50 Summer Writing Prompts for Kids to Spark Imagination and Get Them Writing

Keep the Summer Slide at Bay-Summer Writing Prompts for Kids!

Summer is weirdly the best and hardest time to get kids writing.
They’ve got more freedom, more ideas, more random thoughts bouncing around than any other time of year… but also way less structure to actually sit down and write.
So instead, those ideas just kind of… stay in their heads.

That’s where summer writing prompts for kids come in.

Not as assignments. Not as “do this correctly.”
Just as starting points.
Something to get the first sentence out.
Because once that happens?
They usually don’t need much help after that.

HOW THESE PROMPTS WORK

Writing prompts aren’t meant to tell kids what to write.
They just make it easier to start.
That’s really the biggest hurdle—figuring out the first sentence, the first idea, the first direction.
Once that part is out of the way, most kids take it from there.And that’s why prompts tend to work so well.

They help kids:

• Build confidence as writers
• Overcome writer’s block
• Practice storytelling in a fun way
• Stay mentally active during summer break
• Express thoughts and emotions creatively
• Enjoy writing without pressure

Some kids will stick close to the prompt.
Others will take one idea and turn it into something completely different.

Both are exactly the point.

QUICK TIPS

• Write for 5–10 minutes without stopping
• Don’t worry about spelling or grammar
• Follow wherever the idea leads
• Keep it fun and low-pressure

A SUMMER FULL OF STORIES

Below are 50 summer writing prompts for kids designed to spark imagination, creativity, and fun all season long.

Click on the image if you want to download these prompts in one PDF!

Summer 

• What is your favorite time of day during summer? Why?
• What is the best way to cure boredom during summer?
• What summer bug or animal do you hope NOT to see?
• Make a summer bucket list with 10 things you want to do.
• Convince someone that your favorite cold treat is the best on a hot day. Describe it so well they want it!
• Summer can get really hot. Which do you like better: hot summers or cold winters?
• Draw your dream treehouse, then describe it in detail.

Holidays & Events

• What does it really mean to be patriotic? Give examples of what people might say, do, or believe.
• Write a poem about America. You can try an acrostic (AMERICA) if that helps you get started.
• If red, white, and blue stood for something about America today, what would each color represent?

Hawaii: Statehood (August 1959)

• Hawaii experienced both a terrible day (the Attack on Pearl Harbor) and a controversial one years later when it became a state.
  Write a story that follows one family or one place through both moments.

Moon Landing (July 1969)

• You’re a young stowaway inventor on Apollo 11.
  You grab a moon rock—now what do you do with it?

Civil War Battle of Vicksburg (July 4)

• You’re a kid watching from a rooftop during a big battle long ago. You notice something important that the soldiers on the boats can’t see. Can you send them a secret message to help them?

Atomic Bomb (August 1945)

• It’s August 1945 during World War II. You’re an 11-year-old drawing comics in your treehouse when big news breaks.
  Draw a 3-page superhero comic starring YOU: zoom across the world and stop the second atomic bomb.
  Do you team up, use powers, or change minds?

Tour de France (July)

• A rider in the Tour de France must decide: race ahead alone or slow down to help a teammate.
  What do they choose—does this reveal anything?

People 

• Write about a time you tried to avoid a chore but realized it was easier to just do it.
• A younger kid starts copying your actions. How does it change the way you see yourself?
• Write a letter to your past self to help avoid a mistake or problem.
• A child visits a homeless shelter and makes a new friend. What do they learn about what people really need?
• One twin is shy and the other is bold. They team up for a talent show. What do they do so both can shine?
• You’re a musician whose songs can change the world. What do you sing about—and who is your audience?
• If you could learn any second language, which would you choose—and why?
• If people could buy and sell memories—but lose them forever when they sell them—would you do it? Why or why not?

Animals 

• Which animal do you think has the best life? What does “best” mean to you?
• Write from the point of view of an animal living in a park. What is a normal day like?
• A bird taps angrily on your window because a squirrel keeps stealing its food. What do you do?
• Imagine aliens take only five animals from Earth to study life. Which do they choose—and why?
• Pick a new animal mascot for a pirate ship (not a parrot). Why is it perfect?
• Write a story from an animal’s point of view so clearly that readers can guess what animal it is.
• Write a zookeeper’s journal entry about the funniest thing that happened all week.
• Should people be allowed to own exotic pets? Write the pros and cons, then share your opinion.

Miscellaneous

• Your family barbecue is going perfectly—until a surprise guest shows up. What happens
• You answer a phone call meant for someone else. What chain of events begins?
• Something strange is happening next door. You decide to investigate?
• A magic show goes wrong when a borrowed object really disappears. 
• A rumor spreads through your neighborhood. What’s really true?
• Write a fake Comic-Con schedule with the wildest panels you can imagine.
• A magic shop sells “idea crayons” that draw your wildest thoughts. What are some images?
• The Energizer Bunny calls Smokey Bear, the GEICO Gecko, and M&M’s characters for a secret mission. What is the mission?
• Pick an idiom (“storm in a teacup,” “bob’s your uncle,” or “pie in the sky”) and write a funny story using your own made-up meaning.
• You’re hiking in the Sierra Nevada and find pink snow that smells like watermelon. A ranger stops you—what secret do they share?
• Imagine you’re the last person on Earth. What do you do? What’s the best and worst part?
• The weather has been changing a lot in recent years.
  What if this has all been controlled by a corporation or government—why would they be making the changes we have been seeing?
• Is it better to be honest or kind? Are these the same? Is there a balance?
• If someone looked around your bedroom, what would they learn about you?
• Pick one of the seven dwarves from Snow White. What is he really like on the inside? How does he feel about Snow White living with them? Does he enjoy working in the mine, or wish he could do something else? Write from his point of view.
• A mermaid princess and a human prince (or president) are being forced into an arranged marriage to help their worlds get along and protect the oceans. How do they feel about it? Do they agree, resist, or come up with a plan of their own? What happens next?
• Create a fun commercial or social media video script to convince people to buy your favorite snack. What makes it so delicious or special? Include a catchy slogan or tagline!
• It’s your birthday! What do you really wish your family and friends would do—or not do—on your special day? Describe your perfect (or worst) birthday experience.
• Think of a book or movie you loved… until the ending. Now rewrite the ending! What should have happened instead, and why?

If you’ve used writing prompts before, you already know—they’re not magic.
But they do make it easier to start.
And starting is usually the whole battle.

Some of these will land. Some won’t.
Some will turn into full stories, others into two sentences and a laugh.

That’s fine.

The point of using summer writing prompts for kids isn’t to get perfect writing.

It’s to make writing feel normal, doable… and maybe even something they want to come back to tomorrow.

“We are going to steal the moon!”
— Gru from Despicable Me