30 Fun Short Story Ideas for Kids

Discover fun, fabulous short story ideas for kids— It’s no secret nor magic. Good writing starts with good ideas. And now your students can use these fun writing prompts and story starters as inspiration to write 30 individual short stories. Oh yeah!

You see…

In the short story ideas for kids listed below, the character encounters a surprising situation or runs into a dilemma. This unique twist is what makes these short exercises and story prompts a great way for students to get to know their characters on a deeper level.

Plus…

Each short story prompt leaves enough room for the student to write an entire story if they desire. Those more ambitious writers could opt to combine several prompts and create a longer story or even craft a short book.

Table of Contents

30 Short Story Ideas for Kids
5 Bonus Short Story Writing Topics
121 More Short Story Writing Ideas

A Few Words About Our List of Creative Writing Prompts

In another post on my blog, students got to know their story characters through a series of prompts designed to bring out character traits and personalities.

Now…

In this post about short story ideas for kids, students have the chance to take their characters and put them into new and unexpected situations.

And…

Informed by the traits and characteristics of their chosen character, students can determine how their characters would react to each new event in each prompt.

Plus, the student’s sense of his or her character will influence how he or she reads the prompt, and each student is likely to create an entirely different scenario out of the same brief setup. Again, writers may opt to combine several prompts together to create a longer piece.

Ok, without further ado, let’s get to that list of excellent short story ideas for kids.

30 Short Story Ideas for Kids

I think our list of 30 short story ideas for kids is packed full of excellent ideas for creating some very good stories. Take a look now, enjoy, and have fun writing.

Your character is running late and has to take the bus instead of walking.
At school or work, your character gets an unusual assignment.
Your character finds something he or she has lost.
Your character has to choose between two things that he or she loves.
Your character is out talking a walk when he or she sees a dog that…
Your character tries a new restaurant. The chef comes out and tells him or her…
Your character finally gets to take an exciting vacation to the beach. On the shore, he or she finds…
During a thunderstorm, your character suddenly remembers…
Your character leaves in the morning but has to go back home after forgetting to bring…
Your character has an accident and…
At a basketball game, your character is surprised when…
Your character gets an interesting offer from a friend. Does he or she take it?
Your character has an argument with his or her best friend. They argued because your character said…
Your character meets someone with the same name.
On your character’s favorite holiday, he or she is excited to…
Your character decides to take a new class or join a new club. All goes well until the teacher or club leader says…
Your character gets a visit from an old friend—but the friend has changed and doesn’t seem to be the same person.
Your character has to give a speech. On the way up to the podium…
Your character meets his or her favorite celebrity. When your character asks for a picture…
Your character finds a wallet with a large wad of bills stuffed inside lying on the street. What does he or she do?
Your character has the chance to move to a new town. Does he or she take it?
At the grocery store, your character sees __________ in the produce section. He or she decides to…
Your character sits down to write a story. He or she is inspired by…
Your character receives a surprise package in the mail. What’s inside?
Your character has an especially bad toothache and goes to the dentist. At the dentist’s office, your character is surprised to see…
Your character goes to see a movie that he or she has been waiting to see for months—only to be seated next to someone who is talking loudly the whole time.
Your character wins a big prize from a local radio contest.
When your character’s birthday comes around, he or she is excited to enjoy a favorite slice of cake. Your character is surprised, however, when the cake turns out to be…
One night, your character wakes up from an especially realistic dream. In the dream, he or she was…
Your character is out at the mall and sees a bunch of television cameras from the local news station. Suddenly, a reporter comes up to your character and wants to interview him or her because…

With endless possibilities and a whole world of new things to discover, it’s easy to see why stories are one of the best forms of creative writing for kids.

For more inspiration, check out this list of…

5 Bonus Short Story Writing Topics

Your story begins with two students inside the school, a note from the principal, and a fish bowl. You must incorporate all of these elements into your short story.
You and your best friend go to the local diner after school for a milkshake. Once you arrive, you stumble upon a mysterious note from your teacher. In your story, include what the note from the teacher says, and create a tale about what happens after the note is discovered.
You walk into the cafeteria one day for lunch, only to discover that your two best friends are in an argument. What is the argument about and how are you going to help them solve it?
Write a story from the perspective of an animal at the local shelter. What type of animal is your main character going to be? Will your character go home with a family, or make friends at the shelter? Discuss the animal’s experience and how the animal might be feeling.
You are babysitting two kids after school, and it’s a spooky, stormy night. You hear a loud crash… and your story begins. Write about what happens throughout the evening, and create a story about your adventures as a responsible babysitter.

Hopefully, these short story ideas for kids and ideas will inspire some great creativity in your writers as they craft their own stories.

121 More Short Story Writing Ideas

I hope your storytellers enjoyed this list of short story ideas for kids and have fun writing a great short story with these ideas

Oh, and there are loads more story-writing ideas on my blog — from the romance genre to mystery, science fiction and beyond — and even more to come so stay tuned. So make writer’s block a thing of the past by peeking your or your student writer’s curiosity with a fabulous list of prompts today.

Until next time, keep on writing!

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I appreciate it!

Sincerely,
Jill
journalbuddies.com
creator and curator