Grades 3–5
The Teddy Bear’s Secret Diary
A diary-entry prompt: kids write in the voice of a teddy bear who has a secret life at night.
Writing worksheet · Creative writing prompts
A Day as the Class Mouse
A point-of-view prompt: kids write one school day as the class pet mouse, from morning to after school.
- Grade level
- Grades 2–4
- Time
- About 30 minutes
- Answer key
- Not needed: answers vary
- Kids practice
- Creative writing, Generating ideas, Story structure, Writing with voice
What kids do
“You are the class pet mouse. Tell about one day in your classroom, from your little cage.”
Printed on the sheet:
- In the morning I
- I am the class mouse, and today was the strangest day.
Teacher tip
Have kids walk the classroom like a mouse for one minute, noticing what a tiny pet would see, before they write.
How to use it
- Read the prompt aloud with lots of drama, then give two minutes of quiet thinking.
- Let kids talk the story to a partner before they write a word.
- Read the directions aloud so the sheet is about writing, not decoding the directions.
Watch for
Stories that never get past the beginning. Ask what happens next and what the problem is.
Talk about it
- What made your main character interesting?
- What did you change when you reread your work?
Take it further
Have kids turn their story into a four-panel comic.
US Letter, prints well in black and white. Free for home and classroom use: print as many copies as you need.
More creative writing prompts
Grades 4–5
Pizza Gets a Job
A funny story prompt with a four-part plan: the job, the problem, the fix and the ending.
Grades K–1
My Monster Comes to School
A picture starter for the youngest writers: pick a spot in the school, draw the monster there and write one sentence.
Grades 1–3
The Mermaid’s Treasure Map
An adventure prompt: kids draw the mermaid’s treasure map, decide what the treasure is and write the hunt.
Free for teachers
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