Back to school isn’t simply an exciting time of year, it’s a terrific theme for writing. Get your elementary students writing with these 25 back-to-school prompts.
25 Back to School Writing Prompts for Elementary Students
If you want to become a great writer, you need to practice writing. These age-appropriate back-to-school writing prompts for elementary kids will inspire your kids to put pen to paper.
Back to School Writing Prompts for Lower Elementary
Elementary students in the early grades are not ready to write long stories or detailed paragraphs. They need to focus on getting their ideas from brain to paper. That begins with a sentence. For young learners or those who need a little extra help with writing, they can simply finish the sentence. If they want to write more, add a second or third sentence.
My favorite school supply is…
Everyone likes starting the school year with new school supplies. What is your favorite? A fresh box of crayons? New stories to read? A really cool backpack?
On the first day of school, I want to…
What is something you’d like to do on the first day? Do you want to learn something new, go outside, eat a special snack, or read an exciting book?
My favorite color crayon is…
Everyone has their favorite color. Look through a box of crayons and select your favorite color.
My favorite school subject is ____ because…
What is your favorite school subject and why?
This year I want to learn about…
What is something you’d like to learn about this year? Do you want to learn about an animal, an event from history, or a famous person?
This year I would like to…
Do you want to try something new this year? Maybe you want to learn to play an instrument or draw your favorite animal. Pick a goal or skill you’d like to accomplish this year.
My favorite stories are about…
What type of stories do you enjoy? Do you like books about magical creatures, animals, Star Wars, or real life?
If I invented a school subject, it would be…
What new subject would you like to have in school? It could be anything from making slime to laser tag to learning about seahorses.
The week before school, I went to…
Imagine that you took a last-minute trip before the start of school. It could be to a real or imagined place. Did you travel to see your grandma, the North Pole, Mars, or Michigan?
Inside my lunch was…
Imagine you sat down to eat your lunch and something unexpected was there. What was it? It could be a type of food or something totally wild!
If I went to animal school it would be…
Imagine that you are a type of talking animal and had to go to school. What would your school name be? Dolphin School? Lion Academy? Unicorn University?
I went outside for PE when…
What happened when you did some exercise on the first day of school? Did you step on a porcupine? Did you see the Millenium Falcon? It could be ridiculous or unexpected!
Back to School Writing Prompts for Upper Elementary
These back-to-school writing prompts for upper elementary could be the start of a paragraph if you wish.
The ultimate first day of school lunch…
Design your menu for the first day of school lunch. Make it ultra-delicious and exciting!
When I walk in the library, I see…
Back to school always means back to the library. What are the sights, sounds, and smells of the library?
Three of my favorite things about back to school are…
What do you like about back to school? Do you get to see your friends more? Do you like to learn about science or art? Is it that you can take field trips? Name three of your favorite things.
My favorite book is ___ because…
Everyone has his or her favorite book. What is yours and why?
If I wrote a movie script about school, it would be…
What would your school movie be about? What would you title it?
My favorite school breakfast is…
What is the best breakfast to start your day?
When I opened my _____ book, I saw…
Imagine that one of your school books is magical, and when you open it, whatever is inside comes to life. Which book is it? What happens when you open it?
The weirdest field trip I have ever been on was…
Imagine you went on a very strange field trip. Where did you go? What made it so unusual? Give the details!
My school is called ____.
Design a school where kids receive training in something unusual. Is it an archery school? A school for bakers? A scuba diving school? A school for those who can become invisible or transform into an animal? What would you call it? What would it be about?
Roses are red, violets are blue…
Take the standard poem starter and complete it with 2 lines and a rhyming word related to school. For example, “Roses are red / violets are blue / 11 plus 11 / Makes 22”
SCHOOL acrostic poem
Write the letters S-C-H-O-O-L vertically on a piece of paper. Then create a poem where each line begins with a letter from the word. For example, “Summer is over / Can it be one more week? / How about two? / Okay, it’s back to school / Only this time can / Lunch be a subject? ”
When I took the alien to school, it…
Imagine that you wake up one morning to find a friendly alien perched on the end of your bed. It wants to know everything about school here on earth. You promise to show it around. What do you do? How does it react?
Make a Simile
Compare two things that are very different from each other but have something in common. For example, “Books rustle like leaves,” or “The pencils are sharp like needles.” Pick one of the following school words and write your own comparison using the word “like.”
- Children’s voices
- Crayons
- Writing
- Music
- Soccer
- Food
Back to School Writings Prompts
With these 25 back-to-school writing prompts, your students will definitely start the year with something to write about. Get the creative juices flowing with these 25 writing prompts that will motivate your elementary students to write!