Get Your Kids Writing With These 30 Story Prompts

When kids take on story prompts, their natural creativity can be awakened, allowing young writers to learn about the storytelling process through hands-on experience. Use these 30 story prompts to encourage the young writer in your life to develop his or her writing skills. You might even suggest that they change details in the prompts to make more personal and unique.

1. You've been hiding a secret in your backyard fort that even your best friend doesn't know about but now that the rocket ship is ready, you need a co-pilot and have to fill her in on the details. She is convinced your parents will be upset if you both take off for a space mission but you promise her you'll be to the moon and back in plenty of time for dinner thanks to the ultra-supersonic light speed chip you've added to the rocket's thrusters.
2. Ever since you were little, you've loved race cars, even though everyone at school told you it wasn't a "girl thing". This weekend, your Dad is taking you to the race track, where your wildest dreams come true: You get to ride in one of the cars with the winner for the victory lap and guess what? It's a woman!
3. Your grandmother made you a magical blanket that takes you to far-away places from her childhood when you wrap yourself in it. You learn about your ancestors and how they traveled to where your family lives now.
4. Your mother is in the military and you haven't seen her for almost a year. On Christmas Eve, you make a wish and something magical happens!
5. You find an old book in the attic that has strange and fascinating artwork in it. You realize that combined, the art is actually a map of the forest near your house, and it seems to be a treasure map. You decide to follow it and see where it leads.
6. You're convinced that the house right down the street from you is haunted. No one lives there but you see lights and shadows moving inside sometimes. You and your friends decide to check it out, but first, you suit up in your best ghost-fighting armor.
7. The new kid at school is being bullied and you're not sure how to help him, until you learn that he's a genius at science. You come up with a plan to make sure he's never bullied at your school again.
8. While playing in your back yard, you discover two giant eggs that turn out to be baby dragons. You hide them in your tree fort and bring them scraps after dinner, but they're starting to get bigger and you'll have to tell mom and dad soon.
9. Your grandfather gives you an old relic he says has been in the family for generations and now it's your turn. When you put it in your room, you discover the secret—it's actually a time traveling device and you can go to any year you want to travel to.
10. While out shopping with your parents, you discover a dressing room that is actually a portal to another dimension.
11. You and your friends are riding bikes through the neighborhood when you accidentally witness an alien spaceship landing. They chase you down to keep you from telling, but you know the shortcuts and they can't catch you.
12. Your mom has limited your video game playing time, so you're bored and can't find anything exciting to do. You go to the back yard and climb a tree but once you get to the top, you see something no one would ever believe.
13. Your family just moved into an old house. While exploring the attic, you find a small doorway that is far too small for a person to fit through but it looks like it's been used recently. You find a key hidden near it and open the door to discover that something definitely not human lives on the other side.
14. You find a little puppy on the side of the road, you want to take it home and care for it, but your parents hate pets and won't allow it. You try your best to keep the dog safe, but you later discover that the dog has secret powers and can fly.
15. For the summer, your mom sends you to stay with your uncle you haven't met. The town he lives in is very odd. Everyday you find a new magical creature or abnormal thing. But your uncle isn't the person you thought he would be.
16. Your parents were normal at first, but you discover they were master criminals. You sneak out of bed at night to get water, you find a key that unlocks a hidden closet. What is in there really shocks you.
17. You find a hidden room in your new house with a time machine. Your mother died right when you were born, so you want to see her. You go back several years, and find that your mother was a kind and nice person.
18. You have a normal life with your family, until you find a mysterious picture of another family holding a baby. You ask your parents about it and they don't want to tell you. You try to find answers, so you meet an old woman that tells you who they are.
19. You move to an old house that you think is haunted. You hear whispers of your name at night. But your parents don't believe you. One night, you get out of bed to find a ghost standing in the hallway.
20. In your school, you meet a strange girl. She never goes outside at recess and always stays in the shadows. You are so curious that you try everything to help her move into sunlight. You get so curious that you push her into the light, she runs back into the shade, but you notice she didn't have a shadow. You investigate to figure out why.
21. In the forest, you meet a strange creature, who can shapeshift into any animal. You try your best to keep it hidden from everyone.
22. You love taking pictures of the woods and the animals in it. But one day you take a picture of a creature that whizzes by you. You look at the photo to see something that's not quite normal.
23. You take a trip from your hometown to meet your cousins and your parents tell you that you are staying with them for the summer. Your parents have an emergency business trip to attend, which lasts all summer. At first, your cousins are mean to you, but you eventually learn to play together.
24. You find out there is another planet that has all the same people but they act the opposite of the other people. You meet your twin and she is mean and selfish. You try to teach her to be nice and kind, but she is incapable of doing it.
25. Your crush moved next door to your house. You try to play it cool, but your parents notice and try to get you to stop being shy and talk to him/her.
26. You have a reoccurring dream about you climbing a giant tree that leads to a cloud city. But one day you adventure in the woods and find the same tree. You climb it, and find that the cloud city is a real place.
27. You are severely sick and your parents are trying to find a cure. Every doctor says you have a low chance of survival. You try hundreds of medicines, but none work. Each day you get worse. Your parents meet an elderly woman who gave you a strange potion. You wake up to find that you are cured and have wings.
28. You are a spoiled child with wealthy parents. Suddenly, your parents' business fails and they lose almost all their money but begin spending more time with you. You learn that wealth is more than just material things.
29. Your parents are house builders and want you to be one when you grow up. But you don't want to build houses, you want to be an artist. But for some reason, your parents hate art and won't allow it. You are so bored of your boring, colorless house that while your parents were away, you painted the walls a pretty flower pattern. You show your friends and they love it and your parents are pleasantly surprised.
30. You are the new kid in school, you try to make friends, but no one wants to be your friend. You meet a group of kids that are really mean to you. You think they are your friends but they start doing mean things to others. So, you have the option to stay with the group and fit in, or stand up to the bullies but you might get hurt.