43 Writing Prompts for Kids That Will Make Them Laugh

How many times have you tried creative writing with your child or student, but wound up looking for where they were hiding?

It's not because they hate learning, and it definitely isn't because your kid is dull. Sometimes, kids just need a little incentive. 

No, we’re not talking about candies and ice cream. They’ll like those, but it won’t stir their imaginations. 

We’re talking journaling prompts. Funny ones.  

Many kids assimilate better when the learning experience is fun and engaging. And what could be more fun than a couple of giggles while writing?  

Also, students learn best when the lessons are tailored to their needs/uniqueness/circumstances. 

As late Educational reformist Theodore Ryland Sizer in his issue, Educational Leadership:

"We cannot teach students well if we do not know them well. At its heart, personalized learning requires profound shifts in our thinking about education and schooling."

 

So whether you're still testing which learning method works best for your kid, or you've already realised that funny works best, here are some funny and creative writing prompts for kids!

Wait! Before You Begin Cracking Ribs...

Remember the goal—to boost your kids’ creative writing skills, not to have them rolling on the floor till lesson time is over.

So while thinking up humorous creative writing prompts, remember that these ideas should gear them up to write. 

Take for example, you want your kid to write a short story. 

There's the prompt that'll make them go, "Hey that's so funny, I can't wait to form a story about it." And then there’s one that just makes them go "Oh, that's funny."

The first one stirred their imagination. But the second? It simply came with tickles. No imagination stirred. And you know what that means—no writing. 

Kids’ Creative Writing Prompts for Storytelling

To practice their writing, one of the best things you can ask your child to do is to write stories. 

This gives them the opportunity to include as many details as possible. This helps:

 

• Descriptive thinking 
• Creative writing and imagination 
• Critical thinking 
• Since it’s going to be a lengthy one, they also get the chance to practice their handwriting for a while.

So here are some funny journal prompts that help your kid tell a story:

1. Imagine if your leg started talking. Write about it. 
2. Write about a bunny who lost its ear while listening to a conversation it shouldn't have been listening to. 
3. Use these words to write a story: potty, smell and run.
4. Write about going to school with your shirt inside-out. 
5. Write a story about Dad dressing like mom while playing dress-up.
6. Write about a time you played a naughty trick on your friend.
7. Imagine if giant hotdogs became teachers. How would it be?
8. Cooking with Dad and making a mess in the kitchen 
9. The bunny who had 99 babies and was always looking for one of them.
10. Imagine if Mrs. Fox was the only animal that had a shop in the human world. Describe a funny dress she'd wear each morning.  
11. Describe the silliest attribute of a character in your favorite fairy tale.
12. Describe a funny-looking clown. 
13. Write a poem about ice cream falling as rain, but each time someone tries to fetch it, the clouds turn to funny faces. 
14. Picture you and your friends tripping severally while trying to build a snowman. 
15. Write a story about your dream job getting invaded by sleepy robots.
16. A day when you were trying to practice writing, but you kept laughing non-stop at the writing prompts. 
17. Write about your favorite holiday and all the funny things you’ll like to see happen during this holiday. 
18. Imagine your dream house started growing bunny ears. Write about it.
19. Write about the favorite season or part of your favorite movie. Add new, funny and interesting characters.
20. Imagine you and your mom trying to get into the room at the same time and you keep bumping into each other. 
21. Write about a vegetable that went to a human middle school.
22. Imagine building a time machine that keeps falling apart. 
23. Write about a summer vacation with your family. During the holiday, one person forgot to bring summer clothes, so he was forced to wear winter jackets on the beach.
24. Write a knock-knock joke that involves your favorite hobby.
25. Tell your favorite teacher five naughty things you did when they weren’t looking.
26. Write about older kids who always forgot how to spell their names!
27. Write a letter to your future self, warning them of giant babies to come. 
28. Write about some funny imaginations you have.

Complete-the-Sentence Creative Writing Ideas for Kids 

Looking for something brief or less tedious but still funny?

 

Tell your child to complete some sentences.

 

There are no right or wrong answers for these prompts. They are simply to help your kid put their imagination and creativity to work.

 

So allow them to write freely, irrespective of how weird their answers might be. So long as it continues the sentence flow, it wins!

 

1. I lost two teeth and now …
2. My brother slept in a dustbin because …
3. Humans have hair but they can't eat it. I’m glad this is so, otherwise… (what does the child think would've happened if humans could eat their own hair? e.g everyone would be bald). 
4. Mother blinks… times when she's …
5. The funniest part in my favorite book is …
6. If we had your best friend describe you in a fun way, state one humorous thing they’ll say about you.
   7. Imagine your favorite toy came to life and told you it loves you. What would you say back?
7. Why did the tomato blush? (Because it saw the salad dressing. But let your kid think up their own ideas if they don’t know the answer to the joke already!) 

 

Fill-in-the Gap Writing Prompts

Looking for even shorter creative writing ideas that don’t require as much detail? 

 

Your child could fill the gaps of these funny sentences:

 

1. Last year, I threw my vegetables in the ....
2. My best friend is always… (one funny habit his/her friend has) 
3. In the bathtub, I always…(one silly thing the child does while showering, e.g. playing with rubber ducks or talking to his sponge and soap). 
4. I like goofy faces because ...
5. I used… goofy faces when my teacher wasn’t looking 

Add Visuals to Writing Prompts for Kids  

Visual boosters are an excellent strategy for teaching kids.

 

According to Embibe, students retain knowledge and skill better when it is imparted with visual aid. 

 

They love vivid detail of what they're writing or reading. 

 

So engage your kids better and help them learn faster by tagging these visual tips to your creative writing prompt: 

 

Draw: Help your kid bring life to his story by painting pictures of the (would-be) character(s) before or during the writing process. 

 

If your child is one that loves drawing, they could do this with you. 

 

Use Goofy Stickers: Give your child some goofy stickers to use for the story.

 

They have to decide by themselves which parts of their story would need one of the stickers. 

 

This makes the story more engaging and alive.  They connect with it and are eager to write more. 

 

Our 3D puffy sticker pack comes with lots of funny and goofy ones!

Don't Forget A Reward! 

Kids love rewards.

Actually, we all do. 

So after they do the work, you could encourage your child by giving them something exciting.

Preferably not something edible. Rather, something they can always look at and remember; I got this because I did this. 

Here are some ideas: 

• Our Mermaid Glamour Makeup Kit for Girls
• DIY Picture Frames  
• Glow in the Dark Room Decor
• Our FREE printables