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Free writing prompt generator

Stuck for something to write about? Choose an age group, a topic your child likes and a kind of writing, and get a prompt to try. It is free, needs no sign-up, and nothing you choose is stored.

Age group

Kind of writing

Topic they like

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The generator needs JavaScript. Here are some prompts to try instead.Ages 5–7 (early years)

Draw your favourite animal and write two sentences about it.

What did you do at the weekend? Write three things you did.

Write a sentence about something that makes you happy.

Describe your best toy using three describing words.

Write a short message to someone you love.

What is the weather like today? Write two sentences.

Ages 8–10 (primary)

Write a story about a day when everything went wrong, and how it ended.

Describe your favourite place without using the word 'nice'.

Write a letter to a character from your favourite book.

Should children have a longer lunch break? Give two reasons.

Write the first paragraph of an adventure story that starts with a surprise.

Explain how to make your favourite snack so a friend could follow it.

Ages 11–13 (middle years)

Write a short story that begins with a character finding something that should not be there.

Should schools start later in the morning? Give your view and support it.

Describe a place that is special to you so well that a reader could picture it.

Write a speech persuading your school to try one new idea.

Explain how a piece of technology has changed the way people live.

Write a diary entry from a character at the most important moment of a book you have read.

Ages 14–18 (senior years)

Social media does more harm than good. Discuss.

Write the opening of a story in which the setting plays a central role.

Analyse how a writer creates tension in a passage you have studied.

Should the voting age be lowered? Argue your case.

Describe a moment of change in a character's life through a vivid scene.

Write a formal letter to a local council proposing a change in your area.

How to use a prompt

Let your child read the prompt aloud and say what they would write before they start.
Keep it short and regular. One carefully improved piece teaches more than three rushed ones.
Praise one specific thing they did well, then pick one thing to improve next time.

Make it count

A prompt is the start. The real learning comes from feedback on what a child actually wrote. Our year-by-year guides explain what children are working on at each age, so you know what to look for.

Get feedback on what they write

LiteracyLab AI reads a child's own writing and gives specific feedback: what worked, one thing to try next, and a corrected version, matched to their year and curriculum. The Free plan includes 3 pieces a month and needs no card.

Try it free

Prompts are picked from a fixed list of ideas written by us. Nothing a visitor chooses is saved, and no writing is collected on this page.