35 Fun and Easy Writing Prompt Ideas for First Graders + 12 BONUS Prompts— After spending a year in kindergarten balancing the importance of play with the basics of life in the classroom, first grade students are ready to begin reading and writing in earnest.
First graders are often just beginning to write in sentences, but that doesn’t mean that you should avoid journal writing with them. These early learners are ready, willing, and often excited to write — they just need to be given the opportunity to do so.
If you want to include journaling into your first-grade curriculum, you will want to use first grade writing prompts that are designed to inspire young writers to think creatively and to write effectively. While there are a lot of writing prompts available for elementary students in general, it is best to focus on those that are specifically created with first graders in mind.
These prompts will be simple enough that 1st grade students can read them independently while still requiring students to think critically about a specific subject or idea. So get to it and use these first-grade writing prompts in your classroom to help your students become strong and confident writers.
Journal Starters & Journaling Prompts for First Graders
- A special birthday for me is…
- A special birthday for an adult is…
- What is your favorite time of day? Explain why?
- I’d like to see…
- The biggest thing I ever saw
- If toys could talk what would they say?
- I am proud of myself because…
- What I know about rabbits is that…
- Tell about one thing you do really well?
- Insects, insects everywhere!!! Describe what you see!
- I’m happy when…
- This is how I think plants grow.
- My adventure would be
- I am afraid to __________ because
- What is your favorite room in your home and why?
- Describe your best day ever?
- \What does a super-fun day look like to you?
- Climbing trees is…
- I wish trees could __________ because…
- I want to be a __________ when I grow up.
- The perfect place in the whole wide world is…
- What can you do to help you feel better when you’re feeling blue?
- Walking in the rain is…
- Noisy times and quiet times are…
- For lunch today I…
- If I were a raindrop I’d…
- I like to make __________ because…
- I am always kind to __________ because
- My favorite stuffed animal or toy is…
- What would happen if it really did rain cats and dogs?
- If I could choose a different name, I would choose __________ and this is why…
- Let’s go __________. Describe your adventure in detail.
- What would happen if animals could talk? What questions would you like to ask them?
- Imagine that you can become invisible whenever you wanted to? What are some of the things you would do
- What would you do if you were in the middle of the ocean and your boat springs a leak?