Fourth grade is a time for students to continue to hone their writing chops as they put to use the skills they’ve learned and gain confidence in their abilities. All writers can have a little trouble getting started, though, which is why you need this big collection of 4th grade writing prompts. They include essay writing prompts, creative writing story starters, journal prompts, and much more. Sharpen your pencils and get ready to write!
You can get 50 of these 4th grade writing prompts in a free PowerPoint slideshow bundle! They make it easy to share these writing ideas with your students. Grab your free PowerPoint bundle by filling out the form on this page.
- Journal Writing Prompts
- Funny Writing Prompts
- Persuasive and Opinion Writing Prompts
- Descriptive Writing Prompts
- Narrative Writing Prompts
- Creative Writing Prompts
- Story Starters
- Current Events Writing Prompts
4th Grade Journal Writing Prompts
- What’s the best book you’ve read recently? What was it about, and why did you like it?
- What is the worst book you ever read?
- Write five rules for staying organized.
- What’s the best gift you’ve ever gotten? How did it make you feel?
- One of your little cousins is very nervous about starting kindergarten. What would you tell them to make them feel better?
- There’s an old saying: “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” What do you think this saying means?
- Write about an adult you look up to.
- What’s the nicest thing anybody has ever done for you?
- If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
- What makes your family unique?
- What would you say is your greatest strength? Greatest weakness?
- Are you a patient person? Why or why not?
- What is something you’ve never done that you would like to try?
- What is the weirdest thing that has ever happened to you?
- What’s your favorite holiday? What makes it so special?
Funny Writing Prompts for 4th Grade
- What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you?
- Imagine you came to school one day and found your teacher had turned into an animal. What animal would it be, and what would happen?
- Write a poem where most of the words start with the letter K.
- Imagine you and your pet switched bodies for a day, and tell the story of what would happen.
- Who is the funniest person you know? Describe them, and explain why they’re funny.
- When was the last time you laughed so much you couldn’t stop? What happened?
- What is something adults do that you think is funny or strange?
- Write a review of a restaurant that serves the worst food in the world.
- What is the funniest thing that someone could become famous for? Tell the story of how it happened.
- Write a story about someone who could never lie, no matter what.
Persuasive and Opinion 4th Grade Writing Prompts
- Are 4th graders ready to stay home alone? Why or why not?
- Would you rather be good at sports or good in school? Why?
- Would you rather have lots of money or lots of friends? Why?
- What is your favorite subject in school? Why?
- Name two characters from different books that you think might be good friends. Why?
- Which is more important for success, skill or luck?
- Should kids be paid an allowance to do chores around the house? Why or why not?
- Why are classroom rules important?
- If you had a time machine, what era of history would you visit?
- Why is math important?
- Which would you rather read: a scary story that gives you goosebumps or a funny story that cracks you up? Why?
- Why is science important?
- Should 4th graders have cell phones? Why or why not?
- If you could open a store, what type of store would it be and why?
- What is the hardest thing about being a 4th grader?
- If I were the ruler of the world, the first law I would pass would be … because …
- Is it ever OK to tell secrets? Why or why not?
- What animal makes the best pet? Why?
- Is it better to spend an hour a day reading or an hour a day exercising? Why?
- Do you like nonfiction books or fiction books better? Why?
Descriptive 4th Grade Writing Prompts
- If you won a million dollars, how would you spend the money?
- If you had a YouTube channel, what would you talk about?
- Describe what you think of as perfect weather.
- Describe how to build a birdhouse step-by-step.
- Imagine you are in a hot-air balloon above your house. Describe everything you can see.
- Describe the physical appearance of someone in your family in detail.
- Describe how to play your favorite board game.
- Explain the right way to do one of your household chores, like making your bed or cleaning your room.
- Describe your perfect day.
- Imagine you are an adult and describe your dream job.
- Explain your morning routine in detail, from waking up to arriving at school.
- Describe the perfect meal, including what you’d eat and where you’d dine.
- Share what you do on a typical non-school day.
- Describe your favorite room at home in detail.
- How do you prepare for a big test? Describe the ways you study or practice.
Narrative Writing Prompts for 4th Grade
- Share one of the stories your family has told you about when you were a baby.
- If you found a backpack filled with dollar bills, what would you do?
- Write about a time when you felt proud of yourself.
- Imagine your parents let you plan your next family vacation. Tell about what you’d do, and how your family would react.
- Write about a time you felt like quitting but didn’t. How did you keep yourself going?
- Tell about an event that happened recently at your school or in your town.
- Start a story in the middle, and use “flashbacks” to fill in what happened earlier.
- Describe the most exciting game or sports event you ever saw or participated in.
- What is your earliest memory? Describe it in detail.
- Write about a time you tried something new and how you felt before, during, and after.
- Tell a story that a family member loves to share over and over again.
- Tell the story of your favorite field trip of all time.
- If you could relive any day in your life, what would it be? Would you want it to be the same or different?
- Write about a time you visited a haunted house or other scary place.
- Tell a story about a time you visited someplace new.
Creative Writing Prompts for 4th Grade
- Pretend you ate a magic pill that made you as tall as a redwood tree. Where would you go and what would you do?
- If you met an alien, what three questions would you ask them?
- Pretend you drank a magic potion that made you as tiny as an ant. Where would you go and what would you do?
- What would the world be like if dinosaurs still existed?
- If you could invent something new the world really needs, what would it be? How would it work?
- Describe a world where it rains fruit juice and snows M&Ms.
- Come up with the most ridiculous excuse possible for why you are unable to turn in your homework today.
- Describe a world where all the adults are robots, but kids are still human kids.
- Imagine a conversation between yourself and a talking animal.
- Describe the kind of creature you’d create if you were a mad scientist. Would it be scary and mean? Nice and friendly?
- Invent a new kind of candy. Give it a name, and write a commercial jingle for it.
4th Grade Story Starters
- Retell a classic story, making the villain the hero instead.
- Write a story that includes these five words: keys, spaghetti, uncle, jellyfish, spaceship.
- Imagine that one day you woke up and found everyone in the world could no longer talk. What would happen next?
- Write about a day where kids are in charge instead of grown-ups.
- Imagine you’re lost in a haunted wood, and tell the story of your escape.
- Describe a night in the life of the tooth fairy.
- Tell a story that ends with these words: “… and that’s how we all learned to fly.”
- Use these words to start a story: “When I opened the box that came in the mail, I never expected to find …”
- Write a new chapter of your favorite book, with yourself as a new character.
- Imagine you woke up one morning with a superpower, like invisibility or the ability to fly. Describe your experiences learning how to use that power.
Current Events Writing Prompts for 4th Grade
- Learn about an endangered animal, and describe what we can do to help it.
- If you made a time capsule for this year, what would you put in it?
- Describe something that you saw in the news recently and how it made you feel.
- What do you think is one of the world’s biggest problems right now, and how would you solve it?
- Read a news story about something happening in another country and summarize it.
- Write a news article about something important that happened to you this week.
- Create a poem about something in the local news right now.
- Write a letter to the editor about a current issue, explaining your opinion.
- Find a “good news” story, and share why it makes you happy.
- What living famous person do you most admire and why?
- What do you think kids today can do about climate change and global warming?
- What does the word “racism” mean to you?
- What is one thing you would do to make your school or town a better place?
- Choose an upcoming sports event, and explain who you think will win.
- Describe a current fashion trend or something that’s very popular in your school right now and how you feel about it.
- What can we do to help people with different opinions get along with one another better?
- Interview a grown-up you know, and write a news article about them.
- What do you think is the best new song right now? The worst? Why?
- Describe an event that’s happening in the world right now that you don’t understand. What questions would you ask a grown-up about it?
