Christmas and Winter Writing Prompts for 4th - 6th Grade: One Sentence, Endless Possibilities!

 "I knew it wasn't going to be an ordinary day when..."

What happens next?

That's the fun part.  Give students that one sentence, and suddenly they're imagining unexpected visitors, mysterious cottages, unusual adventures, and all sorts of possibilities.  Some stories turn out to be funny, some a little mysterious, and others take a turn no one saw coming.

Looking for winter writing prompts that will get your 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students excited about narrative writing?  Sometimes all it takes is one interesting sentence to get them going! 

Winter Narrative Writing Prompts That Get Students Writing

Do you have students who sit and stare at a blank piece of paper because they can't think of what to write?  Or they have so many ideas, they can't focus in on just one?  A blank page can be intimidating for students who aren't naturally enthusiastic writers.

That's why I like to use story starters.  Students don't have to spend time thinking of something to write about.  The opening is already there; their job is to take it and run with it!

Every prompt in this collection starts with the same sentence:

I knew it wasn't going to be an ordinary day when...

Here are a couple of examples:

• I knew it wasn't going to be an ordinary day when the main character from the book I was reading showed up at my house on Christmas morning.  And wanted some presents to open!
• I knew it wasn't going to be an ordinary day when I was walking home and instead of my house, I saw a tiny cottage with a straw roof.  Smoke was coming out of the chimney.
• I knew it wasn't going to be an ordinary day when I woke up and found a man with a Viking helmet standing in my room.  "Get dressed," he said as he handed me my helmet and armor.

I particularly like the first one because it gives students an opportunity to bring characters from their independent reading into their own writing.  So a kid reading one of the Harry Potter books has a completely different response than someone reading Code Talker!

The second one?  Is it a take-off on Snow White?  Or Hansel and Gretel?

The third one is perfect for all those "warrior-types" that you have in your classroom, male and female alike!

A Classroom Memory that Still Makes Me Smile

The first year I made these, I used them as a station activity.  I had the cards cut out and laminated so students could choose.  Bethany and her friends decided they were all going to work on the same prompt, and they asked if they could see them on the Activboard.  She was in charge of the clicker and the rest of the group was busy offering opinions.

The giggles!  The laughing discussions!  It made my heart happy to see this small group so genuinely excited about what they were going to write about.  Sometimes, all it takes is a fun idea to get the creative juices flowing.

Ways to Use These Winter Writing Prompts

The beauty of this resource is its flexibility.  You can make it as simple or involved as you want.

1. Use it as a writing station or center activity - put the task cards in a writing center and let students choose their favorite prompt.  It's also a great option for early finishers who need something meaningful to work on.
2. Make it a whole class writing activity - display the prompts and let everyone choose the same one, or allow students to select their own.  It's fun to see how differently students interpret the same story starter.
3. Make it a partner or small group activity - Students can discuss possible story ideas before they begin writing.  Let them work together or write separately.  I've even let students pick and choose strong paragraphs to join together into a communal writing piece.
4. Turn it into a longer narrative writing assignment - Let students write their first draft and then share it to get constructive feedback before writing a final copy.  I believe very strongly in this approach because it not only helps the writer, but it offers ideas to students about their own writing.  BUT, this only works if you have time!

What's Included?

This resource includes:

• 28 narrative writing story starters on task cards
• 10 Christmas-themed prompts
• 18 winter-themed prompts
• 4 winter-themed writing papers

My recommendation is to print the task cards on cardstock and laminate them for repeated use.  These winter writing prompts are especially useful in December and January.  Use them as Christmas writing activities before winter break or bring them back in January for some creative narrative writing practice.  They're an easy addition to your winter writing centers.

Are you ready to see where your students' imaginations take them?  Take a closer look at my Winter Writing prompts here.