeling, there are no wrong answers.

To them, the children with their writing ask them the following questions. What does it mean to be honest?  Have you ever told a lie that turned into another lie?

14. What would you do if you won a million dollars? 

This question is usually a favorite topic with the children.  Ask them if they think one million dollars is a lot of money. 

Depending on where you live, it might be just enough to buy a small house and a car.  What are some things you would buy?  Would you save some or spend it all?

15. If you could change the world, what would you do and why?

Would they change things, such as ending hate and violence in the world? Would they change things such as making gas or food free for everyone? You will get various answers, making this a fun and interesting topic.

Fun Writing Prompts Ideas

This is a fun topic for both younger and older children.  Activity: Have the children draw their kingdom and a picture of them as king or queen

This topic is also great for older and younger children. While children love playing video games, they may not realize that they can make video games for a living.

Talk to the children about video game developers and the process of creating video games. Have them brainstorm ideas for games and find out what they can come up with.

18. Write about a time when you had to be brave, what did you do, and how did it make you feel?

19. Write about a trip to the moon, how you got there, what you saw, and whether it was fun or scary.

20. Write about something you are good at.

22. Write about a time when you worked hard to get something.

This can be a thing or an accomplishment, like making a team, finally getting that cartwheel, or passing a test.

There is always room for improvement.  Talk to the children about the importance of trying hard and working towards a goal.

24. If you had to give away $1,000, what would you do with it, and who would you give it to?

This is a great question to ask children when talking about being kind and helping others.  

Journal Prompts or Kids

25. What is the best thing someone has ever given to you?

This question helps children think about what they’re good at and how they can help others.

Explain what happened and how it made you feel.  

30. Did someone ever hurt your feelings?

31. Is there anyone you would like to switch places with? Who and why?

32. What does it mean to be loyal?

33. When was a time you were loyal to a friend or a friend who was loyal to you?

34. What famous person would you like to meet?

Self-Esteem Writing Topics

35. Have you ever been friends with someone who was unpopular or not part of the group?  

This is a great question to ask children when teaching them about acceptance and how it feels not to be part of a group.

36. When was a time you felt you were treated unfairly? How did it make you feel?

37. Is it fair to give someone a head start in a race?  When is it fair? When is it not fair?

Everyone makes mistakes.  This writing topic helps children understand that mistakes are part of the learning experience.

40. Write about a time when you were very angry.  What happened? How did being angry make you feel?  

Did I make a good choice when I was angry? This is a great writing topic when discussing feelings with children.  It is important for them to understand that anger isn’t wrong and that you are allowed to feel angry.

41. What would you do if you heard a rumor about a friend you knew wasn’t true? How would it make you feel? What would you do?

44. Write about three things that are hard for you and why.

46. What is the bravest thing you’ve ever done?

49. Write about your best friend. Who are they, how long have you known them, and why are they your best friend?

Short Story Writing Topics for Kids

52. If you could be on a t.v show, which one would it be and why?  

55. You just found a treasure map; write about what you would do next.  Do you decide to look for the treasure?  Who is going to help you?  What supplies do you need? Did the map lead you to the treasure, or was it fake?  If you found the treasure, what was it?  What did you do with it?

56. You just built a time machine.  Where in time would you go?  What did you do?  What did you see?  Would you want to stay there or come back to the present time?

58. Challenge the kids to write a scary story.

2.  Create an animal.  This is the same as the monster but just an animal instead.

3. Create new food. What kind of food is it?  Is it a dessert, is it something spicy, is it a combination of both?  Have the children draw a picture of their new food.

Group Writing Prompts for Kids

I’ve been working with kids on group writing and art projects.  The kids enjoyed these topics the best.

58. Create a fairy tale. have each group member write one part of the story. Then have each member of the group draw one part of the story. When the children are finished writing, have them come up in front of the class and retell their story.   

59.  Create an amusement park.  Discuss as a group the name of the park.  Have each member of the group write about the parts of the park. 

B.  Write about the type of rides in the park.  Are there shows in the park?

Art Project:  On a large poster board, have each group member draw a park map.  List of attractions, games, food, restrooms, gift shops, shows, etc..

Newly Added Creative Writing Prompts

61. Create a new food/or meal and make a recipe to teach others how to make it.  Have the kids draw a picture of the new food/meal.

62. Create a new game and describe how to play.  This writing topic lets children use their imaginations.  Have the children draw out the game on paper.  If creating a  board game, have the children turn the paper into a board game.

64.  Your video just went viral on YouTube.  What did you do in your video? These days, children spend so much time looking at videos on YouTube.  Have them imagine what it would be like to become famous overnight with a viral video.

Magical Writing Prompts for Kids

67. What is your sorcerer’s name?  What kind of sorcerer would you be?  Would you be evil or nice?  What kind of powers would you have?  What is something that you did as a sorcerer?

69. Write about a time when you were proud of your work and did your best.  How did that make you feel?  Do you always try your best?  Why or why not

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28 Pre-Writing Activities for Preschoolers

Build writing skills and have fun while doing it!

Pre-writing activities for preschoolers not only help our youngest learners learn the shape and structure of the letters in the alphabet, they serve a number of other functions as well. According to education blogger Lisette from Where Imagination Grows , pre-writing practice teaches directionality in writing, encourages fine muscle development and coordination, and helps students process sensory information critical to the writing process.

Here are 28 super-fun, easy-to-make activities that your preschoolers will love!

1. Squishy Bags

All you need to make these awesome sensory bags is resealable zipper storage bags filled with a paste of flour, water, and food coloring. Zip the bags tight, then let kids use cotton swabs or their fingers to draw shapes, lines, and letters on the bag.

2. Bubble Wrap

What a great way to recycle all that leftover bubble wrap! Simply write letters on sheets of bubble wrap with a Sharpie. Then have kids trace them as they pop their way to letter recognition.

3. Play Dough Pancakes

Flatten out a medium-size ball of play dough like a pancake on a flat surface. Then use a sharp object to draw a letter on the flattened area. Make sure that the letter is large enough to be easily recognizable when filled with straws. Cut plastic straws into 1-inch segments. Then let kids “trace” the letters with the colorful straw segments.

4. Dot Markers

Students use dot markers to practice the mechanics of writing and get used to the angles and curves of letters. Download 12 free pages of pre-writing dot marker worksheets .

5. Play Dough Snakes

Kids can’t resist the sensory lure of play dough! For this activity, kids can roll small balls of dough into long snakes and form letters by bending and joining the snakes together. To help guide their work, provide letter cards.

6. LEGO Blocks

Blocks! Young kids can’t get enough of building and creating with them. Put their creative energy to good use by having them build letters on letter cards.

This activity builds fine motor skills that your young students need to begin writing. Students use inexpensive pony beads (found at any craft store) to follow pre-printed lines .

Another fun way to use pony beads: Draw a letter in play dough and let students trace the letter by lining up pony beads along the outline. ADVERTISEMENT

8. Sand Tray

One of the simplest pre-writing activities to put together for your preschoolers is a sand tray. Kids can use their fingers or an unsharpened pencil to practice writing. As an alternative to sand, you can fill your tray with salt, flour, cornmeal, or rice.

9. Squeeze Bottle

For this easy-to-prepare activity, simply fill a plastic squeeze bottle with salt or sugar and let students trace letters on cards by squeezing the bottle.

10. Cotton Swabs and Paint

This is a fun activity to help kids work on their fine motor skills and get the hang of the all-important pencil grip. Show kids how to properly hold the swab like a pencil, then dip the swab in the paint and practice writing on paper. Check back and make adjustments to their grip.

11. Glitter Glue

Pre-writing lines are important building blocks for any preschooler to master before learning letter formations. Download this glitter glue pre-writing line practice for preschoolers activity.

12. Rainbow Tray

This resource is so simple to make, and kids love it! Simply tape colored tissue paper in a rainbow pattern to the bottom of a clear plastic tray. Fill it with sand, and as the kids trace lines and letters, the colors below are revealed. For extra fun, place the tray on top of a light table to add a glowing dimension to the rainbow.

13. Masking Tape

This is a fun center activity for learning letters. Provide students with a roll of colored masking tape and a clear surface, like a mirror, window, or table. Then have them tear off sections of tape to form letters.

14. Magnet Board

Write letters on a magnet board with a dry-erase marker and let your little ones trace them with magnets. Or make letters with masking tape and draw a dotted line down the middle, creating a “road.” Then students can “drive” car magnets along the letter road.

15. Lacing Cards

Grasping a string between tiny fingers and threading the end through the holes in a lacing card is great fine motor practice for preschoolers. It also begins to build muscle memory for holding a pencil properly. Create your own lacing cards with card stock and a hole punch.

16. Shaving Cream

This classic activity is a great starting place for pre-writers. All you need is a tray and a can of shaving cream. Then, students can use a stick, a swab, or their finger as they write letters, shapes, or words.

17. Buttons

Preschoolers will have so much fun creating patterns, swirls, squiggles, and zigzags with colorful buttons. And they’ll be building fine motor skills while they’re at it!

18. Sticker Line-Up

Preschoolers need to use a pinching motion, which builds hand strength, to peel sticker dots off the page. Then, they use hand-eye coordination to place each sticker along a drawn line. This activity would be perfect for a writing or free-time station.

19. Fingerprint Writing

Some kids don’t like to get their fingers this messy, but others adore it! For this activity, you will need poster paper and a palette of washable ink. Draw letters, shapes, and lines on a clean piece of paper. Then, show kids how to dip their pointer finger onto the ink pad and follow the lines dot by dot.

20. Clothespin Clipping

Using a clothespin requires grip strength. Any activity that involves clipping clothespins will help kids build the fine motor skills required for writing.

21. Using Scissors

Cutting and snipping activities with scissors are excellent ways for children to practice fine motor skills and control. Give your students lots of opportunities to practice their cutting skills with paper, string, card stock, and even snakes of Play-Doh!

22. Scrunching Paper

Scrunching paper into a ball is great for building hand strength. Let your preschoolers use computer paper, newspaper, tissue paper, or wrapping paper to create a tight ball. Then play a game of paper ball tag!

23. Ice Painting

As young learners grasp a paintbrush and apply paint onto melting ice, they’re building fine motor skills. This helps develop hand-eye coordination and strengthens the muscles in their hands and fingers.

24. Alphabet Stamps

Preschoolers enjoy tactile fun and learning while building small motor skills with these dough stampers. Sturdy alphabet stamps can be pushed into soft play dough or clay. Includes all 26 letters.

Buy it: Dough Stampers

25. Paint With Water (or Chalk)

Take your preschoolers outside and let them loose on the sidewalk with a cup of water and a paintbrush. Let them draw squiggles, lines, letters, etc. All of these options reinforce writing skills. Alternatively, let students use colored chalk.

26. Pipe Cleaners

Pipe cleaners can be used for a variety of pre-writing activities to help preschoolers develop their finger muscles and fine motor skills. Make shapes, add beads, curl them around pencils, and more!

27. Scribble

Scribbling does wonders for teaching preschoolers how to apply the right amount of pressure to, and control the movement of, crayons and pencils in order to make them work. And not only that, it’s fun! Use poster paper or cardboard boxes to make it a group project.

28. Finger Tracing

Learning to write with a pencil is important, but for learning letters, fingers can work just as well. Prepare letter cards and demonstrate where to begin. The more students practice, the greater the muscle memory.

Plus, if you enjoyed these pre-writing activities for preschoolers, check out these amazing Sensory Table Activities.

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12 Best Writing Activities for Kids: The “Write” Way to Fun

1. Online Writing Games

2. feelings journal, 3. personal time capsule letters, 4. use creative writing prompts, 5. picture storytelling, 6. diy comic strips, 7. outdoor observation, 8. letter to a hero, 9. recipe writing, 10. story cubes.

Did you know that many kids today find writing a bit challenging? In fact, studies show that lots of children struggle with putting their thoughts into words. But guess what? We have some super fun and exciting ways to help them become amazing writers!

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We’ll show you how writing activities will make your kids love writing, just like they love their favorite games and toys .

But why is this important? Well, teaching kids to write is not just about school—it’s about expressing yourself, telling stories , and sharing ideas. Plus, it’s a skill that will help them in so many areas of life. Let’s dive right in and discover fun writing activities for kids that will light up their imaginations and help them become confident writers!

12 Fun and Creative Writing Activities for Kids

Writing can be as exciting as a treasure hunt or a fantastic adventure, and it doesn’t have to feel like homework. Here are some ways on how to practice writing:

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In today’s digital age, engaging children in learning can be both fun and educational. Online writing games are an excellent way to foster creativity and enhance writing skills in kids. One such platform that excels in this regard is SplashLearn .

SplashLearn offers a wide array of interactive games and worksheets designed to enhance kids’ writing skills. From letter tracing activities that help strengthen fine motor skills to engaging sight word games that boost reading and writing proficiency, SplashLearn transforms writing practice into an engaging and rewarding experience.

A journal is like a secret friend where kids can pour out their thoughts and feelings. This writing activity is a safe space for self-expression and emotional growth.

Ideas for journaling:

• Ask them to write about their favorite day.
• Let them draw or stick pictures to make it even more personal.

Keeping a journal is like having a personal therapist on paper. It aids in emotional development by encouraging self-reflection and expression of feelings. Additionally, it hones writing skills, vocabulary, and the ability to organize thoughts coherently.

The idea of a time capsule is to capture the present moment for the future. In this activity, kids write letters to their future selves, detailing their current lives, hopes, dreams, and questions they might have for their older selves.

How it works:

• Provide kids with paper, envelopes, and writing tools.
• Ask them to imagine they’re writing to themselves 5 or 10 years in the future.
• They can describe their current life, friends, hobbies, and dreams.
• Once done, seal the letters in envelopes with the date to be opened in the future.
• Store them in a safe place or create a decorative time capsule box.

Writing to one’s future self is a reflective activity that encourages introspection. It helps children articulate their current feelings, aspirations, and uncertainties. As they ponder what the future might hold, they also develop a sense of hope and anticipation. When they eventually open these letters years later, they can see how much they’ve grown, which can be a profound and emotional experience.

Imagine starting with a simple sentence and turning it into an amazing story! That’s what creative writing prompts do—they make writing an adventure.

Examples of prompts:

“If I could go anywhere in the world, I would visit…”

“Once, I found a magical key that opened…”

Creative writing prompts spark imagination and creativity. They prompt children to think outside the box and develop their unique voice. Additionally, it improves their storytelling abilities and vocabulary.

Pictures can speak a thousand words, and when kids write about them, they learn to describe things in detail.

Picture-based prompts:

Show them a picture and ask, “What do you see? Write a story about it.”

Describing pictures in detail improves observational skills and the ability to convey ideas clearly. It encourages children to think critically about visual cues and translate them into written narratives.

Creating comics is like being a superhero! Kids get to draw, write, and think about how stories flow.

Step-by-step guide:

• Draw a series of boxes to make panels.
• In each panel, tell a part of the story with words and pictures.

Creating comic strips nurtures artistic and storytelling talents simultaneously. It teaches visual storytelling, enhances writing skills in a concise format, and encourages the creative interplay between words and images.

Prompt: “What’s a funny incident that happened to you recently? Try turning it into a 3-panel comic strip!

Writing about nature connects kids with the world around them. It’s like taking a walk in the park with a pen.

Outdoor observation prompts:

• “Create an alphabet list using things you see in nature. For each letter, write the word of something you found, and describe it in one sentence.”
• “Draw your favorite tree and write about it.”
• Pick up a fallen leaf and make up a story about where it came from, the tree it belonged to, and its adventures on the ground.
• Look up at the sky and observe a unique shape in the clouds. Write a short story (2-3 sentences) about what this cloud shape resembles and a whimsical tale that could involve this cloud character.

This activity connects children with the natural world. It cultivates an appreciation for the environment, promotes keen observation skills, and sharpens descriptive writing abilities.

Writing a letter to a hero or role model is a way to say thank you and share admiration. It’s all about showing gratitude.

What to write:

• Tell your hero why you admire them.
• Say how they inspire you.

Writing letters to heroes promotes gratitude , empathy, and the articulation of admiration. It helps children develop persuasive writing skills and the ability to express their feelings respectfully.

Writing recipes is like creating magic potions! It’s also a fun way to learn about measurements and following instructions.

Write down a simple recipe, like making a peanut butter or jelly sandwich.

Crafting recipes enhances attention to detail and understanding of the order of operations. It teaches the importance of clear, concise instructions and reinforces basic math and measurement skills.

Story cubes are like dice with pictures. Roll them, and see where your imagination takes you!

How to make and use them:

• Draw pictures on cube-shaped paper or use stickers.
• Roll the cubes and create a story based on the pictures that come up.

Story cubes stimulate the imagination and encourage spontaneous storytelling. They help children think on their feet, connect disparate ideas, and weave them into a coherent narrative. This activity also promotes vocabulary expansion as kids search for the right words to describe the images they see.

11. Newspaper Reporter

Kids can be little reporters and learn about news writing. It’s a sneak peek into how newspapers work!

Activity: Brainstorm: Think of an event like “Aliens Visit Local School” or “Lost City Found in Backyard”.

Details: Answer: Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?

Headline: Create a catchy title to grab attention.

Draft: Write the story, adding ‘quotes’ from ‘witnesses’ or ‘experts’.

Illustrate: Sketch a related image or scene.

This activity merges news writing with creative storytelling. Kids learn the structure of news while enhancing both their factual and creative writing skills.

12. Book Reviews

Reading is fantastic, but talking about what you’ve read is even better. It helps kids think critically and share their thoughts.

How to do it:

• Pick a book you love and tell others what you liked and didn’t like about it.
• These writing activities are like hidden treasures waiting to be discovered. Pick one, or try them all, and watch your child’s writing skills grow while having a blast!

Writing book reviews enhances critical thinking and analytical skills. It encourages children to form opinions, express them clearly, and engage in thoughtful discussions about literature. It also promotes reading comprehension.

6 Benefit of Writing Activities for Students

Did you know that these fun writing activities can do wonders for your child’s growth? Let’s explore how:

1. Improves Literacy Skills

Engaging in creative writing activities fosters a deeper understanding of language and literacy. This enhanced literacy proficiency not only aids them academically but also equips them with a crucial life skill for effective expression and comprehension.

2. Improves Communication Skills

Through storytelling, journaling, and letter writing, kids learn to articulate their thoughts, feelings, and ideas coherently. They become more adept at conveying their messages, whether in written assignments at school or in everyday conversations. 

3. Boosts Creativity

Creative writing activities are like playgrounds for the imagination. When children engage in storytelling, compose poems , or craft imaginative narratives, they exercise their creative muscles. 

4. Enhances Critical Thinking

Many of these activities encourage children to think critically about the content they create. When they write book reviews, they must analyze the plot, characters, and themes, developing the capacity to assess literature thoughtfully. Storytelling and creative prompts compel them to structure narratives logically, considering cause and effect. These experiences foster analytical thinking, enabling kids to approach complex issues with a more discerning eye.

5. Improves Emotional Well-being

Journaling, in particular, serves as a therapeutic outlet for children to express their emotions, fears, and aspirations. It allows them to process their feelings and gain a better understanding of themselves, helping children manage stress and anxiety more effectively. 

6. Cultivation of a Lifelong Skill

This can lead to a lifelong passion for literature, creative expression, and effective communication—an invaluable skill that serves them well in education, careers, and personal relationships.

In other words, the benefits of these creative writing activities extend far beyond the classroom to nurture well-rounded individuals with enhanced literacy skills, effective communication abilities, heightened creativity, and a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them. Encouraging children to embrace these activities is an investment in their personal and intellectual growth, providing them with tools that will benefit them throughout their lives.

To wrap it up, these writing exercises for kids make learning fun and beneficial. These activities to improve writing skills help kids become great writers, improve their reading , and boost their creativity. By enjoying these activities, children can express themselves better and learn to tell amazing stories. So, let’s encourage our little ones to dive into this exciting world of writing. It’s not just homework; it’s a lifelong adventure where imagination and self-expression reign.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the 5 minute writing exercise for kids.

The 5-minute writing exercise for kids is a quick and creative activity where they write about anything that comes to mind for just 5 minutes, no rules, just free writing.

What is a fun writing game for kids?

A fun writing game for kids can be “Story Dice” where they roll dice with pictures and create a story using those images, sparking imagination.

How do you make a writing lesson fun?

To make a writing lesson fun, incorporate games, writing worksheets for kids, storytelling, or interactive prompts to engage students and make learning enjoyable.

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57 Fun Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

General Education

With many kids learning from home due to Covid-19, easy-to-organize educational activities for students are more important than ever. Writing helps improve students' creativity, communication skills, and ability to focus, among other benefits.

Whether you're a teacher, a parent now homeschooling, or a student looking for something new and interesting to write about, these writing prompts are for you. We've collected 57 writing prompts for students of various ages, from elementary school through high school. From spooky story writing prompts to debating how to improve schools, this article has writing prompts that will appeal to all students.

Tips for Using These Writing Prompts

What's the best way to use these creative writing prompts for kids? It depends on a lot of factors, including the student's age, current schooling structure, and their own interests and abilities. Here are some suggestions:

Use as a daily writing prompts exercise. You can assign one of these prompts at the beginning or end of the school day, as a way to prepare for the rest of the day or unwind after schoolwork.

Set up a quiet space to write. Many people have a hard enough time writing even with no distractions, and it can be nearly impossible to respond thoughtfully to a prompt if there's a television on, people talking, etc. Having a distraction-free space can help your student focus on the work at hand and produce their best writing.

Suggest an estimated writing length. Most of these journal writing prompts are designed to be answered both briefly or much more in depth. By giving a number of words/pages to aim for, you'll give your student a better idea of how detailed their response should be.

Consider having students handwrite their responses. Writing by hand can help students be more thoughtful about their responses because they'll typically write slower than they can type. It can also help students improve their handwriting skills.

57 Fun Writing Prompts for Kids

Below are over 50 journal topics for kids, organized into three categories: narrative writing prompts, fiction/creative writing prompts, and argumentative writing prompts for kids.

Narrative Writing Prompts for Kids

#1: What is your favorite holiday or holiday tradition?

#2: If you could go back in time for one day, which time period would you choose?

#3: If you could learn one thing about your future, what would it be? Or, if you prefer not to know anything, why would you make that choice?

#4: Pretend you're writing an autobiography and need to create a table of contents. What would you name each chapter?

#5: What is your earliest memory? Write every detail you can remember about it.

#6: If you had the power to change one thing about school, what would you change and why?

#7: Describe three goals you have for yourself.

#8: Imagine you are creating your dream restaurant. What kind of food would you serve, what would the menu look like, and how would the restaurant be decorated?

#9: If you could build your dream house, what would it look like? What rooms would it have? What would the yard be like?

#10: What is the bravest thing you've done in your life? Why did you make the choice you did? How did you feel during and after the situation?

#11: What is the funniest thing you've ever seen?

#12: What is your dream job?

#13: What is one thing you're really good at?

#14: Pretend you are a professional reviewer and write a review of a book you recently read or a TV show/movie you recently watched. How many stars would you give it? What did you like about it, and what didn't you like?

#15: Write about a time you did something kind for someone else. What did you do, how did it make you feel, and how did it make the person you helped feel?

#16: Imagine your life in ten years. What do you think you will be like? What will you be doing?

#17: Write about the craziest dream you've ever had.

#18: What would your perfect weekend look like? What things would you do? Who would you see? What would you eat?

#19: Do you like your name? If so, why? If not, what would you change it to?

#20: Make a list of your favorite activities for each season.

#21: Write about your least favorite chore. What don't you like about it? What would you invent to make the chore easier?   

#22: What three pieces of advice would you give to your younger self?

#23: If you could be famous for anything, what would it be? 

#24: If you could create a new law, what would it be? Do you think it would be hard to enforce?

#25: Write about a time you think one or both of your parents made a mistake. What did they do, and what do you think they should have done? Did they admit their mistake?

#26: How would your best friend describe you? How would you describe your best friend? (You can also have your friend do this prompt and read each other's responses.)

Fiction and Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

#27: Write a story about a character taking a submarine ride under the sea. What sort of things do you think they would see there? Would they be afraid or excited?

#28: Write a new chapter for your favorite book or new scene for your favorite movie. Which characters would be there, and what would they be doing?

#29: Invent a new pet. What would it look like, and what would you call it? What would it eat, and how would you care for it?

#30: Start a story with a lyric from a song.

#31: Pick something nearby (toy, pet, flower, etc.) and write a haiku about it. Bonus points if it rhymes!

#32: Write a story about a character who gets lost in the woods and discovers a mysterious person there.

#33: Write your own silly internet quiz.

#34: Choose an object in the house and describe it in as much detail as you can without saying what it is. Then, have a parent or sibling try to guess what you described.

#35: Write a scary story that includes: a spooky pumpkin patch, a vampire afraid of garlic, and a black cat.

#36: Do some people watching out your window. Write a story using one or more of them as the characters. Make up backstories and imagine what they're doing.

#37: Write a story about what you think your parents were like when they were younger.

#38: Your character survives a shipwreck and washes up on a mysterious island. What is on the island and how does (s)he get back home?

#39: Imagine you can choose to be any animal for a day. Which animal would you choose? What would you do?

#40: Write a poem about your favorite season.

#41: Imagine you are chosen for the first mission to Mars. What would you bring with you, and what do you think exploring the planet would be like?

#42: Write a sympathetic story from the point of view of the "bad guy." (Think fractured fairy tales like Wicked or The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! , although the story doesn't have to be a fairy tale.)

#43: Imagine your pet gets a day to roam free before returning home. Where would it go, and what would it see?

#44: If you could have dinner with any three people (real or fictional), who would you choose and what would you talk about? What would you eat?

#45: Look through photographs, drawings, and paintings. Choose one and write a story about it, imagining where it is and the types of people/things there.

#46: Imagine aliens landed on earth. What would they look like, and how would they act? Would they be friendly or not?

Argumentative Writing Prompts for Kids

#47: Are there dangers of teenagers spending too much time on social media?

#48: Does homework actually help students learn?

#49: Should students doing e-learning this year get letter grades, pass/fail, or no grades?

#50: At what age should children get their own cell phone?

#51: Which is best: ebooks, audiobooks, or traditional print books?

#52: What's more important, PE classes or art classes?

#53: Which celebrity is the best role model for kids? Which is the worst?

#54: Should parents or teachers be able to ban certain books from schools?

#55: Which season is the best?

#56: Should students recite the Pledge of Allegiance in school?

#57: Should students go to school year-round and have shorter breaks throughout the year rather than one long summer vacation?

What's Next?

Also looking for science activities for kids?  Check out our 37 science experiments for kids that you can do at home!

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Pipe cleaners can provide endless craft ideas. Read our guide for simple instructions for 31 fun pipe cleaner crafts for kids.

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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13 Fun Writing Activities for 4 year olds

Are you looking for creative and fun writing activities for 4 year olds? Then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a list of some fun, educational and creative writing projects for preschoolers.

The following article includes a variety of fun writing activities that you can use to help your 4 year old develop his or her writing skills.

1 – Create a Story Together

2 – use funny words, 3 – salt tray drawing, 4 – shape tracing, 5 – playdough shapes, 6 – paper cut out letters, 7 – sidewalk chalk, 8 – make a mural, 9 – play i spy, 10 – clay letters, 11 – word puzzle, 12 – word scavenger hunt, 13 – use flashcards, 13 writing activities for 4 year olds.

Here’s our list of fun pre-writing activities for 4 year olds.

Ask your 4 year old to help you create a funny or silly story.

Sit down with your child and ask him or her to help you write a funny story. You can brainstorm ideas together or even have your child dictate a story to you. You can then write the story down using big words and funny pictures.

If your child is learning the alphabet or is just starting to learn to read, then you can use funny words to help him or her develop an understanding of letters and words.

Just try using funny words in your speech. For example, use words like:

“Aubergine”

“Borgle”

“Flappin”

“Zoink”

All of these words sound funny and will help your child to remember them. You can also then teach them how to spell the words.

This is a fun, creative project that can help your child learn to form letters without making (too big) of a mess. All you need is a tray with salt. Children can use their fingers to make shapes in the salt. Helping them form letters with their fingers will help your child to learn to write.

This is another fun and creative activity that will help your child to learn to write. Trace shapes like stars, circles and squares into your child’s back with your finger. You can do this in the bath or even on a warm summer’s day.

Playdough is a great toy that you can use to help your child learn all about shapes. By making shapes out of playdough, your child will learn to recognize and form shapes in the real world. You can make shapes out of playdough and then ask your child to make the same shape using playdough.

Help your child to learn to write by cutting out paper letters and having him or her place them in the correct order to make words.

Sidewalk chalk is always a fun toy to play with. You can use it to teach your child to write letters by spelling out words using big letters on the sidewalk. The best part is that the next time it rains, it’s all washed away and you can do it all again.

Make a mural to teach your child to write letters. You can use chalk, paint, crayons or pencils to draw letters on a large piece of paper. When your child draws in the letters, it will help him or her to learn to recognize the different letters in a word.

Play I Spy with your child. This is a fun way to teach your child about objects and words. You can use it to help your child learn to recognize words, understand them and then write them down.

This is a great project that your child can do with you. Use some clay to mold letters and then bake them in the oven. After they have cooled, you can help your child paint them. Then you can combine them to show your child how words are formed.

Create a word puzzle for your child to complete. You can do this using very big letters or small letters. It’s a great way to help your child learn to recognize particular words and how they are formed.

Hide words written on index cards around your home and have your child find them and write them down. When they find one, have them say the word and then write it down.

Flashcards are a great way to help your child learn and recognize letters. Write the letter on one side of a flashcard and the word on the other side. This will help your child recognize the letters and then write them down.

These activities should help you and your child have some fun and engage with writing at home. If you want to find out more about fun writing activities for 4 year olds then take a look at the rest of the website. We’ve got a ton of great articles on fun writing activities for preschoolers .

We’ve also got some great tips and ideas for games that you can play with your child to help develop spoken and written language skills.

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Kenny Kings

• Image Prompts

85+ Picture Writing Prompts For Kids (+ Free Printable)

A picture is worth a thousand words. So how many words can you write for these 85 picture writing prompts for kids and grow-ups alike! Pictures, whether something as simple as an apple or as complex as an action scene can spark the imagination in more ways than one.

Of course, when looking at pictures you can take the literal route, and describe whatever you see in front of you. Or you can explore your imagination, and think about the ‘What Ifs..’ of a picture. What if that person is actually upset? What if this picture is of a broken family? What if the world looked like this years ago? A picture can have so many hidden meanings and can hide so many secrets. The slightest detail could mean everything. Just imagine you’re a detective solving a crime from one picture alone. Examine every detail, write it down and think why? Only then can you fully understand a picture.

For more inspiration take part in our daily picture writing prompt challenge . Each day you will be given a new picture prompt to write about.

Picture Prompt Generator

In this post, we have included a mix of simple pictures, story picture prompts, photographs, fantasy images and even some action-packed images.

You can find the complete list of our picture writing prompts below. We’ve also created a smaller PDF version that includes 30 random picture prompts. Download the printable PDF here .

You might also be interested in the following posts:

• 30 Christmas Pictures To Get You Writing ‘Tis Jolly Season
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150 Picture Prompts To Inspire

Over 85 picture prompts for creative writing, story-telling and descriptive writing assignments:

How to Use these Prompts

Picture prompts are the perfect writing stimulus especially when you hit writer’s block . Here are a number of ways you can use these picture writing prompts to spark your imagination:

• Descriptive Writing: Directly describe everything you see in extreme detail. You could even go beyond the physical appearance of things, and explore your other senses, such as smell, hear, feel and taste.
• Story-Telling: Pick just one image, and tell a whole story based on this one image.
• Story Starter: Similarly you can pick one image, and use it as the starting place of your story.
• Collaborative Story-Telling: In a group of 5 – 7 students, each student can have a random picture. The first student uses their picture as the story starter, and then the next student continues the story based on their own image. Keep going until the final student ends the story.
• Idea Generation: Pick one image and try to think of at least 3 story ideas related to that one image. 
• Daily Writing Challenge: Give your students 7 images, and tell them to write a description for each image every day. 

These are just some ways to use images as writing prompts. You can also check our post on 8 fun story-telling games using image prompts for more ideas.  Did you find our picture writing prompts useful? Let us know in the comments below!

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

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225 Fun & Free Creative Writing Prompts for Kids in All Grade Levels

Written by Maria Kampen

• Teacher Resources
• Prodigy English

• Elementary school writing prompts
• Middle school writing prompts
• High school writing prompts
• Social emotional learning jounal prompts
• Math writing prompts

Writing prompts are meant to unlock creativity. They’re story starters designed to inspire creative thinking. They can take you to places you’ve been or recall an important time in your life. 

But mostly, they’re useful tools for teachers to inspire writing growth in students from grade school to high school.

“Once upon a time, in a land far, far away…”

It’s amazing how one simple sentence can send you on a journey to places you’ve never been, filled with untold possibilities. 

Reading is great, but you know what’s even better? Giving your students the power to write stories for themselves. 

Writing prompts for kids help students:

• Express themselves and their creativity
• Grasp lifelong literacy skills and concepts
• Tell their own stories and build self-confidence
• Develop a growth mindset when it comes to their writing skills

Writing is like a muscle — it takes practice to build up skills. Luckily, we put together a list of over 200 writing prompts to help your students get started. We’ve also organized them by middle school, high school and elementary school to help teachers decide whether these prompts are age-appropriate for their students.

Grade school writing prompts

Grade schoolers can definitely begin to address complex ideas when it comes to story writing — but you should seek to keep the prompts simple and straightforward. 

Reluctant writers might be intimidated by complicated writing ideas — and this is an age where we should be encouraging creativity.

Creative writing prompts for elementary schoolers

Whether it’s exploring the furthest reaches of outer space, traveling across the Sahara desert or sticking a little closer to home, these creative writing prompts will have students imagining endless possibilities for their writing.

• Write about what your life would be like if you turned into a squirrel. What would you do every day?
• A strange spaceship just crashed and landed in your backyard. What happens next?
• Make up a story about where thunder comes from.
• You find an old notebook hidden in an attic. What does it say? Who did it belong to?
• You have a magic garden. What magical plants do you grow? How do you take care of them?
• Write a story about running away with the circus when it comes to town.
• Rewrite “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” from the perspective of one of the dwarfs (Happy, Sleepy, Dopey, Doc, Grumpy, Sneezy and Bashful).
• There once was a little boy who ate nothing but oranges. What happened to him?
• Write a story about a magical hat. Where is it from? What does it do? What does it look like?
• You’re exploring the rainforest and come across a flower that no one’s ever seen before. Describe it!
• Tell me a story about a dinosaur living a long, long time ago.
• Tell me a story about an astronaut visiting another planet. Where are they going? How do they get there? What do they take with them?
• You discover a magic portal in the park. Where does it lead to?
• Pick a partner and write a story together! Start by writing the first sentence, then pass it to your partner to write the second sentence.
• You find buried treasure in the park, hidden in a big wooden chest. What kind of treasure is it? Who left it there?
• Write a story about a family that can travel in time. 
• Write a story without using the letter “E”.
• Write the funniest story you can think of. 
• There’s a kangaroo in your classroom. How did it get there? What happens when you find it?
• Write a story about an explorer who keeps getting lost. Where are they trying to go? What do they find along the way?
• Write a story about a wooden door, a can of soda and a blue shoe.
• If there was a magical portal in the back of your closet, where would it lead to? 
• Finish this story: There was a knock on the door. I opened it to find a dog sitting there, and…
• You come home and find that everything in your house is upside down. What happened?
• Describe the color “red” without using the word “red”.
• There’s an old, abandoned house at the end of your street that’s been empty for years. One day, someone moves in.
• Rewrite the story of Cinderella from the perspective of the stepsisters.  
• Write a backstory for Ed, the orange Prodigy mascot. 
• You wake up one morning and find a mermaid in your bathtub. How did they get there? What do you do?
• Write a story about a monster looking for some friends. 
• Oh no — your balloon blew away! Write about what happens from the balloon’s perspective. 
• You and your friends are out for a walk when, out of nowhere, your friends start disappearing! What’s going on?
• Once upon a time, an old inventor built a weather machine. It sat undiscovered for years — until you found it. What happens next?
• You just ate a cookie that turned you 15 feet tall. What do you do next?

Fun writing prompts for grade schoolers

Everyday life is full of great inspiration for writing! Get students thinking with these easy and fun writing prompts.Write about something you are good at. 

• If you could write a book about anything, what would you write about?
• If you could have any animal as a pet, what would it be and why?
• Do you have a favorite animal? Tell me all about it! Why do you like it?
• What would you do if you woke up one morning and everything was pink — including you?
• What food can you not live without? Why?
• If you could add any class to your school schedule, what would it be?
• Invent a new day of the week. What is it called? When is it? What do people usually do on that day of the week?
• If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? 
• If you could spend a Saturday doing anything you wanted, what adventures would you get up to?
• If you could have any wild animal as a pet, what would you choose? Why?
• What's your favorite, wacky food?
• Where is your favorite place to read? Why?
• What was the coolest day of school for you? What made it exciting?
• Which of your toys do you wish could talk? What would they say?
• If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it look like?
• Invent a machine to do a chore for you. What does the machine do? What does it look like?
• What's your favorite season? What makes it the best?
• What is your favorite math game and why?
• Describe your real-life superpower.
• Finish the story: When I'm older I want to be an expert in…
• If pets could talk to each other, what would they say?
• If you were the captain of a ship, what would you call your ship? What would it look like? Where would you go?
• If your pet could talk to you, what do you think it would say?
• If you were the only person on earth for one day, what would you do?
• Plan the perfect birthday party for yourself. 
• What is your favorite thing to do over summer break?
• Describe your ideal birthday cake. 
• If you could add any type of room to your house, what would it be?
• What’s your favorite movie and why?

Persuasive writing prompts for elementary school

Are your students’ opinions up for debate? Ask them to flex their critical thinking skills with these persuasive writing prompts. Once they’re done, get class discussion flowing with a spirited debate!

• Write a letter convincing your parents to let you get a pet dog. What arguments do you use to persuade them?
• Convince your teacher that you should be allowed an extra 15 minutes of recess.
• Convince your best friend to read your favorite book.
• How would you convince someone to do your chores for you?
• Write a commercial for your favorite breakfast food. What would convince someone else to try it?
• What flavor of chips is the best? Why?
• What would make a better pet — a monkey or a peacock?
• Do you think children should be allowed to stay up as late as they want?
• What’s your favorite holiday and why should it be everyone’s favorite? 
• Convince us that your favorite food should be a staple in everyone’s diet.

As students enter middle school, they’re starting to feel like bigger, older kids. They can start writing original short stories and abstract persuasive essays. 

It’s best to inspire creativity at this age and encourage them to explore their own voice and different writing styles. These prompts will definitely go a long way in inspiring that.

Creative Writing Prompts for Middle Schoolers

• Invent a new type of transportation for the future. Who uses it? Where does it go?
• If you had a time machine, where would you visit first — the past or the future? Why?
• You get on the bus and find a four-piece jazz band giving a concert. What do you do?
• Design and name your own Prodigy pet . What element are they? What’s their special power?
• Finish this story: “Something just touched my foot,” they shouted, swimming frantically towards the shore. 
• Write a silly or scary story to tell around a campfire. 
• Finish this story: Everything was going so well today — until I tripped and fell, right in front of…
• Throughout your adventures as a pirate on the high seas, you’ve seen lots of strange and magical creatures. Which one was the most interesting?
• Deep in the heart of a dark and mysterious cave, there lies a magic stone. Write about your quest to find it. 
• Write an acrostic poem using the word “strawberry.”
• There was an old woman who lived in a shoe. She knit and she baked, but what else did she do?
• Finish this story: “One thing I’ll never do again,” she said, “Is go on vacation with an alpaca.”
• Make up a new planet and describe it. 
• Write a story about a family of penguins living on an iceberg.
• Write a story about a girl who can walk through walls. 
• You’ve been invited to a ball at the Queen’s palace! What is it like?
• Imagine you’re exploring the Amazon jungle. Write a diary entry about your day.
• If you could invent a TV show, what would it be about?
• You discovered an underwater kingdom! What is it like there?
• A lonely trumpet player makes friends with the dancer who lives next door. What happens next?
• You go to the park to fly a kite, but get carried away by the wind! What happens next?
• Write a story about a volcano that’s about to erupt.
• Write a story about visiting an old lady who lives deep in the woods.
• Boom, you’re a superhero! Give yourself an origin story, describe your superpowers and plan what you’ll do to make the world a better place. 
• Write a story using these six words: calendar, headphones, lipstick, mug, bear.
• You wake up to find you’re invisible. How did it happen? What do you do?
• There’s been a robbery at the bank, and you’re in charge of finding the culprit. How do you solve the case?
• Finish the story: Once upon a time, there was a dragon...
• You just joined a super-secret spy organization. What’s your first mission?
• Write a story about being cold without using the word “cold.”
• You’re a scientist and you’ve just discovered a new type of bug. Describe what it looks like, where it’s from and what you’re going to call it. 
• Imagine a world where all the birds can talk. What would they say?
• Write about what happens after the end of your favorite book or movie.
• Finish the story: She sprinted down the driveway to the mailbox. The package was here!
• You’re on a hike and a bird starts talking to you. What do you do? What does it say?
• Write a story using these five words: bubblegum, stapler, spoon, lightbulb, strawberry.
• You ate a magical carrot and your skin turned orange! What happens next?
• Write about what it would be like if you had an elephant for a pet.

Fun Writing Prompts for Middle Schoolers

• If you were in charge of the classroom for a day, what would your class do?
• Tell me about the last dream you had.
• You’re trapped on a desert island. What three things did you bring with you and why?
• What mythical creature would you like to have as a pet? Why?
• Invent a new type of pasta. What does it look like? What does it taste like?
• If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go? Make a plan and tell the story of your dream vacation.
• Plan the perfect picnic. Where would it be? What food would you have?
• If you could decorate your bedroom any way you wanted, what would it look like?
• Write a story that sounds loud, using onomatopoeia (words that sound like their meaning, like crash, snort, bang and boom.)
• Invent a new type of cookie. What does it taste like?
• Invent a new sport. What is it called? What are the rules?
• How would you disguise yourself to blend in with a forest?
• You just won a special award from the president. What did you do to earn that award?
• Do you collect anything? What is it and why? If not, what would you like to collect?
• You just found a genie in a bottle. What three things would you wish for? (Remember, no wishing for extra wishes!
• Explain how to play your favorite sport or do your favorite hobby. Make it as exciting as possible!
• Describe the most beautiful sunrise or sunset you’ve ever seen.
• If you could live in any book or movie, which one would you choose and why?
• Imagine that you’re going on a camping trip. What do you pack to make sure the trip is fun?
• If you could invent a robot to do any chore, what chore would it be? How would the robot do it?
• Would you rather it was always raining, or always snowing?
• Imagine you’re a toy inventor. What will you create?
• Would you rather climb to the top of a mountain or go scuba diving?
• Interview a family member about their childhood, then write it as a story.
• What was your favorite toy growing up — why was it so special to you?

Persuasive Writing Prompts for Middle School

• If you could change one thing about your school, what would it be and why?
• Is it better to read the book before you watch the movie, or watch the movie before you read the book?
• Persuade someone to try out your favorite hobby or sport.
• What’s the best way to try and persuade a friend to do what you want to do?
• When is peer pressure good? When is peer pressure bad?
• Is it better to have lots of friends, or just a few really good friends?
• Should students be in charge of what they learn in school?

High school students can either be tasked with more complex writing prompts or breathe nuance into simple story ideas. Students can drive these prompts in a million different ways.

So while not necessarily more complicated than middle school, these prompts can be tweaked, either by the student or teacher, to encourage thought-provoking output.

Creative Writing Prompts for High Schoolers

• Write a story about someone your age who lives on the other side of the world. 
• Pick up the nearest book and turn to page 7. Close your eyes and point to a random word on the page, then write a story about that word.
• Write a story in ten words or less.
• You fell asleep for 100 years. What does the world look like when you wake up?
• Finish the story: “This isn’t what I hoped would happen,” she said….
• You’re walking down the street when you see someone who looks exactly like you.
• Write a story where the main character learns something new about themselves.
• Write a story that takes place in the desert. 
• Write a story about a day where everything seems to go wrong. 
• Write a poem about the color blue.
• How would your life be different if you didn’t have access to a computer, video games or your phone?

Fun writing prompts for high schoolers

• You win a million dollars, but there’s a catch — you have to spend it all in 24 hours, or you lose all the money. What do you do?
• Write about something you or your family does from the perspective of someone from another country.
• If you could make up a new holiday, when would it be and what would it celebrate?
• Go out on a nature walk and find a tree. Write the story of that tree, from the time it was a seed until now.
• What’s the most boring superpower you can think of? How would it be useful?
• If you could pass any law, what would it be?
• You meet yourself in the future, as a grown-up at age 35 — what do you talk about? 
• If you had to show aliens the most important/best things in the world, what would you show them?
• Who is your hero and why?
• Write about the best surprise you ever got. 
• What are three good things you can do for the environment? How can you encourage the people around you to do good things for the environment?
• What is your earliest memory? Write down as many details as you can remember.
• If you could take two people – real or fictional – on a cross-country road trip, who would you take? Where would you go?
• If you could have any job in the world tomorrow, what would you do?
• What is the best thing about living in your city or neighbourhood?
• Write a letter to your 30-year-old self. What do you think you’ll accomplish by then?
• Teach me how to make your favorite recipe.
• Describe the sound of your favorite song using descriptive words.

Persuasive writing prompts for high school

• Should kids be allowed to use social media unsupervised? Why or why not?
• Persuade someone to start a healthy habit, or get rid of a bad one.
• Should all single-use plastics be outlawed? Why or why not?
• Should our school have a dress code? Why or why not?
• Is it more important to be right or to not hurt someone else’s feelings?
• What important historical figure do you think belongs on the ten-dollar bill?
• Do you think you’re born with your personality traits, or do you gain them as you grow up?
• Should mobile apps be responsible for protecting your privacy — why or why not?

Social emotional learning journal prompts

School is about more than just books and quizzes — it’s about preparing students for the rest of their lives. Social emotional learning teaches them how to build good relationships with peers, understand and control their emotions and make healthy life decisions.

Journaling is a great way for students to reflect on their feelings in a safe, private space. Use these journaling prompts as thought starters for more social emotional learning!

Check out our list of the 25 best social emotional learning activities for students here. 

• Tell me about a tradition you have with your family or friends. 
• What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
• Have you ever found something that you lost? How did you feel when you found it?
• What is something you haven’t learned this school year that you’re still wondering about?
• What do you do when you’re angry? Write about three ways you calm yourself down.
• Where do you feel the safest? Why do you feel safe there?
• Write a poem to make a friend happy.
• When was the last time you were kind to someone? How can you be kind to someone today?
• How are you feeling today? Are you happy, sad, excited or anxious?
• If you could give your best friend a present, what would it be?
• What are the qualities you look for in a friend? Why is it important to be a good friend?
• What does responsibility mean to you?
• Who do you talk to when you’re worried about something? How do they make you feel better?
• If you could make a card for anyone in your life, who would it be for and what would it say?
• What’s your favorite thing about yourself?
• Write about a time you had to make a hard decision. How did you make your decision?
• What do you do to make yourself happy when you’re sad?
• Write about a time you were disappointed. 
• What are three things that make your best friend awesome?
• What do you think empathy means? Why is it important?
• How can you cheer up a friend who is sad?
• What makes you a good friend? How can you be a better friend?
• What’s the best piece of advice a friend, parent or teacher has ever given you?
• Write three goals for the rest of the school year. How are you going to accomplish them?
• What does responsibility mean to you? What are you responsible for at school and at home?
• What person in your life makes you feel confident?
• What scares you? How can you overcome your fears?
• Tell me about a time when you tried something new. How did it feel? Did you do it again?

Math writing prompts for kids

Whether it’s tackling word problems or explaining a new concept, writing is a surprisingly good tool for the math classroom. 

A math journal can help you understand what students already know, while giving them space to work through tricky concepts on their own. Use these writing prompts to promote literacy in every subject — and help students avoid math anxiety .

• Tell me everything you know about ________.
• Explain, in words, how to solve this problem.
• What is and isn’t true about this situation?
• What is _______?
• Explain two different ways to solve this problem. Which one is better?
• What did you get correct in this problem?
• What mistakes did you make while solving this problem?
• What do you not understand about _____?
• Write a word problem using the concept we’re learning about. 
• What did you learn today?
• How do you use math in your everyday life?
• What is the easiest/hardest part of math class?
• What discoveries did you make in math class today?

Final thoughts on writing prompts for kids

Writing prompts aren’t the end of the story — they’re just the beginning. Encourage your students to build a regular writing practice, and soon you’ll see the benefits in every class. 

Where will your students’ imaginations take them?

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127 Story Starters & Writing Prompts for Kids (Ages 10 – 14)

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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Coming up with story starters for kids can be difficult. This article provides 127 writing prompts that can get kids’ creative writing off to a great start. Download my three great creative writing lesson plans that I use as a supply teacher. They’re easy-to-use lessons that you can teach on the go.

Article Key Points

• Select from the list of 127 writing prompts below for story ideas that you like.
• Put these writing ideas in a hat and have students randomly pick out their assigned story.
• Use the 3 lesson plans provided for a ready-made creative writing lesson. Great for supply teachers!

You can get my printable story starters sheet at the end of this article

A full list of 127 story starters and writing prompts for kids

Writing prompts for adventure stories.

• A princess who needs to rescue a puppy from a river.
• A family on a road trip who got lost and ended up on a whole new adventure.
• Two friends who go on an adventure down a river on a rowboat.

A superhero who lost his superpowers in the middle of a rescue.

• A kid who wakes up one day to find out he / she was turned into a dog.
• The day in the life of an inanimate object (tree, statue, etc.).
• Three friends who can time travel forward in time. What will the world look like when they arrive?

The main character of your story has to escape a pirate ship after being captured in the night.

• Pioneers travelling the whole way across a new land in just a wagon. What challenges will they face?
• You’re a detective trying to uncover a crime: someone stole grandma’s apple pie when it was cooling on the windowsill!
• You walk past a phone booth that is ringing. You answer the phone. Who is on the other end?

You wake up one day to find out that you grew and you’re suddenly 12 feet tall! You try to go to school but you find life’s hard as a giant…

• A giant and a mouse live in a house together and are best friends. Tell a story about them preparing dinner together. What would each eat, and how would their preparations be different?
• You’re half way up Mount Everest when you drop your pack with all your climbing gear off a cliff. What are you going to do about it?
• A dorky kid suddenly develops superpowers and fights crime in the city at night.

A talking dog and his best friend race against time to defuse a bomb.

• A firefighter is in a race against time to put out a fire before it burns down a magical forest full of talking animals (who help him / her to put out the fire!). Help him put out the fire safely !
• You are walking along the beach and find a message in a bottle. The message provides the directions to something special – follow the directions!
• Write a story about a refugee. They have recently had to flee their home to go to a safer place. Explain their journey.

You wake up one day and you’re only 6 inches tall! Write the story of what happens next – will you go on an adventure? Will you go to school? What will your parents say when they see you?

• Write a story about being lost in a maze. How did it make you feel? What did you come across as you turned corners in your attempt to escape?
• You’re going camping but you’re only allowed to bring 5 belongings. What would you bring, and why?
• You’re the only survivor of a plane that has crashed in the wilderness. Describe how you will survive.

You’re a book that keeps getting passed from person to person and bookshop to bookshop. What sorts of people read your book and what crazy places do you end up going?

• You’re 5 feet tall and live in a garden. How will you make your own comfortable little home in amongst the leaves?
• You’ve found yourself trapped in a prison cell. What creative ways will you come up with to escape?
• You dig a hole in your backyard and find a treasure. What is the treasure and what will you do with it?

You have to set up a new colony on Mars. Who would you take with you and what struggles will you have setting up your new colony? Who would be king? What would be the rules?

• You have magical pockets. Every time you put your hand in your pocket, you pull something else out! Write a story of the 5 different, random things you pull out of your pockets. Will some of them be slimy and scary? Will some be alive? Will some be tasty?

Read Also: 25 Central Ideas for Stories

Writing prompts for stories about your life

• Your favorite memory with your family.
• The best vacation or adventure you ever had.
• A time you went to the dentist.

Your two favorite movies (and how they’re similar and different).

• What you think would happen at a dinner party involving any three of your favorite people (living or dead).
• Your hero and why they’re your hero.
• Write a story about your ideal day. Start with your alarm going off to wake you up, and end with you closing your eyes and falling asleep.

The happiest moment of your life. What was it that made you so happy?

• What a day in your life would be like if you had your dream job.
• You have swapped jobs with one of your parents. You have to go to work for the day and they have to go to school. What funny things will happen?
• Write a story about a dream you have had in your past. Was it a logical story, or did your dream defy the rules of the world? If you can’t remember your dream, you can make it up or fill in the gaps.

Write a story about a time you were wrong and how you felt. Were you glad you learned something new? Were you ashamed? Did you apologize?

• Write a story about your favorite place. If you don’t have a favorite place, invent one and explain why it would be your favorite place.
• Write about a skill you recently learned. Was it frustrating? After learning the skill how did you feel? How do you use the skill in your life now?
• Write a story about the things you think about just before you go to sleep at night.

Write about exactly what you’re going to do when you get home from school today.

• Write a story about all the things you’re grateful for and why you’re grateful for each one.
• Write about the moment your parents or grandparents met and how they felt at that time. If you don’t know about it, make it up!
• Write about your first day at high school or university. What will your emotions be? Will you meet anyone?

Read Also: A List of 107 Effective Classroom Teaching Strategies

Writing prompts for imaginative stories

• What you would do if you could travel back in time to hang out with one of your ancestors.
• You have a metal detector and are using it on a beach. What do you turn up? Describe it and what you would do with it.
• You invent your own tree house. Describe it – how do you get into it? How many rooms are there and what is in each room?

You could travel back in time to any time in world history. What is it and why?

• You meet a fairy who gives you any one gift – what would it be and how would you use it?
• You just bought a haunted house and are about to spend your first night in it. It’s run down and creepy. Describe your first night, starting with when you step in the door at 5 pm.
• You’re shipwrecked on a deserted island with only 5 of your belongings. Which would they be and why?

Imagine an older version of you has traveled back in time and has come to give you advice. What advice will they give you and what will your conversation be like?

• Imagine you’re a farmer. Describe the farm animals or plants you would farm and a day in your life.
• Write a story about having fear of the grass, but needing to walk through a park. How will you get across the park without touching the grass!?
• Imagine it’s the world 2100 and climate change has changed the climate where you live. Describe the new climate, the new plants that grow there, and whether it’s extremely hot or extremely cold!

Imagine an ice age has arrived and the whole world is -30 degrees! How will you live? In an igloo? What clothes would you wear? Would the cities be made of ice? Explain a day in the life.

• You have created your own personal robot. What does the robot do and how does this improve your life?
• You wake up one day and the only people left in the world are 3 of your closest friends. How will you survive?
• Your house has been converted into a spaceship and you’re flying to the mysterious planet Obertoron. What is the climate like in this new planet? What challenges do you face settling into this new planet?

You are in the middle of a lesson at school when … suddenly gravity stops working and everything starts floating into the air!

• You can breathe underwater and go on underwater adventures to a city under the sea. You’re on a mission to save the city from an evil octopus.
• You wake up in the morning and suddenly you’re 30 years old. What is a day in the life of the 30 year old version of you?
• Make up the rules of your own sport. You can get inspiration from real sports or a made up sport like Quidditch.

Write a story about the most peaceful place you could imagine. What is surrounding you that makes it so peaceful?

• Peter Pan flies in through the window to teach you to fly. Describe how it feels to fly out the window and look down on the streets below.
• You’re in a garbage dump sifting for goodies. What do you find and what do you do with it?
• You receive a mysterious item in the mail. Describe the item and why you might have received it.

You can read minds. What are the thoughts in the heads of people around you? Are you glad you can read minds, or will you end up regretting it?

• You’re born into royalty and will be the future king or queen. How are people treating you and what will be your responsibilities? Are you happy about being the future monarch, or will you end up just wishing you were a normal person.
• You’re the president, king or prime minister for the day. What will you do today to improve your society or change the world?
• Invent your own movie. What is the main character’s name and what is the movie’s plot? How will the movie end?

Imagine you’re a mermaid for a day. What sea creatures would you talk to? Where would you sleep and live under the sea?

• Imagine you are a teacher. What would you teach and why?
• Imagine you have a secret hatch under your bed that takes you into your own private cave. What will you keep in your cave that makes it the prefect secret room for you?
• Imagine you woke up one morning and there was no electricity for the next year. What would change about your life?

Write a story that involves the following 5 objects: a foot, a lake, a spaceship, a pizza, and a dinosaur.

• Imagine you’re from a tribe that has never had contact with anyone else in the world. You go for a walk and stumble upon a city. Explain how you feel and what you see.
• Everything you touch with your right hand turns to candy. Write about a day in your life and the sorts of issues you might come across during your day.
• You feel the emotions of all the people around you. Write about a day walking through a city, the people you see, and how your emotions go up and down like a roller coaster.
• Imagine your toys have come to life (like in Toy Story!) What sorts of things will they get up to while you’re at school?

Writing prompts for descriptive stories

• Write a story about the weather. Choose one type of weather (thunderstorm, sunny day, humidity, rain) and describe it. Use adverbs, adjectives and superlatives to describe how the weather makes you feel.
• Write a story about a delicious feast you made for your friends. What will be served? Describe its taste in your mouth. Don’t forget to describe the appetizers, main course and dessert!
• Pretend you are the god of your own little world and you can invent an animal. What would its features be? Think about its head, body and limbs. Don’t forget to describe its skin (fur? Scales? hair?), eyes, mouth (or is it a beak or bill?), ears, fingers, etc.

You are on the train observing other people and listening in to their conversations. Describe the people on the train and what they’re doing with their lives.

• You are Santa Claus and you’re reading children’s wish lists. Describe three different children’s wish lists. The children need to have different personalities and this needs to be reflected in their wish list.
• You’ve been given $100 to spend in the supermarket. Start the story of you walking down the aisle trying to pick out what you want. First you’ll describe 7 objects that you find, but then you can only choose 3. Explain your choice.
• Describe the taste of chocolate to someone who has never tasted it before. How will you explain it?

You’ve met someone who has never smiled before. Explain to them how to smile without using the word ‘smile’.

• Describe what it’s like to see to someone who was born blind.
• Describe what it’s like to hear to someone who was born deaf.
• You start your own club. What would the club be, and what would be the conditions for entry to the club?

You’re about to take an exam. Describe your feelings before the exam begins, then your feelings during the exam, and finally your feelings after you leave!

• You’re walking through a refugee camp. Describe what you see.
• Write a story about how you feel on the first warm, sunny day of the year.
• Describe snow to someone who has never seen or touched it.

Write a story about how it feels to be cold to someone who’s from Jamaica and has never felt the cold!

• Write a story about how it feels to be hot to someone from the North Pole who’s never felt the heat!
• You invent your own board game . What is the theme and what are the rules?
• Describe what it feels to walk through a city to someone who has never been in the city before.

Describe what it feels like to be all alone in the forest to someone who’s never been in among trees before.

• You move into a new house and have to set up your new bedroom. What would its theme be? What posters would you put on the walls?
• You’re an architect and can design your dream house. What would it look like? What rooms would there be? What cool things would you include in your new house?
• If there was one thing you could invent, what would it be? Describe it and how it is used.

A fire has started in your home. You can only save 3 of your belongings. What are they and why would you save them?

• You make a new friend. Describe the friend’s personality and why you like them so much.
• You have to plan a birthday party for yourself. What will be the party’s them? Where will it be?
• You can invent your own car. What special features will it have that will make it your ideal car?

You are going to go a full year without creating and trash. Write about the lifestyle changes you will make in order to prevent making trash. How will you get food without wrappings?

• There is a new kid who has arrived at school today. Write about what you will do to make them feel welcome.
• You have to buy Christmas gifts for all of your family members. Describe what the gifts will be and why you think they’re ideal for each family member.
• You can change your style to any style you like: what would you wear, what would your hair look like, and what sort of music would you listen to?

Describe what it’s like to feel hungry to someone who’s never felt hunger before in their life.

• You have $50 to buy food for a week. What foods will you buy and why? Will you focus on health food to keep yourself healthy, or binge on junk that tastes so yummy?
• Imagine you work for the post office. What is a day in your life? What dogs will you come across? What different sorts of letters will you deliver? Happy letters? Sad letters?
• Describe what it feels like to take a shower to someone who’s never had a shower before.

It’s opposite day and you have to lie about everything. What sorts of trouble are you going to get into from all of your lies?

• Explain how you would start a fire without a lighter or matches.
• Describe the feeling of being sticky to someone who has never felt the feeling of being sticky. You can’t use the word ‘sticky’.
• Describe the feeling of being dirty to someone who has never felt being dirty. You can’t use the word ‘dirty’.

Write a story about how it feels to be bullied, and someone who arrives and is kind to you. Describe how it feels to have a friend who is kind after you’ve been bullied.

• You have been asked to create a new game show on TV (Think: Family Feud or Wheel of Fortune). What will be the rules of your new game show?
• You are a genetic scientist and can create a new fruit. Describe the fruit: how it feels, tastes, and looks. What does the tree that it grows on look like? In what climate does it grow?
• You’re an architect and you’ve been asked to design the ideal playground. What sort of cool play equipment will you place in your playground?

3 Great Writing Prompts and Story Starter Lesson Plans

Lesson 1: mix-and-match story starter lesson.

Printable 1: Fun Story Stater and Writing Prompt Mix-and-Match Lesson (Takes you to a Google Doc)

This lesson plan download has a list of mix-and-match story starters. Cut up each story element and put them into three hats: Character, Setting and Plot (you might also want to read my article about about all 8 elements of a story ). The students are blindfolded and must take one story element out of each hat and make a story out of the three elements they get!

Lesson 2: Planning your Creative Story Plot

Printable 2: Story Planning Template (Takes you to a Google Doc)

Teach students about the important elements of a story using this story planning lesson template. Your students need to describe their main character, plot and setting before they tell their story. It’s a great scaffold to ensure your students follow the conventions of story writing.

Lesson 3: Random Creative Writing Story Prompts

Printable 3: A List of 127 Story Starters (Takes you to a Google Doc)

I love this one for an easy afternoon. Simply cut up the 127 creative writing story ideas below, place them in a hat, and have students close their eyes and pick out the story that they will have to write about.  

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 101 Hidden Talents Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Green Flags in a Relationship
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Signs you're Burnt Out, Not Lazy
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Toxic Things Parents Say to their Children

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The best writing prompts for kids

For a child, a couple of pillows can become a magical fort. The very floor beneath them can turn into lava. A cardbox box can become a great voyageur on the choppy seas. The sky is the limit when it comes to the adventures a day might hold — and for that reason, there’s no better time to start writing stories than childhood. If you’re a parent or a teacher looking to help inspire children or students to write, look no further than our list of imaginative writing prompts for kids. Hey, even if you’re an adult simply looking to reconnect with your former sense of childlike wonder or your own history, these writing prompts for kids will be right up your alley.

The creative writing prompts range from ideas that will spark a child’s ability to think outside the box, as well as prompts that will help them self-reflect. Each one is sure to inspire their curiosity and lead to an adventure of the imagination. Not only will these prompts provide fun, but they can also be helpful teaching exercises! Want to help your child practice their grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and sentence structure? Creative writing is the answer.

To get you started, here are our top ten writing prompts for kids.

• Imagine you owned a pet monkey for a day. What would you do with it?
• If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
• If you found a time machine, would you use it to travel to the past or future? Why?
• You and your family are going on a trip together. Where do you go? What do you do there?
• Imagine what your parents' lives were like as teenagers. Write a story about it.
• Imagine you and your best friend hanging out ten years from now. What has changed? What hasn't changed?
• Write about your favorite birthday present. Why is it your favorite?
• What is your dream job? Write a story based on that.

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Writing skills at different ages

By Gail Belsky

Expert reviewed by Charles A. MacArthur, PhD

What you’ll learn

Toddlers (ages 1–2 years), preschoolers (ages 3–4 years), younger grade-schoolers (ages 5–7 years), older grade-schoolers (ages 8–10 years), middle-schoolers, high-schoolers.

Learning to write involves many skills. Kids need fine motor skills for handwriting and typing. Getting words on paper also requires spelling and other skills closely related to reading.

Writers need to organize their thoughts. As they get older, they’re expected to use more complex sentence structure and vocabulary. They also have to do more planning, drafting, and revising. Many kids have a tough time using these self-regulation strategies in writing .

Kids develop writing skills at different rates. But they tend to meet certain milestones by certain ages. Here’s how writing skills typically develop as kids get older.

Hold crayon in clenched fist

Understand that crayons are used for making scribbles

Draw wavy lines across the page that look like lines of text from a book

Make distinct marks that look like letters and that are separated from each other

Write some actual letters, especially the letters in their name

May write their name

May try different kinds of writing, like writing a list or a card

May start to draw pictures and label them using letters or letter-like marks

Hold pencil correctly and form letters accurately

Know the sounds letters make and spell words based on how they sound

Spell some common words that aren’t spelled the way they sound (often called sight words )

Use different endings for the same word, like walks , walking , and walked

In kindergarten, label pictures with a few words and begin to write simple sentences with correct grammar

By the end of first or second grade, write a page or more about personal experiences and what they’re learning in school

May start using different types of writing, like narratives and opinion papers (“Why I liked this book”)

Spell words using knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, and root words, like helpful , helpless , and unhelpful

Write more complex sentences and use a variety of sentences to express ideas clearly

Use different structure and content for different kinds of papers (narrative, informative, and persuasive)

Understand the process of planning, drafting, and revising, and begin to use strategies for each of these steps

May start to use source materials to gather information for writing

May begin to type fairly quickly on a keyboard, if the school teaches this skill

Continue to develop typing skills, grammar knowledge, and vocabulary

Write more complex narratives that describe personal experiences

Cite sources in informative/research papers

Write argumentative papers that support claims with reasons and evidence and that consider opposing positions

Use strategies for planning and revising, including how to search for accurate information on the internet

Write longer and more complex papers on various subjects (science, social studies, literature)

Use planning strategies to search for and combine information from multiple sources

Continue to develop strategies for revising

Remember that all kids are different. A child might do well with one skill but still be a little behind with another. Struggling with writing doesn’t mean kids aren’t smart. Some kids just need more support to thrive as writers.

If you’re concerned that a child isn’t hitting many of these writing milestones, find out why some kids have trouble with writing .

Explore related topics

Activity: Story mountain

Complete the story mountain to plan your story with a beginning, middle, and end.

Activity: Perform a poem

Read a poem, talk about what it means, and perform it to an audience.

5. Find story inspiration

You can find fun story ideas anywhere! Why not raid your kitchen cupboards or hunt through the attic to find lost treasures? Anything from an old hat to a telescope will do the trick. What could the object be used for? Who might be looking for it? What secrets could it hold? Suggest different genres such as mystery or science fiction and discuss how the item might be used in this kind of story.

Real-world facts can also be a great source of inspiration. For example, did you know a jumping flea can accelerate faster than a space rocket taking off into orbit? What crazy story can your child make out of this fact? Newspapers and news websites can be great for finding these sorts of ideas.

For more storytelling ideas, download our free Story idea generator  or our Character profile activity sheet .

Activity: Story idea generator

Activity: Character profile

6. Draw your ideas first

If your child isn’t sure where to start with a story or even a piece of non-fiction, it can sometimes be helpful to sketch out their ideas first. For instance, can they draw a picture of a dastardly villain or a brave hero? How about a scary woodland or an enchanted castle?

Your child might also find it useful to draw maps or diagrams. What are all the different areas of their fantasy landscape called? How is the baddie’s base organised?

Some children might enjoy taking this idea a step further and drawing their own comics. This is great practice – it stretches your child’s creativity, gets them thinking about plot, character, and dialogue, and is a big confidence boost once they’ve finished and have an amazing story to look back on.

What your child will learn

In Year 4 (age 8–9), your child will be aiming to build upon the goals and expectations they were first set in Year 3. They will be expected to:

• Discussing writing similar to that which they are planning to write in order to understand and learn from its structure, vocabulary and grammar
• Discussing and recording their ideas.
• Composing and rehearsing sentences orally (including dialogue), progressively building a varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures
• Organising paragraphs around a theme
• In narratives, creating settings, characters and plot
• In non-narrative material, using simple organisational devices (for example, headings and sub-headings).
• Assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing and suggesting improvements
• Proposing changes to grammar and vocabulary to improve consistency, including the accurate use of pronouns in sentences .
• Proof-read for spelling and punctuation errors.

Handwriting, spelling, grammar, and punctuation are all important aspects of writing too. You can find out more about them on our dedicated pages:

Handwriting in Year 4 (age 8-9)

Find out more about handwriting in Year 4 at Primary School.

Find out more

Spelling in Year 4 (age 8-9)

Find out more about spelling in Year 4 at Primary School.

Grammar and punctuation in Year 4 (age 8-9)

Find out more about grammar and punctuation in Year 4 at Primary School.

• Age 5–6 (Year 1)
• Age 6–7 (Year 2)
• Age 7–8 (Year 3)
• Age 8–9 (Year 4)
• Age 9–10 (Year 5)
• Age 10–11 (Year 6)
• Year 1 (age 5–6)
• Year 2 (age 6–7)
• Year 3 (age 7–8)
• Year 4 (age 8–9)
• Year 5 (age 9–10)
• Year 6 (age 10–11)
• Grammar glossary
• Grammar books

Year 4 Writing Prompts

Inspire creative writing.

Home > Resources > Primary Writing Prompts > Year 4

Get your primary school student’s imagination flowing with these wonderful Year 4 writing prompts!

Story starters

“if i was…”.

• Opinion writing

General prompts

Story starters are perfect for generating writing ideas and enhancing story writing skills. These prompts help students quickly engage with their imagination, making the process of writingn short stories easy and enjoyable.

• I took off from Earth in a rocket ship…
• From her point of view, Samantha could only see darkness…
• On Christmas morning I woke up with a reindeer in my bedroom…
• I was frozen to the spot, afraid to move because…
• As Liam explored the abandoned theater, he discovered an old play script that seemed to come to life...

"If I was..." prompts are a fun activity that boost imagination and creativity. These prompts are excellent for helping students explore different scenarios by establishing the story setting and developing their story writing skills.

• If I was president…
• If I was a teacher…
• If I was an astronaut…
• If I was an engineer…
• If I was an adventurer…

Opinion prompts are great for helping a child develop their point of view. These prompts encourage critical thinking and debate, enriching the learning environment by allowing students to express and support their opinions. They are also excellent for practicing persuasive writing, as students learn to argue their points effectively. If you do this activity with multiple children, have them write their opinions on activity sheets, and then go around the room and put checkmarks next to other points of view they agree with.

• Has technology improved the world?
• Should students be allowed to choose what to study?
• Should violent video game apps be banned?
• Can you buy happiness with money?
• How can we slow down global warming?

Invention prompts are excellent for generating story ideas and engaging young children in the writing process. These prompts encourage creativity and imagination, helping children to think inventively and articulate their thoughts clearly, making the writing process more enjoyable and effective.

• How will people travel in 100 years?
• Describe the perfect robot. What features does it have and what can they do?
• Invent a new game and write instructions for it.
• Invent a new tasty smoothie!
• Write lesson plans for a subject you invented.

General prompts are excellent for sparking creativity and improving writing skills. General prompts help students quickly engage with an idea. Use this writing assignment as an enjoyable and effective activity.

What is your most memorable New Year celebration? What made it special, and how did you celebrate it with your family and friends?

• What would it be like to live with the Easter Bunny?
• What would be your dream birthday party?
• If you could have a super power, what would it be?
• Who do you look up to? This could be great athletes, composers, or family members. Anyone who inspires you!

How Night Zookeeper can help

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Our writing program for kids can help to improve your child's skills while keeping them engaged, focused, and entertained! Our extensive range of writing activities provide children with thousands of creative writing prompts, interactive lessons, printable worksheets, and challenges to ensure steady progression. We also offer personalized feedback from real teachers on all the work submitted on the program.

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More writing prompts & activities

• Year 4 Writing Activities
• Creative Writing Prompts for Kids
• Primary Writing Prompts
• Primary Writing Activities
• Picture Writing Prompts

Related content

• Primary English
• Primary Writing Curriculum
• English Resources

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