50 Fun First Grade Writing Prompts (With Printable)

Regular journal writing is a great way to get kids in the habit of writing, but the prompts need to be inspiring to make it fun. These journal ideas are age-appropriate and inspiring for younger kids who may only write a sentence or two.

• Pick a toy. If it could talk, what would it say?
• Where is one of your favorite places to visit?
• What's your favorite game? Why?
• Tell about a time you made someone laugh. What did you do?
• What holiday do you like best? What do you like about it?
• Tell about a place where you feel safe. What does it look like?
• What grown-up job looks the most fun?
• What is one thing you love about school?
• What makes a person kind?
• What do you like best about playing outside?
• What time of day do you like best? Why?
• What would you do if no one could see you?
• When you feel sad, what do you do to feel better?
• What did you do on your birthday?

Creative writing is especially fun for this age group, since they are so good at using their imaginations. First graders love storytelling and fables. These creative story starters will get them thinking of wild and fun stories to share.

• Imagine you have a superpower. What is it? What do you do?
• What magical animal would you like as a pet? (Unicorn? Dragon?)
• If you met a talking mouse, what would you say to it?
  
• What if you could only bark instead of talking? Would you like it?
• You cannot use your hands for a whole day. What do you do?
• You get to make up a new game for first graders. How does it work?
• You find a magic rock. What does it do?
• You get to choose an adventure for your whole class. What do you pick?
• An adult in your family has to go to first grade for a day. What happens?
• You get one wish. What is it?
• While playing outdoors, you find a treasure. What is it? What happens next?
• If you had a pair of magical shoes, what would they do?

First graders are just beginning to understand the idea of sharing their thoughts and supporting their point of view. You can help 1st grade kids learn to share their opinions with this concept by using writing prompts like these.

• Should kids get to choose their own bedtime? Why or why not?
• What flavor of ice cream do you like best? Why?
• What kind of animal do you think makes the best pet? Why?
• What do you think is the best book? Why?
  
• What is the best school lunch? Why do you like it?
• Tell about what a day in first grade is like.
• Would you rather climb a tree or read a book? Why?
• What toy do you like the most? Why do you like it so much?
• Do you like cold weather or hot weather best? Why?
• Would you rather ride a bike or walk? Why?
• What kind of cookies do you like best? Why do you like them?
• Would you like to live near the woods or in a city? Why?
• Why is it important to share with others?

First graders should also start learning how to write explanations and descriptions. While they won't learn the phrase expository writing until later on in school, you can help them start developing related skills by using these prompts to encourage information sharing.

• Describe a kind person you know.
• Explain how to play a game you love.
• Write about what happens in your favorite TV show or movie.
• What kind of care does a pet need?
• Tell someone how to wash their hands.
• Describe your mom, dad or another adult in your family.
• What does your school look like?
• What are three things you did today?
• How do you get ready for school in the morning?
• How do you clean your room?
• What was your last art project?

When it's time to use first grade writing prompts, printables can be a great educational resource. The PDF below features a selection of the writing prompts from each category above, along with a printable worksheet that students can use to complete their writing assignments. The worksheet has a spot for students to draw a picture to go along with their writing.

From these fun 1st grade writing prompts, you can move on to working on mechanics like capitalization. You can cover ways to express love and other emotions, how to write a thank-you note and more simple writing skills. Once kids start to enjoy writing, the world opens up for them in terms of communication. These first grade writing activities just might play a key role in helping students begin to love writing from a very young age.