Kindergarten writing should be fun! The important thing is for kids to enjoy learning to express their thoughts and ideas in writing. At this age, drawing and dictating sentences to an adult both count as important kindergarten writing skills. The more positive experiences kids have with writing now, the more eager they’ll be to build on those skills later. Keep writing practice sessions short (no more than 15 minutes) and low-pressure, and feel free to improvise with these prompts according to your child’s interests.
10 kindergarten writing prompts
Ice cream dreams
Where‌ ‌to‌ ‌start:‌‌ ‌Ice‌ ‌cream‌ ‌cones‌ ‌are‌ ‌one‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌best‌ ‌things‌ ‌about‌ childhood.‌ ‌Start‌ ‌with‌ ‌a‌ ‌conversation‌ ‌about‌ ‌the‌ ‌last‌ ‌time‌ ‌you‌ ‌got‌ ‌a‌ ‌scoop.‌ ‌This‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌fun‌ ‌way‌ ‌for‌ ‌kids‌ ‌to‌ ‌use‌ ‌their‌ ‌imagination.‌ ‌Which‌ ‌fruits‌ ‌make‌ ‌the‌ ‌best‌ ‌ice‌ ‌cream?‌ ‌How‌ ‌about‌ ‌vegetables?‌ ‌Can‌ ‌they‌ ‌think‌ ‌of‌ ‌some‌ ‌crazy‌, ‌made-up‌ ‌flavors‌ ‌they’d‌ ‌like‌ ‌to‌ ‌try?‌ ‌Don’t‌ ‌forget‌ ‌the‌ ‌cookie‌ dough,‌ ‌chocolate‌ ‌chips‌, ‌and‌ ‌gumballs!‌ ‌ ‌
±Ê°ù´Ç³¾±è³Ù:‌ ‌‌Draw‌ ‌the‌ ‌tallest‌ ‌ice‌ ‌cream‌ ‌cone‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌world.‌ ‌How‌ ‌many‌ ‌scoops‌ ‌does‌ ‌it‌ ‌have?‌ ‌Write‌ ‌the‌ ‌name ‌of‌ ‌each‌ ‌flavor.‌ ‌
How‌ ‌to‌ ‌go‌ ‌deeper:‌‌ ‌Think about ‌‌the‌ ‌ingredients‌ ‌for ‌one‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌flavors‌ you ‌named ‌and‌ ‌write‌ ‌down‌ how to make it.‌ ‌(Bug-berry‌ ‌ice‌ ‌cream‌ ‌with‌ ‌crispy‌ ‌caterpillars?‌ ‌Yes‌ ‌please!)‌ ‌(Use the back of this page to write.)
The secret life of toys
Where to start: Kids this age are developing the ability to imagine what others are thinking and feeling. Start with a conversation about a beloved stuffed animal, doll, car, or other toy. What’s great about it? What does that toy do all day when nobody is there to play with it?
Prompt: Draw your favorite toy. What’s special about it? What might it say if it could talk?
How to go deeper: Draw and write or dictate a story about a day in the life of one or more of your toys. Do the toys get along? Fight? Cooperate to solve a problem? (Use the back of this page to write.)
Snack attack
Where to start: Kids have strong opinions about snacks! Start with a conversation about favorites. What are some snacks they have often, and what are some they have only occasionally? What makes a good snack? Do they like things that are sweet? Salty? Crunchy?
Prompt: Draw your favorite snack and write what you like about it.
How to go deeper: Rank your 3 favorite snacks in order of how much you like them. Would you eat the same snack every day? Would it be healthy to only eat your favorite snack? (Use the back of this page to write.)
My pet dragon
Where to start: Kids’ imaginations are boundless. Start with a conversation about pets. What would it be like to have a magical creature for a pet? Where would it sleep? What would it eat? Where would it go to the bathroom?
Prompt: Pretend you have a pet dragon. What would you name it? What does it look like? Draw your dragon.
How to go deeper: What special powers does your dragon have? Draw or write about an adventure with your pet dragon. (Use the back of this page.)
Mad mad world
Where to start: Learning to identify feelings helps kids build emotional intelligence. Sometimes it’s easier to talk about the feelings of characters in books or TV shows. Start with a conversation about feelings. Can they think of a character who got really mad? What happened? Can they think of a time they felt mad?
Prompt: What is something that makes you mad? Why?
How to go deeper: Do the same exercise with other feelings, such as happy, surprised, sad, and frustrated. What does that emotion feel like? What does it look like? Does being angry feel like a pot of boiling water? Like a speeding train? Like a balloon popping? (Use the back of this page to write.)
All about friends
Where to start: This year, kids are learning to understand and use question words, including who, what, where, when, why, and how. They are also learning how to express their opinions! Start with a conversation about friends and the kinds of activities that it’s fun to do with a friend.
Prompt: Who is your favorite person to play with? Why? What do you like to play with them?
How to go deeper: What makes someone a good friend? Does your favorite playmate have that quality? (Use the back of this page to write.)
See the silver lining
Where to start: Research shows that kids who notice and feel grateful for what’s good in their lives are happier and do better in school. Start with a conversation about some of the things they feel grateful for. It could be something as simple as pizza for lunch or having a friend who lives nearby.
Prompt: I feel lucky because….
How to go deeper: Come back to this prompt again every day this week. Each day, talk about and draw something that makes you feel lucky, happy, or grateful. (Use the back of this page to draw.)
What happened?
Where to start: This year, children are learning narrative writing. To practice this skill, have kids describe an event (or a few loosely linked events), including details in the order they happened, and how it ended. In other words, they tell a story. Start with a conversation about something fun they did recently. It could be something as simple as helping to make dinner or going on a walk.
Prompt: Draw and write about something you did this week that you want to do again.
How to go deeper: To flesh out the details, act out the scene with puppets, dolls, or stuffed animals.
Sweet arguments
Where to start: This year, kids practice opinion, which is exactly what it sounds like. In an opinion piece, the writer tells the reader their opinion or preference about a topic. Start with a conversation about a topic they have strong feelings about — like their favorite candy. What does this candy look like? What does it taste like? Is it hard? Crunchy? Soft? Chewy?
Prompt: What is the best kind of candy? What are three things you like about it?
How to go deeper: Choose two favorite kinds of candy and ask friends and family to vote on which they think is the “best.” Tally the results together. Which candy won? (Use the back of this page to write.)
Magic trees
Where to start: Start with a conversation about different fruits that grow on trees. What doesn’t grow on trees? What makes apples, for example, different from Legos? Or candy?
Prompt: What is something you wish grew on trees? Draw your tree.
How to go deeper: What would you do with your imaginary harvest if you had more than you needed? (Use the back of this page to write.)
