ELEMENTARYWRITINGANDJOURNALPROMPTS
ANDSTORYSTARTERSFORKIDS
So,withoutfurtherado…here’sanamazinglistofelementarywritingpromptsandwritingstartersforyourstudents!1.Imaginethatyoucanbecomeinvisiblewheneveryouwantedto?Whataresomeofthethingsyouwoulddo.2.Iamveryproudbecause…3.IfIwerePresidentIwould…4.IfIwereaturtlelivinginapond,Iwould…5.Iamafraidto________because6.Nameonthingyoudoreallywell?Givelotsofdetailstellingwhy.7.Whatisyourfavoriteroominyourhomeandwhy?8.Describewhatitmeanstobeagoodneighbor?9.Whatisyourfavoritetimeofday?Why?10.Describeyourbestdayever?11.Howdoyoudealwithpeoplewhobugyou?12.Whatexcitesyou?13.Describeyourfavoritehobby.14.Whatisyourfavoritequotebyafamousperson?Why?15.Whatisyourfavoritesongandwhy?16.Climbingtreesis…17.Iwishtreescould___________because….18.Iwanttobea________whenIgrowup.ThenIwill….19.Iwishtherewerealawthatsaid…..20.IwishIcouldforgetthetimeI___________because….21.IwishIcoulddo___________because…..22.Olderpeopleare…23.Youngerpeopleare…24.Theperfectplaceinthewholewideworldis___________because…25.Whatmakesyoufeelsad?Why?26.Whatmakesyoufeelhappy?Why?27.Whatcanyoudotohelpyoufeelbetterwhenyou’refeelingblue?28.Nameyourfavoritebookandwhy?29.IfIwerearaindrop,I’d…30.WhatIknowaboutrabbitsisthat31.IfIwereanEasteregg…32.Forlunchtoday…33.Pretendthatyoucanflywheneveryouwanted.Wherewouldyougo?34.Pretendthatthereisnosuchthingastelevision,Internet,orvideogames.Whatdoyoudowithallyourtime?35.Myfavoritestuffedanimalortoyis…36.37.38.39.40.41.42.43.44.45.46.47.48.49.50.Imagineifcowsgavegreenjuiceinsteadofmilk!Whatwouldtheworldlooklike?Imaginethatallthestreetsarerivers?Howdoyougetaround?Whatwouldhappenifitreallydidraincatsanddogs?IfIwereasnake,I’d…Usedescriptivewordslikeamazing,incredible,outrageous,super-funormind-blowinginyourjournalentry.IfIcouldchooseadifferentname,Iwouldchoose…Let’sgo_______________.Describeyouradventure.WritealettertoyourMom,Dad,friend,cousin,classmate.Whatwouldhappenifanimalscouldtalk?Whatquestionswouldyouliketoaskanimalsandwhatwouldtheiranswersbe?Whatwouldyoudoifyouwereinthemiddleofthelakeandyourboatspringsaleak?Whatwouldyoudoifyousuddenlywokeupinanothercountryandnoonecouldunderstandawordyousaid!Whatwouldyoudo?Writeapoemaboutyourfavoriteperson,animal,orplace.Whatisyourdreamvacation?Materials:Paper,pens/pencils,markers/crayonsCreativewritingisagreatwayforchildrentoexpressthemselves.Howdoyougetkidstowanttowritewithoutcomplaining?drawapictureorcollagetogowiththeiressay.Creativewritingisnotjustforolderchildren.I’vedonethismanytimeswithchildrenasyoungas1stgrade.Ihavethemconcentratelessonthewritingandmoreondrawingapicturethatgoeswiththetopic.Childrenaregreatwithexpressingthemselvesthroughart.Topics1.Havethechildrenwriteontopofthepage:IAmSpecialBecause….2.IfIwasasuperherowhatkindoutsuperherowouldIbeandwhatpowerswouldIhave(Thiscanalsobedoneusingvillains)?3.WhatdoIwanttobewhenIgrowupandwhy?4.Ifyouweregiven3wisheswhatwouldtheybeandwhy?5.IfIcouldinventanewanimalwhatkindofanimalwouldImake(i.esounds,diet,wheretheanimallivesetc…)?6.IfIcouldinventanewtoywhatkindoftoywouldIcreateandwhy?7.IfIcouldmakesomethingdisappearinmylifewhatwoulditbeandwhy?8.AllAboutmeessay.Havechildrenwriteaboutalltheirlikesanddislikes.9.WhatwaysdoIhelpmyfamily?Havechildrenwriteaboutthewaystheyhelptheirfamilies(i.echores,helpmommycooketc…).10.HowcanIbeabetterfriend?Havechildrenwriteaboutthingstheycandotobeanicer,kinderfriend.11.Ifyoucouldbeinvisiblewhatwouldyoudoandwhy?12.Whatdoyouthinkaboutbulliesandwhy?Givethemfuntopicswhichtheywilllearnaboutthemselveswhilewriting.Havethem13.Whyisitimportanttobehonestandnotlie?14.Whatwoulddoifyouwonamilliondollars?
15.Ifyoucouldchangetheworldwhatwouldyoudoandwhy?16.Ifyouwereaking/queenwhatwouldyoudoandwhy?
17.Ifyoucouldinventavideogamewhatkindofgamewouldyoucreateandwhy?
18.Writeaboutatimewhenyouhadtobebrave,whatdidyoudo,howdiditfeel?
19.Writeaboutatriptothemoon,howdidyougetthere,whatdidyousee,wasitfunorscary?
20.Writeaboutsomethingyouarereallygoodat?21.Writeabout1thingyouwanttolearnabout?
22.Writeaboutatimewhenyouworkedreallyhardtogetsomething.23.Writeabout5thingsyoucoulddebetterifyouworkedreallyhardandgavemoreeffort.
24.Ifyouhadtogiveaway$1,000whatwouldyoudowithit,whowouldyougiveitto?
25.Whatisthebestthingsomeonehasevergiventoyou?26.Whatisthenicestthingsomeonehaseverdoneforyou?27.Writeaboutwhatyoucanteachothers.
28.Didevergetintoanargumentwithafriendforfamilymember?Howdidthatmakeyoufeel?
29.Didyoueverhurtsomeone’sfeelings?Explainwhathappened,howitmadeyoufeel
30.Didsomeoneeverhurtyourfeelings?Howdiditmadeyoufeel?Didyoutalktothatpersonaboutit?
31.Isthereanyoneyouwouldliketoswitchplaceswith?whoandwhy
32.Whatdoesitmeantobeloyal?
33.Whenwasatimeyouwereloyaltoafriendorafriendwasloyaltoyou?
34.Hasafriendeverbetrayedyou?Howdiditmakeyoufeel?Whatdoyouthinkyourfriendshouldhavedonedifferently.
35.Haveyoueverbeenfriendswithsomeonewhowasunpopularornotpartofthegroup?
36.Whenwasatimeyoufeltyouweretreatedunfairly?Howdiditmakeyoufeel?
37.Isitfairtogivesomeoneaheadstartinarace?Whenisitnotfair?
38.Writeaboutatimewhenyouhadastrongopinionaboutsomething?Whydidyoufeelsostronglyaboutit?
39.Writeaboutatimeyoumadeabigmistake.Howdidyoufixit?40.Writeaboutatimewhenyouwereveryangry.Whathappened?41.Ifyouheardarumoraboutafriendthatyounewwasn’ttruewhatwouldyoudo?Howwoulditmakeyoufeel?
42.Writeaboutatimewhenyoucheeredsomeoneup.Whatdidyoudo,howdidifmakeyoufeel,howdiditmakethatpersonfeel?
43.Writeaboutatimethatyouusedyourinnerstrengthtogetthroughatoughsituation.
44.Writeabout3thingsthatarehardforyouandwhy.
45.Whenwasthelasttimeyouwereafraid?Whatscaredyou,howdidyoureact?
46.Whatisthebravestthingyouhaveeverdone?47.Whoisyourheroandwhy?
48.Whatdoyouthinkrisktakingis?Haveyouevertookarisk?
Whenisitfair?
49.Writeaboutyourbestfriend.Whoarethey,howlonghaveyouknownthem,whyaretheyyourbestfriend?
50.Whatdoesitmeantohavegoodcharacter?Doyouthinkyouhavegoodcharacter,why?
51.Thinkaboutsomethingyouarenotallowedtodobutwishyou
could.Writeaboutwhyyouwanttodoitandwhyyoushouldbeallowedtodoit.
52.Ifyoucouldbeonat.vshowwhichonewoulditbeanywhy?
53.Ifyouhadtochoosetobeoneagefortherestofyourlifewhichagewouldyouwanttobe?Why?
54.Ifyoucouldpicktheperfectjobwhatwoulditbe?
55.Youjustfoundatreasuremap,writeaboutwhatyouwoulddonext.Doyoudecidetolookforthetreasure?Whoisgoingtohelpyou?Whatsuppliesdoyouneed?
56.Youjustbuiltatimemachine.Whereintimewouldyougo?Whatdidyoudo?Whatdidyousee?Wouldyouwanttostaythereorcomebacktopresenttime?
57.Youjustdiscoveredanewland.Whatareyougoingtocallyourland?Whatkindofanimalslivethere?Whatdoyoudiscoveronyourland?Whatareyougoingtobuildonyournewland?Updated:
58.Groupwritingproject.Createafairytale.Haveeachmemberofthegroupwriteonepartofthestory.
Ifyouareworkingwithyoungerchildren,insteadofhavingthemwrite,youcanhavethemdrawandanswerquestionsabouttheirdrawing.Trysomeofthesetopics.
1Createamonster.Yourmonstercanbesilly,scary,funny,big,little,colorfuletc..Whatisyourmonster’sname?Whatdoesyourmonster
eat?Wheredoesyourmonsterlive?Isyourmonsterniceormean?Youcanwritetheanswerstothequestionsonthepaperforthechildorhavethemcomeupandsharetheirdrawing,whiletheyareshowingtheirpictureaskthemthequestionsabouttheirmonster.
2.Createananimal.Thisisthesameasthemonsterbutjustananimalinstead.