Writing

Writing Prompts for Fun: Why Prompts are Helpful to All Students

Some kids jump into their creative writing process with ease. Others need a little boost. This is where writing prompts for fun come in. Many students see writing as a chore and don’t look forward to it. There are tons of rules to follow and steps to check off. They enjoy writing more when there is a freestyle to it without strict limits.

writing prompts for fun- why kids love them in the classroom

Sure, some writing pieces need a guide and need to meet certain standards, but for daily practice, fun writing prompts are a great way to get students to step out of their comfort zone. One simple way to do this is by inviting them to journal daily or to explore writing stations throughout the week. These activities shouldn’t be extremely structured or follow tight guides. They should allow the students to free write just to get that practice. Then, when they apply it to more strenuous writing, they will be able to master it more quickly!

Common Classroom Challenges

Picture this: You have a classroom of students writing on the same topic. Some have already written 5 sentences, while others are still brainstorming where to start. You check on the students who haven’t started and find that they are experiencing writing block. They are thinking too hard about what to write because they are afraid they won’t be hitting the necessary checkboxes.

We’ve all seen this.

These students need the chance to write without the pressures of grading. They need to know that writing can be fun and doesn’t always need strict guides. Using writing prompts for fun will help them practice different forms of writing without adhering to criteria. Sure, they’ll implement that with time, but to start, they just need something fun.

Writing Prompts for Fun Your Kids Will Love

Writing prompts may seem tricky to come up with, so I helped. I created a list of 165 writing prompts you and your students will love. These writing prompts are simple to implement in journaling times or as morning work. They can be used at any point during the day. There are a combination of descriptive writing prompts, opinion writing prompts, and narrative writing prompts. A little bit of everything to get you through the school year.

Check out all 165 Writing Prompts Kids Will Love and see how you can use them in the upper elementary school classroom.

Another way to make writing fun for kids is to let them use fun pencils during writing times. Try these motivational mood-changing pencils. They’ll look forward to writing with them during writing stations and journaling times.

Using Weekly Writing Prompts for Fun

Throughout the week, it’s a good idea to implement writing prompts that students can slowly work through. Instead of giving them a new writing prompt each day, give them one to focus on for the week. This takes the pressure off of writing a ton in a short period of time. They will know they have all week to work on and expand their writing.

It’s a great practice tool so they can ask questions and reformat their thoughts after a full day away from their paper. Sometimes a good night’s rest will freshen their brains and bring new ideas to the table the next day.

These weekly writing prompts for fun give students a scenario to write about and break it down into smaller steps. Instead of one giant task, they have smaller tasks to complete during the week. Doesn’t that sound a lot less stressful to you? What’s cool about these writing prompts is that they come in print and digital form, so students can use their technology to complete them as needed.

Examples of Writing Prompts for Fun

If you want a glimpse into the prompts included in the 165 FREE Prompts, here are just a few of them!

Write about a time you lost something important. What was it, and how did you react?
Write a story about what it would be like if you woke up one morning with scales on your body.
Describe an inspirational friend or family member.
Pretend you came across a spooky place or haunted mansion. Tell us what you see and hear.
In your opinion, should kids have more or less homework?
What is the best way to start the day in the classroom? Tell us about it and why it’s the best way.

Using writing prompts for fun in the classroom is an easy way to motivate students as they go through the writing process. It doesn’t seem as tedious when they have a fun topic or prompt to get them started. They feel less pressure, and their confidence quickly grows. Use these fun writing prompts with your students and watch as they learn to love writing.

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