Summer Writing Prompts
By: Dr. Rick Bavaria
Summer is the perfect time to encourage your children to write more. And writing doesn’t have to mean composing novels! Even a little every day is good for kids. When kids write regularly and often, they enhance their creativity, sharpen their thinking and improve language arts skills.
There are fun ways to get pencils rolling or keyboards tapping. For example, having the whole family write on a common topic is a great way to create a family-written book. "My favorite friend” or "My best birthday” are good prompts for this exercise.
Speaking about prompts, the right question or queue can make all the difference in kids’ desire to write. Here are some kid-approved prompts for encouraging them to leave a literary legacy this summer!
- If I had a superpower, it would be ...
- If I had three wishes, I’d wish for …
- When I grow up I want to be …
- Let me tell you about a time when I was brave/afraid/shy/happy/proud …
- Here’s how to make my favorite sandwich …
- This summer I’m going to …
- Here’s why I love my favorite toy/game/sport …
- Here’s a story about a bird that’s afraid to fly …
- I like my best friends because …
- My favorite movie/TV/book character is …
- There was a dinosaur in my living room one day. Here’s what happened …
- I wish I knew how to …
- The thing that scares me the most is …
- Here’s what I’d tell a new student in my class …
- I think the weirdest pet/game/fad/clothing/story/animal is …
- The biggest mistake I ever made was …
- My family is great because …
- My favorite vacation was …