No doubt that writing anything itself requires some excellent creative writing skills, but writing a short story, in particular, needs your child to level up their game because, unlike thousand-page novels, short stories are written within 1000 words.

There is a hidden creative writer within every child; they just need to explore it more often. Your child could be a budding writer having the dreaded writer’s block or has just explored the world of writing. These short story prompts are an ideal start for their daily writing exercises.

Creative Short Story Ideas for Kids

Here is a list of some creative short story ideas for kids to experiment with.

Adventure:

• What do you do when you find a backpack containing a strange-looking map, compass, and a solid gold snake ring, during a family camping trip?
• While babysitting two kids after school on a spooky, stormy night, you hear a loud crash. Write about what happens throughout the evening and create a story about your adventures as a responsible babysitter.
• On a deep-sea fishing expedition, you find the remains of an old pirate ship and a locked treasure chest. You open it to release the most dangerous ghost pirate of all time.
• You discover that a normal-looking tree is a never-ending vast beanstalk you can climb on. After climbing it for a few hours, you reach a mysterious destination above the clouds. What happens next?
• You and your best friend find an unlocked beautiful sports car parked outside your home. What do you do next?

Fairytale:

• Your family have just moved into a new home where you hear a strange ringing sound from the attic. You follow the sound to discover a magical wardrobe that takes you to a new world.
• A young Prince has locked himself in his castle to avoid eye contact with any human person because his one look could turn everyone to stone.
• What if Cinderella had no fairy godmother and one of her ugly stepsisters married Prince Charming? Write alternate ways in which Cinderella could change her life for the better.
• Little Red Riding meets the wolf in the forest. Instead of fearing him, they become close friends.
• A kind princess gets locked in a tower which once belonged to a powerful wizard. Instead of waiting for a prince or knight to save her, she creates her spells. Soon, they take over and turn her into an evil witch.

Family:

• After going through some old stuff in the attic, you learn that your great grandfather was a war hero.
• It’s ‘Bring a Parent to School Day’ in your main character’s world, but her parents are busy to make it to her school. She brought her elder brother instead.
• Your main character learns that their grandpa is a great explorer. The character and their grandpa go on one last adventure for one last time.
• Yearly, your family goes on a family holiday, but it has been cancelled this year.
• Every day after school, you and your family go to a local diner for a milkshake. One day you stumble upon a mysterious note. Include what the note says, and create a tale about what happens after you discover the note.

Friendship:

• You walk into the cafeteria one day for lunch, only to discover that your two best friends are in an argument. What is the debate about, and how will you help them solve it?
• Socially awkward and shy, Abigail envies Jessica, who easily makes friends. But after a few events of jealousy, they later become friends.
• Bridget has been best friends with Charlie since elementary school. But everything seemed to change after a new girl, Chrissy, becomes Charlie’s best friend.
• Ellen cared a lot about her best friend, Katie. Then she found out that her best friend, Katie, was moving to another country. Can they keep their friendship going?
• You and your best friend get to know a dangerous secret about your school.

Animals:

• Your story is about an animal in a local shelter. What type of animal is it going to be? Will it make friends at the shelter? Will it go home with a family? Discuss your character’s experience and how it might be feeling.
• Write a short story about a dog travelling across America to find his mother.
• A husky dog works in Alaska to help pull equipment and people around in the snowy landscape. Write a short story around it.
• The Gorilla body-building competition is coming, and you want to win this time. But you’re the weakest gorilla of the pack.
• A house cat notices her owner bringing a small puppy. At first, the cat hates it, but soon she becomes protective of it.

Superhero:

• You are the most famous superhero of all time. But you don’t know that your father is a super-villain that you’ll have to take down.
• You have a superpower of turning everything into bananas after touching it. Will this power ever come in handy?
• After your father’s death, you inherit his magical sword. When held in a fighting position, you become a legendary superhero called the crimson knight.
• How was the very first superhuman or human with superpowers created?
• You become the first superhuman in the universe after discovering that you can move objects with just your mind. You decide to keep it a secret and only ever use it when you’re in need. But this all changes one day.

Conclusion

We hope this list brings out the creative writer in your child. For more fun, you can tell them to mix these story ideas to make a story of their own! We even have a list of some great tips for story writing that your child could use in the future. Do check them out.