Grades K–1
The Dinosaur’s Birthday Party
A birthday picture prompt: kids draw a dinosaur-size cake and write about the best present.
Writing worksheet · Creative writing prompts
The Penguin Who Wanted to Fly
A picture starter for the youngest writers: draw how the penguin finally flies, then finish one sentence.
- Grade level
- Grades K–1
- Time
- About 20 minutes
- Answer key
- Not needed: answers vary
- Kids practice
- Creative writing, Generating ideas, Story structure, Writing with voice
What kids do
“This penguin wants to fly more than anything. Draw how it gets up in the sky. Then finish the sentence.”
Printed on the sheet:
- Draw how the penguin flies
- The penguin flew with
Teacher tip
Ask kids how the penguin could fly without wings: a balloon, a kite, a jetpack. Any answer works.
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.
- Model the first answer on the board, thinking out loud as you write.
Watch for
Stories that never get past the beginning. Ask what happens next and what the problem is.
Talk about it
- How did your story end? Could it end another way?
- Where else do writers use this skill?
Take it further
Bind finished stories into a class anthology for the library corner.
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 1–3
The Magic Paintbrush
A magic-object prompt: what kids paint, what comes alive and what goes wrong, then the story.
Grades 1–3
The Lost Alien Needs Help
A helping-hand story: where the alien landed, what it needs and how kids get it back to its ship.
Grades 2–4
The Day Gravity Turned Off
A what-if prompt: kids imagine a day with no gravity in three places, then write the floating story.
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