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20 Creative Writing Activities for Elementary Students
March 29, 2022 // by Milka Kariuki
Writing activities have an emotional toll on young learners, given the sheer volume of letters to learn by heart, words to spell, and sounds to remember. Your students will be more excited doing tasks they consider easier, such as character description. Perhaps it’s time you considered introducing fun activities to help the learners in their writing. Here are 20 of our go-to fun activities for creative writing skills among elementary kids.
1. Writing a Comic Strip
Create a comic book idea, leaving the speech bubbles around the characters empty for the students to fill. Alternatively, you can source the comic from your favorite magazine or author and rub out the dialogue between the characters for the learners to complete.
Learn more: My Cup Runs Over
2. Mad Libs
Have the students copy a few paragraphs from a famous book. Ask them to erase words they wish to remove and replace them with a blank line. Under the space, the students should give a hint to indicate the required type of phrase or word.
3. Vocabulary Challenge
Select a new word for the learners and explain its meaning to them. Ask them to create a sentence using the new term. Tell them to practice writing an entire story based on this word.
Learn more: First Cry Parenting
4. Using an I-Spy Jar
Ask a reluctant writer to practice writing their names by fetching and arranging all the letters that make it. For an older writer, ask them to pick an object from the jar, redraw it and give a brief description of what it is or the scene.
Learn more: Imagination Tree
5. Identifying Objects
This reading and writing game is suitable for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten-aged students. Ask them to color the object highlighted in the descriptive sentence. It enhances their fine motor skills, memories, and emotion.
Learn more: Kids Learning with Mom
6. Picture Dictionary
The goal of picture dictionaries will help early learners who are struggling with creative writing exercises and reading skills. Ask children to match the words provided at the top to the activities being performed in the pictures. This reading and writing activity can be developed for individuals, families, or the classroom.
Learn more: Childrensbooks
7. Journal writing
Journal writing works for learners who excel in creative stories or drawing. Have your students engaged in daily writing tasks. For instance, what food did they eat for lunch or a boring character in a favorite piece of writing?
8. Roll a Story
Roll a story will have the learners enjoy rolling dice to discover the character or scene they will be exploring in their writing. Examples of a scene they can get include casino, school, or ancient pyramid.
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
9. Copy-writing
On a drawing paper, make a word entry and ask the pupils to highlight it with a paintbrush or crayon. These creative writing exercises' goal is to enhance the learner’s artistic, emotional, and fine motor skills .
Learn more: Little Learners
10. Pass-it-on Story Writing
This writing game engages the language input of creative writing classes. Write the first scene of a story on a piece of paper. Have the learners come up with a sentence that continues the story. The paper is then passed on to the next child until every student has written something.
Learn more: Minds in Bloom
11. Sentence Scramble Writing
This writing activity's goal is to help children to improve their writing and sentence-building abilities. Ask the child to cut out the words at the bottom of the paper and rearrange them correctly to form a sentence.
Learn more: Twinkl
12. Picture Writing Prompts
Creative writing prompts activities test not only imagination but also a learner’s ability to make conversation on behalf of characters. Provide an entry with a picture accompanied by 3-4 writing prompts to guide them in exploring the scene. A sample question for the scene above will be, “Do the lambs feel safe with the lion?”
Learn more: Homeschool Adventure
13. Cut Out My Name
Help your kindergarten students in writing their names with this fun writing activity. Print out the learner’s name. Next, print the letters of the pupil’s name and mix them with a few random characters. Cut them apart and ask them to sort out the letters in their name.
Learn more: Simply Kinder
Writing cards helps students to engage in purposeful moments. Provide the learners with blank holiday or birthday cards. Ask them to draw or write something to the card’s receiver. Alternatively, students can design their cards and write down the desired message.
Learn more: Learn with Homer
15. Grocery List
Sit down with the child and help them write a list of healthy food items or other household objects you require. In the grocery store, have them cross out the items as they are added to the shopping cart.
Learn more: Kids Night in Box
16. Label a Diagram
Engage your child’s reading and writing abilities by printing out a diagram of simple objects such as flowers, insects, or external human body parts. Provide a list of the answers to the parts and ask them to write the word that matches each in the blank space.
Learn more: Classroom Freebies Too
17. Disappearing Words
On a chalkboard, write down a word. Ask the learners to erase the word with a wet sponge. This way, the learners will learn how to design the letters of the alphabet. Although this writing activity is the opposite of copywriting, they both serve the same purpose.
18. Write a Story Based on the Ending
Test your student’s creativity by providing them with writing prompts that focus on an entire book, a song, or a famous story. For instance, ask students to write a story based on the ending, “And they lived happily ever after."
Learn more: Kid Pillar
19. Found Poetry
Collect words or a group of words from a favorite story or song. You can either write them on a piece of paper or cut them out of a printed page. The overall goal is to rearrange the words differently to make an interesting poem with a unique writing style or genre.
Learn more: Homeschooling Ideas
20. Sticky Notes Story
Learners may have much to say in conversation prompts but get stuck when doing the actual writing. Sticky notes will help them in aspects of writing. A student can write anything ranging from a favorite author, a favorite food, or fantasy elements.
Learn more: Teaching Made Practical
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Walking by the Way
the road to inspired learning
12 Amazing Creative Writing Activities for Kids
August 23, 2021 by ami Leave a Comment
I’ve already shared a ton of my own creative writing activities and ideas.
Today I’ve scoured the web to bring you even more ideas from creative homeschool and kid bloggers.
Creative writing is fantastic for kids; it bolsters imagination, help students practice expressing their ideas, and develops individual creativity.
So, grab your pencils (and probably your crayons!) and find the right creative writing activity for your students.
Creative Writing Activities for Kids
Comic strip writing.
Your students will love creative writing when they plan and create comic strips!
Emoji Story Writing Activity
If your student doesn’t know what to write about, try this Emoji Story Writing activity . The pictures provided will help generate ideas.
Fairy Tale Story Writing Prompts
Download this set of Fairy Tale Story Writing Prompts and let your student choose an adventure to write.
Futuristic Writing and Drawing Prompts
If you have a dreamer, inventor, or planner, then this is the set of writing prompts for you . Students will be challenged to think, invent, and dream about the future.
Gingerbread House Drawing and Writing Prompts
With this engaging writing activity , kids get to design and decorate a gingerbread house and write about who lives in it.
Gingerbread Man Writing Activity
After reading The Gingerbread Man (or another version of this timeless tale), your student will make a plan for catching the Gingerbread Man !
Harry Potter Creative Writing Assignment
If you have Harry Potter fans, check out this creative writing assignment . Your students will be challenged to write fan fiction.
Pets Writing Activity
Kids love animals, and this set of Pet Writing Prompts will motivate them to write.
Ocean Pop-Up Book for Kids
A pop-up book? Yes, please! Students will create a pop-up book and a choose you own adventure story at the same time. Perfect!
Story Starters for Kids
I love dice writing, and I love using pictures to help kids generate ideas. This story starters for kids printable pack pairs dice and pictures; it is certain to be a hit with your young writers.
Superhero Writing Prompts
These superhero creative writing prompts are a fantastic way to make writing fun for your students.
Zoo Animal Writing Activity
After reading If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss, your student will write a story about being a zookeeper .
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STEM Journals, Activities & Experiments.
10 Creative Writing Activities for Kids
September 18, 2021 | Published by Shreiya
Every child will naturally gravitate toward different activities. Some will be enamored by STEM , while others might prefer sports, music, or history. Creative writing however is one of the activities that any kid can participate in and get substantial payoffs for doing so.
According to UC Berkley’s research , creative writing can boost students’ future academic performance, help them develop a growth mindset, and kindness toward others.
Whether you’re a teacher working with K-12 students or a homeschooling parent , creative writing activities are a net positive for your child.
Let’s take a look at some of them, as well as the perks your kids can gain by participating in creative writing exercises .
Benefits of Creative Writing Activities for Kids
There is substantial evidence to suggest that we are at the peak of creativity at a young age. Children make friends more easily, think outside the box, and aren’t scared of speaking their minds despite apparent social norms.
According to Curtin University research, children experience creative writing in a classroom environment as an exercise in mental self-expression.
By taking away the shackles of “academic writing” and “authorial standards”, creative writing enables kids to truly write from the bottoms of their proverbial hearts.
Melissa Mauro, writer, editor, and an educational specialist at TrustMyPaper spoke on the topic: “Creative writing is not dissimilar to traditional art forms such as drawing or painting in terms of its mental stimulus. Children who participate in creative writing at a young age are likely to develop effective self-expression skills and better academic writing skills than their peers.
Beyond that, kids stand to gain a range of character traits and skills during early childhood through creative writing:
- Better ELA skills (English and Language Arts)
- Improved imagination and unconventional thinking
- Better self-confidence and communication skills
- Improved ability to solve problems through thinking
- Encouraged exploration, research, and analytic skills
- Early growth in academic writing sensibilities
Creative Writing Exercises for Kids to Explore
1. finish a writing prompt.
Writing prompts are one of the easiest creative writing activities for kids to implement. All you have to do is create a pool of unfinished sentences and assign them to each kid at random.
You can use Scholastic and its story starters if you want to add an element of playfulness to your writing ideas for kids.
Instruct your kids to write at least a paragraph of text inspired by the writing prompt you assigned to them. This will ensure that each child thinks about the prompt a little longer than usual to come up with a creative solution to the exercise.
2. Write Words for Each Letter of the Alphabet
A great creative writing activity for preschoolers and early K-12 students is to learn the alphabet by coming up with words for each letter.
Depending on your kids’ age group, you may have to assist them in spelling each word properly. Once the exercise is done, you can ask each student to read a single word out, and then you can write it on the board.
This is a great opportunity for all the kids to collaborate, expand their vocabulary and learn from one another through a creative writing activity.
Even children who aren’t as excited about creative writing exercises for kids are bound to perk up at the group’s energy and excitement.
3. Write Flashcards with Related Words and Match Them
Flashcards are a tried-and-tested method of studying, regardless of the child’s academic level. You can teach your kids what flashcards are all about, and you can then create them together as a creative writing activity.
Once you’ve created a pool of flashcards, you can look for matching words and phrases which correlate in some way. Think “light” and “dark”, or “apples” and “oranges”.
This will keep the children entertained, teach them new words, help them express themselves through writing, and improve their memorization.
Writing ideas for kids such as writing prompts and word rhymes can be created through flashcards you write – keep experimenting with creative writing.
4. Creative Drawing and Painting Using Letters and Words
While not strictly a creative writing activity, you can combine other academic fields with writing exercises to keep things interesting. Kids can learn letters, words, and phrases through painting, drawing, sculpting, and other art-related activities.
Instruct your kids to draw using letters exclusively, or to cut out different letters and then create collages with them.
These can be abstract or realistic, depending on your child group’s age. However, crossing into arts and crafts through creative writing can significantly affect the kids’ creative tendencies for the better.
5. Sing Spelling Songs – Then Write them Down and Sing Again
Spelling songs are as old as time itself, and they work wonders when it comes to creative writing. Use a spelling songs playlist in your classroom and encourage students to sing along.
Then, you can exercise spelling through the songs you’ve listened to and re-listen them to spot grammar errors. The creative writing activity can extend further, and you can allow kids to come up with their rhymes and songs.
Nancy Howard, SEO specialist, writer, and academic advisor at SupremeDissertations put it this way: “Through music, children can learn to associate letters and words with certain harmonics, instruments, and sound queues. This can improve their learning process in terms of musical arts and creative writing alike – mix them as much as you can.”
Have a child who loves music? Try these Music Games and Activities For Kids to get him excited and
6. Write a Letter to Your Future Self
Writing letters to your future self is one of the best writing ideas for kids that you could use in your classroom.
Your kids will most likely already have dream jobs and careers which they hope to pursue in the future. Even though these plans might change, they can still play around with the idea through a creative writing activity.
Ask them to write a whole letter to themselves 10 years down the line. Where do they live and what are they doing in the future?
Keep these concepts simple so that your kids can understand what you are trying to communicate, and the creative writing activity will bear fruit.
7. Creative Writing as Art Critique
Going back to the idea of merging creative writing with other fields, you can ask your kids to write a critique of an art piece.
Again, use your best judgment when it comes to choosing an art piece for your students to sink into.
K-12 students may not understand Pollock or Warhol, but they’d be delighted to look at Dutch or Italian Renaissance paintings. Choose the right art pieces for your kids and ask them to write down their thoughts on the painting.
What do they see, and what would they do differently in the artist’s place? This is a great creative writing exercise that will undoubtedly spark your students’ imagination and encourage them to express their thoughts on paper.
8. Tag Team Creative Writing
You can encourage teamwork and collaboration in your classroom by assigning students into teams of two at random and assigning a creative writing activity.
Ask the students to write a story (with a writing prompt or without) so that each student writes a single sentence at a time.
This will allow one student to challenge the other with creative writing, which will get more and more imaginative with each sentence. Students can then read each other’s creative writing and compare their essays to others in the classroom.
It’s a great opportunity for students to bond, develop creative competencies, and learn through writing activities for kids.
9. Write a Story from the Ending
Challenge your students to think outside the box by introducing writing prompts that address the story’s end instead of its beginning. The obvious example is “ And they lived happily ever after ”, but you can come up with several versions for your students.
This writing will ensure that students think differently about their creative writing activity compared to traditional exercises.
It can lead to very inspiring and unconventional ideas, and students will enjoy working on these types of creative writing exercises for kids.
Most importantly, it will keep pushing their creative writing tendencies further and encourage kids to express themselves without worrying about academic writing standards.
10. Create Rhymes through a Word Pool
As a teacher, you are more familiar with poetry than your students. This allows you to create a word pool of words that rhyme with one another, and you can ask students to create songs and poetry .
Rhymes are a great creative writing activity since students can sing along to the phrases and paragraphs they write.
One of these can even become your signature classroom anthem, for example. To make things more challenging, you can ask the students to use all the words you’ve assigned in the word pool.
This will teach them about the organization and word count management, traits that will become more important in later academic education.
Helping Kids Develop Through Writing (Conclusion)
The fun part of creative writing exercises for kids is allowing them the freedom to complete the assignments in any way they see fit.
Some students may want to create paper collages to complete the creative writing activity, while others may ask you for a dictionary to use.
Be a mentor to your students or kids and don’t discourage their creative tendencies – they will look back at your efforts fondly as a result.
Author: Nicole Garrison
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Creative Writing Activities for Kids
I believe that most children want to write before they want to read. That was certainly the case with both of my children - they would scribble write from an early age and ask me to read it for them :)
There is something magical about putting pen to paper and making your words appear. It is such a real and concrete way to communicate with others.
But when inspiration doesn't strike and you hear "I don't know what to write!", you need to find some creative writing ideas for kids . That is what this page is for!
I have put together this list of creative writing activities for kids in the hope it will help your teaching!
Writing Projects for Kids
Homeschooling is wonderfully flexible - and there are some great ways of encouraging your children to write.
Newspaper Story
Write a script, make a journal.
Who are they?
Comic Books
Make an ideas jar, design and write an online blog, write a movie review., write a haiku or limerick, do a scavenger hunt, ideas daybook, more writing ideas.
- Lets Get Creative - Fantastic site by Bruce van Patter. Lots of activities and ideas.
- Kids Space - lots of links for sites where children can share their creative writing.
- Writing Fix - interactive writing prompts for children.
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This Reading Mama
Creative Writing Activities for Kids
By thisreadingmama 1 Comment
Writing is one of those subjects that isn’t always a favorite for kids. And it’s no wonder with the meaningless writing activities we sometimes ask kids to do. That’s why I’m sharing some creative writing activities that can make writing a little more purposeful and yes, even fun for kids.
You can also find creative writing ideas on my Writing Activities for Kids Pinterest Board as well as in our Google+ Group, Writing With Kids . Feel free to ask to join!
*This post contains affiliate links.
Creative Writing Activities to Make Writing Meaningful
We want the writing we’re asking kids to be meaningful and purposeful. And, as unpopular as this statement might be, a steady diet of writing prompts and copy work does not foster meaningful and purposeful for most kids . Am I saying you can never use them? Absolutely not . {I even have a Writing Prompt Pack in my store.} But I don’t recommend them as a steady diet when teaching writing.
One way to help make writing meaningful is to create an audience/reader for kids.
- Writing letters to friends and family is the PERFECT way to get kids writing for authentic purposes, like Mama Smiles shares she does with her kids. Remember the days of pen pals. Why not start one between an older relative who lives far away and your child? You can also download this cute freebie for teaching kids how to write a friendly letter.
- Creating a simple scavenger hunt with Post-It Notes is a fun way to include an audience for your child’s writing. Kids can do this for family members or friends. It helps to have a super fun treat at the end, too!
- I also love to allow kids to include their writing among the other texts and books on your shelf. Treat their writing like you do your other favorite read alouds . Pull it out and read it before bedtime to all the kids. Another fun idea is to include an Autograph Page {found here } to the end of their creations so that those that listen to them read can sign their autograph.
- Kids need to understand that, even from a young age, they have a voice. They have something to write about. I love the series I was able to do with The Measured Mom called Preschool & Kindergarten Writing Lessons . In that series, we explored how to model, support and and celebrate early writing and spelling. If you teach younger kids writing, I urge you to look through this amazing resource!
- Let them write about themselves. I love how this Weekend News writing from Planet Smarty Pants can feature a built-in audience {her classmates} that can encourage even reluctant writers.
Creative Writing Activities to Make Writing FUN
We also want to sprinkle FUN into our writing instruction at times. While writing may not be fun every day, it’s nice to have a few fun activities in our back pocket when we need them. And here are a few FUN writing ideas.
- Add some movement with Photo Stacking Blocks . See how my 2nd grader and I explored writing longer sentences in a silly and active way. {These blocks are AWESOME, by the way. We use them for so many activities !}
- Ditch the pen and paper for a salt tray and chopsticks {Mama Smiles}. This looks like FUN! And it’s great for handwriting, too!
- The Educators’ Spin on It shares quite a few ideas for fun writing activities in this great post .
- Work on handwriting out of the context of writing. Sometimes, kids struggle with the handwriting aspect of writing. I love how creative and hands-on this printable Big and Little Letter from Boy Mama Teacher Mama is for learning handwriting. I also think this printable cursive dominoes game from Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational is pure genius!
- Put on some instrumental music and create/write stories together . What story does the music tell? What’s happening? This works with fast and slow music, even Christmas music ! This one is super fun and it’s neat to hear each person tell or read what they envisioned after you’re finished.
For More Writing Resources, Visit:
- Primary Writing Lessons – a 12-week series on teaching writing to grades 1-2 with LOTS of free printables. These lessons are designed to show you HOW to teach writing, not just tell you. 🙂
- Unleashing the Writer in Your Child – a 5 day series where I explore teaching writing as a craft
- Roll a Simple Sentence – great for Kindergartners learning about complete sentences
- Roll a Silly Sentence – a silly way to teach about complete sentences
- 25 Ways to Make Writing Fun
Want MORE Free Teaching Resources?
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January 8, 2015 at 9:59 am
Thank you so much for all the great lessons! I really think they help y 4 year old. There are too many distractions in her Pre-k class for her to really pay attention to what she is doing. I wanted to try the 10 Pre-K writing lessons, but the page will not load. Thanks again for all you do for us busy Moms.
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10 Fun Writing Activities for Kids to Improve Writing Skills
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Do your students grumble when it’s time to practice writing? Is getting them to write an essay about as much fun as getting grapefruit juice in your eye? Maybe it’s time to try some fun writing activities instead. Here are ten of our favorite fun writing activities for kids.
Breaking Kids out of a Writing Rut
We’ve been through so many stages of learning to write in our homeschool: reluctant writers, frustrated writers, bored writers, curious writers, and obsessive writers (my favorite!).
Over the years, we’ve tried countless writing programs and curricula in a constant effort to keep writing fun and interesting. While we’ve had success stories with a few programs, I find one of the best ways to keep kids engaged with writing is to integrate a fun activity alongside our regular curriculum.
When kids are having fun, they want to write more, which helps them develop stronger creative writing skills and become better writers. Introducing them to different ways of generating creative writing ideas and thinking about writing turns a once-stressful activity into a much-loved pastime.
Here are ten of our favorite ways to make writing fun for kids.
10 Fun Writing Activities for Kids
1. write a comic book/graphic novel.
Using a template, students create their own comic strip or graphic novel complete with speech bubbles and annotations.
First, you’ll need a comic strip template. You can draw your own or allow kids to do so if they choose. Or, download the companion files at the end of this post to grab some pre-formatted templates.
The amount of guidance each student needs will vary depending on their age and ability. By design, comics and graphic novels are straight to the point. They don’t have room for any superfluous content.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to take time beforehand and plan what’s going to happen in the short story, either using a story planner or just jotting down a quick storyboard sketch. They’ll want to have a sense of what’s going to go in each square before they start drawing the pictures in earnest.
Have them draw the pictures first and then add speech and thought bubbles and annotations. If possible, display the finished works so everyone can enjoy them.
Kids are naturally drawn to the comic book or graphic novel format. It’s fun it’s engaging, it moves quickly, and there are lots of pictures.
But the space constraints make it necessary for them to think through their story before they start writing and this is such an important skill to develop. Usually, when we’re writing an essay or a short story , we just write whatever comes into our minds without editing as we go. Often, we write way more than we need to and when we go back to read it later, we find we haven’t even made our point.
Learning how to outline and determine in advance the best way to get a point across is an important skill and creating comic strips is a great way to learn it.
This writing activity can be adapted for any age range, from kindergarten to grade 12. Younger kids may need assistance with printing small letters.
2. Write a Story Together
What it is:.
Students work in pairs or groups or with a parent or writing coach to write a short story together.
There are many ways that two or more people can work together to write a short story. The method you choose will depend on who you’re working with, how much time you have, and what your goals are for the activity. Here are a couple of options:
- Writing together: Kids work in pairs or groups (with or without a parent, teacher, or writing coach) to collaborate on each part of the story. Everybody pitches ideas and the group comes to a consensus about them. Kids can take turns acting as the scribe for the group (an adult can do the writing for younger children).
Agree in advance about how you’ll know when the project is finished. Are you aiming for a certain number of words or pages? Or do you just want to see a story with a beginning, middle, and end? Perhaps you want them to practice a specific concept, like seeing how many similes and metaphors they can use.
Determining and articulating the goal ahead of time ensures everyone knows what they’re working towards.
- Writing consecutively. Students take turns writing sections of the story. For example, they might alternate paragraphs or pages, depending on how long it is.
You can either have them agree in advance about the topic and plot points or you could add a twist by not letting them talk about it in advance and having them improvise.
Another variation is to have a group of students working together and have each of them write a sentence or a paragraph of a story and then pass their story on to the person beside them. That person then continues on with that story while the one who started it is continuing on with another person’s story themselves. Continue passing them around in a circle until everyone has added to each story and then can share them with each other.
- Write concurrently: Kids decide on a plot for a story and then divide and conquer. For example, they might come up with a story that has multiple perspectives and have each person can write scenes from a different perspective. After, they can integrate them into a cohesive, well-rounded story.
In my experience, kids love creating stories much more than they actually love writing them, especially when they’re younger. The physical act of getting their thoughts onto paper is time-consuming and because their hands can’t move as fast as their thoughts, kids often get discouraged.
Collaborating with a sibling, a friend, classmates, or adults gives them the immediate reward of progressing in a story without necessarily having to bear the burden of doing all the work themselves.
This writing activity can be adapted for any age range, from kindergarten to grade 12. Lower elementary students should work with a parent, teacher, or writing coach who can guide the collaboration and record the story for them.
For ideas to get you going on your collaborative writing project, check out this huge list of story starters and writing prompts .
3. Retelling a Favorite Story
Reading or listening to a favorite story and retelling it or rewriting it in their own words.
Ask a student to choose one of their favorite books. For younger kids, this would ideally be a board book or a picture book, while older students might like a chapter book or novel. If choosing a novel, make sure it’s one they’re very familiar with so they don’t need to re-read the whole thing.
If it’s a shorter book, read it together. Then, ask the student to either narrate or write down the major parts of the story in their own words.
Another variation: if you have more time, get a big piece of paper or poster board and ask the kids to draw a map of the story. Then, have them draw and cut out pictures of the story’s characters and move them around the map as they tell the story.
Writers learn to write by imitating other writers. Reading a favorite story with the goal of committing its key points to memory is an important step toward becoming a better storyteller. By telling and retelling popular tales, students learn to intuit the elements of a great story and will naturally include those aspects in their own writing.
This writing activity can be adapted for any age range, from kindergarten to grade 12. Students who are not yet reading or writing will need someone to read the story and transcribe their words.
4. The End. Or, The New Beginning.
Students choose a book they love and give it a new ending or a sequel.
Have students choose a favorite book and decide whether they’re going to rewrite the ending or write a sequel.
Ask them questions to help them give structure to their writing and get their creative juices flowing. Here are some examples:
If re-writing the ending:
- What did you like about the current ending?
- What didn’t you like?
- What questions did you have at the end of the book?
- What event in the story, if changed, would have resulted in a completely different outcome?
- Did the main character get what they wanted or not? What would have happened if they didn’t (or did)?
If writing a sequel:
- Which character(s) in this story did you wish had bigger roles? What else might you have liked to know about their sides of the story?
- What do you think happened after the last chapter of the story?
- What other threats or enemies might still be waiting for the main character?
- Think about the life of the book’s characters at the end of the story. What new character or event might completely topple the balance they’ve found?
Asking students to write a new ending or sequel takes away the pressure of having to come up with an idea from scratch, while still giving them a valuable opportunity to improve their writing skills.
Also, it helps them hone in on the skill of writing endings, which are often the hardest part of the story to write.
This writing activity can be adapted for grades 4 to 12.
5. Dictating a Story
Dictating a story using voice typing and then editing it
Using a Google Doc, click on the Tools menu and select Voice typing (or press CTRL+Shift+S). Click on the microphone icon and have the student start dictating.
When they’re done, click the microphone again. They can even make changes or fix punctuation as they go without disabling the microphone.
Again, people think much faster than they write or even type.
For emerging writers especially, printing each letter takes so long that by the time they’ve gotten a full sentence down, they may have lost their steam. Being able to dictate the story at the speed they think and talk is highly motivating and puts the focus on idea generation and plot progression, not on the physical act of writing.
Also, this activity gives kids a wonderful opportunity to practice their editing skills.
This writing activity can be adapted for any age range, from kindergarten to grade 12. Younger kids will need help with editing.
6. Create Mad Libs
Students design Mad Libs for you or for each other
If your students have never played Mad Libs, you will first need to explain this writing game to them and maybe have them do a practice round to get used to the concept. Here’s a sample Mad Lib you can use. It’s also included in the companion files download at the bottom of this post.
Then have them prepare the story. They can either create it from scratch or use an existing text. For example, they might copy out the first paragraph or two of a book. Have them write it on lined paper, double spaced.
Next, they can choose some words to remove from the story. Once they’ve erased the words they want to remove, they should draw a line for the blank word and write a hint under the line to indicate what kind of word is needed.
It’s helpful if they have an understanding of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. If they don’t, this is a great time to introduce these concepts. They might also use qualifiers such as ‘something you wear,’ or ‘a job people do.’
Here’s how a finished Mad Lib might look:
When they’re done preparing the story, someone else (a friend, parent, teacher, etc.) gives them the words needed to fill in the blanks. As the respondent gives their answers, the student writes them in the blanks. When all the blanks are filled, the student reads the finished work aloud.
I’ve yet to meet a kid who doesn’t love Mad Libs. They’re such a fun way to approach word choice and sentence structure! Kids get a kick out of making up a really silly story while subtly learning the differences between the various types of words.
This writing activity can be adapted for grades 3-12. Young learners can also enjoy and benefit from Mad Libs, but they aren’t likely to be ready to create their own. Instead, just ask them to provide words for the blank spaces.
7. Custom Printing Pages
Creating custom writing worksheets for younger kids who are learning to print
I know….I promised fun writing activities . And usually, worksheets are not fun. But I think these ones are different.
My five-year-old doesn’t enjoy practicing her letters and she puts up a huge fight when I ask her to copy things out. Fair enough—learning a challenging new skill is frustrating, even for adults.
But then I discovered this resource . Among the many cool custom worksheets this site can generate, I discovered the customizable printing pages. You can choose the line size, the style of writing, whether you want students to trace or copy, and—most importantly—the text they’ll be copying.
For my daughter, I wrote out a really fun story based on her life but with lots of embellishments and twists. She is the star of the story and she wants to know what happens to her. It took me about five to ten minutes to come up with enough content to fill 27 pages of writing practice sheets (about a month’s worth). I give her one page per day to copy. I haven’t heard a single complaint.
Give it a try. Pick the settings that suit your student(s) best and write a few paragraphs that they won’t be able to stop reading. Then have them trace or copy a small amount each day.
Young learners tend to engage more with the learning process if they think it’s a game rather than a lesson. Who wouldn’t want to read a story starring themselves?
(I still have a customized Christmas book my dad ordered for me when I was three!) It incentivizes them to practice their printing or cursive handwriting by giving them a delightful reward.
This writing activity can be adapted for kindergarten to grade 6.
8. Photographic Writing Prompts
Writing a story based on an image.
A picture is worth a thousand words, right? And nobody wants to read a thousand-word writing prompt , so why not try photographic writing prompts? This fun story writing activity is simple and can be pulled off with almost no prep time.
First, choose an image you want to display. Then, set a timer. Have everyone (even you) write a story inspired by the picture for fifteen minutes. No planning for this one; this time we’re writing by the seat of our pants. When the timer ends, stop writing. Give students an opportunity to share their stories if they like.
The companion files document at the bottom of this post includes ten fun images you can use as creative writing prompts.
Images are often more inspiring than words and leave more room for interpretation. This, combined with the focus on writing, rather than planning, encourages kids to simply write, rather than fretting about ideas or structure.
Because of the timed and independent nature of this writing activity, it’s best for older children in grades 5 to 12.
9. Convince Me
Using a creative piece of writing to influence someone’s opinion.
In this writing activity, students create a persuasive piece of writing aimed at convincing you that their favorite thing is the best, i.e. Why Wings of Fire is the Best Dragon Series You’ll Ever Read, or Why Strawberries are the One Fruit We Could All Live On.
Offer suggestions on what format they might choose, but leave the decision up to them. They might write a short essay, a poem , a song, or a rap. Maybe they’ll even decide to create a brochure. Put as few limitations on this final product as possible to encourage maximum creativity.
When they’re done, have them read what they’ve written to try to persuade an audience.
Kids can be highly persuasive, but adults often shut them down when they’re trying to make an argument. For example, every time my daughter says she has a compelling list of reasons why we should let her get a hedgehog, I typically say no immediately without giving her a chance to share her list.
Giving them the opportunity to persuade you about something that matters to them, and to do it in a format they feel comfortable with is an opportunity they won’t want to miss. This fun writing activity also helps them develop their persuasive writing skills. In your feedback, you might offer points on how they can enhance their argument even more.
This writing activity can be adapted for grades 2 to 12.
10. A is for Author
Using photos or drawings, along with original writing, to create a new alphabet book.
If possible, go on a nature walk or at least go to a yard or a field. For this writing activity, it’s important that students have many things to observe. Bring notepads and pens or pencils.
Have them try to find one thing for each letter of the alphabet. Allow them to be creative here: ‘eXcess dandelions’ might be a perfect choice to represent X. Have them use their notepads to keep a list of what they’ve found.
Then, set them to work. Let them choose how they will lay their book out. They might use a full page for each letter, a half-page, or a quarter-page. (I’ve included templates for half- and quarter-page layouts) below.
For each letter, they should include a drawing or photograph and a small amount of writing. The writing can be as simple as ‘C is for Crane,’ or it could be more creative, such as a short poem or a paragraph about that thing. Determine how much leeway you’ll give them with the writing component based on their ages and ability.
Have them add a cover page and then assemble their book with staples or by punching holes along the side and tying ribbon or string through each hole.
This fun writing activity works well for both reluctant and eager writers. It takes the focus of writing by including other activities such as walking outside and drawing, while also giving ample opportunity to practice printing (for younger kids) and composition (for older kids).
Eager writers will enjoy the opportunity to add prose or facts to their pages and appreciate the challenge of coming up with something creative for each page.
For this activity, kids may work independently or together, depending on time and preferences. Our family worked together on a single book and it turned out great.
Like most of the creative writing exercises here, this one can be adapted for any age range, from kindergarten to grade 12.
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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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47 comments.
These are awesome! I feel like answering the questions myself! Thanks a million!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Lovely and amazing help
I wrote all 300! but my fingers hurt badly now. :l But i got to admit these are exellent questions!
Hi. Thanks for this list. So many great ideas. I will definitely use some of them for my Language Arts class.
hi people THIS WAS SO LONG but so worth it for my class thx mate
This was great for homework
Thank you for the topics. It was really helpful
Your writing prompts are awesome
These are amazing! Thank you so much for sharing. I will definitely be using it with my kids.
Thank you! I hope they enjoy the writing prompts!
I love these, they are awesome and very helpful too. Thank you very much.
these questions hooked me on easily thanks your the best!
They are all good prompts
This is always good and improves the brain.
These are very useful and very enjoyable topics, i enjoy by giving these to my students , their creations are marvelous
It’s was very long but worth it
This is good. I love it. It helps me in my studies. I share it with my friends children that likes the writing. We love it. Please, think of another writing.
Thanks! Worth printing and providing for my middle school students as a first week of the year activity. Must have taken you ages to come up with all 300 of these!
I’m glad to hear you can use them for your students! It did take some time, but it’s well worth it knowing it might inspire kids to write! 🙂
You need a printable version of this!!
Hi Katelyn, we have one! https://gumroad.com/UBnsO Hope you enjoy!
The link doesn’t seem to be working for me… Could you send me a copy of the list, please?
Hi Tori, the printable version of this post is available as an ad-free paid upgrade – you can purchase it through my Gumroad store: https://gum.co/UBnsO
I quite liked your ideas, I’ll try a few, surely!
How long did it take for you guys to make 300 ideas?
Definitely took some time Vilenti, but it was definitely worth writing all of them! Our prompts reach over a million people a year and are used in literacy, poverty, and mental health programs worldwide. 🙂
These were awesome, thanks a TON
i have school work and this is one thing i do.
i do this for school work to
i do this for school work
Hello Chelle, thanks a lot for this. During these tough Covid times, I find your list to be a great idea to engage kids. Have got them started on some today. Hopefully this will be a long term engagement for them.
The prompts are grrrreat
This was really helpful i have looked for a lot of these, that have a lot of topics and only found one other good one and finished it all, i got to 17 and was like are they all this good! And they all are so thanks!
Glad you enjoyed them!
These are awesome
These are amazing! Thank you so much for sharing.
I loved looking at these prompts!! They were very helpful. I am loving writing and supporting my claims with these prompts. You should post more ideas!! Thanks for sharing the prompts.
Do you have any more?
This really was think written
I’d like to use a few of your questions in a journal for adults that I am creating for sale. I will absolutely credit you at the beginning of the book. Is that okay with you or not? I don’t want to infringe on any copyright laws. I think I used about ten of them.
Hi Kristen, you cannot use these prompts for products for sale, that would definitely be an infringement on copyright. These prompts can only be used for non-commercial use.
this is the greatest app ever
I like all the questions
thank you for all the ideas they are so good
OMG These are all very good and many questions i like all these Thankyou soooooooooooo much for these
I’m in class doing this and it is so fun yes every body is doing this
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- Writing Activities
105 Creative Writing Exercises To Get You Writing Again
You know that feeling when you just don’t feel like writing? Sometimes you can’t even get a word down on paper. It’s the most frustrating thing ever to a writer, especially when you’re working towards a deadline. The good news is that we have a list of 105 creative writing exercises to help you get motivated and start writing again!
What are creative writing exercises?
Creative writing exercises are short writing activities (normally around 10 minutes) designed to get you writing. The goal of these exercises is to give you the motivation to put words onto a blank paper. These words don’t need to be logical or meaningful, neither do they need to be grammatically correct or spelt correctly. The whole idea is to just get you writing something, anything. The end result of these quick creative writing exercises is normally a series of notes, bullet points or ramblings that you can, later on, use as inspiration for a bigger piece of writing such as a story or a poem.
Good creative writing exercises are short, quick and easy to complete. You shouldn’t need to think too much about your style of writing or how imaginative your notes are. Just write anything that comes to mind, and you’ll be on the road to improving your creative writing skills and beating writer’s block .
Use the generator below to get a random creative writing exercise idea:
List of 105+ Creative Writing Exercises
Here are over 105 creative writing exercises to give your brain a workout and help those creative juices flow again:
- Set a timer for 60 seconds. Now write down as many words or phrases that come to mind at that moment.
- Pick any colour you like. Now start your sentence with this colour. For example, Orange, the colour of my favourite top.
- Open a book or dictionary on a random page. Pick a random word. You can close your eyes and slowly move your finger across the page. Now, write a paragraph with this random word in it. You can even use an online dictionary to get random words:
- Create your own alphabet picture book or list. It can be A to Z of animals, food, monsters or anything else you like!
- Using only the sense of smell, describe where you are right now.
- Take a snack break. While eating your snack write down the exact taste of that food. The goal of this creative writing exercise is to make your readers savour this food as well.
- Pick a random object in your room and write a short paragraph from its point of view. For example, how does your pencil feel? What if your lamp had feelings?
- Describe your dream house. Where would you live one day? Is it huge or tiny?
- Pick two different TV shows, movies or books that you like. Now swap the main character. What if Supergirl was in Twilight? What if SpongeBob SquarePants was in The Flash? Write a short scene using this character swap as inspiration.
- What’s your favourite video game? Write at least 10 tips for playing this game.
- Pick your favourite hobby or sport. Now pretend an alien has just landed on Earth and you need to teach it this hobby or sport. Write at least ten tips on how you would teach this alien.
- Use a random image generator and write a paragraph about the first picture you see.
- Write a letter to your favourite celebrity or character. What inspires you most about them? Can you think of a memorable moment where this person’s life affected yours? We have this helpful guide on writing a letter to your best friend for extra inspiration.
- Write down at least 10 benefits of writing. This can help motivate you and beat writer’s block.
- Complete this sentence in 10 different ways: Patrick waited for the school bus and…
- Pick up a random book from your bookshelf and go to page 9. Find the ninth sentence on that page. Use this sentence as a story starter.
- Create a character profile based on all the traits that you hate. It might help to list down all the traits first and then work on describing the character.
- What is the scariest or most dangerous situation you have ever been in? Why was this situation scary? How did you cope at that moment?
- Pretend that you’re a chat show host and you’re interviewing your favourite celebrity. Write down the script for this conversation.
- Using extreme detail, write down what you have been doing for the past one hour today. Think about your thoughts, feelings and actions during this time.
- Make a list of potential character names for your next story. You can use a fantasy name generator to help you.
- Describe a futuristic setting. What do you think the world would look like in 100 years time?
- Think about a recent argument you had with someone. Would you change anything about it? How would you resolve an argument in the future?
- Describe a fantasy world. What kind of creatures live in this world? What is the climate like? What everyday challenges would a typical citizen of this world face? You can use this fantasy world name generator for inspiration.
- At the flip of a switch, you turn into a dragon. What kind of dragon would you be? Describe your appearance, special abilities, likes and dislikes. You can use a dragon name generator to give yourself a cool dragon name.
- Pick your favourite book or a famous story. Now change the point of view. For example, you could rewrite the fairytale , Cinderella. This time around, Prince Charming could be the main character. What do you think Prince Charming was doing, while Cinderella was cleaning the floors and getting ready for the ball?
- Pick a random writing prompt and use it to write a short story. Check out this collection of over 300 writing prompts for kids to inspire you.
- Write a shopping list for a famous character in history. Imagine if you were Albert Einstein’s assistant, what kind of things would he shop for on a weekly basis?
- Create a fake advertisement poster for a random object that is near you right now. Your goal is to convince the reader to buy this object from you.
- What is the worst (or most annoying) sound that you can imagine? Describe this sound in great detail, so your reader can understand the pain you feel when hearing this sound.
- What is your favourite song at the moment? Pick one line from this song and describe a moment in your life that relates to this line.
- You’re hosting an imaginary dinner party at your house. Create a list of people you would invite, and some party invites. Think about the theme of the dinner party, the food you will serve and entertainment for the evening.
- You are waiting to see your dentist in the waiting room. Write down every thought you are having at this moment in time.
- Make a list of your greatest fears. Try to think of at least three fears. Now write a short story about a character who is forced to confront one of these fears.
- Create a ‘Wanted’ poster for a famous villain of your choice. Think about the crimes they have committed, and the reward you will give for having them caught.
- Imagine you are a journalist for the ‘Imagine Forest Times’ newspaper. Your task is to get an exclusive interview with the most famous villain of all time. Pick a villain of your choice and interview them for your newspaper article. What questions would you ask them, and what would their responses be?
- In a school playground, you see the school bully hurting a new kid. Write three short stories, one from each perspective in this scenario (The bully, the witness and the kid getting bullied).
- You just won $10 million dollars. What would you spend this money on?
- Pick a random animal, and research at least five interesting facts about this animal. Write a short story centred around one of these interesting facts.
- Pick a global issue that you are passionate about. This could be climate change, black lives matters, women’s rights etc. Now create a campaign poster for this global issue.
- Write an acrostic poem about an object near you right now (or even your own name). You could use a poetry idea generator to inspire you.
- Imagine you are the head chef of a 5-star restaurant. Recently the business has slowed down. Your task is to come up with a brand-new menu to excite customers. Watch this video prompt on YouTube to inspire you.
- What is your favourite food of all time? Imagine if this piece of food was alive, what would it say to you?
- If life was one big musical, what would you be singing about right now? Write the lyrics of your song.
- Create and describe the most ultimate villain of all time. What would their traits be? What would their past look like? Will they have any positive traits?
- Complete this sentence in at least 10 different ways: Every time I look out of the window, I…
- You have just made it into the local newspaper, but what for? Write down at least five potential newspaper headlines . Here’s an example, Local Boy Survives a Deadly Illness.
- If you were a witch or a wizard, what would your specialist area be and why? You might want to use a Harry Potter name generator or a witch name generator for inspiration.
- What is your favourite thing to do on a Saturday night? Write a short story centred around this activity.
- Your main character has just received the following items: A highlighter, a red cap, a teddy bear and a fork. What would your character do with these items? Can you write a story using these items?
- Create a timeline of your own life, from birth to this current moment. Think about the key events in your life, such as birthdays, graduations, weddings and so on. After you have done this, you can pick one key event from your life to write a story about.
- Think of a famous book or movie you like. Rewrite a scene from this book or movie, where the main character is an outsider. They watch the key events play out, but have no role in the story. What would their actions be? How would they react?
- Three very different characters have just won the lottery. Write a script for each character, as they reveal the big news to their best friend.
- Write a day in the life story of three different characters. How does each character start their day? What do they do throughout the day? And how does their day end?
- Write about the worst experience in your life so far. Think about a time when you were most upset or angry and describe it.
- Imagine you’ve found a time machine in your house. What year would you travel to and why?
- Describe your own superhero. Think about their appearance, special abilities and their superhero name. Will they have a secret identity? Who is their number one enemy?
- What is your favourite country in the world? Research five fun facts about this country and use one to write a short story.
- Set yourself at least three writing goals. This could be a good way to motivate yourself to write every day. For example, one goal might be to write at least 150 words a day.
- Create a character description based on the one fact, three fiction rule. Think about one fact or truth about yourself. And then add in three fictional or fantasy elements. For example, your character could be the same age as you in real life, this is your one fact. And the three fictional elements could be they have the ability to fly, talk in over 100 different languages and have green skin.
- Describe the perfect person. What traits would they have? Think about their appearance, their interests and their dislikes.
- Keep a daily journal or diary. This is a great way to keep writing every day. There are lots of things you can write about in your journal, such as you can write about the ‘highs’ and ‘lows’ of your day. Think about anything that inspired you or anything that upset you, or just write anything that comes to mind at the moment.
- Write a book review or a movie review. If you’re lost for inspiration, just watch a random movie or read any book that you can find. Then write a critical review on it. Think about the best parts of the book/movie and the worst parts. How would you improve the book or movie?
- Write down a conversation between yourself. You can imagine talking to your younger self or future self (i.e. in 10 years’ time). What would you tell them? Are there any lessons you learned or warnings you need to give? Maybe you could talk about what your life is like now and compare it to their life?
- Try writing some quick flash fiction stories . Flash fiction is normally around 500 words long, so try to stay within this limit.
- Write a six-word story about something that happened to you today or yesterday. A six-word story is basically an entire story told in just six words. Take for example: “Another football game ruined by me.” or “A dog’s painting sold for millions.” – Six-word stories are similar to writing newspaper headlines. The goal is to summarise your story in just six words.
- The most common monsters or creatures used in stories include vampires, werewolves , dragons, the bigfoot, sirens and the loch-ness monster. In a battle of intelligence, who do you think will win and why?
- Think about an important event in your life that has happened so far, such as a birthday or the birth of a new sibling. Now using the 5 W’s and 1 H technique describe this event in great detail. The 5 W’s include: What, Who, Where, Why, When and the 1 H is: How. Ask yourself questions about the event, such as what exactly happened on that day? Who was there? Why was this event important? When and where did it happen? And finally, how did it make you feel?
- Pretend to be someone else. Think about someone important in your life. Now put yourself into their shoes, and write a day in the life story about being them. What do you think they do on a daily basis? What situations would they encounter? How would they feel?
- Complete this sentence in at least 10 different ways: I remember…
- Write about your dream holiday. Where would you go? Who would you go with? And what kind of activities would you do?
- Which one item in your house do you use the most? Is it the television, computer, mobile phone, the sofa or the microwave? Now write a story of how this item was invented. You might want to do some research online and use these ideas to build up your story.
- In exactly 100 words, describe your bedroom. Try not to go over or under this word limit.
- Make a top ten list of your favourite animals. Based on this list create your own animal fact file, where you provide fun facts about each animal in your list.
- What is your favourite scene from a book or a movie? Write down this scene. Now rewrite the scene in a different genre, such as horror, comedy, drama etc.
- Change the main character of a story you recently read into a villain. For example, you could take a popular fairytale such as Jack and the Beanstalk, but this time re-write the story to make Jack the villain of the tale.
- Complete the following sentence in at least 10 different ways: Do you ever wonder…
- What does your name mean? Research the meaning of your own name, or a name that interests you. Then use this as inspiration for your next story. For example, the name ‘Marty’ means “Servant Of Mars, God Of War”. This could make a good concept for a sci-fi story.
- Make a list of three different types of heroes (or main characters) for potential future stories.
- If someone gave you $10 dollars, what would you spend it on and why?
- Describe the world’s most boring character in at least 100 words.
- What is the biggest problem in the world today, and how can you help fix this issue?
- Create your own travel brochure for your hometown. Think about why tourists might want to visit your hometown. What is your town’s history? What kind of activities can you do? You could even research some interesting facts.
- Make a list of all your favourite moments or memories in your life. Now pick one to write a short story about.
- Describe the scariest and ugliest monster you can imagine. You could even draw a picture of this monster with your description.
- Write seven haikus, one for each colour of the rainbow. That’s red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
- Imagine you are at the supermarket. Write down at least three funny scenarios that could happen to you at the supermarket. Use one for your next short story.
- Imagine your main character is at home staring at a photograph. Write the saddest scene possible. Your goal is to make your reader cry when reading this scene.
- What is happiness? In at least 150 words describe the feeling of happiness. You could use examples from your own life of when you felt happy.
- Think of a recent nightmare you had and write down everything you can remember. Use this nightmare as inspiration for your next story.
- Keep a dream journal. Every time you wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning you can quickly jot down things that you remember from your dreams. These notes can then be used as inspiration for a short story.
- Your main character is having a really bad day. Describe this bad day and the series of events they experience. What’s the worst thing that could happen to your character?
- You find a box on your doorstep. You open this box and see the most amazing thing ever. Describe this amazing thing to your readers.
- Make a list of at least five possible settings or locations for future stories. Remember to describe each setting in detail.
- Think of something new you recently learned. Write this down. Now write a short story where your main character also learns the same thing.
- Describe the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen in your whole life. Your goal is to amaze your readers with its beauty.
- Make a list of things that make you happy or cheer you up. Try to think of at least five ideas. Now imagine living in a world where all these things were banned or against the law. Use this as inspiration for your next story.
- Would you rather be rich and alone or poor and very popular? Write a story based on the lives of these two characters.
- Imagine your main character is a Librarian. Write down at least three dark secrets they might have. Remember, the best secrets are always unexpected.
- There’s a history behind everything. Describe the history of your house. How and when was your house built? Think about the land it was built on and the people that may have lived here long before you.
- Imagine that you are the king or queen of a beautiful kingdom. Describe your kingdom in great detail. What kind of rules would you have? Would you be a kind ruler or an evil ruler of the kingdom?
- Make a wish list of at least three objects you wish you owned right now. Now use these three items in your next story. At least one of them must be the main prop in the story.
- Using nothing but the sense of taste, describe a nice Sunday afternoon at your house. Remember you can’t use your other senses (i.e see, hear, smell or touch) in this description.
- What’s the worst pain you felt in your life? Describe this pain in great detail, so your readers can also feel it.
- If you were lost on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere, what three must-have things would you pack and why?
- Particpate in online writing challenges or contests. Here at Imagine Forest, we offer daily writing challenges with a new prompt added every day to inspire you. Check out our challenges section in the menu.
Do you have any more fun creative writing exercises to share? Let us know in the comments below!
Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.
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Top 10 Fun Writing Activities For Kids
by Eva St. Clair November 22, 2017 4 min read 2 Comments
All parents strive to give proper education to their children. However, each of you should remember that high-quality education starts not at school or prestigious university, but at home, where parents devote enough time to educate their kids. In this post, I will tell you about ten fun ideas of writing games for kids that will help you to teach your children in a simple and enjoyable way!
What Are The Most Fun Writing Games For Kids?
To make a significant contribution to your kid’s development and education you should keep in mind that the main activity for every child is a game. Through the game, the child discovers the world around him. Therefore, any developmental activity with a child should be organized in the form of a fun game to reach good results and simply ensure exciting pastime for you and your kid!
1. Finish the story
Make writing fun with some fiction prompts! If your kid can already write confidently but still does it reluctantly, offer him to play a game, during which you will have to create a short novel together. Discuss the topic with a child (find many interesting creative writing topics here ) and write down a few sentences that he will need to continue – this will get him interested and help to develop not only writing skills, but also imagination!
2. Create paintings with your names
Children often find it fun to paint. This exercise will help you to combine fun and creative activity with learning – use a sticky tape to write your names (or any other things), color the whole paper, and then peel off the tape!
3. Do grocery shopping together
Ask your kid to create a short list of groceries that you need to buy every week, including their personal wishes (chocolate, treats, and other). And, if you child can’t write yet, ask him to create the same list but in pictures and then tell you what they have drawn!
4. Creating new words
This exercise will help to develop logical thinking and enhance kid’s writing skills. Prepare several cards with short words (3-5 letters), then show them to your children and ask them to come up with two or more other words that consist of the same letters!
5. Write a book
Children tend to be more creative than adults. Moreover, the majority of them really enjoy different creative activities, so this idea will help you make teaching process much more fun! Ask your kid to create his own book (even if it is a small essay, encourage his desire to create something big) on any topic. Then help him to design the book. Create a bright cover page, add pages, and draw the illustrations together – believe me, your child will love doing this!
6. Learn the alphabet
Learn the letters while creating your own design for the alphabet! This activity is perfect for preschool education – it will help you to give the necessary knowledge base and do something fun together with your child!
7. Write a poem
This will be fun for elder schoolchildren. The idea of this task is to create everything that you kid sees around into a poem – for example, you can go for a walk and ask your son or daughter to fill in the gaps in this small poem with what they see:
At the park, I see ________________; In the woods, I hear ______________; In wintertime, I feel ______________ ; And so on.
8. Find a match
Create cards with the words of different meanings or, if your kid is a bit older, you can create cards with jobs and tools needed for them, and so on, then put them on the table and ask your son or daughter to find matching cards.
9. Add some competition
Often, competition is not only fun but also very effective! Thus, if you have more than one child (or you can invite some other kids to come over) create a fun activity for everyone; for example, ask them to create movie scripts! You can also offer a prize for the best script!
10. Fun envelopes
If you have a birthday party or any other even just around the corner – this is a great time to do another exciting writing activity! Offer your kid to create beautiful envelopes with invitations and then ask him to write a short message on each of them!
These are my top ten activities! I bet that your children will love each one of them! However, you should always keep in mind that any, at first sight, boring activity, even performing essays, can be turned into a fun game if you add just a bit of creativity and imagination and your kids will thank you for this!
Helen Birk is a passionate writer at EduBirdie and a happy mother of three amazing children. Helen claims that she enjoys spending time with her children, teaching them, and playing games. As a writer, Helen Birk is confident that writing skills are among the most basic that each person needs to have and that is why she shares her favorite training activities that she used with her kids and recommends to other parents!
Eva St. Clair
Eva St. Clair is a co-founder of Princess Awesome and the company's Chief Creative Officer. She and her husband are raising four kids outside of Washington, DC.
2 Responses
February 01, 2022
Pls post some activities for 7 to 8 class
Terri Thomas
September 28, 2021
I am a middle school teacher. Do you have any suggestions for grades six through eight? I really liked the ones for elementary school students that you posted.
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10 Fun Writing Activities for Kids
Looking for some fun writing ideas?
We’re excited to welcome back Julie Petersen to Minds in Bloom today! Julie’s written a great post for us about fun writing activities for kids, so please read on and comment with which activities you want to try with your students!
What’s your style of teaching? Is it based on repetition? Yeah, that doesn’t work. I’ve tried it. Kids want something fun.
Today's kiddos expect to be entertained!
Yes – the students expect to be entertained . And we can use that to our advantage.
As teachers, we can make writing fun for our students!
They want diversity, and that’s exactly what makes teaching more fun, too. Here are several writing activities that my students have really enjoyed.
1. Journaling for Beginners
For this activity, you’ll need to provide a journal. If your students are extra techy, you can even provide them with a digital journal . You don’t have to spend lots of money to make the journal special. You can simply fold and staple a few pages and let the students decorate the cover with stickers, pictures, or just with markers and crayons.
If your students aren’t strong writers, they can draw. The important thing is learning self-expression.
Tell them to write (or draw) what they did throughout the day. How they brushed their teeth, what breakfast they had, how they prepared for school…anything. It’s even better if you can encourage them to express feelings, such as happiness, excitement, anger, or whatever else they are feeling.
You can teach the parents how to support journaling at home , too.
2. Cards & Letters
When you assign homework, your students don’t always see the greater purpose. But, writing cards and letters is real-life writing with a purpose. Whenever there’s a holiday, you can use this method to get them to write and have fun while doing it. Let them design and write cards for Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and all other holidays. This practice will also help your students learn the standard format for writing friendly letters.
3. Fill in the Story
It was a sunny day. The little tiger just woke up… He saw the _____________, and he said _____________. Together, they ____________________________. Then, they ________________________. They had lots of fun. They agreed to ________________________.
You’d be surprised to see how creative your students can get with few simple sentences. If you need inspiration, then you can get some worksheets with blank stories .
4. Drawing Words
How would you draw the Moon? How would you draw the word “precious”? Think of different words. They can signify items, but you should also let them play with abstract concepts, such as love or beauty.
This activity inspires writing because it helps the students understand the true meaning and importance of every word they use.
5. Birthday Messages
Whenever someone has a birthday, get the entire class to write a message. You can get a big piece of paper where everyone will have space to write. You can also turn this into an art project, so the students will have an authentic purpose for writing.
The sentences can start with, “I wish you…” Let everyone express their message and appreciation for the friend.
6. Cut Out My Name
This is a great way to teach cursive writing. Get some paper and fold each piece lengthwise. Each student should write their name in cursive on one half, with the fold being at the bottom. Cut around the upper side of the name.
When you unfold the paper, you’ll get a symmetrical figure. Each name gives a different figure. What does it look like? A bug ! Let them draw or paint on the clean side of the paper.
7. Chalkboard Writing
For this activity, you’ll need clipboards, chalkboard paint , a paint brush, tape, and chalks. Tape the clipboards on the sides, so you’ll get a nice frame for your board. Then, paint the middle with a coat of chalkboard paint. Let it dry, and apply a second coat. When that dries, you can remove the tape, and the chalkboard will be ready.
You can get all students to tape their own boards, and you’ll be the painter. When the tiny boards are ready, they can use them to write answers to your questions.
8. Write A Choose Your Own Adventure
Write a collaborative class story in the style of “Choose Your Own Adventure.” Start a story and bring that story to a fork in the road. Allow students to write the optional paths that the story can take. Once you have a couple of student-written options, continue the story in the same way. If you have older students, it’s fun to put them in small groups. Tell the groups they need to have at least three branches, and when everyone is done, trade stories and read each other’s adventures.
9. Vocabulary Challenge
Pick a new word for the students to learn. Think of something unusual. Explain the word. Tell them to use it in a sentence. Then, tell them to write a short story around that sentence. If you turn this into a team activity, it will be more fun.
10. Typing Challenge
The students love this one! Students have to learn how to type, right? This is a fun way to practice writing and typing! You can project a Google Doc and call up a student to write for one minute. The next student will add on to what the first student wrote for one minute. One after another, the students work together to write a (HILARIOUS) short story. They felt like real writers. Grab a free digital composition notebook to use with this strategy.
We, teachers, have to be fun. It’s a choice, but it’s the right one to make. With a bit of creativity and effort, we can make even the most challenging aspects of learning easy on them.
Julie Petersen is a tutor, a writer, and a blogger who features the latest career and educational trends in her articles. At the present time, she is running her essay writing blog AskPetersen.com and working on her first ebook dedicated to online learning. You may see Julie’s latest publications and contact her via LinkedIn .
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October 10, 2017 at 3:59 am
I agree, the kids now is not like me at their age at all 🙂 Thank you for sharing these great ideas!
December 14, 2020 at 9:01 pm
Very interesting activities, thank you!
August 6, 2021 at 8:47 pm
One activity I find works well is getting students to talk about an accomplishment they’re proud of. Helps build self-esteem & other students love hearing them too.
May 13, 2022 at 9:32 am
I read your blog. Having very use full information help me a lot. I will read more articles on your blog.
May 27, 2022 at 8:58 am
interesting activities
September 20, 2022 at 12:33 am
Our teacher uses many of these activities which help out students in increasing their academic performance. As we are an online school we do these activities virtually and these activities help kids in refreshing their minds while taking online classes.
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20 Creative Writing Activities for Elementary Students
- November 23, 2021
Did you know that November is National Novel Writing Month? While your young learners are probably not ready to write an entire book, this month is a great time to practice creative writing skills with your students. Not only can creative writing be helpful for teaching vocabulary and sentence structure, but it can also encourage students to use imaginative thinkin g —and even find a genuine love of writing!
All of these 20 creative writing activities can be used with elementary school students to practice reading and writing skills. We’ve included options for both early elementary students, who may still be learning to write, and elementary students in upper grades who are ready to work on projects of their choosing.
1. Join the NaNoWriMo organization’s Young Writers Program (YWP) ! Together, your students can work on all sorts of age-appropriate writing challenges and activities throughout the year—including a project of their choice in November!
2. To practice pre-writing skills and collaborating on a project, try these shared writing project activities .
3. If you have any budding cartoonists in your class, this Finish the Comic activity from author Jarrett Lerner can be a great way for younger students to practice writing dialogue.
4. Teach your students about adjectives and writing descriptions with this Popcorn Adjectives activity .
5. Students can learn about creative writing by studying imagery and poetry by established authors. Using this writing worksheet , kids can write out their thoughts about a poem and draw images that stand out to them.
6. To teach creative thinking skills with kindergarteners and early elementary students, try this Mystery Seed writing activity .
7. Get families involved, too! Share these fun home writing activities with your student’s families to help them practice at home.
8. Print out and put together a Writing Jar with tons of creative writing prompts to inspire your students.
9. Check out this resource for even more writing prompts focused on imaginative thinking.
10. Try blackout poetry , an activity that encourages students to make their own beautiful art from a work that already exists.
11. Creative writing isn’t limited to fiction. This narrative writing activity can teach students to write events clearly and in sequence from their real life.
12. For a creative writing project that’s just plain fun, try this Roll a Story activity.
13. This nonfiction project helps children learn to write a letter as they write to a loved one of their choice.
14. If you want to give your students some freedom in choosing a writing assignment, hang up this Writing Prompt Choice Board in your classroom and let them answer whichever prompt they’d like!
15. Encourage students to keep their own journal throughout the year. You could even give them time each morning to respond to a journal prompt .
16. Use this journal page template to help students structure and compile journal entries.
17. These printable Mad Libs can teach children different parts of a sentence while they use their imaginations to create a story.
18. Use this What? So What? Now What? exercise (#6 at the link) to help students structure their creative writing projects.
19. To teach children how to create descriptive sentences, play this Show, Don’t Tell writing activity .
20. If you’d like to hold a month-long creative writing activity, try this 30-Day Writing Challenge for kids .
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