Do your elementary students get a little restless during winter? Is getting them to write like pulling teeth?
It’s understandable. As the colder months creep in, so do the winter blues, and winter blues mean restless, anxious kids.
So it’s time to get creative, Mama!
I’ve put together some fun winter writing prompts that can be used with a wide range of ages and grade levels.
From snowflakes and snowmen to Christmas and gingerbread cookies, these writing activities are sure to recapture their attention.
How to Use These Creative Writing Prompts
Writing can seem a daunting task.
Some students find it challenging to conceive and organize their ideas, while others struggle to pen their imaginations into words.
That’s where writing prompts are uniquely helpful.
They remove the intimidation factor of a blank page while sparking their creativity.
Prompts can be used many ways.
As you decide how best to use them in your homeschool, be mindful of your student’s skill level and choose a developmentally appropriate approach.
Depending on the age and stage of your child, you may want to try:
- Modeled writing in which you, as the teacher, write while thinking aloud and explaining the process as you go.
- Shared writing is a collaborative technique where adults write with input from the students. You come up with a fun story together and take turns writing out sentences.
- Independent free writing is my favorite for 3rd grade students and older. You just give them the prompt and let them go—not scrutinizing too heavily on grammatical errors but encouraging creativity.
Regardless of which approach you choose, winter writing prompts for elementary students provide the opportunity for children to imagine grand adventures and organize their thoughts on paper.
Let’s take a quick look at which approach is best for each stage.
For Kindergarten & 1st Grade
Kindergarten and 1st grade are formative years that form a solid foundation for learning.
Developing strong writing skills at an early age aids in better comprehension, communication, and imagination.
Kids at this stage may lack technical writing skills, but I bet they have a wild imagination and plenty to say!
Let’s take advantage of that, shall we?
Down below, I included some winter prompts for kindergarteners and 1st graders that act as story starters.
I also have some fall writing prompts here if you’re interested.
At this stage, they simply provide an outlet for young scribes to focus their thoughts on a single topic and eventually be able to articulate their ideas in a structured manner.
Modeled or shared writing is usually more productive at this stage.
If they struggle to put words together, let them describe their thoughts to you and you write them down, making sure they watch you as you do it.
Also, shorter is usually better for younger writers.
When you get to the writing prompts below, you’ll notice I included several short and very simple prompts for those of you with younger students.
For 2nd-3rd grade
By second grade, kids better understand the basics of turning thoughts and words into sentences and paragraphs.
At this stage, many students are even practicing grammar rules like proper punctuation. They’re also sharpening their spelling skills and adding more variety to their sentence structures.
Though they are budding into independent writers, 2nd graders still benefit best from simple writing prompts.
To keep them engaged, encourage them to write about their recent activities or current interests.
In elementary school, third grade is a year of significant transition.
Third-grade writers are well on their way to mastering fundamental ideas and building upon them.
At this age, students start to delve deeper, draw connections, and better evaluate themes within their writing.
For this level, I tried to include winter writing prompts that give 3rd graders room to really exercise their imagination.
At this point, you should encourage more structure in their writing and short paragraphs.
Picture prompts are especially fun and helpful at this age along with one-sentence story prompts as well.
For Middle School
Writer’s block becomes a big deal at this stage. There’s just something about that dreaded blank page that thwarts creativity.
Even the most experienced writers face writer’s block at one time or another. So while students in middle may be capable of eloquent prose, putting pen to paper may still be challenging.
These winter writing prompts for middle school can help alleviate that burden by simply getting them started.
To keep them engaged, I included a few problem-solving prompts specifically with this age group in mind.
For Winter Break
Regardless of the weather, winter is always an exciting time of the year.
Even if you school year-round, children of all ages look forward to the winter holidays and the slower pace (school-wise) they usually bring.
On days we can’t complete a full school day, I find that writing prompts provide a creative outlet for their pent-up energy.
They really are a painless way to work in valuable learning time and writing practice without overloading your students during the “most wonderful time of the year.”
31 Elementary Writing Prompt Ideas for Winter
Let’s be honest…
Our kiddos can be a little distracted around the winter holidays.
As soon as December clocks in, they start daydreaming of snow days and Christmas.
I say we take advantage of their winter weather fantasies and incorporate them into winter-themed short story ideas!
I wrote out some short and sweet story starters dedicated to wintertime and all its glory.
From scaling the tallest, snow-capped mountain to adopting polar bears as pets, these exciting snow day writing prompts will keep your kids busy and focused on all the things they adore about winter!
1. If I lived at the North Pole…
2. My Christmas Eve on Mars started out like any other day…
3. The plane landed. It was the first day of our grand Arctic adventure…
4. My best friends and I met at the lake like we do every weekend only to find it was frozen solid…
5. My favorite winter activity is…
5. Sheets of ice pounded loudly against the windows. The predicted ice storm had begun…
6. I couldn’t believe it! I went outside to add a scarf to the snowman I built just hours ago, but it wasn’t there…
7. The snow began to fall harder and harder. Before we knew it, we were trapped in a blinding blizzard…
8. We spent that night huddled together under blankets trying not to freeze to death…
9. When morning came, my family and I awoke to see an amazing sight: A huge wall of white covered everything around us…
10. My favorite winter family tradition is…
11. My fingers were numb, but I gripped the sled as hard as I could and pushed off…
12. I set out to build the world’s biggest snow man, but I never imagined this would happen…
13. As soon as I finished building the snowman, he disappeared into thin air…
15. After walking through miles upon miles of deep powdery snow, I finally reached the top of Mount Everest…
16. If I were a snowman, this is what I would do…
17. My mom makes the best hot chocolate, but there’s a secret magical ingredient that…
18. Last night, I dreamed I was a bird flying south for the winter…
19. If I hibernated through the winter
20. I always wondered what it would be like to ride in a one-horse open sleigh. Yesterday, I had my chance…
21. When it is cold outside, I love to…
22. What would happen if your snow man came to life like Frosty?
23. If I had a pet polar bear…
24. On a family walk one cold winter afternoon, we stumbled upon the most amazing snow fort. We couldn’t believe what we found inside…
25. I’ll never forget the gingerbread house I made this year. When I put the last gum drop on, it started to move…
26. My friends and I were making snow angels in the yard when our teacher stopped by. What she said startled all of us…
27. One snowy day during recess, I decided to make some new friends…
28. As my friends and I prepared for the best snowball fight ever…
29. During the winter months, my favorite food to make me warm and cozy is…
30. As my family and I were preparing for the winter holidays, the strangest thing happened…
31. I caught a snowflake on my tongue, but something was different about this one…
Don’t forget to click and print your free list of prompts!
Download your free winter-themed WRITING prompts!
I tried to include a variety of winter story ideas that young writers of all ages will enjoy.
Remind your students that practice makes progress, especially in writing.
I like how Mr. Burroughs, a famous American fiction writer, put it:
“If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.”
— Edgar Rice Burroughs
Make the process fun with winter writing prompts and watch your students’ writing skills improve!
