creative writing for 3 year old

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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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28 Pre-Writing Activities for Preschoolers

Build writing skills and have fun while doing it!

Pre-writing activities for preschoolers can help set up our youngest learners to become proficient writers as they progress through school. Learning to write is a complex task! Children need adequate fine motor dexterity and strength, and they also need to know how letters look and how to form those shapes. The National Early Literacy Panel lists alphabet knowledge and the ability to write letters in isolation or in one’s name as some of the top early predictors of later literacy success, so helping kids’ build these skills is crucial. The great news is that there are tons of playful and fun ways to do it. Here are 28 super-fun, easy-to-make activities that your preschoolers will love!

It’s important that kids learn to form letters consistently and with correct strokes, starting at the top. For any activity that asks kids to trace letters, give them cues about where to start and the strokes to use that are consistent with the handwriting program your district uses. If you don’t have an established handwriting program in place, check out Handwriting Without Tears for lots of great support.

1. Squishy Bags

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

2. Bubble Wrap

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

3. Play Dough Pancakes

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

4. Dot Markers

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

5. Play Dough Snakes

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

6. LEGO Blocks

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

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

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

8. Sand Tray

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

9. Squeeze Bottle

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

10. Cotton Swabs and Paint

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

11. Glitter Glue

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

12. Rainbow Tray

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

13. Masking Tape

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

14. Magnet Board

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

15. Lacing Cards

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

16. Shaving Cream

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

17. Buttons

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

18. Sticker Line-Up

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

19. Fingerprint Writing

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

20. Clothespin Clipping

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

21. Using Scissors

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

22. Scrunching Paper

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

23. Ice Painting

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

24. Alphabet Stamps

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

Buy it: Dough Stampers

25. Paint With Water (or Chalk)

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

26. Pipe Cleaners

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

27. Scribble

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

28. Finger Tracing

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

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

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Pre-K and Kindergarten Teachers, You’ll Want To Try Every One of These Fun Sensory Tables

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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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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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Journal Buddies Jill | July 8, 2024 April 9, 2024 | Creative Writing , Journal Prompts & Writing Ideas

251 Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

Writing Prompts for Kids and Lots of Ideas for You, PLUS Bonus Support Resources—

There’s no doubt about it, kids love adventures. And, exploring, creating, and questioning are all essential aspects of childhood. Now you can build upon these interests in your students through regular creative writing practice. Oh yeah, you see…

This is why below I’ve published for you some amazing lists of fun writing and journaling prompts for kids with 251 prompts in all (and some bonuses added recently, too!).

List #3 – 162 Creative Writing Topics

First of all, list #1 is filled with 47 excellent creative writing ideas that you have to see.

These ideas go far beyond the standards, “what’s your favorite movie” or “favorite animal” ideas found in many lists.

So you will definitely want to check them out.

Then…

In the second list of creative writing prompt for kids, I originally shared a bunch of creative writing ideas and fabulous prompts and have since combined those two articles into ONE epic blog post for you . This list now has 128 creative writing prompts and ideas for kids and loads of great prompts for writers of all ages. Hooray!

And get this…

In the updated list of 162 Creative Writing Topics I share with you even MORE writing topics that are fun and fabulous for every age writer. PLUS you’ll find some of the best creative writing prompts for kids, and a bonus list of story-starter creative writing topics for students.

Ok, without further ado… here is a that first list of fun creative writing prompts for kids. Enjoy.

List #1 – 47 Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

• If you could build a dream house, what rooms would it have?
• Write a story about going on an adventure with your best friend.
• Who has the best job in the world?
• Where do you get your best ideas?
• Do women today have equal rights with men?
• Have you ever volunteered to help someone? What did you do?
• What is your favorite thing to write?
• Imagine that you are stuck inside a TV. What will you do? What shows would you visit?
• What would you do if you won the lottery?
• Would you rather be a pet animal or a toy?
• What is your favorite road trip game?
• If it rained food, what would you want the forecast to look like?
• Write a poem about school.
• Do you prefer popsicles or ice cream cones?
• Would you ever change your name?
• Write a story about someone who tells bad jokes.
• If you could read minds, whose mind would you read?
• Write a story in which you are a mini marshmallow in a cup of hot chocolate.
• What is the best kind of breakfast food?
• Write about your favorite sports team.
• Write an alternate ending to your favorite book.
• What is your favorite thing about living in [hometown]?

• Are you close with any of your neighbors?
• Write about a symbol that represents your family.
• Do you like your first name? Does it fit your personality?
• Make a list of all the things you’ve accomplished this week. How do you feel?
• What is your favorite milkshake flavor?
• How do you feel about the Twilight books and movies? Why?
• What is your favorite thing to shop for?
• Have you ever gone to a concert? What bands did you see?
• What is the best sound in the world?
• What is the best sight in the world?
• If you were a professional singer, what genre would you sing?
• Have you ever had a scary dream and laughed about it later?
• Write a poem about fall.
• What was your favorite toy as a kid?
• If you could be a dinosaur , which kind would you be?
• What is your favorite thing to do outside?
• Write about a memory that makes you happy.
• How can you give back to your community?
• What would it be like to live on the moon?
• Do you prefer chess or checkers?
• How does it feel to miss someone or something?
• Write about the best party you’ve ever been to.
• What is life all about?
• If you could visit any single new city in the world, where would you go?

Have your writers shut off those video games and social media and grab their pens and pencils. It’s time to get some inspiration and start writing in their notebooks.

No doubt in the list above, you will find some fabulous ideas to get your kids started writing right now. And, if you want even more ideas to fuel your kids’ creativity, check this out…

251+ More FREE Creative Journal Writing Prompts for Kids

Here are those links again to a whole bunch of creative writing journal prompts for kids. There’s also a list of wonderful story-writing ideas. So get to it and use these ideas to inspire your elementary school kids, your middle school students, or your high school aged writers.

List #2 – 128 Creative Writing Prompts

Here are 30 of the excellent Creative Writing Prompts for Kids you’ll see on the full list of 128 ideas, Yay!

• Would you rather be really big or really tiny?
• Do you think you’ll go to college someday? Why or why not?
• What is your favorite thing to do on vacation?
• If your pet could talk, what would he or she say?
• Do you ever donate money to people in need?
• If you had an invisible magic helper, what would you have him or her do?
• Write about a time when you shared with someone.
• What is the best decision you ever made?
• If you were a movie director, what kind of movies would you make?
• What is your favorite holiday? Why?
• If you could do anything right now, what would you do?
• If you hosted a radio show, what would it be called?
• Write a short summary of the last book you read.
• Do you use Facebook? Why or why not?
• What does it mean to be a good friend?
• Which of the birds in Angry Birds is your favorite?
• Think of three crazy food combinations. Would you ever eat any of these?
• Do you prefer 2D or 3D animated movies? Why?
• If you could have any superpower, what would you like to be able to do?
• Write a story about a flock of rainbow-colored flamingoes.
• How many hours do you spend watching TV per week?
• What does tradition mean to you?
• Who is the scariest Disney villain?
• If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
• If you were trapped in an igloo during a snowstorm, what would you want to have with you?
• If penguins could talk, what do you think they would have to say?
• Write about one of your earliest memories.
• Write a letter thanking someone who has helped you recently.
• What is your favorite time of day?
• Who is your favorite video game character?

Find three lists of prompts in one including:

• 62 More Creative Writing Prompts
• 61 Fabulous Creative Writing Prompts, and
• 40 Story Starter Creative Writing Topics for Students

Yes! Here’s a sample of some of the prompts you’ll see on the list #3

• What is your favorite thing about yourself?
• Why does the government provide public education?
• Make a list of all the things you’ve accomplished this week. How do you feel?
• What is the best smell in the world?
• What is the best taste in the world?
• What is the best feeling in the world?
• Write an apology to a classmate that you should have been nicer to.
• Do you listen to the radio?
• Write about something you’re looking forward to.
• If you were a Disney princess, who would you be?
• Think about some privileges you have that others don’t. How do you feel?
• What is your favorite treat at the movies?

This pos used to be 251+ prompts and now it offers you 290 ideas in total. Yippee!

See These Excellent Writing Prompts for Kids Resources

Whether your writers are older kids or younger ones, or they like to write fiction or memoirs , we offer you thousands of free prompts to support their writing skill development.

• 21 Fun and Easy Superhero Writing Prompts
• 27 Spectacular Outer Space Writing Prompts
• Story Starters
• Short Story Ideas & Advice
• A collection of Narrative Writing Prompts
• Favorite Things in Life Prompts

BONUS – The Favorites Writing Prompts Lists

• Favorite game
• Favorite sport
• Favorite foods
• Favorite place
• Favorite book
• Favorite toy
• Favorite season
• Favorite movie
• Favorite animal
• Favorite pet
• Fav Celebrity
• Favorite Birthday party
• Sibling (or other relative)
• School subject
• Time of day
• Place to visit
• Thing to think about
• Thing to remember
• Silly thing to do
• Place to go

A Few Final Thoughts 

Writing is a simple yet powerful way for kids to grow more aware of themselves. 

Plus…

After writing on a variety of topics, students will be excited to continue exploring. This is why we can not emphasize enough that you should use the prompts in your traditional or homeschool classroom to fuel your students’ curiosity.

An added bonus…

You’ll get your writer’s creative juices flowing with this series of all awesome creative writing prompts.

Now, help your students improve their language arts grade today. For certain… you’ll feel good knowing you are helping them to become better writers.

So get to it and encourage your students to use these writing prompts either in a homework assignment or just to write for fun.

The following article first appeared on our blog in January of 2012 and may be helpful to our readers today.

How You Can Help Support and Encourage Your Kids Creative Writing

We all know that there are many benefits to teaching kids to write, but maybe you are wondering how to encourage more creative writing activity from your child? Below, we offer you some wonderful creative writing ideas that answer this question for you. 

Encouraging children to think imaginatively and at the same time allowing them to practice their writing skills can lead to many positive outcomes.

One fabulous example of this is that improved writing skills can  help increase the level of success your child will attain throughout their lifetime.  There are so many more wonderful benefits of writing, but for now, I’d like to get to those writing support ideas for you to use with your kids.

So, without further ado…

5 Creative Writing Support Suggestions

Kids Creative Writing Idea #1 — Look for creative writing software, apps, programs, and the like.

Children nowadays are not like kids in the past. Computers and technology are a part of their everyday lives, and you will want to use this fact to your advantage.  Indeed, you’ll want to help your child learn how to use technology in a balanced way–some use for fun and entertainment and some for learning and growth.

In order to help your child develop their writing skills, you can let them practice on a laptop or an iPad. (Aside from allowing him to practice his writing and imaginative skills, you are also encouraging him improve his typing and keyboard skills.)

Now, there are some really great writing apps for kids out there! If you do not have an iPad or other tablet, check for kids writing technology resources at your public library or school library.

With the use of technology, you will want to limit a child’s exposure, however, as too much computer time may lead to eye strain and poor eyesight. Just remember to send your child outside to play from time to time!

Idea #2 — Formulate writing games for your child.

Children enjoy playing games, and writing games can be a great way to help them engage in and enjoy creative writing on a deeper level.

An example writing game for kids you could do with your child is to share writing ideas or a list of random words and then instruct him to include them in his creative writing. If she is able to string these ideas together successfully and make a story then she has won the game. Give her a compliment or reward for a job well done.

If you prefer online writing games, Scholastic has some great writing games for kids on their site. Check them out!

Idea #3 — Encourage your child to write about something she has experienced.

Personal experiences can be a great way to kick-start a kid’s creative writing process. This can also help them to express their own thoughts and feelings in a safe way, especially in cases when a child experiences difficulty doing so.

Writing creatively and in a fictional way about personal experiences is also considered therapeutic.

On the other hand, in cases where the experiences lean towards a more positive concept, writing about personal experiences can be a great way to keep a memory alive.

Idea #4 — Create an online blog for your child to publish his or her work.

For more tech-savvy and outgoing children, you can create a kid’s blog page for them to publish their ideas.  A safe and simple blog for kids resource is kidblog.org .

Publishing a blog will help some children to gain confidence by putting their writing out there for the world to see and to comment on! The mere act of going public with one’s writing helps a child to become proud of their own work.

Oh, and be sure to share the blog with relatives, teachers, and neighbors and ask them to comment and give feedback on your child’s writing.

Idea #5 — Never forget to compliment them for a job well done.

Positive reinforcement plays a big role in a child’s writing confidence. If they feel like they are doing something good and are being appreciated then they are much more likely to continue doing it. In order for your child to appreciate the work and effort they have put into producing a written creation do your best to remember to compliment them. A reward system might also be beneficial.

When your child makes mistakes, be sure to use constructive criticism so that your child does not feel discouraged. Avoid harsh criticism as it tends to severely hinder the creative process.

There are a lot of different ways you can approach a kid’s creative writing in order to make it an enjoyable process for both you and your child.

These 5 great kids creative writing ideas are sure to inspire you in one way or another and to help your child develop and refine his writing ability. Just be sure to make learning to write — creatively or otherwise — fun, enjoyable, and meaningful for your child. By doing so you’ll engage their interest and keep their attention over time.

Now, here’s even more ways to support your child’s creative writing skill development.

Journal to Support Your Child’s Writing Practice

While journaling is certainly a good way to help kids improve their writing skills, it also allows them a new method of expression. Through journaling, students learn how to consider ideas from new angles and come up with creative, new ways of thinking.

Best of all, a student’s journal is a safe place where he or she can write freely without the fear of embarrassment or judgment. 

Journal keeping is a fantastic tool you can use to encourage the kids in your life to practice and refine their creative writing skills. We think this is simply fantastic, and hope you do too!

With questions that promote expanded possibilities, students can stretch the limits of reality. Through journaling, a student also develops a deeper understanding of the unique preferences that define him or her as an individual.

Between memorizing math facts and learning about American history, it’s important for students to have regular time for creative writing practice. Writing prompts are a great way to get kids’ minds going, as a short question or idea can inspire all kinds of imaginative reflections and creative solutions. No doubt that you agree!

Ok, that’s all for this blog post.

Until next time, write on…

If you enjoyed these Creative Writing Prompts for Kids, please share them on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest. I appreciate it!

Sincerely, Jill journalbuddies.com creator and curator

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The Absolute Best Creative Writing Topics for Kids!

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

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

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

What is Creative Writing?

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

Is Creative Writing Important?

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

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

Creative Writing is fun for All Ages.

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

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

Awesome Creative Writing Prompts for Elementary Students

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Creative Writing Topics for Kids

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

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

Talk to the children about manufacturing toys. 

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

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

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

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

8 . All About me essay.

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

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

9 . In what ways do I help my family?

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

10. How can I be a better friend?  

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

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

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

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

12. What do you think about bullies and why? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fun Writing Prompts Ideas

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

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

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

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

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

20. Write about something you are good at.

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

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

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

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

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

Journal Prompts or Kids

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

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

Explain what happened and how it made you feel.  

30. Did someone ever hurt your feelings?

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

32. What does it mean to be loyal?

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

34. What famous person would you like to meet?

Self-Esteem Writing Topics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Short Story Writing Topics for Kids

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

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

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

58. Challenge the kids to write a scary story.

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

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

Group Writing Prompts for Kids

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

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

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

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

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

Newly Added Creative Writing Prompts

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

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

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

Magical Writing Prompts for Kids

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

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

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57 Fun Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

General Education

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

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

Tips for Using These Writing Prompts

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

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

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

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

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

57 Fun Writing Prompts for Kids

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

Narrative Writing Prompts for Kids

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

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

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

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

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

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

#7: Describe three goals you have for yourself.

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

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

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

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

#12: What is your dream job?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fiction and Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

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

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

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

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

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

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

#33: Write your own silly internet quiz.

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

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

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

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

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

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

#40: Write a poem about your favorite season.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Argumentative Writing Prompts for Kids

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

#48: Does homework actually help students learn?

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

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

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

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

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

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

#55: Which season is the best?

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

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

What's Next?

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

Want to make some slime? We tell you how to make slimes without borax and without glue as well as how to craft the ultimate super slime .

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

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

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Creative Writing for Kids: A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing a Story

Creative writing can be a real positive force for children’s lives and development, but how does a child get started with creative writing? There are many ways, but it can often be helpful to have a structure to work from, so we’ve outlined some simple steps on how your child can write a story and enjoy themselves in the process! As they brainstorm, a lot of ideas will come to mind, so we recommend they take notes throughout the process.

What is creative writing?

Creative writing is an expressive form of writing that allows children to explore their thoughts, ideas, and emotions in an imaginative way. Unlike academic or factual writing , creative writing encourages children to use their imagination to invent characters , settings , and plots , fostering a love for storytelling and self-expression.

In creative writing, children have the freedom to write stories , poems , letters , and even scripts for their own movies. It's an opportunity for them to unleash their creativity, experiment with language, and develop their unique voice as writers. Through creative writing, children learn to think critically, problem-solve, and communicate effectively, all while having fun and exploring their creativity.

Encouraging creative writing at home or as part of homeschooling not only helps children develop their writing skills but also nurtures their imagination and confidence.

Getting started

Your child may not be quite ready to start, and that’s normal - writing can be challenging!

Instead of jumping straight in, ease your child into it with activities like free writing. This will allow them to explore any topic without pressure, acting as a way to boost your child’s imagination before they start writing stories .

If your child is a reluctant writer, you can try different methods that don’t actively require them to put pen to paper, but are linked to creativity and storytelling. These include drawing , picking out new children’s books from the local library, telling stories out loud, or dedicating time to read your child’s favorite books as a family. Generally, reading lays the foundation for your child to be able to create their own stories, improving their narrative writing skills by exposing them to different techniques, genres, and styles.

When all else fails, encourage your child to read more. The more that your child reads, the easier it will be for them to start writing.

Step 1: Character development

Creating a character is a great starting point for your child to write their own story.

This character can be whatever your child wants them to be. They can be a human, an animal, a mystical creature, or something completely made-up! Once they have a general idea of what they want this character to be, they can brainstorm different plot points, which will further inform the characters traits, behaviours, and role in the story.

Here are some questions your child should be able to answer about their character:

• What is going on in this character’s life?
• Do they have a problem that they need to fix?
• Who are they interacting with in this story?
• How do they feel about other characters, and about the issue at hand?

A story normally relies on one character to be the hero, and on another to be the villain. The villain is typically portrayed as a negative character who introduces a problem (the antagonist), and the hero is a positive character who solves the problems (the protagonist). Once your child creates their main character, they should establish their role within the story. Are they writing from the perspective of the hero, or would they prefer to give the villain of the story a voice?

From there, they can create side characters! These are typically parents, siblings, and friends of the main character, but can also be total strangers. If your child is stuck on how to build their first character, they can use writing prompts to make it a little easier. Try this prompt:

Prompt: Create a character that is half dog, and half elephant and call it a Doggophant! What does a Doggophant like to eat?

Step 2: Setting and genre

The next step in your child’s creative writing process is to choose where it takes place . They should also decide the genre of their story, as some settings won’t work for some specific genres (for example, a sunny beach wouldn’t pair well with a moody mystery).

This story’s setting could be a real location, such as London, Paris, or New York, or a fictional location, like an enchanted forest or an underwater kingdom.

A helpful way to start brainstorming is to ask your child about places they’ve been to, seen on TV, or read about in stories. This is a chance for them to imagine how their story would look like in different settings, and will help them decide on the genre they’d like to go for too.

Prompt (continued): Where does a Doggophant usually live? Is it a magical Night Zoo?

Step 3: Structure and plot

Before starting to plan the plot, your child should understand the basic structure of a story . All good stories have a beginning, a middle, and an end.

The beginning serves as a way to introduce characters, set the scene, and show the "calm before the storm”. This happens before a conflict is introduced.

The middle of a story is where most of the action takes place. This is where your child should introduce the main problem, and the main character’s journey of trying to solve it.

Finally, the ending or conclusion of the story is where, normally, the conflict is resolved. This can change depending on how your child wants to end their story!

Prompt (continued): Doggophants love when people visit the Night Zoo, but a new character named Lord Nulth is trying to steal all of the creativity in the Zoo! Does Lord Nulth sound like a nice person? Why would he want to steal creativity? How will Doggophant and other animals stop him?

Step 4: Begin Writing

Now that all the planning is done, let’s get writing!

As your child starts to write, they’ll probably make changes and come up with new story ideas— this is normal and an integral part of the creative process.

It’s important that you offer your support throughout this process, especially if your child is a reluctant writer. While giving them space to concentrate, you can check-in every once in a while, offering help if they encounter any hurdles. Your role mirrors that of a writing prompt, providing your child with initial ideas and nudging them to develop their story further. This collaborative approach ensures their story unfolds organically, making the blank page a canvas for unlimited story possibilities!

Step 5: Keep Going!

One of the best things about creative writing is that it enables children to express themselves and grow in confidence with every story they craft. It pushes children to believe in the phrase "I can", as they embark on different writing exercises without the fear of failing or being held by the “what if’s”. As your child starts their journey through the exciting world of writing, it’s important to guide them in the right direction. Encourage them to not overthink and just write whatever comes to mind at first.

To keep the momentum, you can even set different goals, like writing different descriptions, drawing their main character, or brainstorming different story endings before writing the full story. For reluctant writers, setting small, attainable targets can make the process less overwhelming and more exciting. Avoid setting strict word counts or time limits, as these can add pressure and take the fun out of the writing experience.

It’s important to remember that progress isn’t linear, and that every child is unique. If they need to, you can allow your child to build their story gradually, creating a more fluid project that enables them to work when inspiration strikes. Once they finish their first story, you’ll probably see a change in their attitude, and a new motivation to write a different piece.

Creative writing can be a rewarding experience for you and your child. Make sure you give them positive encouragement, and to soak in the experience of reading the story once it has been completed. They’ll have created something one-of-a-kind, and it will give you an exciting look into their imagination!

Step 6: Try Night Zookeeper

Still having trouble getting your child motivated to write? You should try Night Zookeeper !

Our writing program for kids makes writing fantastically fun by turning different writing activities into games, keeping children engaged, entertained, and excited to learn!

We cover all styles of writing, and boost children’s writing skills using an array of different activities, including writing lessons, short story prompts, and challenges.

More creative writing activities

• 25 Creative Writing Prompts For Kids
• Writing Activities For Kids
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225 Fun & Free Creative Writing Prompts for Kids in All Grade Levels

Written by Maria Kampen

• Teacher Resources
• Prodigy English

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

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

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

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

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

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

Writing prompts for kids help students:

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

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

Grade school writing prompts

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

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

Creative writing prompts for elementary schoolers

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

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

Fun writing prompts for grade schoolers

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

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

Persuasive writing prompts for elementary school

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

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

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

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

Creative Writing Prompts for Middle Schoolers

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

Fun Writing Prompts for Middle Schoolers

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

Persuasive Writing Prompts for Middle School

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

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

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

Creative Writing Prompts for High Schoolers

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

Fun writing prompts for high schoolers

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

Persuasive writing prompts for high school

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

Social emotional learning journal prompts

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

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

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

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

Math writing prompts for kids

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

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

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

Final thoughts on writing prompts for kids

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

Where will your students’ imaginations take them?

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Home » Blog » 140 Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

140 Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

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Looking for fun writing prompts to spark your kids’ creative thinking? Well, then keep on reading.

Creative writing is an important skill for young students to start learning. Not every child will grow up to be a professional writer, but there are many benefits to having children write. 

In this article, you are going to dive into the world of creative writing with a collection of prompts that unleash the imagination and help craft captivating tales. 

These are most suited for a teacher with a class of elementary school students. However, parents are welcome to use them as well, to get their kids writing at home. Let’s dive in.

Excellent Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

Writing tools for kids, final remarks.

Aside from creating a published masterpiece someday, there are many benefits to teaching kids to write. This can be done in part by stimulating their minds with some good writing prompts for kids.

Teaching them about journal prompts and how to become a better writer will help them in other areas of life. Below you can find 100+ writing prompts for kids:

Animal-Themed Writing Prompts for Kids

Most kids love animals. Even if they don’t, personifying and thinking about animals can spark wonderful creativity in kids. It can help kids learn how to become a better writer . Here are a few ideas for reluctant writers and kids.

• Jack is a dachshund and stands out among his border collie siblings who bully him for being different. He is determined to prove that he can herd sheep just as well as they.
• 10-year-old Kaitlyn has the unique ability to communicate with all animals. She goes around helping trainers, vets, and researchers.
• Write a story about a family of rabbits living in the woods. What is their life like?
• Imagine you are a big, majestic lion living in a zoo. How do you feel being surrounded by people all the time?
• Do you have a pet? What do you like to do with them? If not, what pet would you love to have? 
• What would you do if you had an elephant for a pet?
• If you could be any animal, what would you choose?
• Your cat gets stuck on the roof. How do you get him down?
• A baby wolf gets lost in the forest. How does he find his family again?
• Write about a school of fish who live deep in the ocean.
• How do you think it would feel to fly like a bird?
• What would you and your pet talk about, if they could talk?
• What does a naughty puppy get up to while its owners are asleep?
• Imagine everyone had a horse to ride instead of a car to drive. What would life be like?

Fiction Writing Prompts for Kids

Though they might not understand the complex workings of character and plot development, kids can still start creating fiction if they are provided with story starters. Their minds are capable of telling their own stories . It can also have students imagining endless possibilities. Starting with short pieces of fiction can teach them how to become a writer in the long run.

Writing longer pieces of fiction at a young age can be more difficult. Using a book writing template might help if they want to try.

Whatever type of story you encourage them to write, use these simple but imaginative writing prompts for kids.

• Look out the window for 30 seconds. Write a story about what you see and hear in those 30 seconds.
• Write a story about a trip you would like to take with your family.
• You and your friends build a treehouse. But, anyone who enters needs to follow some rules. What are they?
• You are trapped in the mall for the night. What do you do in there?
• Write a story about a magical pair of shoes.
• Write about what would happen if you met your favorite character in person.
• You find a time machine. Where do you go and why?
• Write a story about your parents as teenagers.
• Write a story about a tiny person.
• What does a typical day look like for a mermaid?
• Write about an astronaut who flies to space and discovers a new planet.
• Write a story about a day in the life of the president of the United States.
• A young girl finds a teleportation device abandoned across the street from her house. She soon figures out how to use it.
• Someone your age sneaks onto a spaceship going into space. What happens? Do they get caught?
• Try to write a poem or a story in the style of Dr. Seuss.
• You have an assistant for one week who will do whatever you want. What do you ask them to do?
• Write about something you and your best friend would do if you lived in the same house.
• Tell a story about a kid who gets to go for a ride on Santa’s sleigh.
• A kid gets to be invisible for one day. What happens?
• Write a story using these three words: Train, Hat, Saturday.
• A clown shows up at your door one day. What do you do?
• Write about a day when your teacher forgot to wear shoes.
• Write a story about your evil twin.
• You find a treasure chest buried in your backyard. What’s inside?
• Imagine you get to be the opposite gender for one day. What do you do?
• Write a story about an imaginary sport. How does it work? What are the rules?
• You have been asked to create a new holiday. What should the world celebrate?
• Write a story where you get stuck inside your favorite video game or TV show.
• A child has traveled back in time from 1000 years in the future. What do they tell you about their life?
• Start a story with a character saying “I won’t do it, and you can’t make me!”
• Two friends send secret notes to each other through a hiding place no one else knows about. What happens when a new note appears from someone else?
• A family is camping and doesn’t have cell phone service. What do they do when someone gets sick?
• Write a story about a kid who doesn’t have any homework to do on the weekend.
• A kid and their dog are on an adventure in the forest. What happens?
• Write about a kid who loves to play in the rain.
• A family is going together to pick out the perfect Christmas tree.
• What happens when a spaceship lands in your backyard?
• A girl finds a magic door in her closet. What happens when she walks through?
• You are stuck inside your school overnight. What do you do?
• Write a story about a vampire who just wants to fit in with his friends.
• A superhero wants to save the world, but he’s not very good at using his powers.
• Your toys have come to life for one night only. What do you do with them?
• A boy is walking down a deserted road. What does he see?
• An older sibling is babysitting a younger sibling. The older sibling gets locked in a cupboard. What happens next?
• Imagine you live in a world where humans don’t need to sleep. What do you do every night?
• An old lady owns a costume shop. Everyone who buys or rents a costume has an adventure while wearing it. Write about one of these adventures.
• Your main character is the only survivor of a shipwreck. She is floating around on a raft. She finally finds an island. What’s on the island?
• The sun decides not to go down for one night. What does everyone do overnight when it’s not dark?
• Write about what you would do if you could read minds for one day.
• You can spy on your friends and family for one day and they don’t know you’re there. What do you think you’d see?
• Your grandma tells you a shocking secret and you’re not allowed to tell anybody else! How do you react to this crazy secret?
• You are given one dart to throw at a wall map. Wherever it lands, you have to go there tomorrow. Where do you go? What happens?
• Three kids climb a tree and find a whole new world at the top.
• Write a story about someone who is working hard to keep his grades up so he will be allowed to participate in the annual principal-for-a-day event.
• What would you do if you and your teacher switched places for a day?

Historical Writing Prompts for Kids

Writing stories about history can be a fun way for older kids, to learn some basic historical facts and events. Use these writing prompts to walk them through time in a way they can enjoy.

A book writing template may come in handy here as well. History can be complicated and confusing. It might be beneficial to have some information laid out in a structured way.

• Imagine everything in a historical museum coming to life one night. What happens?
• If you could have a conversation with one person from the past, who would it be?
• Imagine your family ruled over an ancient kingdom. What would life be like as a prince or princess?
• Write a story about the life of a child before TV was invented.
• Write a story about a family traveling a far distance by horse and carriage – before cars were invented.
• Imagine you were alive when the pyramids in Egypt were being built. What are they like in person?
• What do you think would have happened if humans were alive at the same time as dinosaurs?
• How do you think people in the past celebrated holidays?
• If you could travel backward in time to before you were alive, where would you go and why?
• If you could change any part of history, what would it be?
• Many years ago, all the grades of a school would be in a class together. Would you like this? Why or why not?
• Write about a building that no one has lived in for 100 years. What is left in the building? Who used to live there?
• What do you think the worst thing is about being a king or queen?
• Write about what kids did for fun in the old days.

Stimulating Writing Prompts for Kids

In addition to writing stories, many kids will benefit from other forms of mental stimulation like journal writing prompts. These can be done in a journal or essay writing exercise.

Use these prompts and questions to get them thinking about a time . Encourage them to answer all questions with as much detail as possible.

• Write a detailed description of your favorite toy.
• How would you describe the color green to someone who is blind?
• Where is your favorite place to hide during hide and seek? Why?
• Write a letter to your grown-up self.
• Imagine you are the first person to ever walk on the moon. Write a letter to your family about what it’s like up there.
• Write about something you want to learn more about.
• If the sky could rain any food for one day, which food would you want and why?
• Someone has never heard of magic. Explain it to them.
• A genie is going to grant you one wish. What is it?
• You are in charge of your school for a whole week. What do you do?
• What is the worst possible superpower someone can have?
• If you had $1,000 what would you buy for yourself?
• Which animal is your favorite? What do you like about it?
• What would your life be like if you were a movie star?
• Write about what life would be like without electricity.
• If you could go anywhere for a school trip where would it be and why?
• What do you want to do once you turn 16?
• If you could ask your teacher one question and get an honest answer, what would it be and why?
• Write about the weirdest dream you ever had.
• Describe the happiest day of your life so far.
• If you were in the circus, what would you do?
• If you won an award, what would it be?
• What is your favorite holiday and why?
• If you could have one extra limb, what would it be and why?
• What is your favorite season and why?
• Write about what life would be like if you got your dream job as an adult.
• If you could create a new animal, what would it look like?
• What is your favorite day of the week and why?
• Write about the person you admire the most.
• What is the best joke you ever heard? Why did it make you laugh so hard?
• You are in charge of inventing a new sandwich. What are you putting on it?
• Write about three things you are good at.
• If you could make anything grow on trees, what would it be and why?
• What is your most unusual talent?
• What’s the best book you’ve ever read? Describe the book to someone without spoiling the story.
• What one thing would make your life easier?
• Imagine you are 16 and your parents have bought you a car. What does it look like?
• What one thing would make school more fun?
• Describe what happens on the absolute best day you can think of.
• What is your favorite thing to do for fun?
• You are given $1,000 but you can’t spend it on yourself. What do you buy and for whom?
• You are creating the perfect town for you and your family to live in. What does the town have?
• What is one talent you wished you had but didn’t?
• Write about your favorite music.
• Describe your favorite movie without mentioning the title or the character’s names. Can anyone guess the movie?
• If you could control your dreams, what would you choose to dream about tonight?
• You can ask the government one question and they have to answer you honestly. What do you ask and why?
• Do you think you could go a whole day without talking? What would be difficult about this?
• If you could stop anyone else from talking for one day, who would it be and why?
• If the world was going to end in one hour, what would you want to do?
• What accomplishment in your life are you most proud of?
• Do you have any toys right now that you think you will still play with when you are 20? Why or why not?
• What would you do if you were the last person on earth?
• Write about something you believed as a small child, but it turned out to be wrong. What was it? How did you find out?
• What would you do if you suddenly woke up in another country and no one could understand you?

As kids get a little bit older, they can start being introduced to some tools and programs that will help their writing. As they age, they will start to get a sense of how to write properly and they will develop a voice and style of their own.

Those who are serious about writing and/or show some real promise might benefit from the use of some writing software to help them become a better writer .

We have created a list of 20 excellent tools for writers and gone over them in detail. But, a good place to start is with Squibler and Grammarly .

In today’s advancing world, AI is taking over most of the jobs. But there’s nothing to do about it as it is not a bad thing. You can think of AI as just another skill you learn to become more productive. The same is the case when it comes to writing. AI will generate the initial draft that will always require human skills. 

Squibler is the first AI book writing tool that assists aspiring authors to write with 50% more efficiency due to its advanced AI technology. It generates content based on your instructions and expands the story. 

Squibler’s Smart Writer works just like a real-life assistant who works 24/7 with no breaks. You can not just command it to write for you but also rewrite and rephrase existing text. Squibler includes features like adding more intensity and conflict to the plot. 

Squibler also offers excellent organization features. It offers a place to take notes and record research. It then encourages the writer to break down their chapters and scenes for easy organization and editing. You can not just organize, and take notes but also share the project with others to collaborate. 

Squibler also offers a series of templates that might be helpful to kids as they learn about story structure and character development. These templates will walk them through the writing of a book and offer guidelines and suggestions to make the story as effective as possible.

There are several style and genre options, but a good place to start is with the general fiction template:

Second, is Grammarly . Kids will often struggle with grammar and punctuation for a while. Grammarly is designed to help all types of writers fix and polish up their work from a grammatical standpoint.

It is largely intended for professional writers who do it for a living, or students who need to hand in perfect written pieces. But, that doesn’t mean kids can’t benefit.

As they go through their work in Grammarly and find their errors, they will learn from them. If they see the same thing pop up numerous times, they will learn not to do it anymore.

Kids are the next generation of writers , authors , and creators. Start their writing skills early and encourage them to expand and improve. Teach them how to craft their words. Teach them how to paint a picture in someone else’s mind.

From writing descriptions to organizing thoughts and emotions, and even creating interesting characters – kids should be flexing their creativity muscles whenever possible.

Whether they go free form or you use a book writing template , encourage them to let their imaginations loose regularly with kids’ writing prompts . These writing prompts will convince students to imagine endless possibilities.

Here is a list of questions on creative writing prompts for kids:

What if I can’t think of anything to write about?

Don’t worry if you’re stuck! Sometimes ideas can be hidden in plain sight. Look around you, think about your favorite things, your favorite sports team, or your favorite hobby. You can even ask your friends and family for ideas. You can also try using prompts or writing games to spark your imagination.

How do I make my stories more interesting?

Adding details and descriptions can make your stories come alive! Think about what your characters see, hear, feel, taste, and smell. You can also try adding twists to your plots or creating unique characters with special traits or abilities.

Can I write about anything I want?

Absolutely! Your imagination is your superpower. You can write about anything from magical adventures to everyday moments. The most important thing is to write about what excites you and makes you happy.

How long should my story be?

There’s no right or wrong answer here! Your story can be as short as a few sentences or as long as a whole book. Just focus on telling your story in a way that feels right to you.

What if I’m scared to share my writing with others?

It’s natural to feel nervous, but sharing your writing can be exciting too! Remember, everyone starts somewhere, and feedback can help you grow as a writer. Start by sharing with someone you trust, like a family member, favorite teacher, or friend, and gradually build your confidence from there.

How do I know if my story is any good?

The most important thing is that you enjoy writing it! But if you’re looking for feedback, you can ask others to read your story and tell you what they think. Remember, every writer faces rejection and criticism sometimes, but it’s all part of the learning process. Keep writing and improving, and you’ll get better with time.

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90 Fun and Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

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It’s never too early to get children interested in writing. Creative writing is a fantastic way to help kids tap into their imaginations, challenge their creativity, and hone their handwriting and typing skills. And in these days of distance learning, having an arsenal of educational tools and prompts up your sleeve is more valuable than ever. 

But beginning a creative writing project can be tricky without a solid starting point. The possibilities of where a story can go are endless, and it’s easy for students to feel overwhelmed when the task is left wide open. So instead, why not try some tailored creative writing prompts to help them get started?

I’ve collected 90 fun and creative writing prompts suitable for various grades and abilities, from elementary through to high school age, so there’s something to inspire every type of student. I’ve included a mixture of story starters and personal narrative prompts to help fuel their imaginations and explore their writing potential. 

Table of Contents

Creative Writing Prompts for Elementary School Students

1. When I grow up, I want to be a… 2. My biggest goal for the future is… 3. The best book I ever read was… 4. The most interesting object I own is…. 5. My favorite memory in my life is… 6. Three things I like about school are…. because… 7. Three things I don’t like about school are… because… 8. If I were the King or Queen of the world, the first thing I would do is… 9. I feel worried when… 10. My perfect day would be… 11. What is your favorite thing to do on a Saturday? 12. Which member of your family makes you laugh the most? 13. On my 16th birthday, I will… 14. The most interesting place I have been to was… 15. If I had a magic lamp that granted me three wishes, I would wish for… 16. My favorite animal is… because… 17. The happiest day of my life was…. 18. Describe three reasons why going to school is important… 19. My most unusual talent is… 20. My favorite food is… because… 21. My least favorite food is… because… 22. How do children learn to be kind?… 23. My most embarrassing moment was when… 24. I want to invent a machine that can…. 25. The best gift I ever received was… 26. The best decision I ever made was… 27. Describe your perfect vacation… 28. Use these words in a short story: angry, excited, summer, yellow, alligator… 29. I opened a door, saw a pink elephant, and I… 30. What makes a good friend?…

Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School Students

31. Describe your first memory in as much detail as possible… 32. I got out of bed this morning, and everything seemed normal until… 33. Is there a challenge that you have had to overcome in your life? If so, what did it teach you? 34. Michael ran faster than he ever knew he could do to escape from… 35. Talk about a time you felt afraid… 36. Do you have a favorite place? If so, what makes it special to you? 37. Write about a time you were worried about something, but everything turned out to be ok… 38. The last thing I remembered was the waves crashing against the ship. The next thing I knew, I was lying on the beach on a deserted island. Luckily, I still had my… 39. Write out a conversation you had with someone recently as if it were dialogue in a story. Would you say anything differently if you could have that conversation again? 40. The tigers were surrounding the camp, and the only weapon we could see was out of reach… 41. Katie thought she knew her friend well, but it turns out she was hiding a secret… 42. Write about a recent event that you remember well. Use all of your senses (taste, smell, sight, sound, and touch) to describe it in vivid detail.  43. I always thought my closet was just a regular old closet until I walked out the other side to discover… 44. Describe your day-to-day life over the course of a week. Which day is your favorite and why? 45. David couldn’t believe his eyes when he looked inside the old wooden box… 46. When you hear the word “culture,” what do you think of? 47. If you could grow up in any other part of the world, where would you choose and why? 48. The aliens spoke in a language that Tom couldn’t comprehend, but he knew one thing, he was in grave danger, and he needed to escape from their ship immediately… 49. The kindest thing I’ve ever seen anyone do is… 50. If I was a bird for the day, I would fly to… 51. Would you want to live forever?  52. The most frustrating thing I have to deal with in my life is… 53. Jeanie was confident she’d locked the door to her house, but when she returned home, it was wide open… 54. No one was more surprised than I was when the dog started to talk… 55. You have to act fast to escape a deadly stampede of wild animals, but there’s no vehicle in sight. What do you do?  56. I want to make the world a better place by… 57. The terrible smell was overpowering, like a… 58. Listening to music makes me feel like… 59. The best thing about growing up on Mars is… 60. You know the expression “money doesn’t grow on trees?” What else do you wish grew on trees and why?

Creative Writing Prompts for High School Students

61. You are tasked with inventing a brand new holiday. What time of year is it, how do people celebrate, and what kind of traditions, decorations, and food would it involve? 62. Josh picked up a pen to write a letter to the father he never met. “Dear Dad,” he wrote… 63. Write about your best or worst family vacation. Describe what happened from a fly on the wall/ observer’s perspective.  64. Write a letter to a person in another country that you don’t know much about. Think about what you would ask them, and what you would share with them about yourself and your own country.  65. How would you describe Earth to a first-time alien visitor? 66. Imagine a future where you have your own robot who will do whatever it is you need. What would your robot look like, what features and capabilities would it have, and how would you interact with it? 67. Pick any color and personify it. Think about its energy, how it looks, tastes and smells. If it had emotions, how would it feel? 68. Describe a dream you’ve had that made an impact on you. Use vivid imagery and descriptive language to bring it to life.  69. What about your culture seem perfectly normal to you, but would be very strange through the eyes of another? 70. If you were born as a member of the opposite sex, how might your life be different today? 71. What keeps you awake at night?  72. What do you want your life to look like when you are 30 years old? 73. Pick a new subject or class that is currently not taught in schools. Consider what the students would learn and who would teach it, and create a convincing argument for why it should be included in your school’s curriculum. 74. Choose a subject or class that  is  currently taught in school, and create a convincing argument for why it should be dropped from the curriculum.  75. Imagine you are due to graduate soon. Write a graduation speech to deliver to your fellow students, thinking about how you would encourage and inspire them for the future.  76. We’re always told that … is true, but how do we know for sure? What if… 77. You are burying a time capsule in your city. What five items would you include and why?  78. If you could travel back in time to the year 1600, where would you go and why?  79. Think about a social justice issue that doesn’t affect you personally. Now imagine that you are directly impacted by that issue, and write about how and why people should support you and others like you.   80. What words of wisdom have been helpful in guiding you throughout your life?  81. If today was your last day on earth, where would you go, who would you see, and how would you spend your time? 82. Mike’s prom date went … not so great. Why? 83. Do you see yourself as more of an introvert or an extrovert? Do you think you are this way because of genetics, social conditioning, or both? 84. The temperature is rising, and it keeps on getting hotter. Everyone is panicking, and things are getting weird. Describe the events, actions, and reactions that follow…  85. Upon his death, a man has a rare opportunity to come back as a ghost. The first thing he does is… 86. When all is said and done, nothing really matters. Do you think this statement is true or false? Why? 87. What does “success” mean to you? How might other people define it?  88. Lisa comes home with a detention slip from school. Usually, her mom would be furious, but not today. Why? 89. You meet your doppelganger. They’re just like you in every way, except that you each speak a different language. Write about your day together.  90. Think of a job that is often undervalued. What would the world be like if there was no one to do that job? Upon reflection, do people in that line of work deserve a pay rise?

Tips for Encouraging Kids in Creative Writing 

These prompts will help students to get their creative juices flowing, but how, when, and where they use them will have a big impact too. Here are a few tips on how to implement these creative writing prompts in the classroom or at home. 

• Set a daily writing task.  Assign one of these prompts as a daily writing task either at the beginning of the end of the day. A short creative writing session in the morning helps students to engage their brains and stimulate their curiosity, setting them up for success throughout the rest of their day. It can also be a great way for kids to unwind and decompress before the final bell rings. 
• Narrow down the options.  Presenting students with a huge list of writing prompts and asking them to pick one can be overwhelming. They’re likely to spend half of the allotted time just choosing which prompt they’d like to use. Instead, offer just 2 or 3 choices, or you could even pick a particular one that the whole class will work on simultaneously. 
• Set a word length.  Some of these creative writing prompts are designed for short assignments, whereas others can be elaborated on and turned into multiple pages of text. Set a rough word count or a number of pages to aim for so that students know how to structure their story and how detailed it should be. 
• Create a quiet environment.  This is especially important if your kids are remote learning from home right now. There are distractions everywhere; notifications pinging on phones, the noise of the TV in the background, siblings or other family members who are using the same space, etc. 

Where possible, try to set up a quiet and calm environment where your child can focus on the task at hand and produce the best writing possible. 

• Encourage handwriting.  In today’s digital age, students are in danger of losing their handwriting skills. These creative writing exercises are a great way to help them practice the art of handwriting, and studies also show that handwriting can help a writer feel more connected to their work.  
• Step into someone else’s shoes.  Many of these prompts ask students for their own personal thoughts, feelings, or responses. A great way to get kids thinking outside of the box is to have them produce two sets of writing; one from their own perspective, and the other from someone else’s point of view, for example, a family member, a friend, or famous person. 
• Make it fun.  Remind students that this is their chance to be the boss, and they can take the writing assignment in whichever direction they choose. So often in educational settings, children are presented with a right or wrong answer, but in the case of creative writing, anything goes! Many of these prompts don’t require them to be bound by the rules of reality, and they can make their stories as fantastical and far-fetched as they please.
• Invite them to share.  In a class situation, you might want to encourage your students to share their writing in front of the class if they feel comfortable doing so. This helps to build their confidence, and it can lead to fun and engaging class discussions, especially when everyone uses the same prompt. 

For more tips on creative writing for both children and adults, take a look at our in-depth  beginner’s guide to creative writing . It’s packed with tips to help writers hone their skills, engage their readers, and develop their individual writing styles. And for more creative writing prompts, check out this list of  30 creative fiction writing prompts for adults.  

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

Chris Drew (PhD)

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

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

Article Key Points

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

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

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

Writing prompts for adventure stories.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read Also: 25 Central Ideas for Stories

Writing prompts for stories about your life

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read Also: A List of 107 Effective Classroom Teaching Strategies

Writing prompts for imaginative stories

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Writing prompts for descriptive stories

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 Great Writing Prompts and Story Starter Lesson Plans

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

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

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

Lesson 2: Planning your Creative Story Plot

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

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

Lesson 3: Random Creative Writing Story Prompts

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

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

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 10 Reasons you’re Perpetually Single
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 20 Montessori Toddler Bedrooms (Design Inspiration)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 21 Montessori Homeschool Setups
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 101 Hidden Talents Examples

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Creative writing techniques for kids: a step-by-step guide to writing a story

The way literacy is taught in primary schools has changed radically in the last couple of decades; when I was at school in the 80s we copied from blackboards, had whole hours of handwriting practice and sweated over spellings without any formal teaching of phonics whatsoever. While I think the more structured approach to literacy teaching we see in classrooms today makes learning more fun and accessible, my one worry is that there’s little time left for writing creatively.

When I was at school I adored writing stories – even stories with chapters and illustrations. I know my author brother did too – we found some of his old stories a few years back, and I felt so pleased he’d had the time to write these endless pages of action, adventure, characterisation and twisting plotlines.

As a primary teacher I ensured I would have a week each term when, during literacy sessions, we would focus solely on creating stories. I wasn’t deviating from the curriculum – far from it. During this week children would be consolidating their learning of phonics and  be ‘writing for purpose’, considering carefully the aspects of story and who their audience might be.

It may very well be that your children write stories at home regardless of whether they’re required to for school, because most children have a seemingly natural urge to want to do so from time to time. This is just a little guidance on how you can support them and encourage a more structured approach to their story writing.

Plot planning

Firstly, ask your child where the story is going to take place . It could be somewhere fictional or real, it could be a planet, a country, a town or a house – anywhere! 

Then, ask when the story is taking place – now? In the future? In the past? 

Finally ask what they think is going to happen . Remember that this doesn’t have to be accurate and they don’t have to stick to what they say; many of the best writers say that their plots develop organically as they write. If they do have a firm idea of where they want to go with the plot, though, they can create an outline by completing a story planner, which could look something like this:  

• And finally….

Download a FREE Creative Writing toolkit!

• KS1 & KS2 workbooks
• Bursting with fill-in prompt sheets and inspiring ideas
• Story structure tips, style guides and editing suggestions

Characterisation

Ask your child who is going to be in the story. How do they want their readers to feel about each character? Again, they may want to jot some ideas down. You could make a table for them to help them organise their thoughts, with these headings:  

• Name of character
• Relationship to other characters
• What he/she looks like

Story language

Ask your child to think of some fabulous words to use in their story writing . They might be long words or simple ones, or they might be great descriptive words or words that help create pace and tension. Encourage them to jot these down and refer to the list as they write their story.

Story starters

All writers know that you’ve got to capture the attention of your readers right from the start; you want to make them desperate to read on. Ask your child to think of some good story openers that’ll entice people to find out more. Here are a few examples:

First sentences that are mysterious… Molly had no sense of the day that lay ahead.

Story starters that use language tricks like alliteration… It was damp, dark and dreadfully dusty when Molly entered the house.

Story openers that create tension… Molly could hear her heart beating faster than ever before. Could this really be happening?

Stories that go straight into dialogue… “But I don’t want to go to school, Mummy,” groaned Molly.

Encourage your child to look at some of the books they like to read and see how they begin in order to offer inspiration.

Get writing!

Once they’ve got all of these ideas in place, they can start writing. They could do a draft in the first instance and then a neat, polished version later. They may wish to write in short chapters, use illustrations, or make their own book to write in – let them use their imagination and creativity when it comes to presentation, and make sure you show how much you value the end product by keeping it to read again with the other books in your house.

If your child finds writing a story a little daunting, start with something small from our list of 9 fun writing projects to do with your children .

We also recommend the free art and creative writing challenges on the Night Zookeeper website ; your child will be contributing to a co-created animated television show.

You could also try a great story-making app and get your child writing fiction on their tablet!

Plus, find out how to support storytelling skills for children in EYFS , KS1 , KS2 and KS3 to get them thinking about story elements, plot and character development.

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

1. Online Writing Games

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

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

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

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

12 Fun and Creative Writing Activities for Kids

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

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

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

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

Ideas for journaling:

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

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

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

How it works:

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

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

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

Examples of prompts:

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

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

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

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

Picture-based prompts:

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

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

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

Step-by-step guide:

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

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

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

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

Outdoor observation prompts:

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

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

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

What to write:

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to make and use them:

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

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

11. Newspaper Reporter

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

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

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

Headline: Create a catchy title to grab attention.

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

Illustrate: Sketch a related image or scene.

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

12. Book Reviews

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

How to do it:

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

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

6 Benefit of Writing Activities for Students

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

1. Improves Literacy Skills

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

2. Improves Communication Skills

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

3. Boosts Creativity

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

4. Enhances Critical Thinking

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

5. Improves Emotional Well-being

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

6. Cultivation of a Lifelong Skill

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

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

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

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the 5 minute writing exercise for kids.

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

What is a fun writing game for kids?

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

How do you make a writing lesson fun?

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

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250+ Short Story Ideas for Kids

Staring at a blank page is every writer’s nightmare (or writer’s block )! To combat a blank page, here are 250 short story ideas to spark up your imagination. These short story prompts can make great daily writing exercises or can be used to write your next best-selling short story . 

Random Short Story Idea Generator

Unlike thousand-page novels, short stories (or flash fiction and one-shots ) can be really difficult to write. Their general word limit of around 1,000 words or fewer means that you need a brilliant idea and story plot to keep your readers hooked from beginning to end. With this in mind, we have created an ultimate collection of short story ideas that will keep your readers engaged. Whether you’re writing a sci-fi book or a series of modern-day fairy tales, click the links in the table of contents below to find the perfect idea for your next story! 

Love writing stories? Take part in our weekly short story challenge . Each week you’ll be given a random short story prompt to write about. Can you complete the challenge in time?

Reflecting back on your life experiences can be a great source of inspiration. Whether you’re thinking about a bad moment in your life or a funny one, here are 20 life story prompts to get you started:

• The worst day of your life just happened. Write about how things keep going wrong all day until the very end of the day it turns around.
• It’s your 12th birthday and your favourite uncle gives you a gift that really surprises you. 
• Think about how your self-image has changed over the past few years. Has your confidence grown or withered away? Use this as your inspiration for your next short story.
• Is your family wealthy or short on money? Money can be a strong motivator and a source of conflict for many people. How does money make you feel?
• Who raised you the most when growing up? What lessons did they teach you? How do they inspire you?
• What is the greatest lesson you learned so far in your life and how did you learn it?
• Write a short story inspired by a recent argument you had. 
• Think about a difficult decision you had to make recently. For example, did you have to choose between going to your best friend’s birthday party or visiting your dad in another country?
• Write about a recent achievement or goal you accomplished. 
• Think about an object that you had your whole life, like a piece of jewellery or a teddy bear. Write a short story centred around this object.
• Look through some old family photos and pick one at random. Use this photo as inspiration for your next story.
• Have you ever felt pressured to do something? Write about this peer pressure from the perspective of your future self in 5 years time. 
• Loneliness is a strong emotion. Write about a time when you felt alone and what did you do to cheer yourself up?
• Write a story dedicated to your best friend. Think about what you like most about them.
• Think about your greatest fear and write about overcoming it.
• Write about something that brings you great joy in your life.
• What hobby do you enjoy the most and how did you get into it?
• Write a story dedicated to the best teacher or mentor you ever had so far in your life. 
• Think about the funniest thing that happened in your life and use it as an inspiration for your next short story.
• Write a short story dedicated to your mother , father or someone else who looks after you.

Sci-fi (science-fiction) is one of the most popular genres of books out there. It can cover everything from aliens taking over a planet to futuristic robots losing control. Not to mention mad scientists and human mutation. Here are 20 sci-fi short story ideas to inspire you:

• A meteorite from deep outer space lands on Earth covered in strange alien bacteria. This bacteria grows and takes over the local plant life creating a swarm of aliens. 
• A space shuttle heading to the moon gets invaded by a team of space pirates. They then use this space shuttle to invade Earth disguised as humans.
• Write a short story about a mad scientist who has found a way to combine human DNA with animal DNA to create superhumans. 
• A computer hacker accidentally releases a deadly computer virus causing all machines to attack humans. 
• It’s the year 2135, every household has their own robot servant. After years of learning from human behaviour, the robot servants develop a mind of their own and start to attack humans. 
• A cure for a rare disease mutates humans into flesh-eating zombies.
• In a small town in Australia, a farmer discovers a strange chicken egg. It turns out to be an alien egg which fell from a UFO. 
• For centuries humans have evolved. From apes to modern-day men and women. This evolution has not stopped. In the year, 2200, some humans have special abilities or superpowers, such as mind-reading powers or the ability to fly. This has caused great destruction on Earth. 
• You are an astronaut studying life on the moon. Your Space ship breaks down there, leaving you stranded on the moon. How will you survive? 
• Your best friend died years ago and was replaced by a cyborg. And you only just found out recently. 
• Scientists invent a teleportation machine which allows people to travel all over the world within a few seconds. However, the machine goes bust and starts sending people into different dimensions. 
• Back in the 1960’s aliens abducted some people and planted some alien eggs inside them. Fast forward to the year 2020, you just discovered that your best friend is an alien and their parents were born aliens. 
• It’s the year 2070 and crime is at an all-time high. To combat crime, one town has completely replaced its police officers with robot officers. However, the robot police officers malfunction and start thinking that all humans are criminals.
• A physics professor at a top university creates a gadget that can turn back time. He starts using it for his own personal gain, such as winning the lottery. Then he realises that he has created multiple timelines, where multiple versions of himself have been created. 
• After being involved in a car accident, you wake up in a strange pod on an alien spaceship. The spaceship looks like it has crashed and there is no-one around.
• Write a short story from the perspective of an alien living on Mars. You can use the following sentence as inspiration, “Humans are real! We are not alone! Humans are real” Chanted the crowd. 
• Overpopulation has become a big problem in the future. To deal with the rising population, half of the world’s population is forced to live in space pods floating around space. Only when the population on Earth is controlled can these people return to Earth. 
• In the year 2080, the government banned all brightly coloured objects from all households and public locations to boost productivity. Now in the year 2181, you live in a greyscale world. People work all the time, there is no fun and no colour in their life. Until one day you discover something buried underground, a bright red t-shirt. 
• Everything will be automated in the future. Humans won’t even need to walk or get up. The robots can do that for them. In fact, humans don’t do anything, apart from just exist in the world. This gives aliens from a nearby planet, the perfect opportunity to invade and take over planet Earth.
• The gap between the rich and poor in the future means that the poor are forced to live in the sewers. While the rich live above ground, building more and more towers to show off their wealth. But now the poor have finally had enough of living in the sewer and want a taste of the rich life. 

For more science fiction ideas, check out this list of over 110 science fiction writing prompts . You might also be interested in our cosmic planet name generator and our amazing space writing prompts for more ideas and inspiration.

Everyone loves a good old adventure book. A bunch of kids heading out to solve a mystery or a family holiday gone bad. All adventure books have one thing in common: They are all about travelling and going to new or faraway places. Here are some adventure prompts to get you started:

• While cleaning up your basement you find a mysterious key that can open up portals to new worlds. 
• During a family camping trip, you find a backpack containing a strange-looking map, compass and a solid gold snake ring. What do you do next?
• Your main character goes on a fishing trip. Instead of catching fishes, he pulls out a mysterious chest. What happens when they open this chest?
• During a rescue mission in the North Pole, you lose all your teammates in the extreme weather conditions and dangerous animals. You have to find a way to get home safely. 
• A family camping trip gets dangerous when a pack of wolves start circling your tents in the middle of the night. 
• While on a deep-sea fishing expedition, you find the remains of an old pirate ship . Along with the pirate ship, you find a locked treasure chest and open it to release the most dangerous ghost pirate of all time.   
• You wake up in the morning to discover that your pet German Shepard has run away. You search all over town until you finally find him in the forest near a pile of bones. 
• During a road trip across America, you notice a mysterious red truck following you. Who is it and what do they want?
• From the outside, the tree looked normal. But when you start climbing it, it seems to never end like a huge beanstalk. After a few hours of climbing the tree, you reach a mysterious destination above the clouds. What happens next?
• During a historic school trip to Machu Picchu, you find yourself in a dark cave. When you turn back around, you realise that you are lost. How will you get out of the cave and find the others?
• You and your best friend find a beautiful sports car parked outside your home. The keys are inside and the door has been left open. 
• Your main character is on the hunt to catch a rare fish, which can only be found at night in the middle of the ocean. However, during the fishing trip sharks start surrounding your boat stopping you from reaching the middle of the ocean.
• An expedition in the Amazon rainforest gets deadly when you and your team encounter a group of warriors protecting the rainforest from outsiders. 
• While on a family holiday at the beach , you find a message in a bottle . The message tells you to take a boat to a nearby island where you will find everything you desire. 
• You and your family have just moved into a new home. At night you hear a strange ringing sound coming from the attic. You follow the sound to discover a magical wardrobe into the attic, which takes you to a new world. 
• A hard-working lawyer decides to leave the city life behind to start a new life in the country. As he ventures off to the country he realises that country life is not as calm or as relaxing as he thought it would be.
• A group of hunters searching for an endangered wolf in the mountains get more than what they bargained for when they finally find the wolf’s den. 
• During a cruise ship holiday, the ship starts sinking. You end up stranded on an island, where you have to survive until someone rescues you.
• Write a short story from the perspective of a young stray cat looking for her mother who is a house cat. 
• You are going to visit your grandma. It’s a two-hour car drive to get and the traffic is extra busy today. While stuck in the traffic you have some funny, yet strange encounters with other drivers. 

See this list of 110+ adventure writing prompts for further inspiration.

Fantasy is a genre that relies on the writer’s imagination. The more creative you are, the better your fantasy story will be. Try to think outside the box and create new worlds that no-one has ever thought of. Humans can have magical powers, animals can talk and monsters lurk around every corner. Here are 20 fun fantasy prompts to get your imagination going:

• Dragons are at war with humans. While foraging for food near the mountains you find a small ice dragon that helps hunt for food. Together you end the war between dragons and humans. 
• During a football game , the ball falls into the forest behind your school. When you go to find the ball, you discover small fairy-like creatures in the forest. No-one believes you when you try telling them, but you know the truth.
• A new magic shop has just opened in town. You decide to get your brother a magic play set for his birthday from this shop. Instead of just playful magic, the magic set turns your brother into a warlock capable of turning humans into frogs and more!
• During certain times of the day, a castle appears in the sky. Using your telescope, you discover the latest location of this secret castle and decide to pay it a visit.
• A vain high school girl gets sucked into a mirror, to discover that she has entered the dark world from her nightmares. 
• You were born with the gift of being able to cast any spell you like. After abusing your powers, a witch curses you by turning you into a powerless human being. 
• On your 12th birthday, you’ll be old enough to join any of the four clans: Steel Warriors, Earth Souls, The Healers or the Wise Ones. But a secret group living underground called the Dark Assassins want to recruit you. What will happen next? (If you like cats and warriors, take a look at the Imagine Forest Warrior Cat name generator .)
• You were a brave warrior and the Queen’s lead knight in battle. But one day both your legs were eaten by a ferocious beast. Now you have to prove yourself to the Queen that you are just as strong and as powerful as before. What will you do?
• In a world where anyone can do magic and mythical beasts are real. You belong to a family of powerful witches and are the youngest of five sisters. Each one of your sisters has the power to control the elements, such as wind, water, fire, earth. But being the youngest you have no clue on what you can control or even if you can control anything. 
• Your main character is a street thief and a shapeshifter. They can change into any human or animal. As the lowest ranking member of society, your main character is tired of being treated like dirt, so they decide to impersonate the king and take over the kingdom. 
• There’s an old ancient belief that the ocean is alive. When pirates pollute it with rubbish and hurt the sea creatures it makes the ocean angry. Write a short story from the perspective of the ocean.
• Your main character follows a street cat and ends up in a world where cats rule the planet and humans are their pets. 
• You find an old pen in a magic shop. Every time you write something down using that pen it becomes true. 
• For centuries it was thought that all dragons were dead. Until one night, the evilest and most legendary dragon of all rises from the Volcano. Write a short story from the perspective of this dragon.
• Not everything is rainbows and cotton candy on the planet of unicorns. Something deadly lurks underground. 
• Write a short story about a group of garden fairies being at war with the garden gnomes. 
• You are the best dark assassin in the kingdom. The king’s son has hired you to kill the king in secret. What do you do?
• Your main character is a poor farmer’s boy. One day his fortune turns around when he finds a magician’s spellbook deep in the forest.
• The main character of your story has just discovered that she is a mermaid and that there is a whole underwater kingdom for her to rule. 
• You accidentally create a potion which makes people invisible without them knowing. Soon the whole town becomes invisible. People start wondering why they can’t see anyone and why no-one can see them.

Check out our post on Fantasy Writing Prompts for more inspiration.

The horror genre is bound to shock and spook your readers. If you’re not scaring your readers, then you haven’t written a horror book. Go dark and go gory with these spooky horror prompts to scare your readers:

• You thought your best friend was dead, but not anymore!
• After eating a strange-looking vegetable, your pet bunny becomes a disgusting zombie bunny.
• After reading a cursed book, all your nightmares start becoming real. 
• You steal a rare ring belonging to a famous pirate from the museum. When you wear it on your finger it takes over your body and turns you into an evil pirate. 
• You find a spider in your bedroom and lock it inside a jar. When you wake-up the spider has become human-sized.
• It is late at night and you are on a camping trip with your classmates. Suddenly you hear a roaring sound, you get out of the tent to look. All you see is a shadow. As you start walking towards the shadow, you hear a scream. You start running, but this mysterious creature won’t stop chasing you until you trip over…
• For years you wanted to visit the old house down the street. Now you finally found the courage to knock on the door. The door is open, so you just walk in and find…
• Your best friend and you sneak into the school cafeteria after school to steal some food. But as soon as you open the door you hear the dinner ladies chanting some spell over something that looks like a smoking cauldron.
• Camp ghost stories are not always scary unless they start happening for real. 
• It’s Friday the 13th and all over town pets are acting weird. Your cat is acting more viscous than usually and then suddenly it jumps on you and starts attacking you.
• This Halloween you decide to go as a simple ghost. What you didn’t realise is that by wearing the costume, you actually became a ghost. And your best friend dressed up as a vampire, is now actually a vampire!
• You look in the mirror and see nothing – not even a reflection of yourself.
• Your little sister is always bugging you to play with her dolls, but you’re too old to play with dolls. Until one day you actually become a doll. Your parents think you ran away, but really you are in your sister’s bedroom on a shelf with all the other dolls. 
• It’s late at night and you hear a scream outside. You run over to the window and notice that one-by-one the lights inside the houses across the street are getting switched off. Your turn is coming soon. 
• You always believed that monster lived under your bed, but never really saw it. Until one night an arm grabs you from under the bed. 
• It’s Halloween night and you just finished carving a pumpkin with your parents. Later that night when you are alone in the house, the pumpkins start talking to you with the mouth you carved on them. 
• Every night the same whispers. Every night the same cries. Who could this be and what do they want?
• For your birthday, your parents buy you a black kitten. You never believed in superstition until you start to get bad luck every time the black kitten is around. 
• A strange boy joins your school. He never comes to school on sunny days, just on cloudy or rainy days. It turns out that he is a vampire and he wants to drink your blood.
• After visiting a magic shop and buying nothing, the owner of the shop curses you. Now everywhere you go, people keep laughing at you and you don’t know why. 

For more spooky prompts, take a look at our Halloween writing prompts post and our Halloween image prompts for inspiration.

It’s fun playing along to solve a mystery. Just imagine the old “who done it” style books. Keep your readers hooked and sprinkle in some shocking news about the real criminals or victims. Here are 10 mystery prompts to help you write your own mystery story:

• There’s a sock thief on the loose. The thief goes into homes stealing one sock from each pair. Why is the thief doing this and who will stop them?
• All around town cats have been sneaking off to a secret location each night. Your job is to find out where they are going and what they are up to you.
• Known as the Floral Slayer, there is a serial killer on the loose. They are going around town destroying all flowers in public places, people’s gardens and front yards. Why are they doing this and who can stop them?
• Complete the following story starter: The music stops, everyone turns around and they see…
• “Master Jewel Thief Caught And Locked Up!” – That’s what the newspaper headline read on Saturday morning. It’s now Wednesday morning and another diamond robbery took place last night. 
• You come home from school to find scattered papers all over your living room floor and your family is missing.
• The main character of your story finds a letter from their long-lost dad who they haven’t seen in years. The letter has a secret message encoded in it telling your character to find a mysterious door in town. 
• One by one students from your class are going missing. It’s up to you to find out what happened to them. 
• Mysterious symbols are appearing all over town. It is up to your main character to decipher the code and find out the meaning of these symbols. 
• You get an unknown phone call from someone. The person tells you that someone will knock at your door very soon and that you should not open it. You hear a knock at the door – What do you do?

Want more mystery prompts? Check out this list of over 70 mystery writing prompts .

Generations and generations of children have read fairy tales. In today’s modern world it gets harder to come up with a unique idea for a fairy tale. So most writers just put a modern twist on a famous old fairy tale or folk tale. Here are 10 prompts to help you write a modern fairy tale:

• On her 13th birthday, Cassie was cursed to never speak again. She was such a loud, outgoing girl, now she’s almost invisible.
• A young Prince has locked himself in his castle to avoid eye contact with any human person. One look could turn them to stone. 
• Princess Kiara was the prettiest girl in the whole kingdom. Her beauty meant that she could get away with anything. Until one day a witch turns her into a rose – nothing but a beautiful delicate rose.
• After being locked up in prison for over 20 years, the big bad wolf is out for revenge. And he’s starting with the three little pigs. 
• Three brothers are fighting with each other to be the next king of their kingdom – who will win?
• Write a short story of a modern-day sleeping beauty. This time about a girl who was in a coma for over 10 years after a horrific car accident left her paralyzed. 
• What if Cinderella had no fairy godmother and one of her ugly stepsisters married Prince Charming? How else could Cinderella change her life for the better?
• Little Red Riding meets the wolf in the forest. Instead of being scared of him, they become close friends.
• In the story of Hansel and Gretal, write from the perspective of the witch that lives in the Gingerbread house. 
• A kind princess gets locked in a tower which once belonged to a powerful wizard. Instead of waiting for a prince or knight to save her, she creates her own spells to get out. Soon the spells start taking over and turn her into an evil witch.

For more fairy tale inspiration, read our post on retelling fairy tales and our list of fairy tale ideas . You might also want to check out our guide on how to write a fairytale .

Everyone loves a good laugh. Humour or comedy books are a great way to cheer up your readers and go wacky with your ideas. Don’t just think about normal, everyday things – Go wild with your imagination and ask yourself, “What if?”. Here are 20 funny writing prompts to get your funny bones going:

• Cats and dogs rule the world and humans are their pets.
• The world’s unluckiest boy has the worst day ever.
• Johnny has always prided himself on being the best athlete at his school. However, in reality, he is the worst athlete at school, maybe in the whole world.
• The world richest man loses all his money and is forced to work as a cleaner at a company he once owned.
• A five-star Michelin chef loses all their reputation after serving a meal with a hair in it to a famous celebrity. They are now forced to work at a fast-food diner serving burgers and fries to everyday people.
• Jason is scared of everything, including his own shadow! How will he ever cope in the outside world?
• A man obsessed with comic books starts thinking that he is actually a supervillain from one of his favourite comic books. And now he is plotting world domination. 
• To make some extra money on the side, a farmer decides to open a knock-off version of Disneyland.
• A woman with Chaetophobia (fear of hair) gets a job at a hair salon. 
• After watching an action movie, you and your friends start acting like gangsters around school. But you are actually the biggest nerds in school.
• A boy swaps bodies with his pet dog. 
• The world’s longest game of tic-tac-toe – For some reason, it just never seems to end.
• A clown with a fear of balloons has to attend a 6-year-old’s birthday party. 
• The daily lives of a family of cheeseburgers. 
• The son of a mad scientist who rides a snail to school every day.
• The worldwide clown championships are happening. This is where all the best clowns compete to win the golden nose awards for being the funniest clown. 
• A mouse believes that he can talk to cheese. The other mice think he’s crazy – but is he?
• You’re just 100 words away from finishing your essay, but your pencil keeps breaking. You try the computer and it crashes. Then you try a pen and there’s no ink!
• An alien buys planet Earth at an outer space planet auction for $100. He then pays Earth a visit and is disgusted by what he sees. 
• Your family gets kicked out of town for being the messiest people in town. Your lawn hasn’t been mowed in months. The garbage is over the front yard and let’s not get started with the inside of the house.

Monologue or single character prompts are a great way to show your main character’s true personality and put the spotlight entirely on them. Monologue scenes or stories, just have one character normally talking in their head about their experiences or worries. Here are 20 monologue prompts to get you thinking deeper about your main character:

• Your character has a big confession to make to the world.
• Alone sitting at a dinner party fit for 20 people, the main character explains how they lost it all for nothing.
• On a bus ride to an important college interview, your character goes through many self-doubts.
• Sitting alone in the dark, Jesse feared the outside world. She just wants to be alone.
• A vegetarian shark explains how he feels like an outsider and doesn’t fit in anywhere. 
• Your main character is plotting the greatest revenge in history in their own mind. 
• You just faced the most embarrassing moment of your life. Hidden in your bedroom the negative thoughts are taking over. 
• A computer geek is reminiscing about all the ways he can take over the world and be the most powerful human alive. 
• Tabitha the house cat knows there’s a mouse hiding in the kitchen. Write a monologue scene of Tabitha dreaming about catching the mouse.
• Write a monologue scene from the point of view of one of the ugly step-sisters in Cinderella. The scene can be set right after Cinderella’s wedding.
• In a monologue format, describe the struggles of being a snail. Think about all the other insects like spiders and ants and how you as a snail compares to them.
• You are a world-famous celebrity who has been kidnapped by one of your biggest fans. Explain how you feel locked up in a basement somewhere.
• Talk about the struggles of being the most popular girl or boy in school. Think about the peer pressure you face daily.
• Everyone thinks that you’re this big, tough guy, but really you’re struggling on the inside. In a monologue talk about your struggles and the judgement, you face every day.
• Snakes are always getting a bad reputation for themselves. From the perspective of a rattlesnake, talk about how you feel when people and other animals run away from you or attack you.
• You were once the greatest criminal masterminds of all time and now you’re sitting in a retirement home, waiting for the nurse to feed you.
• Each snowflake is unique and delicate. With only a few seconds before you melt, write a short monologue from the perspective of a snowflake falling from the sky.
• The lights turn off, as your master goes to sleep. One dog sits by the bed of his master – What is he wondering about?
• Pick any inanimate object from your room right now. Now write a monologue from the perspective of this object. If this object was alive what would it think about? What is it’s daily struggles?
• In a world where monsters exist, write a monologue from the point of view of a vampire that no longer wants to hurt his victims. 

Friendship the ultimate source of all love and pain. Friendship can dissolve overtime or it can grow stronger. Everyone has experienced some sort of friendship in their life, even if it was brief. Here are 10 prompts about friendship to inspire you:

• Jacob is a loner. He hates having to make friends until one day he meets Calvin.
• Socially awkward and really shy, Abigail envies Jessica who makes friends so easily. After a series of embarrassing events, Abigail and Jessica eventually become close friends. 
• Cats and mice can’t be friends. After all, cats love eating mice for dinner. Snowdrop the lonely house cat finds friendship in a dirty street mouse. 
• Everyone wants to be friends with Malcolm. Katie is just one in a thousand kids trying to get close to Malcolm. Is there a chance that Katie and Malcolm can even talk to each other, let alone be friends?
• After years of rejection, Sarah promised herself she would never try being friends with anyone ever again. Then she met Laura. An outgoing, party girl who loves to have fun.
• Bridget has been best friends with Charlie since elementary school. Everything changes when a new girl Chrissy becomes Charlie’s other best friend. 
• Two socially anxious teenagers meet at an after-school club. Both keep on forcing awkward conversations with each other and never actually say what’s truly inside their heads.
• Jake has always been comfortable with his own company and hanging out on his own. Until he experienced true friendship with his best mate. Now he wants to be friends with everyone he meets, but that’s not always possible. 
• One best friend was all Ellen ever wanted. All she ever cared about. Then she found out that her best friend, Katie was moving to another country. Can they keep their friendship going?
• For two whole years, you thought Catelyn was your best friend. So many secrets shared. So many moments shared. But she was just a fake friend – She was never there when you really needed her.

Check out this post for 56+ writing prompts about friendship .

Superheros are really popular today. It’s not only the comic book geeks who love them now. Get on the bandwagon and write your own superhero story or you could even create your own comic series with these 20 prompts:

• You are the most famous superhero of all time. But what you don’t know is that your father is actually a supervillain which you’ll have to take down. 
• All the anger and rage you built up over the years has turned you into a superhuman with super strength. Will you use it for good or evil?
• Everything he touches turns to bananas that must be the worst superpower ever. When will it ever come in handy?
• A retired villain has to come out of retirement when he notices superheroes ruling his town. 
• After abusing her superpowers, Prof. Buzz loses all her electricity powers. She now needs them back to defeat an ultimate villain.
• A superhero and supervillain get taken as hostages by a group of citizens against superheroes. It is now up to an average police detective to save them both.  
• When the world is about to end, a superhero and supervillain must work together to save it.
• After the death of your uncle, you inherit his magical sword. When held in a fighting position, the sword turns you into a legendary superhero, called the crimson knight. 
• Everything James touched turned to darkness. His head is even filled with dark thoughts. Instead of letting the dark thoughts turn him into a villain, James uses his power of darkness for good. 
• All humans eventually get a superpower. However, David is the only kid at school with no superpowers at all. 
• How was the very first superhuman or human with superpowers created?
• A superhero is framed for killing someone and now is locked up in a special facility where he can’t use his superpowers. This leaves his hometown with no superhero to protect it and loads of evil villains start taking over. 
• Everyone looked up to Lava Knight until he accidentally hurt someone with his superpowers. Now all humans are protesting against superheroes. They demand that all superheroes are stripped off their superpowers.
• You become the very first superhuman in the whole world after discovering that you can move objects with just your mind. You decide to keep it a secret and only ever use it when you’re really desperate. But this all changes one day.
• Michael is murdered by his best friend. A few weeks after his funeral, Michael wakes up alive in a dark coffin. Using his newfound power he breaks through and seeks revenge.
• Sarah can move objects with her mind, but her power is super weak. Until she connects with a group of girls from another high school. Together their bond forms the greatest power that anyone has seen.
• David superpower is controlled by his mood. When he is angry, he turns to fire and when he is sad, he can shoot out water. The problem is David has no control over his emotions, so he has no control over his superpower.
• For years you have played the role of a good superhero. Always saving lives and watching the people you love disappear. Now you had enough, it’s time to be the bad guy, it’s time to play the villain. 
• A mastermind supervillain is tired of people always booing him and wishing him to disappear. He decides to become a good guy or a superhero and tries to get people to like him. 
• Having a superpower was cool until Mindy started losing control of her power. It was like the darkness was taking over her whole body. She is now a danger to everyone, including herself. 

Check out our post on superhero writing prompts for more inspiration!

Blood is thicker than water and that’s what makes families so important. You can hate them or love them, in the end, it all works out. The source of many drama, conflict and joy, here are 20 family prompts to get you started on your short story:

• A brother and sister rivalry ends badly when they both end-up expelled from school.
• Your family is hiding a big, dark secret and they’ll do anything to keep it a secret from your other relatives.
• Your long, lost sister who you thought was dead knocks at your door.
• 194. Your main character has just had a baby. But they are worried about not being ready and if they can ever be a good enough parent.
• Jesse’s mother has brought a new man home. She wants Jesse to see this new man as her step-father, but Jesse isn’t ready to let go of her real, biological dad. 
• Your main character hasn’t seen their father in over 10 years. Suddenly out of the blue their father turns up asking for a place to stay.
• A family night dinner goes badly when an uninvited guest turns up to stir trouble. 
• Your main character just found out that the girl next door is her older sister and your father’s first family actually lives next door.
• James is convinced that his older brother Jacob hates. Everyday Jacob beats James up and embarrasses him at school. After a series of events, Jacob ends-up being the best brother, James could ever ask for.
• After years of getting all the attention from your parents. Your parents bring home a baby boy and now it seems like no-one even notices you anymore. It’s all about your baby brother now.
• Sarah is the youngest of 8 siblings. All her brothers and sisters are all good at something. While the only thing she is good at is being the baby or the victim. And now she has had enough of people always treating her like a baby.
• You are researching your family tree for a school project. You thought your family was small until you stumbled upon some old family photos All those aunts, uncles, cousins that you never saw your whole life. Why keep them a secret?
• After a huge argument, you learn your parents are getting a divorce. Your mom wants you to stay with her, while your dad wants you to come with him. What will you do?
• As an orphan child, Cassie always felt alone. Until she joined an art club and met her two best friends, Edwin and Miranda. Now she found a family that she never thought she’ll have. 
• It has always been you and you mom. Until one day your mom introduces you to a lady and tells you that they are getting married. 
• Every year your family goes on a family vacation. But this year, the annual family vacation has been cancelled.
• After going through some old stuff in the attic, you learn that your great grandfather was a war hero.
• It’s ‘Bring a Parent to School Day’. But your main character’s parents are so busy that they can’t make it, so they bring their much older brother to school instead.
• Your main character learns that their grandpa is a great explorer. For one last time, your main character and their grandpa go on one final adventure.
• There are many benefits to being a middle child. You don’t have the responsibility of being the eldest and you aren’t treated like a baby like the youngest. But still, you always feel misunderstood by your family and are always on the outside. 

From stories with morals (like Aesop’s fable) to light-hearted comedies, animals are great in books. give any animal you like a human voice and your readers are automatically hooked. Here are 20 short story ideas about animals to help you write your next furry story:

• A bear locked up in a cage is rescued by a wolf. Together they become the ultimate hunters.
• Goldie, the goldfish has been forced to share her fish tank with a tropical fish that think she’s the best-looking fish in the world.
• Smitty, the stray cat tries to get a job hunting mice in a posh restaurant. 
• A mouse is caught stealing cheese from the food cupboard by a cat that is scared of everything, including mice. 
• All pigeons learn to fly, but not Musky. He loves to walk the streets with the humans, so never cared about flying.
• A rare octopus with nice tentacles is made fun of. Until he realizes his unique talent.
• Robbie the robin thinks that he is the best singer in the world. But all the other birds think he sounds like a broken flute.
• Write a short story about a dog travelling across America to find his mother. 
• A huge eagle kidnaps a young rabbit and wants to keep him as a pet. But the rabbit is desperate to getaway.
• After 30 days straight walking in the desert all alone, a young camel still has no clue how to get back home.
• Pippa, Rodney and Brax are siblings. Together they must build a dam to stop the water from flooding the nearby village. But every time they start building, those annoying otters keep stealing their materials. 
• A group of forest animals must work together against their differences to protect the forest from being destroyed.
• Write a short story about a magpie with a stealing problem. No matter what this magpie does he/she just can’t help stealing shiny things.
• A house cat notices her owner walk into the kitchen holding a large box. The owner opens the box and out comes a small puppy. At first, the cat hates this new puppy, but soon she becomes protective of it.
• Jerome the chameleon hates people staring at him, so he always camouflages. One day he sees a human and wants her to adopt him. But she never sees him. From that moment, Jerome doesn’t want to hide away anymore.
• A group of young puppies are separated at birth. One of them becomes a circus performer. The other, a well-pampered house pet and the final one a stray dog.
• Penelope is a well-pampered poodle. One day her rich master passes away. She is forced to live in a shelter for dogs, along with other stray dogs.
• The Gorilla body-building competition is coming and this time you want to win. But you’re the weakest Gorilla of the pack.
• Write a short story about the life of being a husky dog working in Alaska to help pull equipment and people around in the snowy landscape. 
• An alpha wolf is kicked out of his pack for playing around with humans. Will he ever become alpha again?

The future can be an existing and scary place. You never know what will happen in 100 years from now. As writers, you can use your imagination to take your readers to a new Earth of the future. Will the planet be a dusty no-mans land or an earthy haven for all life-form in the universe. Here are 10 futuristic ideas to get you thinking about the future:

• It’s the year 2,075 and scientists have discovered a way to make humans immortal. But only the rich and important people are offered this treatment.
• Humans expected the world to have robots and flying cars by now. But instead of going forward, evolution starts reversing. Soon people will end up back in the caveman times barely being able to speak. 
• In the year 2,250 Earth has become a giant zoo where humans are locked up like animals. Allens from other planets come to see humans locked up behind bars and even pay to see them. 
• The poor were treated so badly that in the future they all become mutated monsters. And the rich hide away in their big mansions behind lasered security gates and force-field walls. One the power goes down and the poor enter the rich people’s land.
• Global warming causes the Earth’s atmosphere to change unexpectedly. Now all plants and trees are alive. They can walk and talk and what’s even worse is that they are preparing for a war against humans.
• Earth’s weather system has dramatically changed in the future. Now the weather forecast talks about balls of fire falling from the sky and tornadoes made of water flooding random towns.
• Earth was created as a prison for all badly behaved humans. And now that the prison sentence is over, everyone can finally go home to their real planet.
• After years of horrific weather conditions and natural disasters, humans have learned to adapt to the various environmental changes.
• In the future, there has been a serious drop in the human population. After viruses, war and human nature have killed the majority of Earth’s population. Now humans are considered an endangered species .
• With Earth nearly fully wiped out, a group of survivors discover the location of Area 51 (a secret government facility).

It is only by remembering the past, can humans fully grow and develop. Bad or good, the past of impacted so many lives and needs to be remembered. Go back in time to a year of your choice and imagine how it would be like to live there. To help you out, here are 10 historic short story ideas about the past:

• It’s the 1930s and you are making your first debut as a circus clown. However on the first night of the circus opening things end very badly.
• In the year 1512, the island of Seram was discovered in Indonesia by an explorer named, “António de Abreu” and his team. Write a story from the perspective of one of his team members. 
• The plague, known as the Black Death arrived in England in the year 1346. It killed over a quarter of the population. Imagine if you and your family were alive then, how would you cope?
• Write a short story about how the first wheeled vehicle was created and what it was used for.
• How was the first-ever newspaper or media company started? Your main character in this story is the first-ever reporter.
• 246. Tell the story from the perspective of a young African slave travelling on a ship from Spain to Haiti in the year 1502.
• Thomas Saint designed the first-ever sewing machine. Write a story from the perspective of Thomas and how he came up with the idea.
• It’s the year 1914 and your father has just set up a telephone in your home. Write a short story of how the telephone changed the lives of your family and friends. 
• Your main character is a spy in the year 1570. They have been hired to protect the queen from a secret league of assassins. 
• Your main character is one of the first female pirates in the year 1702. To be the captain of a ship she dressed up as a man. Write a short story about her adventures out at sea.

A good story idea is difficult to find. We hope that this list of 250 short story ideas inspires you to write the best short story ever written. You can pick one or combine multiple prompts together to create the ultimate idea for your next short story. Once you got your story all mapped out and planned, you can use our story creator to publish and share your story with our online community of writers.

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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Preschool Activities For 3-Year-Olds: Writing Practice, DIYs, Sensory Play, Art Projects, Counting Tasks, And More

April 15, 2024 //  by  Eileen Zajac

Whether you’re planning for a full term or just a week of curriculum, we know the challenge of preparing activities for your 3-year-old preschoolers! We also realize that finding learning experiences that meet the different abilities of your kiddos takes a lot of time and energy. Implementing three to four 15-minute activities is the perfect way to hold your little learners’ attention. Use this list to find a few activities that can be easily integrated into your lessons, or used throughout the day during mini-breaks and transition periods. Let’s dive in!

1. Rainy Names

Did you know that learning and understanding names can boost confidence and build community in the classroom? This activity has your students paste raindrops with the letters of their names in the correct order. It’s perfect for a rainy day and for enhancing your students’ name recognition, pre-writing skills, and much more! 

Learn More: Instagram

2. Baby Tub Time

Your little ones will adore using dolls to improve social skills in this engaging educational activity! Hands-on activities like this one where they’ll wash and care for their doll will help your children gain a better understanding of how to treat others appropriately. 

Learn More: The Imagination Tree

3. Letter Fishing

Engaging and challenging activities for your preschool children that also enhance their letter recognition skills? Where do we sign up? Use a basket or fill a tub with water and let your little fishermen start casting for letters! This fun learning experience will engage even your most lively kiddos.

4. Counting Caterpillars

Your kiddos will love practicing their motor skills and number recognition by building little caterpillars! Draw some circles to create a caterpillar and then write a digit from 1 to 10 in each circle. Your preschoolers will match these to numbered dots on other circles that you have made from construction paper. 

5. Building With Magnetic Tiles 

Get your hard hat ready and start building with magnetic tiles! This activity helps develop your children’s motor skills and creativity, and is simply a lot of fun! Use MAGNA-TILES (or blocks) and have them either copy your creations or create their own designs! 

6. Kids Busy Boxes

‘Busy boxes’ will be a definite game changer for your preschool classroom! For this quick activity, fill individual compartments of plastic containers with items such as markers, dried cereal, or anything else that will keep busy little hands and minds occupied! You don’t need to get fancy – even a shoe box will work! 

7. Mini Pies

Preschoolers love being outside! Outdoor play gives your students the space to observe nature while they test out their skills! Imaginations will soar as they make mini pies by filling muffin tins with natural objects like black walnuts, dirt, and a sprinkle of grass to top it off! Just hope they don’t expect you to try their creations!

8. Color Sorting

By preschool, kids are usually pretty skilled at recognizing different colors, but that doesn’t mean this toddler activity shouldn’t be practiced. Have your children sort colored objects into matching colored dishes to learn critical thinking and organizational skills. This is a great activity to supplement lessons focused on categorization. 

9. Obstacle Courses

There’s no doubt that building motor skills is extremely important for childhood development.  This fun obstacle course activity will be a hit with your youngsters! It will also help them develop muscle strength, balance, problem-solving skills, sensory processing, and coordination – all essential components of motor skills! 

10. Name or Letter Recognition

You’ll love this activity that requires little prep and has multiple uses! Whether your kiddies are working on building names or identifying letters, these colorful sticker dots will spark their interest and enhance their recognition skills. Get them to match the letters with those on paper or use the stickers to practice building sight words.

11. Boo Boo Counting

Boo Boo Counting is great for developing math skills and for practicing empathy. Your young mathematicians will relate to matching numbered band-aids to the owie spots on a cardboard cutout of a child. Consider laminating the cardboard and using velcro to make this activity last longer – it’s a keeper!

Learn More: Toddler Rat Play

12. Logical Sorting

Add this one to your week of activities focused on logical sorting. Your little ones who are ready for a challenge will love using a grid to sort colorful little houses into categories to match both the house color and the roof color!  This activity will go a long way in helping them understand the relationship between different patterns. 

Learn More: Teachers Mag

13. Arrow Matching

This is an adorable hands-on learning activity that will develop motor skills and increase your children’s curiosity about nature. They’ll love matching arrows to create paths for a caterpillar on its journey to become a butterfly and for a spider to get to its web! 

14. Elephant Ring Toss

Any animal activity is sure to spark even your most difficult students’ interest. Use a recycled box to create a cardboard cut-out of an elephant’s face with a 3D trunk. Next, construct three cardboard rings. Have your children help paint the elephant before they start the ring toss game! 

Learn More: Pinterest

15. Swing Painting

This was one of those activities that couldn’t be left out of this list!! It combines two activities that are particularly calming for children – swinging and painting. Have them hang from a swing, paintbrush in hand, and let their creativity shine! This art project is a super way to vary things up if you’ve got kids who struggle to stay focused all day! 

Learn More: Homegrown Friends  

16. Splitting Hairs

Scissor skills are pretty vital as your preschoolers move on to kindergarten and elementary school! They’ll love using scissors to cut the hair of little paper people in this fun activity that builds their motor skills. They can build up to more wavy or zig-zag lines as their skills develop.

Learn More: Facebook

17. Dot Puzzles

This one will be a good challenge for your little ones! Create a paper puzzle and puzzle pieces with a colored dot pattern and let your preschoolers work independently or with a partner to place the pieces over the matching part of the puzzle. This can be tricky so encourage them to ask for help if they need it!

18. Bubble Wrap Popping

Number recognition and bubble wrap? Now this sounds like a good time! Write numbers on the bubble wrap; the bigger the bubbles, the better! Next, read out a number and your children will pop the bubbles with a toothpick or even just their finger! Remember to mix up the numbers and spread them out when creating this exciting resource to boost their recognition skills.

19. All About Me Process Art

@art.is.smart All About Me process art with 3 year olds! #preschoolteacher #artissmart #teachersoftiktok ♬ Colors of the Wind – Instrumental – Vesislava

Sometimes slowing things down is the way to go! Have your kids participate in an artistic mini-portrait experience that focuses on the process of art more than the finished product. This project is great for getting them to understand the steps in making art, while also discovering different techniques, materials, and tools. 

Learn More: Tiktok

20. Playdough Shapes

@planningplaytime 70+ pages of Preschool Fun #preschoolmom #preschoolteachers #toddlermoms #preschoolathome #preschoolactivities #learningthroughplay #playtolearn ♬ Cute – Bensound

Everybody loves playdough, but using it for educational activities is a surefire way to get your class excited about learning! There are benefits to playdough free-play, but this tactile activity will also reinforce your kids’ knowledge of shapes. Simply print this template and watch your students mold their dough to match the shapes. 

Learn More: TikTok

21. Artsy Preschoolers

@carreyme Preschool teacher thangs. 3 year olds are amazing! Artist study 👩‍🎨 #pietmondrieaanstyle #preschool #preschoolteacher #preschoolactivities #earlychildhoodeducation ♬ Kyoto Flow – Official Sound Studio

Do you have an old art history book lying around? If not, track one down to inspire an early love of art in your preschoolers. Show them one of the masterpieces, open the fingerpaint jars, and let them get to work on creating their own interpretation of the painting! 

22. Spaghetti Play

Who doesn’t love a little spaghetti play? Add some different colored slimy ‘spaghetti’ noodles to your activity table and watch your students as they use their tiny hands to play with different tools to cut their noodles! They’ll have the time of their life with this super sensory activity!

23. Dancing Corn

@byemilylawson This is the number one preschool science idea on my blog for 5 years now #stemforkids #preschoolstem #prekstem #prekactivitiesathome #toddleractivitiesathome #activitiesfortoddlers #keepingkidsbusy #scienceismagic #scienceforpreschool #fallactivitiesforkids ♬ original sound – Emily | relatable mom life

It’s never too early to start experimenting with different science projects. This dancing corn demonstration is sure to be a hit with your preschool students! Place corn in a clear cup and then add baking soda and some vinegar to have your kiddos jumping with joy when the corn starts to dance! 

24. Painting Ice

@littlebirchpreschool #ice #preschool #earlyyears #tufftray #tufftrayactivities #heatwave #playingandlearning ♬ Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice

This activity is great for a hot summer day; the combination of ice cubes and paint is the perfect mix to cool little hands! Add plenty of ice and paint to your activity table, and have your students use paintbrushes to explore the melting ice and the changes in the water’s color! What a cool activity!

25. Race and Paint

@daynursery Racing the cars while making marks! #makingmarks #preschoolactivities #activityideas #fyp #viral #trending #earlyyears ♬ Roary The Racing Car Main Theme (From ""Roary The Racing Car"") – Geek Music

On your marks, get set, paint! Your kids will have a blast dipping plastic cars into paint and letting them race to the finish, creating beautiful streaks of color in the process! Whether you have them race each other or just drive the cars around,  this activity will surely result in smiling faces and some eye-catching artwork!  

26. Alphabet Practice

@bigcityreaders #abcs #alphabetactivities #readingteacher #teachersoftiktok #teachertok #momtoks #preschoolactivities #preschoolathome #preschoollunch #preschoolmom #StJudeDadPhotos #fypシ゚viral #learningtoread #3yearoldbrain #alphabethack #letters #letterssong ♬ Face Dance – Funny Tok

Make learning the alphabet more fun with missing letters! Write part of the alphabet on a strip of paper, but cover a few of the letters with sticky notes. Then start singing the alphabet song and either have your children write the missing letter or let them reveal it by uncovering the hidden letter! 

27. Patterning

@play.inspire.grow Hands on patterning #earlymaths #simplemaths #preschoolmath #preschoolactivities #prek #teachermom #homeschool #earlyyearsideas #kindergarten #learningisfun #canadianmom #montessoriathome #learningthroughplay ♬ FEEL THE GROOVE – Queens Road, Fabian Graetz

Get creative by starting a pattern for your kids to practice ‘what comes next’! This activity uses a range of objects like stickers, dot markers, and manipulatives to teach them more about this important skill. Your little ones will love the variety in this task as they work to identify patterns and create their own!

28. Dressing Dolls

@mrs_burland Dress the dolls activity, encouraging children to strengthen their hand muscles and develop their fine motor skills. Also, encouraging independence. #earlyyearsactivities #finemotoractivity #earlyyearspractitioner #preschoolactivities #eyfsactivities #handandeyecoordination #finemotorskills ♬ Low Down – venbee & Dan Fable

Playing with dolls is always a great opportunity to help your students better understand themselves and others. You can gather a variety of small dolls and let your kids get creative by dressing them up! The small size will be more challenging for their little hands, making this the perfect practice for developing fine motor skills.  

29. Listen & Do

How good are your kiddos at listening and copying? Have them point to the body part they hear you say to increase movement and develop active listening and cognitive skills. Playing this game daily or a few times a week will reinforce important vocabulary and is a perfect break to get your active kiddos moving! 

Learn More: YouTube

30. Shake Your Sillies Out

Preschoolers have A LOT of emotions and brain breaks are vital to creating a positive learning experience. Your little ones need the time and space to express their feelings and  ‘Shake Your Sillies Out’ is the perfect song to make that happen! Play this video and let them go for it!

31. A Hole In the Bottom of the Sea

Are you planning a lesson about the food chain? This song is absolutely adorable, and the animation of the video provides a great visual for your little learners! They’ll love the repetitive lyrics that will help them better understand and remember the concept of a food chain.

32. Sight Word Surprise

Providing consistent exposure to letters and sight words is essential throughout the preschool years. This online learning game offers your kiddos this practice, and gives you the flexibility to use it for either in-person or distance learning!

33. Beginning Sounds

Your learners’ oral language development starts with an understanding of different sounds. This online phonics video is a great way to introduce initial letter sounds to them! Make this even more fun by projecting the video onto your whiteboard and having your children use magnetic letters to identify the beginning sounds of words. 

34. Guess the Fruit

By preschool, your students are probably familiar with many different types of fruit. This video can be used to assess what they already know while also giving them a chance to learn about some new delicious examples! Even your shyest kids will love showing off their knowledge on this topic!

Learn More: Youtube

35. Where Will It Land?

Making predictions in the early years is a great way to prepare your little ones for studying STEM subjects in elementary school and beyond!! This exciting activity introduces them to the concept of friction and to skills like problem-solving. Fast-track their interest in STEM by incorporating this into your preschool curriculum today!

36. Finger Painting

Foster creativity and sensory development with this messy art project! Give your students non-toxic paint and large sheets of paper, and let them use their fingers to create anything their heart desires! You can always rely on finger painting for a wonderful and relaxing tactile activity that enhances fine motor skills.

Learn More: Raising Children Network

37. Animal Yoga

No, it’s not yoga for animals! Your children will adore transforming their bodies into the shapes of different animals in this fun movement activity. It’s a playful way to promote physical activity, and flexibility, and introduce mindfulness and relaxation techniques to your young learners.

Learn More: Mother Natured

38. Puzzle Time

Puzzles never get old and are a perfect down-time activity! They’re a fantastic way to help your preschoolers develop problem-solving skills, hand-eye coordination, and persistence! Offer a selection of simple puzzles with large pieces and let them explore this challenge individually or in small groups.

Learn More: Amazon

39. Nature Walks

Take learning outside by going on a nature walk with your kiddos! Encourage them to observe their surroundings and collect leaves, stones, or sticks to use for art projects in class. Not only are these walks fun, but they also promote physical activity, observation skills, and an appreciation for the environment.

Learn More: The Artful Parent

40. Story Cubes

These story cubes are made with pictures and are perfect for your younger learners! Have them take turns rolling the dice to create a story based on the image shown. It’s sure to spark imagination, enhance language skills, and if done in a small group or whole class setting, increase collaboration skills!  

41. Playdough Creations

Playdough is an excellent choice for fine motor development and creative expression. This fantastic resource includes 16 activities with playdough to engage your preschooler in some hands-on fun! Your kids will love squishing, rolling, and molding playdough into figures, animals, and abstract shapes! 

Learn More: My Bored Toddler

42. Water Play

This activity is guaranteed to make a splash with your little ones! Set up a water table or fill a basin with water and add cups, sponges, and toys. It’s sure to be an enjoyable and soothing activity to introduce them to concepts like volume, buoyancy, and cause and effect.

Learn More: Kildare County Childcare Committee

43. Sensory Bins

This activity is a great addition to your preschool toolbox! Grab a few bins and fill them with items like rice, beans, or water beads, add scoops, small toys, or natural elements like twigs and leaves, and you’re good to go! Have your kiddies feel the items to explore textures and calm their active minds. 

Learn More: Sheeking Out

44. Rhyming Games

Engaging your preschoolers in rhyming games is a fantastic way to boost their phonemic awareness! Choose songs or storybooks to recite and identify rhymes, or have them create their own for an added challenge! Not only are the rhymes delightful, but they also serve as an important step toward developing reading and writing skills. 

Learn More: 20 Great Rhyming Activities for Preschool

45. Collage Making

Collages are an excellent way for your preschoolers to express their ideas in a visual way! With safety scissors, glue, magazines, and construction paper, your little artists will explore textures, colors, and composition. Have them share their stories about their creations to gain insight into their thinking and to give their oral language skills a boost! 

46. Obstacle Course

Obstacle courses can be tailored to any skill level, ensuring an inclusive experience for all! Design a course using cushions, ropes, and hoops to encourage movement and problem-solving. Your kiddies will navigate by crawling, jumping, and balancing to improve their gross motor skills. Watch as they overcome obstacles – both literally and figuratively! 

47. Dress-Up Play

A box full of costumes, hats, and accessories is a treasure trove for imaginative play! When your little ones dress up and start role-playing, they’ll delve into the world of make-believe, fostering creativity, empathy, and social skills! This activity will lead to spontaneous storytelling performances that will certainly showcase and celebrate your kids’ unique ideas.

Learn More: Healthline

48. Letter Hunt

Transform letter recognition into an adventure by hiding foam or magnetic letters around the classroom! Your children will love practicing their gross motor skills by reaching and stretching on their hunt for the hidden letters. This is a dynamic way to reinforce alphabet knowledge in a context that feels more like play than instruction!

Learn More: Hands On As We Grow

49. Parachute Games

Bringing out the parachute always sends the excitement sky-high! Your kids will love working together to lift and lower the parachute to make waves, bounce balls, or billowing mushroom shapes.  Games like this are not only fun, but also enhance teamwork, coordination, and gross motor skills. This activity is bound to captivate their attention!  

50. Bubble Popping

There’s something irresistible about bubbles! Blowing and chasing bubbles engages your children in a playful pursuit that enhances their hand-eye coordination while getting them to burn off some energy! They’ll soon tire themselves out trying to pop the bubbles before they float away!

Learn More: Red Ted Art

51. Matching Games

Matching games that use cards or objects are excellent cognitive exercises for your littlest learners. As they match pairs based on color, shape, or theme, they’ll be enhancing their visual perception, memory, and concentration. This simple social game encourages cooperation while also laying the groundwork for them to develop some more complex problem-solving skills.

Learn More: PBS Learning Media

52. Salt Tray Writing

It’s not just a tray of salt, it’s a tactile and sensory-rich experience for your preschoolers! You can guide them to use their fingers or sticks to practice writing letters, numbers, or shapes in the salt. This is a super way to encourage experimentation and reduce the pressure of perfectionism by having them just shake the tray to “erase” any mistakes! 

Learn More: Happy Hooligans

53. Balancing Beam

A balance beam is a great tool for developing coordination. Have your little tight-ropers walk across a real beam or a line of tape on the floor to practice controlling their body movements and strengthening their muscles. You could also integrate it with other learning, such as counting or reciting the alphabet while taking steps.

54. Homemade Musical Instruments

Creating musical instruments out of household items is a dual-learning activity! Your students will use their fine motor skills and creativity to craft their instruments, and use them to explore sounds, beats, and rhythms!  Have your mini musicians fill bottles with rice, or string rubber bands across a cereal box and start jammin’! 

Learn More: Playgroup NSW

55. Shadow Play

Shadow play is a totally captivating activity that blends art, science, and storytelling! Using a flashlight and a blank wall, let your children explore the properties of light and shadows by creating shapes and figures with their hands or with cutouts on sticks. This magical form of play invites them to use their imagination like never before!

Learn More: Koko Tree

56. Bean Bag Toss

This simple game is a great way to get your kids playing all together! Set up the targets and give them some bean bags for throwing; it’s a simple way to develop their hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills. Focus the play on cooperation or switch things up by adding some healthy competition! 

57. Gardening

Grow your little ones’ wonder with this hands-on activity! Have them plant seeds in cups filled with dirt or in a garden plot and watch their enthusiasm grow as they tend to the new sprouts! Along with learning about the life cycle of plants, this activity is a simple way to let them experience a little bit of responsibility.

Learn More: Baby Sparks

58. Cooking Simple Recipes

Get cooking with hands-on learning in the kitchen! Introduce your children to essential skills like following instructions and measurement using simple recipes to make sandwiches or fruit salads. These easy kid-friendly recipes are perfect to get them excited about cooking and they’ll love tasting their creations!

Learn More: Good To

59. Alphabet Fishing

This is the perfect activity to get your kiddos excited about the alphabet! Write letters on small squares with a paperclip attached, then have your learners use a fishing rod with a magnetic cast to reel in a letter! Fishing for the alphabet is a fun way to reinforce their learning around letter recognition and helps develop focus!

Learn More: First Palette

60. Mask-Making

This fun activity might result in an imaginative play or an outrageous costume party! Let your children make masks using a variety of materials like paper plates, feathers, sequins, and glue. Their creativity will come to life as they explore the world of make-believe and develop fine motor skills.

Learn More: Artful Parent

61. Puppet Shows

Puppet play is a great way for your preschoolers to explore drama and storytelling! They can use soft toys or even make their own puppets from old socks or paper bags. They’ll delight in the magical play and storytelling of puppetry that encourages creativity, language development, and even sharing their feelings!

62. Lacing Cards

These adorable cards will help your littles learn how to lace! This tricky skill makes for a quiet and calming activity that is also excellent for developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and concentration. Get going by printing these cards, cutting the holes, and gathering some old shoelaces! 

63. Recycled Material Building

No need for fancy materials with this creative activity! Collect recycled materials like boxes, tubes, and cartons, and have your little ones start building their structures. They won’t even notice that they are learning about physics and developing their creativity and problem-solving skills in the process!

64. Sorting Games

Sorting activities will help your kids to develop their foundational math skills like categorization.  Gather common items like coins, playing cards, and different types of beans and pasta, then challenge your learners to sort them by their shape, size, quantity, or category.

Learn More: Keep Toddlers Busy

65. Ice Cube Melting

This sensory experience is perfect for a hot day! Give each of your students an ice cube to hold and have them watch it melt; it’s a great way to teach them about temperature, states of matter, weather, and seasons. You’ll be surprised at how this simple activity can lead to such engaging student discussions!

Learn More: Stir The Wonder

66. Sticker Stories

This activity incorporates a little learning into your kiddos’ love of stickers! Give them some sheets of stickers and paper and let them go crazy!  Foster their creativity and narrative skills by encouraging them to create scenes or stories with the stickers. They will also practice fine motor control as they master peeling and placing the stickers.

67. Hopscotch

Sometimes classic games are just what you need and hopscotch is certainly one that never gets old! Draw a hopscotch grid with chalk outside or use tape indoors for a rainy day brain break. It’s a timeless game perfect for your little ones that promotes number recognition, balance, and coordination!

Learn More: WikiHow

68. Bubble Wrap Stomp

Your kiddos will love this activity if they can contain their excitement! Lay out a large piece of paper on the floor and set up some trays of paints. Next, wrap your little learners’ feet in bubble wrap and let them stomp out a colorful masterpiece! 

Learn More: Mess For Less

69. Shadow Tag

This fun twist on the classic game of tag is the perfect way to engage your children in an outdoor movement activity! Instead of tagging each other with touch, they’ll have to step on each other’s shadows! What a fun introduction to the concept of light and shadow! 

Learn More: Joyful Parenting

70. Kinetic Sand Play

Your learners will love this amazing sensory experience! Kinetic sand is less messy than traditional sand, but is still moldable; so they’ll still be able to make creative shapes and structures! This is a great way to encourage creativity while also keeping your classroom a little cleaner!  

Learn More: Access and Inclusion Model

71. Story Stones

There are no fancy materials required for this activity; just some stones! Have your children paint pictures on stones or do this yourself, and then encourage them to use the stones to tell stories. This fun activity encourages their creativity and is a great way to explore sequencing events. 

Learn More: Early Impact Learning

72. Color Mixing

Experimenting with paints is a sure way to hold your preschoolers’ attention! Provide primary colored paints and let them mix their own colors on paper or in containers, and use this printable sheet to record their results! It’s a hands-on way to learn about colors that can also feel like a magical experiment.

Learn More: Little Bins For Little Hands

73. Marble Run

There’s a reason marble runs have been around for generations! They help develop problem-solving skills, creativity, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness. Have your littles build a marble run using tubes, boxes, or a pre-made set. They’ll love predicting the path of the marble as they learn a basic understanding of physics principles like gravity and momentum.

Learn More: HABA USA

74. Stomp and Catch

Test out your kiddos’ stomping ability with this fun game! Create a launching board out of a wooden plank and a strong cardboard tube, then load it up with a beanbag on the end. Next, let your preschoolers stomp down, and then try to catch the beanbag as it’s thrown up into the air before it hits the ground! Is their hand-eye coordination up to the task?

75. Memory Tray

This fun activity will test your students’ memorization skills! Place several objects on a tray, let your children observe them for one minute, and then cover them with a cloth or piece of paper. How many objects can they remember?  

Learn More: Play To Learn Preschool

76. Nature Collage

Complete this collage activity after you’ve taken your class for a walk outside! Have them collect leaves, sticks, and flowers that they’ll use to create a beautiful collage. This is an artistic activity that ends up being a wonderful tribute to our wonderful planet!

Learn More: Mama Teaches

77. Alphabet Bingo

Shake up the classic game of Bingo by playing it with letters instead of numbers! Your children will love practicing letter recognition by identifying the letters they hear them called out and the excitement of calling out Bingo when their card is full! It’s a fun group activity that encourages active listening. 

Learn More: New Horizon Academy

78. Dance Party

There’s nothing like watching your little ones get their wiggles out by dancing to a good tune! Play some upbeat music and let them dance freely; we’ve even found the perfect playlist to get you started!  Dance parties are a simple way to encourage physical activity and rhythm, and to foster a little bonding during a joyful group activity! 

Learn More: Miss Nina

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Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Last updated on Aug 02, 2023

How to Write a Children’s Book Families Will Love (+Template)

About the author.

Reedsy's editorial team is a diverse group of industry experts devoted to helping authors write and publish beautiful books.

Many authors' dream is to write a children's book, and to inspire young minds with heartfelt stories and playful imagination. Many assume that writing for kids is easier, but writing great children's literature is no easy feat, especially if you're brand-new to the game.

In this post, we cover everything you need to know about writing a children's book, borrowing insights from experienced children's book editors like Anna Bowles, Jennifer Rees, Cara Stevens, and others. 

How to write a children’s book in 8 steps: 

1. Start with a simple, fun idea

2. cast a relatable main character, 3. structure your plot like a fairy tale, 4. consider repetition and rhyme, 5. make the story easy to follow, 6. write with illustrations in mind, 7. work with a children’s editor, 8. get an illustrator to add some visual magic.

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Children’s Book Development Workbook

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The best picture books are simple stories that engage children, and show them a fun or valuable perspective. Think about Dr. Seuss’s classic Green Eggs and Ham : the whole story premise is that the main character, Sam-I-Am, tries to convince his friend, a picky eater, to try green eggs and ham. It engages children with something relatable 一 being reluctant to try new foods 一 and it shows that perhaps it’s not so bad to give it a try.

If there’s one thing that most classic picture books have in common, it’s that they look at the world from a child’s perspective. 

Address children’s hopes and doubts

It can help to write your story with a specific child in mind — one you know personally. If you are a parent, a teacher, or have dealt with kids personally, think of them as you write your story. Connect with the way they experience life and the things they value. Remember the sorts of things that make them laugh. 

Most importantly, consider what’s compelling to them. Maybe your story can address some of their fears and doubts, or evoke their most cherished moments. Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes is about a little mouse who’s concerned about all kinds of things — especially starting school. The story reflects an anxiety many children experience and provides a hopeful message that things will be okay. 

Dianne Ochiltree’s picture book It's a Firefly Night tells the story of a girl who catches fireflies in a jar on a warm summer night, but ultimately makes the decision to release them. This is an experience many kids will relate to 一 and will make them feel good as our young hero learns to care for and respect the little creatures around her. 

But before you run with your story idea, it’s important to validate its market potential.

Know which themes are selling right now

Try to assess what's working in the marketplace already, and if your book idea fits in. What are the most popular picture book themes?  

As long-time children’s book editor Brooke Vitale points out, the most popular picture book concepts haven’t massively changed over the years. “Across the board, the top-selling themes for picture books have been bedtime, farm, and ABC.” This is because they’re subjects kids can relate to: bedtime rituals, farm animals and their sounds, and learning to read.

“Also high on the list have been holidays, in particular Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, and the reason for this is because they're marketable.” By marketable, Vitale means that these sorts of picture books are ones that people could easily buy as gifts for children. 

Some smaller holidays are on the rise too, like Mother's and Father’s Day, as well as graduation celebrations. But you don’t have to tie your story too closely to the specific holiday you’re targeting 一 a Mother’s Day book can be about a mother-and-daughter relationship, or a graduation title can be an aspirational tale set around education, making the story evergreen and relevant year-round. 

There are always new themes bursting onto the scene, like empowerment or mindfulness, which you can tap into to bring fresh stories to market. For example, in The Princess and the Pizza , Mary Jane Auch subverts the classic princess story: instead of accepting her fate and marrying into another royal family, Princess Paulina becomes a self-sufficient founder of a pizza empire. And of course, this idea ingeniously combines three things that many children love: princesses, carbs, and cheese.

Once you’ve landed on a great story idea, don’t forget that you’ll need a memorable lead character.

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The most iconic children's book characters have distinct and relatable personalities. Think of Leo Lionni’s Frederick, a field mouse whose fondness for poetry and art is seen as distracting from his family’s efforts to gather supplies for winter. Or take Jim Panzee from Suzanne Lang’s Grumpy Monkey , another outsider who struggles with his “bad temper” while everyone around him is having fun 一 something many kids will relate to. 

Whether your main character is a child, robot, animal, or sentient gas cloud, what matters is that they feel real — with specific abilities and challenges.

Define their strengths and flaws

Young readers don’t want to read about perfect heroes, but rather characters they recognize. Memorable characters should come with their own fully realized strengths, weaknesses, conflicts, and motivations that make them compelling to their young readers. 

To help you create great new characters, we have some additional resources for you:

• A list of character development exercises to test your knowledge of your characters .
• A free 10-day course on great character development , taught by a successful professional editor.

Reedsy’s Character Profile Template

A story is only as strong as its characters. Fill this out to develop yours.

Besides being relatable in their behavior, your main character should have their own sets of dreams and desires — and the willpower to realize them.  

Give them agency to reach their goals

If there’s a younger character in your book, it’s usually their story you should be telling. It should be about their dreams, and they should be the ones making decisions that drive the narrative forward. 

As Reedsy Children's editor Anna Bowles suggests, don’t forget who the heroes are. “A lot of beginners write about children as we adults often see them: as cute and slightly comical little beings. But what children actually want is stories where they are the heroes, driving the action, facing challenges, and making choices.”

Patrick Picklebottom and the Penny Book is the story of a young boy who goes to buy his favorite book. On the way home, his friends invite him to fly a drone, play video games, or scroll through social media — but he declines and gets home to read instead. In real life, a child might have a parent giving them advice, but in the book, it’s Patrick himself calling the shots. He buys the book, he says no to the various temptations, and he gets himself home to read it.  

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Once you’ve got a great story and some interesting characters, it’s time to consider your story structure. 

Even within the word limits of children’s books, you need to create a satisfying story arc that captivates young readers from the very start, takes them on an exciting journey, and culminates in a gratifying and memorable conclusion ( like a fairy tale! ). One way to achieve this arc is to think of your story as a simple question and answer.

Ground your premise in a simple question

Picture book editor Cara Stevens , who in her long career has written and edited for Nickelodeon, Disney, and Sesame Street, believes that every story should begin with a dilemma and end with a resolution. “There's usually a question: Will Mr. Frumble get his hat? Why doesn't Priscilla like chocolate? Why doesn't Elmo want to go to the dentist? These questions are a vital point in diagnosing your story or giving it direction when you're not sure where it's going.”

📼 Watch the Reedsy Live in which Cara Stevens reveals the 20 questions that can help picture book authors turn their ideas into finished manuscripts.

Once you’ve identified the story-driving question, you then want the character to face some challenges and doubts. 

Add conflict to the mix

Novels are often about characters dealing with a challenge, and how they change as a result of it. Children’s books are no different. Even in the simplest of narratives, the character should grow and learn something by overcoming internal and external conflicts .  

In Richard Scarry’s Be Careful, Mr. Frumble! , the title character goes on a walk on a windy day and his hat is whisked away by the wind. Will he get it back? After chasing it through trains, trees, and the sea, he does. Despite the initial worry, he finds that he’s grateful for the fun that losing his hat brought with it. 

Or think again of Patrick Picklebottom, who just wants to read his book: his conflict is created by his friends’ requests to do other things. By the time he reaches home, he has learned to say no and prioritize what he values most.   

Whatever journey you set your characters on, it’ll have to fit within the standard picture book’s length.

Keep it under 30 pages

It’s easy to fall in love with your story and characters and find yourself overwriting as a result. Children's books have rather standard lengths, depending on their type, and it’s important to try and stick to them to ensure your book is readable for your target audience. 

The average word count for a standard picture book falls between 400 and 800, with a length of 24 or 32 pages. The page count includes the copyright and dedication page , as well as your author bio to let readers know who you are , which means your story has to be told within 30 pages or less. With so little room, you’ll have to be mindful of the number of characters you introduce and the number of plot points they will encounter.    

At this point, you have a lot of story elements cooking and a structure to mix them in. But before you do that, you’ll want to think about the secret ingredient — style. 

Picture books often feature repetition, rhythm, and rhyme. Figurative language like this add a musicality to books, making them a pleasure to read or listen to. Children will want to have their favorite stories read to them repeatedly, so parents will greatly appreciate it if the words fall trippingly off their tongues when doing so. 

🤔 Should your picture book rhyme? Listen to editor and children's author Tracy Gold's opinion on Reedsy Live .

Let’s have a closer look at why repetition and rhyme are so common in kids’ books.

Repetition facilitates understanding

You can use different types of repetition in picture books, such as for words, entire sentences, or sounds. You can use it to structure your story, pace it, or reinforce a certain point or concept. When executed well, it can create a nice build-up that kids can pick up and easily follow.

The Wonky Donkey by Craig Smith uses repetition in a few different ways. It starts with the narrator walking down the road and spotting a donkey. The first sentence is repeated in every scene, along with the donkey sound (Hee Haw!) Then it adds a line describing the donkey 一 its appearance, mood, and music taste (a sort of donkey dad joke). But that’s not all: each scene adds a short, rhyming description of the donkey, which, as the book progresses, keeps building up into an amusing climax.  

Building the story incrementally through repetition and rhyme can be powerful. But remember, it’s not compulsory — and not all rhymes are created equal. 

Not all picture books rhyme

In recent years, many children’s book editors have advised against rhyming in your book. That’s because it’s quite difficult to rhyme well, and children's book agents are able to spot a bad or derivative rhyme from a mile away. That said, if you’re a master of the perfectly unexpected rhyme and you think your book demands them, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t go for it. 

Llama Llama Red Pajama is packed with rhymes from start to finish. It’s a simple story of a cria (that’s a baby llama!) waiting for their mother to comfort them at bedtime. The story’s simplicity and very short lines are perhaps some of the reasons it works so well.   

If you’re writing in verse and rhyme, always read it aloud. Ask yourself if it feels forced, excessive, or awkward in any way, and whether the rhyme contributes to building the story. If it doesn’t sound quite right, you can always see what it’s like without the rhyming.

According to writer and editor Jennifer Rees , you can sometimes achieve even better results without forcing it. “So often, I get some really sing-songy stuff that forces the reader into a rhythm that people think is fun — but in truth, it just drags on. 

“There are so many gorgeously written picture books that do not rhyme but they just sound beautiful. Someone has really paid attention to how the lines read and how each and every single word sounds when you read it out loud.” 

There are also a few more literary choices to consider as you write your story…

Your core audience is at a crucial stage of their mental development and is currently mastering basic literacy skills. This calls for a few considerations as you write and edit your children’s book .

Start the story quickly

Even at the best of times, kids have limited attention spans. It's essential that you jumpstart the action with some sort of hook in the first few pages. This ‘hook’ could come in the form of an intriguing character or an inciting incident that kicks off the entire story . 

The inciting incident of Dr. Seuss’s classic The Cat in the Hat , as you might recall, is an intriguing character. After setting up a scene with two bored siblings, Seuss introduces a mysterious cat who invites himself into their home. Is the cat good or bad? Should he stay or should he go? The reader understands that the cat brings chaos with him, and the story is set in motion. 

Once the story has started, it’s just as important to maintain a good pace. Each scene should ideally act as a little hook that builds the tempo or raises the stakes until the story's resolution.

Another important thing to consider is your choice of words. 

Use age-appropriate vocab

There are many great places to show off your bombastic grandiloquence, but a kid’s book is not one of them. Children won't be impressed by four-syllable words — they'll only be confused by them. That said, children's editor Jenny Bowman often tells her authors that, when used intentionally and sparingly, the occasional big word can be welcome. “Children are smarter than you think, and context can be a beautiful teacher.” 

To figure out the most fitting vocabulary for your story you can read other books for kids in your age group, or browse famous word sets for early readers, like the Fry and Dolch lists or the Children’s Writer Word Book , which feature the most commonly used words for children’s books depending on their age. 

It’s not just the vocabulary that needs a double-check. Also consider your characters, their behaviors, and the environments they inhabit 一 they should all be tailored to resonate with a child’s life experience. A talking eagle who’s a corporate lawyer working on a big M&A case might not be as relatable as a little mouse on her first day at school.  

To know if you’re on the right track, the best thing you can do is road-test your early drafts with their intended audience.

Ask a child what they think

Read your story out loud to children and parents in your social circle. Pay attention to how it sounds with an audience, and whether it invokes an emotional response. Kids are usually pretty honest, so their feedback will be some of the most valuable you’ll receive. 

Aim for a few rounds of reactions, and incorporate their suggestions as much as possible. Only once you have thumbs-ups from your young readers should you begin to think about your next step, which is to start combining your words with powerful visuals. 

In contrast to many other types of books, where words alone are sufficient to tell a story, in picture books text and illustrations complement each other to create a more immersive experience. Whether you’re planning to bring in an illustrator or pick up a pen and brush yourself, you should always be thinking of pictures when you’re drafting your manuscript

Think in terms of scenes

Think of your book like a (very) short movie. Every time you flip a page, you enter a new scene that holds the potential to surprise your young readers. To achieve this effect, consider placing your surprises strategically on the other side of page turns. 

To help you visualize the flow of your story and its pacing, try using a storyboard template to mock up your visuals and match your text to the right scenery.

Children's Book Storyboard Template

Bring your picture book to life with our 32-page planning template.

Let the visuals do the talking

When self-editing your manuscript, try to cut unnecessary sentences and let the visuals do the talking instead (by showing, instead of telling .) There’s no need to squander your precious word count describing the weather or a character’s clothes if the pictures can do the same. So instead of writing them into your manuscript, include those details in your art notes so that your illustrator will know precisely how to represent them. 

Once you’ve written and rewritten your children’s story, consider bringing on board a children’s book editor to polish it further. 

If you've gotten feedback, self-edited extensively, and still feel your children's book isn't quite there, consider hiring a professional children's editor . Their years of experience will both improve your storytelling and make sure that your book is ready for the market.

Fortunately, we have the best children's editors right here on Reedsy , many of whom have worked with major authors like Daisy Meadows (author of the Rainbow Magic series) and R.L. Stine!

Make your story sing

Work with a professional children’s book editor to take your book to the next level.

There are two types of picture book editors you may be looking for:

Developmental editors. These editors will look at your story’s backbone, from characters and settings, to the story plot and concept, and make sure it’s solid and ready for the market. They will also comment on whether you used rhyme and repetition wisely, if you need to change the time frame or point-of-view, and suggest other potential improvements.  

Copy editors. The copy editor will correct your typos, spelling, and grammar, assess your choice of words, and make comments to ensure your text is perfectly polished. 

Very often, you can find a single editor to handle both services — they’ll give your book a developmental edit, provide any notes for revising your draft, then copy-edit the manuscript once you’ve made the changes.

Read our post on children’s book costs to find out the average price for each service. If you’re self-publishing, there’s one important part of your budget you’ll want to put aside: that would be to hire a skilled illustrator to bring your words to life.  

If you want to publish your book traditionally, don’t bother looking for an illustrator. It will be handled by the company who will represent your work, as they prefer to be in charge of that. Just prepare your picture book query letter and start pitching agents . 

If instead you’re planning to publish your picture book yourself , you’ll have to locate your very own Quentin Black. We wrote an in-depth guide on how to hire a children’s book illustrator, but one of the most important points is to determine your ideal illustration style.

Dazzle children with design

Enchant kids and their caregivers with a professionally designed book.

Identify the visual style for your book

What style best captures the mood and world of your story? Perhaps your book is for very young readers, who will enjoy bright, bold, and graphic illustrations. Perhaps you’re aiming at a slightly older audience, who’ll appreciate whimsical characters and a more muted color palette.

Each illustrator brings a distinct touch to their human characters, from intricate linework to striking realism, edgy designs to gentle human-like figures. You’ll have plenty of options to choose from, depending on what you’ve envisioned for your book. 

To find your ideal professional, gather a range of references to make sure you have ample inspiration and “mentor texts” to refer back to. Browse through your favorite kids' books , or the portfolios of some professionals, and identify what you like — and, perhaps just as importantly, anything you definitely don’t like. This post on 30 children’s book illustrators will be a helpful jumping-off point in finding visual references and the vocabulary to describe what you’re looking for.

While some artists might welcome a challenge, and enjoy trying out a new style, the best way to guarantee results that you like is to find an artist whose style already matches your vision fairly closely — rather than asking them to fit a square peg into a round hole.

And there you have it! Once you've completed these steps, you'll have a completed children's book ready for publication. Make sure to check out our guide on how to publish your children’s book for more information on how to get your story in the hands (and hearts) of your young readers.

6 responses

10/02/2019 – 10:53

Where can I listen to my target audience if the kids around me don't speak English?

↪️ Reedsy replied:

11/02/2019 – 09:08

Thanks to the internet, that's not so much of a problem anymore. Social media and online communities can make it a lot easier to find your ideal audience. Check out this post we wrote about target markets from children's books: https://blog.reedsy.com/childrens-books-target-markets/

Jeff Dearman says:

08/05/2019 – 12:28

There's also newer illustrators looking to get their foot in the door who might be willing to help for relatively cheap compared to the more establish artists the more establish artists will want a lot more $$$$ , so look around. if youre on college campus or recent grad and know some illustrators or a friend or family member who does great art. ask them . Offer like $100-300 for black and white story boards and maybe a couple colored cover designs or what not and give them full authority and ownership over the art and development of the characters. Once the work is done maybe offer them a bonus if they do good work. There's plenty of newer illustrators with extremely good talent who are looking for opportunities.

You can also go to places like the New England film board and or other boards or even reddit and put out a post saying you're looking for an illustrator interested in getting material for their portfolio and offer them the ability to develop the characters etc. and such and offer lke a couple hundred bucks for sketches/character storyboards. - also state you'll put them into a writers' contract and split any royalties once the time comes if the book is susccessfl and write out an agreement you both sign. and agree to.

Penelope Smith says:

24/08/2019 – 04:32

Writing a children's book does seem like it could be tricky. I liked that you pointed out that you should look at that an illustrator past work. Also, it seems like a good thing to consider asking them to draw a sample page for the book. After all, you would want to check they draw in a style you like.

Sjsingh says:

20/11/2019 – 14:04

"pug"book writer Sharma is said a sardaarni, she is not a "Kaur", Kaur can be said as sardaarni. And what a mockery she has done for tying pug, real sardaarni never can dare to do that. Pug is very respectful in Sikhs and many other cast too, and she has made it joke, she has done very wrong to the sentiments and feelings of many Indians. And you have any humanity you should Apologize for this heart breaking act , Publisher has done not less than you. Have you ever thought , write a book on tying a saari or lungi in same style and illustration used in "pug"?

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5 Pre-Writing Activities For Your 3-Year-Old

While your 3-year-old probably isn’t ready to write a full sentence (or even a single word), there are several activities you can do to help her get ready for writing.

The following activities are simple, require very few supplies – and are a great way to spend quality time with your child. As an added bonus, they’ll help prepare your child’s hands and eyes for writing.

Name Tracing

Materials You Will Need: paper, highlighter, marker or pencil

What To Do This fun activity will provide an opportunity for your child to learn how to write his/her name. Write your child’s name on paper with a marker.

Remember to write the first letter using a capital letter then the rest in lower case.

Let your child trace over the name with a highlighter. By repeating this activity, your child will begin to understand how to write his/her own name!

It will take time for your child to write his/her name legibly.

Cutting Practice

Materials You Will Need: pair of child sized scissors, pictures from magazines

What To Do Have your child work on fine motor and pre-writing skills by inviting your child to cut out pictures from old magazines. Your child may choose to cut out toys, food, or just pictures of interest.

Your child may also cut out letters or numbers that he/she recognizes. This activity is easier than trying to cut on lines, but still requires hand strength and more advanced fine motor skills.

Play Doh Letters

Materials You Will Need: Play Doh

What To Do Have your child roll medium sized balls of Play Doh into 6 inch ropes. Ask your child to choose a letter to make, then see if your child can use the rope of Play Doh to do so.

If this is challenging for your child, write the letter on paper first, then let your child form the Play Doh on top to match.

Materials You Will Need: piece of paper, markers

What To Do Write your child’s name on paper using dots, (5 or 6 per letter), instead of lines. Have your child start with the first dot and connect the dots.

Hopefully your child will recognize his/her name! Try this with the names of other family members if your child enjoys this activity.

Tally Marks

Materials You Will Need: small number of objects, paper and pencil

What To Do Today’s activity will introduce tally marks to your child as a new way to represent quantities. This is especially good for a child who is challenged by writing numerals. Tally marks to show the numeral 4: ////

Place 4 blocks or objects in front of your child. Show your child how to make a tally mark for each block. It’s not important that you use a slash for the 5th object at this point, if you are counting that high.

Want more? Visit Productive Parenting to see more than 60 pre-writing activities that you can do with your kids – from birth to age 5. While you’re there, become a member (for free) and have activities emailed to you based on the developmental age of your child. Activities build on one another from infancy to age five to provide a solid foundation for learning and, at the same time, promote lasting parent-child relationships.

You can also find Anna at My Life and Kids .

Subscribe today for more stories, tips, and updates.

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About the author: Anna Luther

Anna Luther is the mom of three little kids, and the driver of a minivan. She's the Director of Social Media for Productive Parenting - a website that is full of simple activities you can do with your kids! In her spare time, she blogs at My Life and Kids, where she shares her stories, makes you laugh and helps you feel better about your crazy, messy, fabulous life.

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This is the picture of my handsome grandson and I am so glad for this article since he does start Kindergarden this fall, thanks

Just because your child might be able to trace letters at 3 years old does not mean this is what you should be doing with a three year old. As a kindergarten teacher, one of the most difficult problems I have teaching handwriting is REteaching a child who has practiced making letters wrong for years because their parents were in a hurry to start their education. I suggest the above activities using lines and shapes instead of letters. Making letters requires a precision that is not developmentally there for most 3 year olds. I know, I know, you are saying, “but my child can, and they like doing it, I don’t see any reason not to.” If they can do it at three then there is no reason to practice, they’ll do it easily at five. There are other things three year olds should do. What should three year old do: climb, build, pretend, run, jump, talk, talk, talk! Keep the ‘sitting-still and focusing hard’ activities to a minimum. They will have 13+ years ahead of them to do that.

hi. my son is 3 yrs 3 months and at school they were making him draw and write, and i, as a primary school teacher, i was worried coz i believe that he should be having fun. Now am a bit assured that my belief in learning thru play and fun is the gud. thanks Sooneeta

That’s so silly that you think you have to reteach a kid how to write a letter the “correct” way. Do you have strict ideas on if letters should have tails or not? Learn to tailor your teaching to each kids separate knowledge, that’s what a good teacher does. I think your anger over a parent doing something other than run around and play with toys is silly. My nephew is very bright and loves to hear stories. He can “read” my dad’s name tag he wears on his shirt because we’ve talked about it, that it seems like he can take the next step to learning letters just fine. Besides, as soon as you learn how to write as a human being in general we each start to make our handwriting our own. My handwriting doesn’t match anyones I know so, unless it’s upside down or backwards, I don’t see how a parent would be teaching them how to do it wrong. Learning new tasks also gives them different things to occupy time especially if they’re not already in preschool. Maybe playing with trucks and dinosaurs all day isn’t enough to keep him satisfied, and momma doesn’t always have the steam to play make believe. I can’t sit back and randomly read such a statement that makes me cringe…to me it’s like saying Why have Pre-AP classes, if they’re smart enough to do it now, they should just wait and do it in college. See how dumb that is? It’s important to not treat kids like they’re all basic…some babies want to match shapes with the corresponding hole and some want to throw those shapes.

Thank you SO much! I’m a mom of a 3 year old and a one year old and a university teacher with PhD in education and I feel exactly the same. Thank you for making me feel not alone in this!

AMEN! My grandson just came home with papers of letter tracing and number tracing! These kids are 3. There is plenty of time to teach writing when it will be easier to do it correctly! Especially since cursive is not really be taught much anymore. Some of my kids wrote better in cursive than print because they had already learned to make the letter incorrectly.

Thank you for stating this. The other piece is that there are other pre-reading skills needed prior to the abstract activity listed here for pre-reading.

this is the best comment so far!!

[…] Pre-Writing Activities For Your 3-Year-Old […]

Hi! My son is 2years 9month, he can only write 1, he did not like to write at all and he won’t allow us to hold his hand but he love to colour, anytime we want to do his assignment he will hold his pencil and he will be looking at another direction and start asking for something he did not need at that moment inorder to distract me. I will like to know if there is a way to make my son to love to write and identify. Thank you.

my child turned 3 in November. her daycare insists she should be able to properly hold a pencil and should have chosen her right or left hand by now. since she hasnt we have been asked to make her use her right hand only and only color if she hold pencil/crayon properly. I would think that her age would allow a little more freedom to develop. she has only been in daycare for about 5 months so she could be behind the others, however, I am not sure I want to “force” her to do anythign yet. I am afraid it will make her dislike writing and coloring all together. please advise

Hi Penny – I just wanted to let you know that I’m looking into this and will get back to you with thoughts from one of our therapists.

I’ve been teaching in a special education setting for children ages 3 to 8 for seven years. That said, I’ve had the same experience as you when my child was 3. What I’ve run into is at some preschools the employees are not always certified teachers and sometimes are not well versed on child development. I wouldn’t be worried about hand dominance because some children do not choose a dominant hand until 5 or 6 years of age. I definitely would not force your child to use a specific hand. It will come with time or she could just be ambidextrous. If you are worried about her grasp, which once again I wouldn’t be getting on to her about it, start doing some fun play based fine motor activities. There are tons out there that can be made with things you would usually throw away. One of my favorite things to use in my class is clothes pins. It strengthens those little fingers she will be using for a tripod grasp and you can build activities that can reinforce numbers, colors, shapes and anything else you would like! They can even be used as a tool to pick up little objects. My students love them. I hope this helps you and gives you some fun ideas to do with your daughter.

My daughter’s kindergarten class expected all children to be able to hold a pencil correctly, know and write ALL letters and numbers until 25 without looking at a paper. That being said I think it is appropriate to start at 3 and work from there.

I agree with Tara, over here they expect children to at least know how to write their name and hold pencil correctly by the time they go in kindergarten, if not they are held back or even put in special programs. Both my one and three year old boys are in a preschool and my 3 year old is already learning how to write his name. Even though you say we should wait until 5, its the child that suffers when he starts kindergarten and doesn’t know how to write or hold a pencil correctly, and that i DO NOT want for my child. I personally like early teaching, but at the end every one has their own opinion and I respect that.

Our son has ADHD he is on meds just started kindergarden but cannot write his name .we are working with him he went to p-k last year teacher said he would need work with but this summer he would not be still .he is a little better very smart know his lunch code and numbers ,letters my cell number to .does not color good teacher not so happy with him way we took it so what would be the answer ?

How is you son doing? I think some kids just need an outlet to move! They’re so young, when they don’t want to do something they just wont. You have to find the motivation and sometimes it’s within the realm of being jealous of other kids abilities…when they’re disappointed with themselves they’ll show you and when they don’t give a hoot, they’ll show you that too. I loved being able to write my name in Pre-K, but I’m an artist and have loved to doodle since very young. Maybe your guy needs sports or something else to be motivated with.

James: My son has ADHD and is now 13. When he was in kindergarten he hated to color and write. If he had to color for class he would take one crayon scribble the whole page that one color and call it done. It wasn’t until 3rd grade that he started to like to color just a little. Writing was just as bad. Once he learned that certain words could be abbreviated he jumped on it and will try to abbreviate everything-he still does. Writing paragraphs now in school is still a struggle. I saw a study once that suggested that children with ADHD will sometimes have issues with writing and coloring and that as parents and educators accommodations should be put in place to help with that. If you don’t have an IEP with the school I would get one, it will help tremendously throughout your child’s education experience. My son has an IEP and it has truly helped tremendously because he hates to write he falls behind other students in classwork and homework the IEP helps to give him more time for his work and for taking tests. Good luck, I know the struggle.

This is insane. I learned my alphabet in kindergarten and to write in 1st grade. What are the teachers doing if we are teaching them this stuff before they even start kindergarten? My daughter is going to be 3 after Christmas and cannot imagine forcing her to write when she hasn’t even gotten all her letters memorised.

my daughter is 3 and half she was born here, but she went to Africa at the age of 1 she just came back she’s 3 she started nursery. we speak 3 different languages with her now she has difficulty speak or understand English. The teacher is giving us hard time, She wants her to do as the other kids. Any advice

I am a mother of 3 children, ages 13,10&5. I also have a bachelors degree in elementary education, specific learning disabilities, & a masters degree in education. I currently teach students grades K-3 that have Autism Spectrum Disorder. I feel from my 19 years teaching experience & parenting experience, that children should not be forced to do any learning they are not ready for. We need to quite trying to keep up with the “jones’s” as it deals with our kids being the best at everything. I wish preschools would have the main focus of learning is to play, socialize and grow in ways that will energize the kids to enjoy learning. Developmentally all kids are growing at different paces. They will eventually plateau at age 7-8. This is when their little brains have developed enough to start taking in and holding onto all the higher level learning. From an article I read a few years ago on the countries in the world that had the lowest illiteracy rate, I would love to go toAustralia & spend time learning their techniques. They do not introduce formal academic learning until age 7. Just something to think about. Enjoy your kids while they are kids????

I hate what kindergarteners are forced to know this day in age. 50 sight words phone numbers birthday addresses, how to “decompose” numbers!!! I’m sorry but that word just bothers me for my kindergartener to even say!! We are on our second round of kindergarten because we didn’t meet benchmarks to the school expectations I believe early learning is very much needed or the kids suffer from it not the parents. They watch their friends move on and they feel bad they have to stay in same grade. If u don’t know almost all the stuff before u start kindergarten you are already behind and it’s so sad. I remember we played in kindergarten when I was a kid just learned our abc’s played house sang songs. There is to much pressure now days and I don’t agree with it.

I agree with Kimberly; in today’s society, the children must excel early. Its extremely hard in this world we live in. Try making the learning experience as fun as possible.Never feel the work is too hard or that its to hard on the child at that age. He/She are in their repetitive stage… so everything they do daily is remembered. Today’s society expect more in every aspect now more than ever.

These days? What? I was doing that when I was in kindergarten. It’s very important! Using songs we learned how to spell words and were even asked to sing our addresses, and it has been very helpful. I remember those songs to this day! It wasn’t a chore, it was fun!!! Don’t feel bad with your kids though, encourage them to think that they’ll be smarter than the new kids because they get to go over everything again. These are the generations that are going to get to go to college, instead of it being a privilege.

Yes, Kindergarten IS the correct time to learn these things! We are talking about 3 year olds!

My kid is pre term baby.now she is 3 yrs and 11 months. She is very adament to hold the pencil for writing. She is asking me to hold the pencil for writing. If we beat also she is stubborn and not writing a letter. She likes only the number 1 2 3 for writing other than that she wont move for 4 5etc or abc. She will be writing 2 and starting saying i have written 1 she is repeating the same. How to give practice for alphabets and other numbers

hi sathya priya .please dont worry abt ur child writing letters or numbers… may be she is not yet interested to read or write. Now in preschools they are forcing to write. But their age is only to play well as they can. Make them to write but please dont tense for that. Make them engage in other outdoor or indoor games. And make them learn slowly in studies also..even my 3 year old son i am not making to read or write..sending to playschool just for activities

So what about when your kid is obsessed with letters and numbers? My son just turned 3 and he points them out everywhere we go. He can identify upper and lowercase and he knows all the sounds that they make, even some letter combinations like “ch”. He accurately reads a digital clock, of course he has no concept of what the time means.This has all happened almost on its own, there is no “lesson time” in his routine. We just talk about what he sees and we do read quite a bit. Should I just leave it as it is, or encourage what seems to be an active interest? I don’t want him to be bored when he finally goes to school.

so Miss Penny parents are not supposed to teach their children about letters and words because teachers are not smart enough to work around this? In my experience as a teacher and parent all efforts in the reading and writing area are useful and make the child’s brain think about these things and be ready to embrace all styles of teaching.

Early education is the best platform to set up your kid future. and choosing the right place for your kid is also an important task for their parents.

Nice information,thanks for sharing this type of information.

That kid is left handed!!!!! I realised thst because i.m too

The blog is really interesting. Pre-writing skills are the basic skills that children need to acquire before they can write. Such abilities lead to the ability of the infant to keep and use a pencil and the knowledge of drawing, writing, copying, and coloring. Kids are very curious about the events of childhood. Pre-writing skills are necessary to allow the child to develop the ability to hold and move a pencil fluently and effectively, thereby producing readable writing. At home and in schools, we have to give proper training. There are so many pre-schools offering various activities to develop the ability to read, write, speak and listen.

This is a great idea, I think we can also teach them to read books; it can develop our children at this age too.

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