creative writing ideas for senior infants

Spark Creativity: Writing Ideas for Senior Citizens

Welcome, senior citizens! Are you ready to ignite your creativity through the power of writing? Whether you’re looking to preserve memories, exercise your mind , or simply find a new outlet for self-expression, creative writing can be a valuable and fulfilling practice for older adults. In this article, we’ll explore various writing ideas and projects specifically designed for senior citizens.

Key Takeaways:

The benefits of journaling for seniors.

One of the key advantages of journaling for seniors is its ability to boost creativity . Putting pen to paper allows for self-expression and the exploration of new ideas. It can also serve as a stress reliever, providing a safe outlet for expressing worries and anxieties.

Journaling is not just about capturing the present moment; it is also about creating a legacy. Seniors can write with the knowledge that their words will be cherished by future generations, providing a window into their lives and wisdom.

The Benefits of Journaling for Seniors:

Journaling Prompts for Seniors

Prompts for day-to-day reflection, prompts for memory exploration, prompts for connecting with nature, prompts for exploring interests.

These prompts are just a starting point, and you can tailor them to your own preferences and experiences. Remember, journaling is a personal journey, so feel free to explore different themes and topics that resonate with you. Happy writing!

Creative Projects for Seniors: Photo Collaging

Photo collaging involves arranging and pasting photographs onto a surface, such as a themed scrapbook or poster board . Seniors can gather their favorite photos from different stages of their lives and create a visual representation of cherished moments and relationships. This process encourages reminiscence and can be a catalyst for sharing stories and experiences with loved ones.

Creative Projects for Seniors: Finger Painting

One of the advantages of finger painting is that it doesn’t require any prior painting experience or expertise. Seniors can simply squeeze easily manageable bottles of finger paint onto their canvas and use their fingers to spread and blend the colors. The forgiving nature of finger painting allows for experimentation and exploration, making it an ideal art style for seniors who may be new to painting or are looking for a more relaxed and enjoyable creative outlet.

“Finger painting is a great way for seniors to reconnect with their inner child and tap into their creativity. It can be a therapeutic and enjoyable activity that promotes relaxation and stimulates the senses,” says art therapist Sarah Johnson.

Not only is finger painting a stimulating and enjoyable activity, but it also offers numerous cognitive and emotional benefits for seniors. Engaging in artistic activities like finger painting can help improve cognitive functions such as memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills. It also provides a means of self-expression and can serve as a valuable tool for emotional release and stress reduction.

Creative Projects for Seniors: Decorating Flower Pots

Seniors can let their imagination run wild when decorating their flower pots. They can create intricate patterns, write inspiring quotes, or paint scenes from nature. This activity not only allows seniors to express their creativity but also gives them a sense of accomplishment as they see their personalized pots come to life. The decorated flower pots can be displayed on windowsills, tabletops, or anywhere that needs a touch of nature and color.

Decorating Flower Pots: Tips for Seniors

Decorating flower pots is not only a creative project for seniors but also a therapeutic and rewarding experience. It brings joy, fosters self-expression, and adds a personal touch to their living spaces. So, grab some brushes and paints, let your imagination bloom, and enjoy the process of transforming plain flower pots into unique works of art.

Creative Projects for Seniors: Join a Book Club

Seniors can choose a book club that focuses on their preferred genre , whether it’s mystery, romance, science fiction , or historical fiction. By reading and discussing books with like-minded individuals, seniors can dive into the intricate plots, complex characters, and thought-provoking themes that fiction has to offer. Sharing insights, opinions, and personal interpretations of the stories can spark creativity and inspire seniors to explore their own storytelling abilities.

Benefits of Joining a Book Club as a Senior:

Narrative writing for seniors: what is narrative writing.

Narrative writing is a form of storytelling that allows individuals to share their experiences, ideas, and emotions through a structured narrative. It involves crafting a story with a beginning, middle, and end, using various literary elements to engage the reader. Seniors can explore the art of narrative writing to express themselves creatively and reflect on their own personal narratives .

Narrative Writing Prompts for Seniors

Fiction prompts, personal narrative prompts, storytelling prompts.

“Every great story starts with a great character.” – Unknown

So, grab a pen and paper or your favorite writing device, and get ready to embark on a storytelling adventure. The creative writing ideas for elderly individuals are endless, and with the help of prompts, seniors can unlock their imagination and share their unique stories with the world.

Narrative Writing Rubrics for Seniors

Teacher-friendly rubrics , on the other hand, are comprehensive tools that allow teachers to assess seniors’ narrative writing effectively. These rubrics provide a detailed breakdown of the different elements of narrative writing and assign scores to each aspect, ensuring that all areas are objectively evaluated. Teacher-friendly rubrics save time by streamlining the assessment process and providing consistent evaluation standards.

Creative writing is a wonderful outlet for seniors to express themselves, share their stories, and ignite their imagination. Whether through journaling, engaging in creative projects, or exploring narrative writing, seniors can find joy and fulfillment in their writing practice.

Narrative writing opens up a whole new world for seniors to share their personal stories and explore their creative writing skills. With narrative writing prompts and the use of elements such as characters, settings, and problems, seniors can craft compelling narratives that captivate their readers.

What are the benefits of journaling for seniors?

How can journaling prompts help seniors.

Journaling prompts can help seniors get started with their writing practice, providing them with ideas and inspiration for what to write about.

What are some creative projects for seniors?

How can photo collaging benefit seniors, why is finger painting a good creative project for seniors.

Finger painting is a fun and easy way for seniors to exercise their creative muscles, as it doesn’t require fine motor skills and can be forgiving.

How can seniors decorate flower pots creatively?

Why should seniors join a book club, what is narrative writing for seniors.

Narrative writing is the art of telling a story with a beginning, middle, and end, including elements such as characters, settings, problems, and solutions.

How can narrative writing prompts inspire seniors?

How can narrative writing be assessed for seniors, source links, share your love, about the author, related posts, leave a comment cancel reply.

A blog of lessons, tips and themes I have used during my time as a Senior Infants teacher!

• Links to Useful Websites

Monday 25 August 2014

A little update for you all.

Tuesday 20 May 2014

Religion in senior infants.

• Why is Christmas a really important time of the year for us/ Why do we celebrate Christmas?
• Where was Jesus born?
• Who came to visit Jesus when he was born?
• How did the three kings find Jesus?
• What gifts did they bring? etc.
• How did Mary find out that she was going to have baby Jesus?
• Before Jesus was born, Mary went on a journey to visit her friend. Do you remember her name?
• Who was St. Patrick?
• What did he use the shamrock for?
• Why did he become a priest?
• Who was St. Brigid? What did she use to teach people about God?
• What did she do with her cloak?
• Why do we have Lent?
• What happened to Jesus at Easter? etc.
• What is peace?
• Where do you find peace?
• Who were Samuel and David? 
• Why was Samuel not happy? 
• Who did God want to be the leader of his people? Was it the strong older son?
• What job did David do? Why would a shepherd be a good leader? What makes a good leader?     
• Tell me about Moses.                                                

Tuesday 28 January 2014

Valentine's day themed lessons.

Monday 13 January 2014

Sight word games.

Wednesday 8 January 2014

Consonant digraphs.

Monday 16 December 2013

Christmas last minute art ideas.

Monday 2 December 2013

Thursday 14 November 2013

Parent teacher meetings.

• Checklists that I have been keeping on words, sounds and spellings.
• The children's maths results.
• Art the children have completed so far in the year, stuck into a scrapbook.
• The children's workbooks/News copy for them to flick through.
• Work samples of the child's writing/maths, etc. 

Tuesday 12 November 2013

Have you filled a bucket today.

Tuesday 15 October 2013

Halloween's a comin'....

Monday 7 October 2013

Play areas in infant classrooms.

Tuesday 24 September 2013

'like' or 'follow' senior infant adventures.

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Senior infants' timetable.

Tuesday 3 September 2013

Even teachers need their space.

Word Wizard

Senior infants.

Word Wizard for Senior Infants is a strategies-based activity book for teaching literacy skills, designed to be used with any core English programme.

The best choice for you and your class

Word Wizard  for Senior Infants follows a thematic approach, with themes spanning two units, allowing for easy planning. Learning outcomes from the Primary Language Curriculum are referenced on each page. It includes:

• A fully integrated Literacy Skills and Activities Book
• FREE teacher eBook
• FREE digital teacher resources

The Word Wizard approach

A comprehensive Aistear plan is provided for each month, in addition to integrating the theme throughout the corresponding unit where possible.

Engaging oral language activities

Each month begins with an exciting oral language activity based on the Aistear theme. Each lesson covers associated vocabulary, explores possible role-play scenarios and discusses suggested conversation language, as well as brainstorming resources for setting up a role-play area.

Flexible phonics approach

In Word Wizard Senior Infants, both alphabet and digraphs are covered in quick succession. As some schools do not cover digraphs at Junior Infant level, a set of corresponding worksheets is available as a teaching resource online. These may be used as an introductory activity before progressing with the phonics sections in the activity book.

Genre writing

Word Wizard  Senior Infants covers the genres of recount, procedure, narrative, report and poetry. Genre writing is integrated with the various themes throughout each book. Each activity is accompanied by online teaching notes and templates for use on the interactive whiteboard. Some genres are further consolidated through play and may be found referenced as activities within Aistear plans.

50 creative writing prompts for kids

Writing prompts for kids of all ages and unique ways you can help inspire your young author.

Getting lost in a great story is a thrilling way for kids to pass the time—especially if the story is in their own minds.

Making up stories or simply recording their thoughts in a journal builds learners’ self-awareness, self-esteem, creativity, and writing skills. Creative writing can also lay the groundwork for a lifelong habit that can help them process their emotions and observations about the world.

Here’s a quick overview of why creative writing is important for kids, age-appropriate writing prompts, and fun writing classes your kids can try. 

Why it’s so important to get kids writing creatively

Writing is an amazing outlet for creativity. When kids are allowed to write what they’re passionate about , they learn to associate learning with fun and happiness. In contrast, kids who “have” to read or write what they’re told, regardless of if they’re interested in the topic, can become completely disinterested in recreational reading and writing.

A study from the United Kingdom shows that while kids are largely leaning towards writing on screens instead of using pen and paper, the types of writing they do are surprisingly varied. Children and young people enjoy writing stories and poems, song lyrics, reviews of products they’re interested in, and diary entries.

Nearly 62% of kids stated they wrote social media content every month, highlighting the usefulness of online platforms for encouraging writing and reading in the home .

Kids of all ages can also benefit from 1-on-1 writing tutoring , especially if they’ve lost their love of writing and need to re-engage their curiosity. Take a look at our prompts below as a great way to jump-start the imagination and latch on to something your young learner is passionate about. 

You can also take ideas from your family’s favorite books or a beloved character from another media format, such as TV or movies.

25 writing prompts for young kids 

Write a story about a character who has a secret power—but no one knows about it.

Imagine a city that existed long ago but has now been destroyed. What did it look like? Who lived there? How did it all end?

Write a story about a planet that hasn’t been discovered yet.

Imagine you’re a mermaid. Describe your under-the-sea home. Who are your friends? What does your house look like?

What if your pet could talk? What would you two discuss?

Create a daily schedule for a person who is as small as a snail.

If you had to choose one of the following biomes to live in, which would you choose, and why: desert, rainforest, deep sea, arctic, mountains, or tropics?

If you could become invisible, where would you go first? What would you do there?

Why do you think your parents chose your name? Does it suit you? Why or why not?

Imagine you live on a deserted island, and there’s a big storm coming.

What is your earliest memory?

What would you do if you found a magic compass on the sidewalk that showed you how to get to wherever you wanted to go in under 3 minutes?

If you were the ruler of a kingdom, what would its laws be? Write a constitution for your society.

What would life be like if you were your favorite animal?

Is sweet or salty better? Write persuasively to defend your choice as if you had the chance to win a million dollars for making the best argument.

Write a step-by-step guide to being you.

Imagine you were the ONE person alive in the age of the dinosaurs. How would you spend your time?

Would you rather always be hot or always be cold? Decide, then write a story where the character is always too hot or always too cold. What are they going to do about it?

If there were a secret passageway in your house, where would you find it, and where would it lead?

If an alien landed in your backyard, what would happen?

What will life be like in the year 3000?

Are you most like an ocean, a gust of wind, a fire, or a tree? Why?

Write a letter to your current self from the future.

Imagine you lived in the mall.

Write a poem about one of your family members.

Find the perfect writing class for your young scribe. They’ll connect with passionate teachers and peers to kickstart their creativity. 

25 writing prompts for big kids and teens

In the movie of your life, who would you cast to play you, your family members, and your friends?

Write a scientific essay about your pet. Use language that is objective rather than subjective.

Write an itinerary for your dream vacation.

Write a story from the perspective of your favorite Star Wars character.

Write a letter to your younger self.

Would you rather have farts people can see or burp glitter? Defend your choice.

Create an original superhero—like Spider-Man or Batman.

If you became president, what’s the first thing you’d do?

What was life like for your great-great-grandparent at your age?

What would your life be like if you lived underground? Describe a typical day from the moment you wake up to when you get to sleep.

Imagine you’re a star athlete in your favorite sport. Describe a day in your life.

You’re living in ancient Egypt. Describe a day in your life.

Rewrite a classic fairy tale like Little Red Riding Hood, but set it in modern times.

Describe a day in your life to an alien from another planet. Remember, they don’t know ANYTHING about Earth!

Imagine you live inside your favorite video game—and you have to figure out how to get back to real life.

Invent a new sport. Describe the rules, equipment needed, and traditions surrounding games.

If you had a robot as a friend, what would you do together? What conflicts might arise?

Imagine you were in the zoo like an animal, and no one thought that was weird at all.

Write a letter to yourself in the future. Describe what life is like today—what technology do you use? Who are your friends? What are your favorite things to do?

Write a story where the characters can only ask questions.

Write a song that you’d perform if you got a record deal.

What would happen in the first episode of your favorite TV show with you as a starring character?

Write a text conversation between you and a ghost that lives in your attic.

Think of yourself as a character in a book. In the book's story, you're living your normal life until, one day, everything changes. What is your normal life like? How do you interact with the people in your life? What changes? How do you respond?

Write a story that will scare your readers.

Another fun way to inspire your growing author is with online writing workshops and clubs . Giving them practical opportunities to study and practice creative writing is a great way to support their passion. 

Resources for developing kids' creative writing skills

Help your children develop multiple crucial writing skills with Outschool’s live online classes, like: 

Writing persuasively

Creative writing skills for different age groups

Getting writing coaching and tutoring

Mastering essay writing

Constructing a five-paragraph essay

Writing poetry

Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW) classes

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100+ Fun Creative Writing Prompts for Kids (and Kids at Heart!)

by Sue Weems | 0 comments

One of the best ways you can foster a love of reading and writing in children is to offer lots of low-stakes opportunities to practice. These writing prompts can be used with any group of kids you're working with: elementary school, middle school, or high school writers.

Prompts can help kids break through creative writing idea blocks or boredom. Whether in a slump or starting a new project, try a prompt a day and see what happens.

Keep it as simple as possible: one notebook or document, one location, the same(-ish) time each day, and a timer set for 5, 10, or 15 minutes.

Don’t let yourself edit, reread, or rework anything. Just write. Keep the pen moving across the page. There’s no wrong way to play.

Plus, there's a great note for you, whether you're a parent or teacher or both, at the end.

Give these fun creative writing prompts a try and watch how consistent practice contributes to ideas, confidence, and yes, even stronger writing skills !

20 Journal Writing Prompts

Journal prompts are fun writing prompts that are great for recording your everyday life. It's like taking a snapshot. It's fun to look back in a month, a season, or a year to see how you've grown or changed.

One additional thought that is important to keep in mind when writing a journal writing prompt is that it encourages kids to explore answers beyond one word or sentence. The best way to get them to write more is to ask why  they answered a prompt the way they did.

Asking the question why not only encourages children to consider their beliefs, wants, and values, but also pushes them to really explore their voice through creative writing ideas .

Recommended time for each: 5-7 minutes

1. What is your earliest memory? Describe this memory.

2. What is the best part of your week and why?

3. What is your favorite thing to do after school? Why?

4. What is (or was) your favorite toy? Why?

5. Describe your favorite animal or pet. Why is this your favorite? (Fun variation: Describe your favorite pet or animal's perspective of you.)

6. Describe your typical morning as if you are your bathroom mirror or a door in your home.

7. What is your favorite food? If you could choose anything, what would you pick to eat for breakfast? For lunch? For dinner?

8. Describe your last birthday party or celebration. Why is this your favorite?

9. Describe your favorite game or video game as if you are a character in the game. Walk us through it.

10. Who is your favorite person? Describe how you spend your favorite holiday with them.

11. What is your favorite character from a TV show or book and why?

12. If your life was a fairy tale, which one would it most resemble and why?

13. What is your favorite movie and why? Favorite TV show?

14. What was your favorite book to read when you were younger? What is your favorite book now? Why do you love it?

15. What is something grown-ups or family members ask you about? How does it make you feel?

16. What is one thing you are grateful for this week? Why?

17. What would your dream job be? Why?

18. What do you know a lot about that you could talk (or write) about for days?

19. What is your favorite season and why?

20. What is your favorite sport or hobby and why?

Bonus  journal prompts !

21. What kind of ice cream or dessert do you love best? Why?

22. What do you hope to accomplish before you grow into an older kid or adult?

23. If you got to spend a whole day with one famous person, who would it be and what would you do?

20 Letter Writing Prompts

Letter writing may feel like a lost art, but it's a terrific way to help kids practice writing skills because it requires an audience and purpose. Letters can be written to send to real family members or best friends. And every person has a different writing style when they write a letter, which makes them unique!

Letters can also be creatively designed to be a part of a story. Or they can just be practice for writing with a fun writing prompt.

Whether or not you use letter writing prompts for students or as a meaningful exercise to strengthen writing skills with your kids at home, or as a method for creative writing practice in school, letters themselves are a timeless art and method of connecting with others.

Letters can also inspire writers to take up a diary. Who knows, maybe they'll even want to use some of these writing prompts for their next diary entry, just for continued practice.

Give these creative writing prompts a try!

Recommended time for each: 10+ minutes

24. Write a letter to the most used piece of furniture in your home.

25. Write a letter to a best friend or good friend about a wild adventure you'd like to take together.

26. Write a letter to your favorite movie star.

27. Write a letter to your favorite wild animal (or your least favorite!) in a zoo or aquarium.

28. Write a letter to a family member about something you learned on your first day of school.

29. Write a letter to your favorite TV show character about what they should do in a future episode.

30. Write a letter to an alien explaining how you do an everyday task like eating or playing.

31. Imagine you can send mail through a time machine. Write a letter to your past or future self.

32. Write a letter to the inventor of your favorite food, toy, or game. Tell them what you love about it.

33. Write a letter to a historical figure you admire.

34. Write a letter to your favorite athlete or musician explaining why you love to see them perform.

35. Write a letter to an inventor of a household object with ideas for its improvement.

36. Write a letter to a parent, teacher, or other grown up to thank them.

37. Write a letter to a person, school, or organization about something that needs to be changed.

38. Write a letter to your favorite childhood cartoon.

39. Write a letter to your favorite author.

40. Write a letter to a pet you wish you had. (This could be a wild animal or a magical creature!)

41. Write a letter to a grandparent, aunt, uncle or other grownup about the best thing they cook or bake for you.

42. Write a letter to a sibling or friend full of as many jokes as you can think of.

43. Write a letter to the sidewalk explaining why everyone walks on them.

Bonus letter writing prompts: postcards!

Postcards require you to condense your message into as few words as possible. Try these!

44. Write about a winter or summer vacation memory.

45. Tell a friend about your last school year.

20 Story Writing Prompts

If you have a little more time, you can try these prompts to write a short story. Sometimes the hardest part about writing a story is coming up with a story idea that can get you or your students and kids started.

This article is here to help everyone get over that slump. It doesn't have to be the funniest story or best story in the world to be a great story. Every writer only gets better with practice.

Don't feel like you have to take any of these upcoming story ideas too seriously. Writing a short story is not a life or death situation. It is something that you can use  to explore yourself, your beliefs, and big, unanswered questions—all of which you get to explore through the eyes of a fictional character you create!

Most stories feature a main character who wants something, but conflict gets in the way. And the conflict forces them to make a crucial decision.

How will your hero pursue their goal? Figure this out by writing out your story idea!

Recommended time for each: 15+ minutes

46. Write a new ending or a next chapter for your favorite or a well-known fairy tale.

47. You get a call from your best friend that their favorite item is missing. Write a story where you work together to find it.

48. Imagine your bus or car suddenly turns into a spaceship with a course charted for outer space. What happens next?

49. A classmate or sibling calls for help and disappears before you can react. How will you find out what happened to them?

50. You're watching your favorite TV show when the screen flickers and you're transported into the show. What happens next?

51. A magical bird flies into a house and won't leave. What happens next?

52. A character finds a diary on their way home from school, and it's full of clues to a well-known lost treasure. Follow the clues.

53. You build a robot that is able to solve the world's most pressing problem, but you've lost control of it. What will you do?

54. Rewrite an historical event from the perspective of a kid your age living through it.

55. A character wakes up as the star player for their favorite sports team. The only problem is that they didn't get the skills to match. They have to go to practice to fake it until they find a way to change back.

56. A character discovers that their friend group is having a bash on the beach without them, but they know their family will be in the same area that day. What do they do?

57. A character's parent needs life-saving medicine but they can't afford it. How will the character get help?

58. In the middle of an acting class, an actor gets carried away and admits a life-changing secret. What happens next?

59. Send a dog and an armadillo on an adventure together to save another animal. (Challenge: no animals die.)

60. A first-time thief accidentally breaks into the wrong house and chaos ensues. What happens?

61. A character takes a wrong turn in a basement and gets lost in a series of underground tunnels where they find . . . finish the story.

62. Rewrite your favorite superhero scene or battle from the viewpoint of the villain.

63. A character inadvertently swaps backpacks with someone who is clearly a spy. What happens next?

64. A bookworm gets locked in a haunted library and can only find the way out by solving a ghost's riddles. How will they do it?

65. A couple kids are fishing from their canoe when a whirlpool opens and . . . what happens?

20 Story Setting Prompts

One element that can make or break a short story is the setting. You can have the most exciting story idea in the world, but if the setting falls short, the story probably will, too.

Use these creative writing prompts to play with imaginative settings that you can combine with story idea starters or character conflict that can amaze your friends and family.

Recommended time for each: 5 minutes

66. Describe a drive to town. (Challenge: Before cars were invented.)

67. Describe an underground tunnel in a forest.

68. You've just moved into your dream house when disaster strikes. Describe the scene.

69. Describe standing in the middle of a rushing stream or river.

70. Describe a new planet where an astronaut landed when they took a wrong turn in space.

71. Describe an abandoned skate park or playground.

72. Describe experiencing a storm from inside a car or bus.

73. Describe a world where everyone forgets something all the time.

74. Describe what it feels like in the top bunk of a cabin in the woods at midnight with no electricity.

75. Describe what it feels like to dangle your feet in the water from the edge of a dock.

76. Describe a restaurant with over-the-top decor.

77. Describe climbing through the branches of a tree. (Challenge: a bear is chasing you)

78. Describe how it feels to play hide-and-seek from your favorite real or imagined hiding spot.

79. Describe a fashion show. (Challenge: for puppy clothes)

80. Describe a summer hike on a challenging mountain trail.

81. Describe sitting in the bleachers during a packed event.

82. Describe a classroom or living room with too much stuff in it.

83. Describe getting stuck on a boat in the middle of a large lake or the ocean.

84. Describe the control room of a space ship or space station. (Challenge: add an emergency alarm buzzing)

85. Describe a supervillain's lair. (Challenge: add a stuffed bunny and make us believe it)

20 Character Conflict Writing Prompts

Conflict is what keeps a character from getting what they want. It can be another person (like a villain) or bad luck, a fear or flaw.

As you use this set of writing prompts, focus on making your character act in the face of conflict.

86. You receive a letter that you've been admitted to a high school that builds treehouses, but on the first day, you realize you're afraid of heights. What will you do?

87. You discover you have a superpower only to realize that you can only use it in one small confined space. What will you do?

88. A character spent a month and a lot of money decorating and preparing for an outdoor party when a freak snow storm hits. What will they do?

89. In the middle of a talent show, a performer begins reciting a poem that someone else wrote and had never shared with anyone. Write the confrontation scene.

90. A wilderness guide wanders off track losing a group of kids who have to survive on their wits and teamwork. How will they do it?

91. A singer joins a reality TV show contest when their twin sibling shows up one stage and says they are singing the same song. What happens next?

92. A scientist finds a rare rock formation that opens into another world, but his arch enemy appears as they're inspecting it. What will they do?

93. A bully gets trapped inside their favorite social media app and has to figure out how to make amends with those they have hurt to find their way out. How will they do it?

94. A family who often argues gets snowed into a cabin together one winter. How will they survive the storm and each other?

95. A character's cat goes missing and a week later, they see a grumpy neighbor feeding it on the back porch. How will they get it back?

96. A gamer stumbles into a chat room where other users are planning to shut down the network, and he has to find a way to stop them before it's too late.

97. A character is quietly finishing his work at school when there's a knock at the door and he gets called into the hallway where the frowning principal and another student wait. What happens next?

98. A knight is captured and told they will fight the fiercest creature in the land to the death. When they enter the arena, what do they see and how do they defeat it?

99. A spy on a top secret mission enters an enemy camp and sees their brother who is clearly part of the organization they're spying on. What do they do?

100. An assassin accidentally bumps into their arch enemy . . . at a children’s carnival where they’ve both taken their kids for an outing. What do they do?

101. A dancer gets a job on a video shoot for their favorite band of all time, but when rehearsal begins, they realize something isn't right. What happens and what will they do?

102. A tree crashes down destroying a hiker's only known bridge on the path back to their car, and their cell phone has no service. What will they do?

103. A soccer star is headed into the championship game, but they have been in a scoring slump for the entire series. What will they do to get out of their head and lead their team to victory?

104. Last year's art show winner is given the opportunity to judge this year's contest. They weren't supposed to see any of the entries before the competition, but they accidentally see a small section of the school bully's painting as they dragged it down the hall to display. When the judge arrives to view the show, they realize that the bully's work is really good, but the bully has been so mean to them and their friends. What will they do?

105. A student newspaper editor is stuck and doesn't know what to write, but their story deadline is tomorrow and they were just assigned a book report too! How will they finish on time?

A Special Note for Teachers and Parents of Kid Writers

Teaching kids to write can feel overwhelming, especially if you don’t feel confident as a writer yourself. I work from three principles that help me encourage writers:

• Writing is hard work whether you are a beginner or a professional. Honor the process and write alongside your kids. It’s magic.
• Build on strengths and state explicitly what is working, what is clear, and what is unique about the writer’s voice and work.
• Beginning and developing writers cannot address everything at once. Invest in a cycle of deliberate practice, feedback , and application. Repeat.

Overall, writing is an amazing way to empower students by teaching them to use their voice and imaginations. Sometimes all they need is a little help getting started.

These writing prompts are designed for kids of all ages. Pull one or several and use as a great activator for a class—or a fun writing session in general!

It's important to teach children to use their voices, and to stretch their imaginations. Starting with these creative writing prompts for kids might be just what they need to get started, and gain confidence in exploring and sharing their ideas.

What are some of your favorite kids writing prompts?   Let us know in the comments .

It's time to use some of these creative writing prompts for kids to practice!

Depending on how much time you'd like to write, choose one of the writing prompts from this article's list. Set a timer for fifteen minutes , or ten or five. Then, write!

Don't worry about editing. Just press start and go for it! When you're done, take it one step further and share what you—or your students—come up with together.

If you're an adult/ kid-at-heart who wrote to a prompt, please share your practice in the Pro Practice Workshop here . And once you've shared, be sure to leave feedback for someone else who has shared their writing!

Sue Weems is a writer, teacher, and traveler with an advanced degree in (mostly fictional) revenge. When she’s not rationalizing her love for parentheses (and dramatic asides), she follows a sailor around the globe with their four children, two dogs, and an impossibly tall stack of books to read. You can read more of her writing tips on her website .

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25 Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

Writing is a transformative skill that nurtures a child's ability to articulate thoughts, understand emotions, and express themselves with confidence. While some children find joy in putting pen to paper, others may need a gentle nudge into the world of writing. Recognizing this, we're committed to providing engaging and enjoyable resources that make the journey of learning to write both accessible and exciting!

We've gathered 25 creative writing prompts created to spark creativity and inspire storytelling adventures. Whether you're navigating the homeschooling landscape or seeking enriching activities for the weekend, these prompts promise endless possibilities for exploration and growth in your child's writing journey:

• You find a door in the school that you have never seen before. You peer through the large keyhole and see something that resembles a time machine… What happens next? Do you try to open the door?
• Write a story about a Monster that shows up at your birthday party.
• Write a story about a magical ring that can grant all your favorite things. Until…
• You are the main character in your favorite video game. What happens?
• Story starter: You’re watching your favorite movie when suddenly, you get pulled into the screen! After a moment of confusion, you discover that you’ve replaced the main character... What happens next?
• You’re building your dream treehouse, but first you need to get all the materials you need to complete it! Can you write a list of everything you need to build your treehouse?
• Your best friend gives you their favorite book, and you find out it has magical powers! What are its magical powers? How will you use them?
• Once upon a time, in a magical forest filled with talking animals, a curious fox discovered a hidden path leading to an enchanted castle. Follow the fox and write about your quest!
• Time for an adventure story: you wake up in a spaceship and a fellow astronaut tells you that you’re there to explore outer space. What happens? Do you discover a new planet? Who do you meet?
• What is your favorite animal, and what is the funniest thing about them? Write a report on this and include as many fun facts as you can!
• As the clock struck midnight, strange glowing lights appeared in the abandoned house at the end of the street, catching your attention... What happens next?
• Can you describe your favorite food? Is it ice cream? A burger? Pasta? Tell us all about it!
• You’re walking through the park when you spot a group of older kids playing your favorite sport. As you approach them to ask if you can join them, you spot a very shiny object by a tree. As you get closer, you can’t believe what you’ve discovered... What is it?
• You find yourself stranded on a desert island. As you search for other people and food, you find a cell phone that seems to be giving you directions to a mysterious location. Are you accepting the quest? What challenges do you face? Do you find a treasure, or something more dangerous? Write an exciting adventure story based on your quest to solve this mystery.
• Write an acrostic poem about your favorite season.
• You discover an animal that you’ve never seen before and it bestows some magical powers on you that change your life! Write a letter to a good friend explaining this.
• In a bustling city where robots were the norm, a young inventor stumbled upon a hidden button that activated something extraordinary. You are that young inventor. Write an exciting story about what happened after activating this button.
• Pretend that you are a “grown-up” who is 70 or 80 years old. Write a complaint about what is wrong with “kids these days”!
• If your favorite holiday is Christmas , we’ve got a secret mission for you: write a story persuading Santa that you could be his very best elf.
• Chindōgu (珍道具) is the Japanese art of inventing useless gadgets. Design a useless gadget and persuade people to buy it!
• What superpower would you NOT want and why?
• If you could create the perfect TV show, what would it be? What would happen?
• Write a story about what you think it’d be like to visit another planet for the first time.
• Can you invent your own company and write about what it would do?
• Journal writing prompt: What are your favorite things about yourself? Write a list of all the things that make you unique and special.

More Writing Resources for Kids

We hope you’ve enjoyed this collection of creative writing prompts for kids! For more creative writing ideas and prompts, check these out:

• Elementary Writing Prompts
• Picture Writing Prompts
• Writing Activities For Kids

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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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Your teacher has been turned into a pumpkin what do you do to fix this situation, look outside and pick a random person. describe them., finish the sentence: this year, i want this list of things from santa..., finish the sentence: this year, my new year's resolution is..., your friend has crossed over to the dark side what do you do do you join them or do you fight them, if you were in charge of the country, what policy would you change first, if you opened a restaurant, what kind of restaurant would you open, write a story about a day out in the amusement park what do you do, win $250 in our short story competition 🏆.

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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.

If you’re an adult writing for kids, check out this free resource:

• Children’s Books Writing 101: Writing for the Right Age Group (free course) — Our ten day course for writing for young readers, including tips and tricks for publishing and marketing your book if you want to release your work to the world!

Want more help learning how to write a short story for kids? Check out How to Write a Short Story That Gets Published — a free, ten day course by Laura Mae Isaacman, a full-time editor who runs a book editing company in Brooklyn.

Ready to start writing? Check out Reedsy’s weekly short story contest , for the chance of winning $250! You can also check out our list of writing contests or our directory of literary magazines for more opportunities to submit your story.

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Helping Busy Moms Balance Diapers and Deadlines

Lisa Tanner Writing

Helping Moms Balance Diapers and Deadlines

Last Modified on June 18, 2021 By Lisa Tanner

65 Simple Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can find my full disclosure page here .

Want to keep your children busy while you get some work done of your own? These creative writing prompts for kids can help! Learn how to use creative writing prompts with kids of different ability levels, and find 65 different prompts to keep them engaged !

And if you don’t think creative writing prompts will be a great fit for your kids, here are over 100 other scree-free activities your kids can try!

Finding time to grow a business as a busy mom is hard! One strategy that helps you carve out time is to have a prepopulated list of ideas to engage your kids.

If your kids are busy doing something creative or fun, they’re more likely to focus on that task. That gives you time to focus on your work.

By implementing a Family Writing Time a couple of days a week, you will gain much needed time for your business. And during that time, your kids will be practicing:

• Working quietly
• Working independently
• Using their creativity
• Storytelling
• Writing skills

Below you’ll find 65 creative writing prompts to help spark your child’s imagination.

But first, I want to share some fun ways to make writing prompts accessible for kids of different ages and abilities, explore the supplies you should have on hand, and help you make Family Writing Time a habit in your home.

Ready? Let’s go!

How to Use Creative Writing Prompts for Kids of Different Ages and Abilities

A typical list of writing prompts for kids is going to have a long list of prompts. And if your kids are at the right age and ability, they can have a lot of fun with it.

But, there are a lot of children who are not yet at that level. They don’t yet have the skills needed to sit down and respond to a prompt on their own.

If you have kids who are struggling writers, or who just aren’t developmentally ready for writing prompts, here are some ways to make this writing time more inclusive. Instead of sitting down and simply writing, you can encourage your child to:

• Draw a picture in response
• Create a skit
• Make a comic strip
• Tell their response to a stuffed animal audience
• Create homemade story cards on index cards and use those to tell the story
• Paint story rocks
• Write a poem
• Decorate a file folder with the setting and create paper characters that can get stored inside
• Use a story creation app
• Create a power point
• Cut pictures out of a magazine or newspaper and glue them down to tell the story
• Use a text-to-speech app or software

There are so many fun ways for kids to engage with creative writing prompts. They don’t just have to sit down and write a story.

Before They Begin…

It’s important to read the prompt aloud with each child and give them a couple of minutes to brainstorm. Be available during this time to help them select how they are going to respond and help them get what they need.

One fun way to keep track of the prompts is to print out the list and cut each one out. Then let your child draw three and pick one to use.

You can also just read a couple of ideas aloud and then let your child pick one.

By offering a choice, you help your child learn to evaluate options and think about what they want to create. That’s an important skill!

Help Your Children See Themselves as Writers

The more that children believe in themselves, the more likely they are to succeed. So make writing time fun, not boring. You want them to see themselves as writers, and believe in their ability.

This means you shouldn’t look at their effort and immediately point out all the flaws. Instead focus on what they did right.

Does their b go the right way? Did they leave spaces between words? Can you tell they worked hard on their coloring to make it look nice?

Find some areas of your child’s work that you can genuinely compliment. And use that as the starting point of your conversation.

If your child already struggles with writing, hearing you nitpick all their errors is sure not going to build their confidence.

Now yes, there is a time and a place for correct spelling and constructive feedback.

But, when you just want your child engaged with an activity so you can get some work done is not that time! Don’t make them feel miserable – celebrate what they did and offer encouragement!

Supplies You Need for Family Writing Time

In order for Family Writing Time to be a success, you need to have the right supplies on hand. You don’t want to ask your kids to go create story cards and then realize you ran out of index cards!

Here are some versatile supplies that my kids are always using during our Family Writing Time. We’ve used them all, and I highly recommend them!

• Reams of copy paper (we buy it by the case since we go through so much!)
• Spiral notebooks (I get one for each child to use during Family Writing Time)
• Quality pencils (out of all the brands we’ve tried, we found these pencils hold up the best)
• Colored pencils (my oldest kids use the expensive kind, I just buy Crayola for the younger ones!)
• File folders
• Index cards
• Pencil sharpener (I finally bought an electric one and I love it!)
• Old magazines/newspapers that can be cut up
• Crayons (always Crayola – they last so much longer than the cheap ones! I just stock up when they’re $0.50/box at Walmart in late summer…)
• Paint pens (for painting rocks!)
• Smooth rocks (I make my kids find their own outside and wash them. But you can also buy them…)
• Glue sticks
• Construction paper

Definitely don’t go stock up on all of these right now. You know what supplies will be a good match for your kids – but do make it a point to have the supplies they will use on hand. You want to make this easy on everyone!

How to Make Family Writing Time a Habit

If you’re looking to make Family Writing Time with creative writing prompts a new part of your routine, here are some tips for making it work.

Do It Regularly

Are you going to do Family Writing Time once a week? Or three times a week?

There is no right or wrong answer here. But, if you do want to make it a habit, it needs to be a regular part of your family’s schedule.

Use a Timer

Don’t just let everyone write until chaos erupts. Because kids who are working hard on a project will go from perfectly fine to upset in no time flat.

Instead, make it a point to stop everyone while it’s still going well. You want to end on a positive note and have them want to keep going. Then they can have something to look forward to the next time you announce it’s Family Writing Time.

To make this happen, use a timer! I started at just a few minutes with my younger kids. We’re now up to everyone working for 30 minutes.

Any more than that is too long for my littles. I do have several who could go for a full hour, but I purposefully keep it short.

Do what works for your family. But do set a timer and stop when it’s done.

Write During This Time

Kids like it when we lead by example and they can mimic us. Use this time to write and not scroll mindlessly on social media. If you have a business, you can:

• Write a post for your blog
• Research for an upcoming post
• Pitch a new freelance writing client
• Work on writing a book
• Update your resume
• Create a lesson for a course
• Write out a week’s worth of social media posts
• Creatively free write to get rid of writer’s block

Whatever you do, spend this time wisely. Your kids won’t be engaged happily forever, so make the most of it when it happens! 😀

Integrate a Sharing Time

When everyone is done, work together to clean up. Then, have a quick time to share.

Let everyone share or tell something about what they worked on. Make sure you share as well.

This is the part my kids love best. Even my toddler loves showing off his latest picture and pointing to his favorite parts. It’s so much fun for everyone to show off and tell about their work.

And during this time…listen to the kids. Don’t be on your phone!

65 Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

Now that you have a better understanding of how to use these prompts and how they can help you free up time for your business, it’s time to dive into the creative writing prompts for kids!

• You were just given a key to your dream house. What do you see when you walk through the front door?
• You’re enjoying a nice afternoon on the beach when suddenly a huge wave comes out of nowhere. When it rolls back, you are shocked to see…
• Today you are going to a cloud castle. You can’t believe your luck! You are going to…
• Your favorite television character just hopped out of the TV and announced that you get to spend the day together. What happens?
• One night you go to bed with a strange feeling. The next morning you awake to discover that you can now…
• You just got sucked into the book you are currently reading. Where are you and what do you do?
• Someone just gave you $100 and the only rule is that you can’t spend it on yourself. What do you do with it?
• You’re going to be spending 8 hours in the car with your family. What do you pack in your survival bag?
• You look out the window and discover the seasons are all mixed up! What is happening out there?
• You’ve been asked to throw a surprise party for your best friend. What does the event look like?
• You’re now the main character in a fairy tale. Which one do you choose and how do you change what happens?
• It’s your turn to cook dinner! What’s on the menu and what do you need to make it?
• Yikes! A huge snowstorm is approaching and your house will lose power for 24 hours. What do you need to do to prepare?
• You walk outside and notice a large hole in your backyard. Why is it there and where does it lead?
• For two whole days, you can only eat one single food. Whenever you’re hungry, that’s all you get. What are you going to pick and why?
• You just left the room. What are your toys going to do now?
• You wake up and realize you’ve gone back in time! When is it and what are you going to do?
• For today only, you can talk with animals. Which ones will you talk to and what will you ask or say?
• You and someone in your family have to switch places for the day. Who are you going to switch with and what will your day be like?
• If you had the power to make any toy come to life for a week, which one would you choose and what would you do?
• Where would you go if you could pick your family’s next vacation destination?
• You’re opening a new restaurant! What’s on the menu?
• What new rule would you add to your favorite board game? How would that change things?
• You get to pick one book to get turned into a movie. Which one is it going to be? Share some details about the film…
• Good news! You’ve just been asked to guest star on your favorite television show! Which one are you on and what are you going to do?
• A TV show you loved when you were little needs a rebooted theme song. How is it going to go?
• Imagine the setting changed for your favorite book. Where does it now take place and how does that change the plot?
• You just discovered a new creature in the jungle. It appears to be a combination of two common animals. What is it and what do you call it? Describe its habitat and what it does.
• Your favorite car company wants you to design their new car. What’s going to make it special? What features will it have?
• What is something that many people are scared of that you are not? Why aren’t you scared of it? Why do you think other people are scared?
• You want to try something new, so you decide to go pull out your sled in the middle of the summer. What are you going to do with it that’s fun?
• It’s time to invent a new holiday! Why should people celebrate this day with you?
• You’re visiting the farm and notice something strange. The cows are…
• You get to design a robot to do one chore for you. What do you program it to do and how does it work?
• Your friend just got an unusual new pet. What did they get? Tell all about it!
• When you found that egg underneath the tree, you had no idea this would be inside…
• You just traveled 100 years into the future. What is life like?
• Zap! You’ve just been shrunk and are now the size of a mouse. What are you going to do now?
• In the forest you discover a magical stone that will let you relive any day from your past. Which day would you want to live all over again and why?
• You’re on a walk with your family and suddenly discover a little cottage made out of candy and sweets. What happens next?
• What does your dream playground look like?
• If you got the chance to audition for a national talent show, would you? Why or why not? What act would you perform?
• You find yourself alone on an island. How do you survive while you wait for help?
• If you could lead a tour of your city for a group of new children, where would you take them?
• It started off just like any Saturday. But then…
• You have to listen to one song on repeat for an entire 24-hour period. Which one would you like the most? Which one would you like the least? Why?
• The next thing you build out of LEGOs is going to magically turn life-sized. What do you build? What happens when you’re finished?
• NASA just selected you to name a new planet discovered way out in the edge of the solar system. What do you name it and why?
• You’ve been asked to teach a child two years younger than you to do something. What are you going to teach and how will you do it?
• What’s the best part about being your age?
• You discover a secret door in a tree that can instantly transport you to any one place in the world. Where are you going?
• You’ve been given 100 plastic bags and asked to upcycle them. How are you going to use them?
• If you could change one thing about today, what would it be? Why?
• You just found some seeds and planted them. You never imagined that this would grow…
• There are 15 kids coming over to your house tomorrow. What activities are you going to do? What should you serve for a snack?
• What book should all students in your grade read? Why?
• What makes you unique?
• What is inside the picnic basket for your perfect afternoon picnic?
• An awful villain has just invaded two of your favorite television shows and now the characters must work together to save the day. Who is involved and what happens?
• If you could decorate your room anyway you wanted, what would it look like?
• What is a book or movie that really needed a sequel? What should have happened in it?
• You’ve been asked to take pictures of your favorite snack for a food blog. What are you photographing and how will you stage your shots?
• You and your friends just created a YouTube channel for kids. What are your videos going to be about?
• What is your favorite treat and how is it prepared?
• You’re supposed to be cleaning your room. But, when you open your closet door you are instantly transported to…

Enjoy These Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

What’d you think of these creative writing prompts for kids? Are there any that you know your kids will love writing about?

If you’re looking for even more ways to keep your kids engaged while you get some work done, check out these resources:

• The Ultimate Guide to a Successful Family Writing Time (my eBook that helps you create the habit and offers dozens of creative ideas)
• 9 Fall Activities to Keep Your Kids Busy While You Write a Blog Post
• 50 Fun Activities for Kids
• 25 My Little Pony Activities for Kids
• Unlocking Kids’ Brain Power: Semi-Weekly Writing Prompts to Expand Young Minds

And if you found this post useful, please Pin it for later!

Lisa Tanner

Lisa Tanner is a former teacher turned homeschooling mom with 11 kids. She's also a successful freelance writer. Lisa enjoys helping other busy moms find time to start and grow a side hustle of their own.

Reader Interactions

October 1, 2019 at 6:59 am

That’s brilliant and things in there I never expected. Love using every day items!

October 1, 2019 at 7:07 am

Thanks Katy. Using everyday objects keeps it so simple to have a creative and fun family writing time without having a huge expense!

October 1, 2019 at 10:32 am

These are great tips for getting kids writing. If you can get a kid to love reading and writing, everything else tends to fall into place academically.

October 1, 2019 at 10:45 am

That’s definitely true Charissa! Kids who are confident in their reading and writing can tackle the other subjects more easily.

October 1, 2019 at 9:40 pm

These are great writing prompts!!! It so makes me miss homeschooling my kids! But, they are all grown now. I also love that you point out that writing should be done regularly. It is such a good habit to be in, and makes it so much easier to continue on.

October 10, 2019 at 6:43 am

Writing regularly definitely helps the whole family get used to this time Jennifer. And I know I’m so going to miss homeschooling when my kids all grow up!

October 2, 2019 at 10:09 am

These are great ideas to start with. My son is just learning to write but will keep these in mind

October 10, 2019 at 6:44 am

Thanks Jalisa! As your son begins to gain confidence in his writing you can definitely use these prompts and the non-writing ideas to help him grow up seeing writing as fun and not hard.

October 2, 2019 at 10:47 am

This is great! My son loves to read so I’d like to get him to do more creative writing. These prompts are perfect!

October 10, 2019 at 6:45 am

I’m so glad these creative writing prompts will be a good fit for your son Emily! Hopefully it gives you lots of time to get work done.

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

Written by Maria Kampen

• Teacher Resources,
• Prodigy English

Kickstart your students' writing with one of these 225 writing prompts for kids.

• 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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• Writing Activities

18+ Creative Writing Activities To Make Writing Fun

Make writing less boring with these 12 fun creative writing activities for kids. 

When most children think of writing, they think of lined paper with thousands of words written on it, line by line with the occasional spacing for paragraphs. But writing doesn’t need to be that boring and gloomy. Today we bring you12 creative writing activities to make writing fun and colourful!

How to Make Writing Fun

It is important to show your kids that there’s more to writing than just homework and long essays. Writing can be fun and it doesn’t always involve writing thousands of words in a formal structure. It’s time to stop worrying about sentence structure, grammar and spelling mistakes. Instead, encourage your kids to explore their creativity and write down their thoughts as they come in any format they like. Here are 12 fun creative writing activities that will boost your child’s creativity, imagination and encourage them to write for fun.

18+ Fun Creative Writing Activities

Use story maps.

Story maps are a great way to unleash your child’s imagination. You can either create your own or print out one of these free story map templates . To create your own story map, you’ll first need a location. This could be anywhere, a planet , an island , the woods or even your hometown. Don’t worry, you don’t actually need to leave your home to enjoy this activity. 

Next draw out a simple map of the location. The map must have a starting point and an endpoint. Here is an example of our treasure island story map:

You can see that we marked the starting point with a star. And the end point with a red cross. Once this is done, you need to put loads of obstacles, challenges and interesting things on the map for your child to explore and engage with in their imagination. This could be a giant octopus monster, a lava lake, a cunning princess or even some secret symbols or lettering. 

Once you have completed creating your action-packed story map (or printed out one of our free templates) – It’s time for the real adventure to begin. Give the map to your child and together you can pretend that you have landed in a whole new location. 

Start from your bedroom (or your imaginary pirate ship) and make your way through the obstacles to find the secret treasure located in a mysterious cave (or the shed in your backyard). As you go through the map, think about the characters you might encounter, items you might find and even challenges you could face.

After your little adventure, your child will be inspired and ready to write about the adventure they just experienced! Go ahead and check out these free story map templates to get you started:

• Forest Story Map
• Island Story map

Create Some Paper Finger Puppets

Puppets and toys are a great way to stimulate imaginative play. In particular, creating your own paper finger puppets is a brilliant creative activity to boost your child’s imagination and make story-telling more fun. When creating your own finger puppets, your child can create any character they like. If they love football , try creating some famous football players, and if they love Harry Potter , get them to create some wizard themed characters. Whatever your child’s interest, combine it with story-telling, and make storytime extra fun.

To get you started, you can download our free paper finger puppet templates by signing up to Imagine Forest:

Create your own paper characters, props and background. Then let the role-playing begin!

Would You Rather Game

Kids love playing games. The Would You Rather game is a great way to boost logical thinking and communication skills. Print out our free Would You Rather game cards pack, to get a mix of funny, gross and Disney themed questions. Then get at least three players in a team to begin the game. The purpose of the game is to convince the whole team that your answer to the question is the best one and to get other players to agree with you. This game is guaranteed to get your kids laughing and thinking logically about the answers they pick. 

Telephone Pictionary Game

Another brilliant creative writing activity is the Telephone Pictionary Game . The basic idea behind this game is to write a story collaboratively with your team using drawings and phrases. Together as team members take turns to write/draw something down. They’ll be improving skills such as creativity, teamwork and communication skills. And when the game is over, they’ll have a really funny story to read!

Create Some Shape Poetry

Poetry is a quick and short writing activity to get kids engaged in creative writing. But writing a typical haiku or limerick can get boring over time. To add a little more excitement gets your kids to write poems in the shape of something. For example, your child could write a poem about cats , in the shape of a cat:

Not only are these poems great to read, but they also make wonderful pieces of artwork. For more inspirations, check out our Alice in Wonderland inspired shape poetry .

Finish The Story Game

The finish the story game is the simplest creative writing activity in our list. In a team of at least 2 players, each player takes turns completing a story. Start off with a random story starter and then each player takes turns to continue this story. Which way will the story go? No-one knows. And that’s the real beauty of this game. Let your child explore their imagination and come up with wild ideas to keep the story interesting. And by the end of the game, you’ll have a really unique and funny story to read. 

Use Image Prompts

Image prompts are a great source of inspiration. And can be used in a number of ways to encourage your child to write. For instance, you can ask your child to write a quick snappy slogan for a random image or photograph. Alternatively, you could play a whole game centred around a single image, such as the Round Robin Tournament game explained in our post on storytelling games using image prompts .

Story Cubes To Inspire

Inspiration is key in making writing fun for kids. That’s where story cubes come in handy. You either buy ready-made story cubes or make your own story cubes at home. If you’re interested in making your own story cubes, check out these 9 free story cube templates for ideas. Once you have a bunch of story cubes, you can simply roll them like dice and then challenge your kids to write a story based on the images they get. For game ideas using story cubes, check out this post on how to use story cubes . 

Create A Comic Strip

If your kids hate writing but love drawing, then comic strips are a great creative activity to sneak in some minor writing with huge levels of imagination. Pick a topic, any topic you like. This could be related to your child’s interest and then ask them to create a short comic strip about that topic. For example, if you child loves dinosaurs, ask them to create their own comic strip about dinosaurs. For more inspiration and ideas, check out this post on how to create your own comic strip and comic books at home. 

Make Your Own Pop-up Book

Another fun way to get your kids to write more is by creating your own pop-book books. Pop-up books seem really complicated to create, but in reality, they are really easy to make at home. All you need is some paper, scissors and glue. Check out this super easy tutorial on how to create your own pop-book at home for quick step-by-step instructions. Similar to comic strips, pop-up books are a great way of combining drawing with writing to get your kids writing more in a quick and fun way. 

Create Mini Booklets

Turn your child’s story into a real book! You can buy blank books from Amazon or create your own mini paper book, using this easy mini notebook tutorial . With this tutorial you can create a fully customisable book, with your own cover, back page and you can even draw your own illustrations inside! This is a really fun and cute way to gets your kids writing in their spare time.

Write A Letter With a Fun Twist

Forgot ordinary boring letters! Check out our Paper craft animal envelopes to encourage your kids to write letters to their friends, family, heroes, aliens, anyone they like! Inside the child can write any message they like, such as “how were your holidays…” or “We’re having a party this weekend…” And on the outside they can create any animal or creature they like as envelopes. 

Describe a Monster

Ask your child to draw their own monster or character and describe it. – What are its strengths, and weaknesses, where does it live, what does it like doing and so on? This creative writing activity is quick, simple and full of imagination! And you could even take this a step further by creating your own monster flip books !

Use Story Starters

Use story starters to inspire reluctant writers. These can be simple sentences, such as “It was Timmy’s first day at school and he was excited…” and your child can continue writing the rest of the story. Or you could use photos and your child’s drawings to inspire story-writing by asking the child to describe what’s happening in this image. Take a look at this post on 60+ first-line prompts to inspire you or you could view our mega list of over 300 writing prompts for kids .

Create Your Own Greeting Cards

Get your child to create their own Christmas cards , greeting cards or get well cards to send to someone they know. They can write their own personal message inside and draw a picture on the outside. Quick activities like this are a great way to sneak in some writing with some arts and crafts. 

Create Your Own Newspaper

Ask your child to write their own newspaper article or create their own newspaper about the daily events that happen at home or at school. Remember the use of the 5 W’s and 1 H when writing newspaper articles. Our newspaper challenge online activity is great for creating fun newspaper articles.

Make A Shopping List

Get the kids involved in the weekly grocery shopping! Ask them to write the shopping list with drawings. If the grocery shopping list is too boring, then get them to create a wish list of items they dream of owning or even a list of goals they want to accomplish. You can buy some really pretty shopping list pads from Amazon , which could be a great way to encourage your kids to get writing!

Re-tell some fairytales

Fairytales have been around for centuries and by now they need a modern twist. Challenge your child to update an old classic. And you could even use this free ‘Retell a fairy tale pack ’ to help you. Re-telling a fairytale is a lot easier than creating a whole new one – Simply ask your child to change one or two key elements in the story and see how it changes the entire fairytale. For example, what if Cinderella was the villain? Alternatively, you could go wacky and add a whole new character to a classic fairytale, such as Spiderman making an appearance in Jack and the Beanstalk. The possibilities really are endless!

Write Your Own Movie Script

Ask your child to write their own short movie script, they can create a cast list and give all the different characters different things to say. You can find a free script and cast list template here ! Think about the conversation between the characters, what problems would they encounter, who is the villain in this story? We also think these free finger puppets printable could be great for story-telling.

Hand-written Blogs

Ask your child to keep a simple hand-written blog about their hobbies and interests. This can be done in a journal or notebook. Ask them the following questions: What do they like doing in their spare time and why do they enjoy this. Maybe ask them to provide instructions on how someone else can also be good at this hobby. They can update their hand-written blog everyday with new tips and interesting pieces of information on their hobby.

Wanted Posters

Create a ‘Wanted’ poster for famous villains in storybooks, such as Miss Trunchbull from Matilda or Cinderella’s Stepmother. You can find a free blank template here . Alternatively try out the Most Wanted online activity on Imagine Forest, to create your own wanted posters online:

Storyboarding

Writing a whole story down can be cumbersome. That’s why storyboarding can make a really good creative writing activity. Instead of asking a child to write a whole story down, get them to think about the key events in the story and plan it out using a storyboard template . Planning their story out beforehand could even encourage your child to write a complete story down afterwards. The first step is always planning out what you are going to write, and this could give your child the confidence to keep going. 

Know anymore fun writing activities for kids? Tell us your ideas 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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8 Memoir Writing Prompts for Older Adults: How to Write Your Life Story

For almost a decade, Deanna was “going to write a memoir.” For almost a decade, she just didn’t really know where or how to start. She collected all kind of photos and dates and evidence of life memories over those long years, but breaking into the actual writing was intimidating, so, again and again, she’d start and quickly stop in one notebook or the next. Then she got involved in a San Francisco memoir writing workshop that gave her the tools and the deadlines she needed to really get her feet wet and then dive fully into the process. In this class, week after week, she spent time with various writing exercises, and she learned to approach each individual step of life story writing rather than trying to approach it as a whole book about her life. Memoir writing prompts can give older adults a much-needed nudge as they overcome the initial hump and just get started.

How to Start Off a Memoir: Everyone’s Story Is Different

There isn’t one right way to write a memoir because everyone’s life story and creative process are unique. Deanna says that, for years, she was held down by the idea that the start of her book—even that very first line—had to be critically special and that she couldn’t live up to the great writers who had come before her. Then, in one of her classes , as she was warming up with a simple writing prompt that asked her to write about an ordinary observation in nature , she didn’t realize she was writing her book’s introduction until it was already done.

A dark brown spider the size of a pea is testing out the space between the arm of my chair and the potted plant 12 or so inches away. It’s establishing some early foundational threads but having to stop every handful of seconds and grip the silk, balling its body up against the wind. I look away for less than a minute, and when I look back, I can’t locate it. The spider has migrated to the space between the chair and the table. It tests. And then it moves again to find enough shelter from the wind’s natural rhythm and my own unpredictable vibrations and disruptions. I smile when I see that it has finally settled between a couple of the table’s own legs and begun to stretch its threads under the table top’s shelter.

How many tries did it take me? Six out-of-state moves before I found somewhere I could start building a lasting home around myself. I had to leave a lot of half-built lives along the way, but I always took away some invisible building blocks that I’d be able to lay down and start the foundation in the next spot. That won’t be the spider’s last neighborhood, but I hope this will be mine.

Experiment and Have Fun: Memoir Writing Prompts for Older Adults

Sometimes, the best way to get started writing your life story is to stop trying. Deanna found her groove when she let go, let herself warm up, and let herself play. Think of the writing process itself as a playground, and each of the prompts below is a new area in which to play and explore. A slide isn’t just a structure to get you from one place to another, it’s also designed to inspire joy, suspense, and a healthy sense of fear. It’s smooth and can be hot or cold to the touch. It can give you a shock in the dry weather, and you’re never quite sure what your landing will be like on the other side. Are you willing to take a ride down with one of these little adventures?

• Can you recall your childhood best friend and some of the things you used to do together? Places you used to go? Ways you pulled your imaginations together?
• Close your eyes and take a tour back through some prominent places from your childhood: a house you grew up in, a relative’s house, a school, a store, a park where you used to play. The list could go on and on, and the rooms within the buildings would extend the tour as well. As you follow your memories through these places, what can you sense? Are there smells, sounds, textures, colors, or even tastes that come back to you?
• What were some traditions your family observed during your early life? Do any of those traditions survive to this day in your family?
• Describe a turning point in your life. Explore the past, present, and future around that experience.
• Which one of your parents—or perhaps another family member—are you most like? How do those similarities make you feel? What about you stands apart?
• Can you remember back to a conversation or interaction that inspired you? See if you can return your imagination to that experience and then write about it from that place of inspiration.
• What was one of your favorite songs from long ago that comes with strong memories or feelings? You may not still have your original playback method, but you can probably find the song by searching the title and artist online. If you can locate it, set aside some time to listen to it (maybe even on repeat), and then, while it’s still playing or in silence afterward, explore the memories and feelings that arise. Let them dance onto your page as they follow their own rhythm.
• Choose something that is important to you. It could be anything from a cherished relationship to a souvenir you brought home from a special trip. Begin by writing about that thing, and then see where your thoughts naturally take you from there.

With any and all of these prompts, don’t become attached to a certain outcome. Don’t hold yourself to a certain expectation of what your story should look like or get intimidated because this little exercise is only a small start toward a larger project. Instead, set the intention to enjoy yourself and the process along the way. It’s worth it to try life-story writing because it’s worth it to explore your life ! Try to put that second consideration first. If you’re wondering how to start off a memoir, don’t get hung up on the memoir itself; instead, get in touch with what’s really interesting: you and your life story. At Institute on Aging , we get to share and take part in so many inspiring life stories . We would be honored for you to join our community too and to discover the richness of daily storytelling with diverse friends. To learn more about our programs or to unearth more exciting activity ideas, get in touch with us!

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We recently celebrated our dedicated volunteers at the `Relentless Champions & Research Revelations` event, hosted by Institute on Aging and the @alzassociation. We honored those who`ve reached significant donation milestones and the Alzheimer`s Association shared exciting updates on pioneering research in the fight against Alzheimer`s and other memory-related illnesses. Thank you to all our relentless champions! Your contributions are driving vital advancements and bringing us closer to a cure every day. 🏆💪 For information about Institute on Aging`s Companioa comprehensive dementia services program, visit the link in our bio. #RelentlessChampions #EndAlzheimers #ResearchRevelation #HopeForACure #MemoryCare

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