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50 Essay Topics for Kids

50 Essay Topics for Kids | image: notebooks and paper airplane

Hi friends! A while back, after I did a post of story ideas for kids , I got requests for essay topics for kids. I thought it was a little out of my wheelhouse, though, since I’ve never taught children. But then I thought, wait a minute…I’m married to someone who used to teach middle school English! So I invited Mr. Donovan to guest post today. Take it away, honey…

For these, I tried to think about 5th and 6th grade writing topics, but the truth is, most of these writing prompts would also work for kids much younger, and some of them would work for older kids. If you’re a busy teacher or homeschooling parent, I hope you find good ideas you can use.

While this list focuses especially on persuasive writing, it offers a wide range of subjects. I think many students will feel strongly about them since they know about them firsthand, and they may have fun writing about them. Some prompts may encourage students to try to persuade through the use of humor and personal stories, while others may lead them to compare and contrast two things or use logic and/or ethical arguments to support their points of view. Hopefully, their strong feelings will lead student writers to experience persuasive writing as an essential tool for their success.[spacer height=”20px”]

50 Essay Topics for Kids | fun creative writing prompts for busy teachers and homeschoolers (image: stack of spiral notebooks)

Personal Narrative Essay Ideas

  • The three things I can’t live without are…
  • In the past year, I’ve changed in the following ways…
  • A close call I once had occurred when…
  • My favorite hour of the day is…
  • I once got lost for a long period of time at…
  • One thing I love to shop for is…
  • The best sporting event I ever attended was…
  • Here’s a time that I was scared but took a chance.
  • Here’s what happened when I tried something for the first time.
  • The thing I’m most looking forward to this summer is…
  • A decision that was very hard to make for me was…
  • The last time I laughed really really hard was…
  • A time I was really proud of one of my parents/siblings was…
  • Describe a favorite family photo and the story it tells.
  • One time when I was having dinner with my family…

Persuasive Essay Ideas

  • Why It’s Important To Be a Good Winner
  • How to Make Friends and Keep Them
  • To Be Successful, You Need To…
  • How to Disagree With Someone Without Being Rude
  • The Best Thing About This School Is….and Here’s Why
  • The Best Place to Live Would Be…and Here’s Why
  • Why It’s Important to Set Goals
  • How to Prevent Bullying
  • Students Should Be Allowed to Learn At Their Own Pace
  • The Best TV Show On Right Now Is…Because….
  • The Best TV Show Ever Made Is….and Here’s Why
  • My Favorite Superhero Is…Because…
  • Why My Favorite Sport Is the Best Sport
  • Students Should/Shouldn’t Have Their Phones at School
  • Our Country Would Be Better If We Passed This Law
  • No One Should Ever Watch More Than Four Hours of TV, Movies, and Videos a Day
  • Why It’s Time to Remove the Penny From Circulation
  • It’s Likely that Extraterrestrials Exist
  • Taking Photographs of People Without Their Permission Should Be Prohibited
  • Telling A Lie Is/Isn’t Always Wrong

Compare and Contrast Essay Ideas

  • Baseball and basketball have both similarities and differences.
  • Here’s what I would and wouldn’t be willing to do for a million dollars
  • The biggest differences between winter and spring are…
  • Ways I’m alike and ways I’m different from my parent/sibling are…
  • Cats and dogs may be very different, but they’re also alike in some respects.
  • My two favorite bands compare and contrast in the following ways.
  • Compare and contrast your two favorite superheroes.
  • My two favorite restaurants are different in many ways.
  • Though very different, the sun and the moon do have a few similarities.
  • While my two favorite classes have key differences, they also have much in common
  • Skating and running have a lot in common.
  • Parent teachers and classroom teachers are different and alike in many ways.
  • Poems and stories have some similarities and some differences.
  • PCs and Mac computers have less in common than you might think.
  • The book and movie version of my favorite story have a lot of similarities, but they’re different in some ways.

50 Essay Topics for Kids | image: Open blank notebook and pen

If you have other ideas for easy essay topics for middle school, let us know in the comments. And if you liked the list, please share them on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter—we appreciate it, and busy teachers might appreciate it, too!  Thanks for reading this, and have a great day!

– Gill Donovan

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11 thoughts on “ 50 essay topics for kids ”.

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This is a great list for home schooling parents and self-paced learners. Thank you for sharing.

PS Please hit me back sometime with a comment on my blog http://www.naomiplane.com

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Hi! Thanks, Naomi! I’ll stop by your blog in just a sec.

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These are so great! Thanks for posting Mr. Donovan! This list can also be used to connect with grandkids. If I answer some of these questions about my own life, the answers will likely be something of interest to my grandchildren and wouldn’t it be great to have them write on the same topics for me to read. Thanks again for your experiences with young people that make greater connection possible.

Thanks, Jessie! Interesting take on the list! I suppose I could actually use the list to connect with my own nieces and nephews.

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These are fabulous! I often simply want my children to practice handwriting, but I’m at a loss when they ask me what they should write. This takes care of two problems with one awesome solution! Thank you!! 🙂

Hi, Lisa! So glad you can use it in this way. Thanks for letting me know.

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as a mom of three boys, I find the list insightful into the minds of kids.

Good to hear this–as I was working on it, I kept circling back to try to decide whether or not the subjects would appeal to kids. So thanks!

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Having taught thirty-one years in elementary school (many of those years in 5th and 6th grade), this is an awesome list. I would have used some of these for sure. Teachers are the biggest thieves.?

When we had creative writing time in my class, I always wrote too. I wanted my students to know that I looked forward to this time. Teachers set the atmosphere. After a time, the kids quit asking, “How much do we have to write?” and instead asked, “Mr. Springer, can we write about this?” Giving students time to share is another key to putting a value on the written word.

Thanks, Pete Springer! As someone who taught 6th grade for a year, I know what a fine achievement it is to bring students to want to write in class and to feel comfortable enough to share their writing. Sounds like you taught some wonderful classes. Great to hear you’d have used these.

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I have a essay website http://www.tamilsolution.com in tamil language and iam nearly out of content ideas, you give me a new list of essays for my website, thank you

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 57 fun creative writing prompts for kids.

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General Education

body_writerkid

With many kids learning from home due to Covid-19, easy-to-organize educational activities for students are more important than ever. Writing helps improve students' creativity, communication skills, and ability to focus, among other benefits.

Whether you're a teacher, a parent now homeschooling, or a student looking for something new and interesting to write about, these writing prompts are for you. We've collected 57 writing prompts for students of various ages, from elementary school through high school. From spooky story writing prompts to debating how to improve schools, this article has writing prompts that will appeal to all students.

Tips for Using These Writing Prompts

What's the best way to use these creative writing prompts for kids? It depends on a lot of factors, including the student's age, current schooling structure, and their own interests and abilities. Here are some suggestions:

Use as a daily writing prompts exercise. You can assign one of these prompts at the beginning or end of the school day, as a way to prepare for the rest of the day or unwind after schoolwork.

Set up a quiet space to write. Many people have a hard enough time writing even with no distractions, and it can be nearly impossible to respond thoughtfully to a prompt if there's a television on, people talking, etc. Having a distraction-free space can help your student focus on the work at hand and produce their best writing.

Suggest an estimated writing length. Most of these journal writing prompts are designed to be answered both briefly or much more in depth. By giving a number of words/pages to aim for, you'll give your student a better idea of how detailed their response should be.

Consider having students handwrite their responses. Writing by hand can help students be more thoughtful about their responses because they'll typically write slower than they can type. It can also help students improve their handwriting skills.

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57 Fun Writing Prompts for Kids

Below are over 50 journal topics for kids, organized into three categories: narrative writing prompts, fiction/creative writing prompts, and argumentative writing prompts for kids.

Narrative Writing Prompts for Kids

#1: What is your favorite holiday or holiday tradition?

#2: If you could go back in time for one day, which time period would you choose?

#3: If you could learn one thing about your future, what would it be? Or, if you prefer not to know anything, why would you make that choice?

#4: Pretend you're writing an autobiography and need to create a table of contents. What would you name each chapter?

#5: What is your earliest memory? Write every detail you can remember about it.

#6: If you had the power to change one thing about school, what would you change and why?

#7: Describe three goals you have for yourself.

#8: Imagine you are creating your dream restaurant. What kind of food would you serve, what would the menu look like, and how would the restaurant be decorated?

#9: If you could build your dream house, what would it look like? What rooms would it have? What would the yard be like?

#10: What is the bravest thing you've done in your life? Why did you make the choice you did? How did you feel during and after the situation?

#11: What is the funniest thing you've ever seen?

#12: What is your dream job?

#13: What is one thing you're really good at?

#14: Pretend you are a professional reviewer and write a review of a book you recently read or a TV show/movie you recently watched. How many stars would you give it? What did you like about it, and what didn't you like?

#15: Write about a time you did something kind for someone else. What did you do, how did it make you feel, and how did it make the person you helped feel?

#16: Imagine your life in ten years. What do you think you will be like? What will you be doing?

#17: Write about the craziest dream you've ever had.

#18: What would your perfect weekend look like? What things would you do? Who would you see? What would you eat?

#19: Do you like your name? If so, why? If not, what would you change it to?

#20: Make a list of your favorite activities for each season.

#21: Write about your least favorite chore. What don't you like about it? What would you invent to make the chore easier?   

#22: What three pieces of advice would you give to your younger self?

#23: If you could be famous for anything, what would it be? 

#24: If you could create a new law, what would it be? Do you think it would be hard to enforce?

#25: Write about a time you think one or both of your parents made a mistake. What did they do, and what do you think they should have done? Did they admit their mistake?

#26: How would your best friend describe you? How would you describe your best friend? (You can also have your friend do this prompt and read each other's responses.)

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Fiction and Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

#27: Write a story about a character taking a submarine ride under the sea. What sort of things do you think they would see there? Would they be afraid or excited?

#28: Write a new chapter for your favorite book or new scene for your favorite movie. Which characters would be there, and what would they be doing?

#29: Invent a new pet. What would it look like, and what would you call it? What would it eat, and how would you care for it?

#30: Start a story with a lyric from a song.

#31: Pick something nearby (toy, pet, flower, etc.) and write a haiku about it. Bonus points if it rhymes!

#32: Write a story about a character who gets lost in the woods and discovers a mysterious person there.

#33: Write your own silly internet quiz.

#34: Choose an object in the house and describe it in as much detail as you can without saying what it is. Then, have a parent or sibling try to guess what you described.

#35: Write a scary story that includes: a spooky pumpkin patch, a vampire afraid of garlic, and a black cat.

#36: Do some people watching out your window. Write a story using one or more of them as the characters. Make up backstories and imagine what they're doing.

#37: Write a story about what you think your parents were like when they were younger.

#38: Your character survives a shipwreck and washes up on a mysterious island. What is on the island and how does (s)he get back home?

#39: Imagine you can choose to be any animal for a day. Which animal would you choose? What would you do?

#40: Write a poem about your favorite season.

#41: Imagine you are chosen for the first mission to Mars. What would you bring with you, and what do you think exploring the planet would be like?

#42: Write a sympathetic story from the point of view of the "bad guy." (Think fractured fairy tales like Wicked or The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! , although the story doesn't have to be a fairy tale.)

#43: Imagine your pet gets a day to roam free before returning home. Where would it go, and what would it see?

#44: If you could have dinner with any three people (real or fictional), who would you choose and what would you talk about? What would you eat?

#45: Look through photographs, drawings, and paintings. Choose one and write a story about it, imagining where it is and the types of people/things there.

#46: Imagine aliens landed on earth. What would they look like, and how would they act? Would they be friendly or not?

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Argumentative Writing Prompts for Kids

#47: Are there dangers of teenagers spending too much time on social media?

#48: Does homework actually help students learn?

#49: Should students doing e-learning this year get letter grades, pass/fail, or no grades?

#50: At what age should children get their own cell phone?

#51: Which is best: ebooks, audiobooks, or traditional print books?

#52: What's more important, PE classes or art classes?

#53: Which celebrity is the best role model for kids? Which is the worst?

#54: Should parents or teachers be able to ban certain books from schools?

#55: Which season is the best?

#56: Should students recite the Pledge of Allegiance in school?

#57: Should students go to school year-round and have shorter breaks throughout the year rather than one long summer vacation?

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What's Next?

Also looking for science activities for kids?  Check out our 37 science experiments for kids that you can do at home!

Want to make some slime? We tell you how to make slimes without borax and without glue as well as how to craft the ultimate super slime .

Pipe cleaners can provide endless craft ideas. Read our guide for simple instructions for 31 fun pipe cleaner crafts for kids.

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Essay Topics for Kids That Help Sharpen Their Writing Skills

Writing essays is often a part of school projects, however, choosing from a variety of topics can be quite challenging. This list provides a range of such essay topics you can choose from.

Essay Topics for Kids

Importance of Essay Writing

Essays, which can be defined as interpretative or analytical literary compositions are a part and parcel of student life. However, majority of students do not realize the importance of essay writing and consider it to be a worthless activity. They do not understand that essay writing is important for developing their writing skills. Other than this, studies have proved that writing essays are also said to be important for the intellectual development and knowledge internalization in kids.

It not only aids in enhancing their analytical and critical thinking skills, but also their research skills. Hence, it is important to include essay writing for students from a very young age. This will help the kids to understand the basics of essay writing like formatting, sentence construction, organization of thoughts, etc. which will aid them further in the higher classes. Teachers should introduce essay writing to kids with easy topics, gradually moving to more complex topics, like, argumentative, persuasive, etc. which will not only help them in improving their language, but also their writing skills. Let us take a look at some of the school level topics.

Descriptive Topics

It is always good to begin with essays where children can describe something. The topic should be about something that the kids already know, like, their home or family. Such type of essay topics will aid them to learn to organize their thoughts in a constructive manner. After the children select their topic, they can make points about them, before actually writing the main essay. Here are some good essay topics that kids may find easy to write.

Descriptive Topics

~ My Best Friend ~ My Favorite Sport ~ My Last Holiday ~ The Pet that I would Like to Have ~ What if I had Super Powers ~ My Mother/Father ~ Things I Like to do During My Pastime ~ The Most Special Day of My Life ~ The Person I Admire the Most ~ The First Day in My New School

~ Things I Did During Summer ~ A Dream I had Last Night ~ My Most Memorable Birthday ~ Qualities Required to Become a President ~ My Favorite TV Show ~ Things that I am Afraid of ~ A View from my Window ~ Living at a Bus Stop ~ My Favorite Food ~ My Hobby ~ What Will I Do When I Grow Up? ~ If I Became an Animal

~ The Most Interesting Book I have Read ~ If I Became Invisible ~ If I had a Magic Pen ~ If I Become Rich ~ What Makes Me Special? ~ An Eventful Day in My Life ~ If I Had Three Wishes, What Would I Wish For? ~ All The Things I Want to Do ~ What Would I Do If I Became Invisible for a Day? ~ My Space Adventure ~ A Rainy Day I Spent Alone

Argumentative Topics

After descriptive essays, the next step will be argument essay writing. Argumentative essays are those where students have to put forth their point of view about a topic. However, it is important to remember that these essays cannot be based just on personal knowledge, rather kids have to find enough proof to support their opinions and thoughts.

Argumentative Topics

~ Is Praying Beneficial? ~ Effect of Technology on Human Beings ~ Should Smoking in Public Be Banned? ~ Harmful Effects of Plastic Bags ~ How do Humans Affect the Environment ~ Reasons we Love Chocolate ~ Pros and Cons of Zoos

~ Mobile Phones – Necessity or Nuisance? ~ Is Destruction of Forests Affecting the Earth ~ Harmful Effects of Video Games ~ Is it Right to Kill Animals for Food and Clothing? ~ Should Bullying be Supported? ~ Is Learning a Foreign Language Really Important? ~ Global Warming and Deforestation

Persuasive Topics

Persuasive essays are somewhat similar to argumentative essays, where students have to present their opinions on a topic. The difference is that the essay should persuade the readers to change their opinion about something after reading it. Hence, kids have to conduct thorough research before writing a persuasive essay.

Persuasive Topics

~ Bilingual Education in school ~ Should the Government Ban Hunting? ~ 10 Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment ~ Are School Uniforms Good or Bad Idea ~ Are Exams Making Way for Too Much Stress in Children? ~ How Much is too Much homework

~ Why Helmets should be made Compulsory ~ Home is the best place to Spend a Thanksgiving Holiday ~ Cell Phones for Kids – Pros and Cons ~ Should Mothers Work or Stay at Home? ~ Animals Should Not be Caged ~ Can you Live Without Television?

Compare and Contrast Topics

Essays of this type prove to be a good exercise for kids where they learn to compare between two concepts, find the relations between two contrasting ideas, look at all aspects of a subject and understand it in different ways. Compare and contrast topics thus help build analytical skills in children.

Compare and Contrast Topics

~ Reading from Books vs. Reading Online ~ Harry Potter Books vs. Harry Potter Movies ~ American English vs. British English ~ Comparing two video games ~ Comparing two books ~ Comparison between two music genres ~ Comparing two athletes/sports figures

~ Comparison between two sports events (Wimbledon vs. French Open or NASCAR vs. Formula One) ~ Comparing two restaurants ~ Comparison between two ways to spend a holiday (going out vs. staying at home) ~ Urban Living vs. Rural Living ~ Being Rich vs. Being Famous

~ Comparing two similar/comparable feelings (being sad vs. being bored or being happy vs. being content) ~ Childhood vs. Teenage ~ Comparing two famous personalities ~ Your Real Home vs. Your Dream Home ~ Living on campus vs. Living off campus

Autobiographies

This particular branch of essay writing tests the students’ general knowledge and level of imagination. Students are expected to personify a living or non-living thing and write a description of that thing’s life. All these essays are fictitious in nature. Autobiographical essays are not based on any famous personalities. Some popular autobiography topics are:

Autobiographies

~ Autobiography of a book ~ Autobiography of a pen ~ Autobiography of a tree ~ Autobiography of an animal/bird ~ Autobiography of a flower ~ Autobiography of a princess ~ Autobiography of a river

Other Random Topics

Other Random Topics

~ If given a chance, what would you do for the poor old man living down the street? ~ What would you do with all the Halloween candies that you collected this year? ~ Convincing parents for a picnic ~ Planning a surprise party for Dad ~ What would you do if you found yourself in the land of Lilliput? ~ Inventing an animal ~ How would you like to decorate your room?

~ Is it important for children to go to a boarding school? ~ If I were the Mayor ~ If I were the President ~ If I were a billionaire ~ If I were a tree ~ If I were a devil/an angel

These essay topics for kids can be altered slightly by the teacher as per the grade at which the children are studying. Teachers should also give the kids appropriate guidelines for each type of essay that they have to write. Practicing essay writing on these topics is a way of preparing kids to deal with more complex essay topics that they will encounter during their higher studies.

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Thu, 06 Jan, 2022

50 Simple Yet Interesting Essay Writing Topics in English for Kids

essay topics for 12 year olds

An essay is a topic-oriented content written from the author’s perspective. Essay writing is a perfect activity for improving penmanship and thinking skills in kids. If you are invested in improving your kids' writing skills and intellect, you must give them an interesting topic for short essay writing every once in a while.

You can refer to the following list of 60 simple topics for essay writing for kids . These essay ideas are designed to compel your kids to use their imagination, English writing skills, thought process, and emotions all at once!

  • A Picnic With Friends & Family.
  • Perks of Rainy Season.
  • My Lovely & Loyal Pet.
  • Fun Activities on the Annual Day in My School
  • How to Reduce Air pollution?
  • My Beautiful Country – India.
  • My Dad, My Superhero!
  • My Favourite Sport.
  • Will Laptops & Computers Replace the Textbooks in Future?
  • Planets & Stars of Our Solar System.
  • My Favourite Teacher.
  • Republic Day of India.
  • What All I Want to Do in My Next Summer Vacation?
  • How India Got its Independence?
  • Why do we Need to Save the Environment?
  • My Favourite Book.
  • India: The country of Festivals.
  • What Will I do if I become Rich?
  • The Father of the Nation: Mahatma Gandhi.
  • The TV Shows I Love!
  • Why Should We Play Sports?
  • Advantages & Disadvantages of Technology.
  • Are Dogs Better Than Cats?
  • How the Internet is Defining Modern Times.
  • The Best Gift I’ve Ever Received.
  • What’s My Kind of Perfect Weekend?
  • My Aim in Life.
  • What Will I do if I Get Superpowers?
  • The Wonder of Science.
  • Importance of Rakshabandhan.
  • My Favourite National Holiday.
  • How to be a Good Friend?
  • Planet Earth: Our Home.
  • The School Subject I Love!
  • Do I Want to Grow Up? Why or Why Not?
  • How to be Safe in a Public Place?
  • My Favourite Relative.
  • Where There is a Will, There is a Way.
  • How do I Celebrate Diwali?
  • How I Spent My Last Summer Vacation?
  • What is Swachh Bharat Abhiyan?
  • My Favourite Animal.
  • Most Special Memory With My Mother.
  • Should Kids be Allowed to Have Mobile Phones?
  • What Would I Do for Children if I Become The Prime Minister?
  • My Class & My School.
  • Most Memorable Day With My Family.
  • Lesson Which I Learned From a Mistake.
  • Which Cartoon Character is Most Like Me.
  • My Favourite Character From the History.

Hopefully, this list of English essay writing topics for kids will ensure you never run out of essay ideas. Imagine the kind of Intellectual stimulation and information they get by writing on such topics. Isn't it obvious that your kids will turn out to be smart, creative, and thoughtful if you consistently encourage them to write essays, journals, or poems!

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50 English Essay Creative Writing Topics for Kids in Middle School

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Wondering which topic to pick up for your next essay? Essay writing is nowadays an essential task given to students of all grades. No matter how daunting it may appear to you essay writing allows students to build up a disciplined, logical and rational communication approach towards a topic. Before picking up an ideal essay topic, it is important for you to understand the characteristics of the essay.

What are Essays?

An essay is a formal piece of writing that may describe, analyze, argue, or present a writer’s opinion on a particular topic. An essay has three parts –

Introduction – It presents the essay topic to the readers. The last sentence of the essay is generally the thesis statement that states the writer’s perspective about the topic.

Body Paragraph(s) – There are generally one or more body paragraphs written in an essay which explain the topic introduced earlier in the introductory paragraph. The writer can provide examples, facts, and evidence to prove their points.

Conclusion – It presents a short summarized version of the essay and concludes what the writer expressed in the essay. A conclusion includes something for the readers that they may take up from the essay.

We understand writing essays could be an overwhelming task. Learn how to fight with procrastination  and develop time management skills here!

Types of Essays

An essay can be categorized differently based on its purpose, whether a writer wants to present their opinion, an argument, an explanation or convince the readers. No matter what type of essay you write you must be aware of the topic and to gain that knowledge you must research well. English essays for students are generally of four types –

Narrative Essays – These types of essays follow the concept of storytelling. As the name suggests, the writer narrates their experience in a narrative essay. There can be a number of fun essay topics in this category where you can explain bizarre incidents happened with you.

Descriptive Essays – These types of essays are explanatory in nature. They describe a place, object or any other concept. It is just like painting a picture – including the details and giving complete information about the topic to the readers.

Persuasive Essays – If you are a beginner in essay writing choose a simple essay topic for kids and follow the above-stated format for writing the essay. These types of essays are written to convince the readers about a particular idea or opinion of the writer. The writer needs to present a logical approach and support their arguments with facts and evidence.

Expository Essays – These essays provide a rational analysis of a topic. These essays can be argumentative, comparison-based or problem-solution based. The writer needs to include facts and evidence to support their arguments here. They do not involve the personal opinions of the writer but theories and facts.

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English Essay Topics for Kids

Do you know how important it is to choose an interesting essay topic? It can straightway put a good first impression on your teacher as they assess your essay. Moreover, it will be much easier for a student to prepare an essay if they topic intriguing for them. It’s time to end your search for Essay writing topics in English as we have brought you 50 best essay writing topics.

Our essay writers have brainstormed to come up with topics of English Essays for students and children that are not only informative but engaging.

  • Should there be Wi-Fi at every public place?
  • EBooks are better than Traditional Paperback Books
  • My last Summer Vacation
  • Internet usage should be limited
  • Eating animals and birds is Immoral
  • Christmas Eve with Family and Friends
  • Global Warming is a Threat to Mother Earth
  • How can You be a Better Friend
  • Importance of a Value-Based Life
  • It is Good to be Bilingual
  • The Best Reality TV Show
  • Why learning History is Important
  • Can Clothes Define a Person’s Character
  • Eating Healthy
  • Music My Parent Like
  • My Favorite City
  • Helping Family at Home
  • A View I Would Never Forget
  • The Scene of a Bus Stop
  • Video Games make you Smart
  • Hobbies are Important for Everyone
  • My Favorite Animal
  • How Technology Has Affected Us
  • Harmful Effects of Smoking
  • How are We Affecting the Environment
  • Why Kids Love Chocolate
  • Visiting Zoo for the First Time
  • Growth of Plants
  • How Rainfall Occurs
  • The Dessert I Like the Most
  • Making New Friends at School
  • Spring is the Season of Life
  • A Noisy Evening
  • Clubhouse of My Society
  • School Picnic to A Village
  • How Grandparents Play a Major Role in Child’s Growth
  • A Funny Incident that Happened with Me
  • Benefits of Morning Walk
  • Value of Rivers
  • A Fair at the Village
  • New Year Eve With Friends
  • Why Should Kids Learn Gardening
  • Homework is Important
  • Visit a Dentist
  • Why Hiccups Occur
  • A Machine I would like to Invent
  • If I were an Entrepreneur
  • My Favorite Job
  • How To Help Animals
  • Learning From The Globe

Are you ready to begin with your essay? Pick up a topic that interests you the most and begins writing. All you need to do is a little research and give way to your creativity. Do not forget to maintain the format of essay writing. Make sure you write an eye-catching introduction and effective conclusion and we are sure that your teacher will assign you better grades.

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60 Best Essay Topics for Kids: Nurturing Young Minds

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15 Compare and Contrast Essay Topics for Kids

15 personal and creative expression essay topics for kids, 15 the world around us essay topics for kids, 15 factual and educational essay topics for kids.

In today’s world, where communication and expression are key, writing effectively is invaluable. This post aims to provide parents and educators with a list of essay topics for kids keen on nurturing this essential skill in their young ones.

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Writing essays is not just an academic exercise; it’s a fundamental tool that helps children develop their language skills, organize their thoughts, and articulate their ideas with clarity. Whether it’s a simple description of their favorite toy or a more complex discussion about their thoughts on environmental conservation, each essay topic offers a unique opportunity for growth and learning. Let’s dive in!

45 Easy Essay Topics for Kids

Let’s explore and discover fun differences and similarities! These compare-and-contrast topics are perfect for young minds to learn and think about the world around them in exciting ways.

For a more hands-on experience, check out these printable compare-and-contrast worksheets for kids that enhance writing and comprehension skills.

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1. Cats vs. Dogs- Pets at Home: Discuss the differences and similarities between having a cat and a dog as a pet.

2. Summer Holidays vs. Winter Holidays: Compare and contrast how summer holidays differ from winter holidays, focusing on activities, weather, and family traditions.

3. Books vs. Movies: Explore the differences and similarities in storytelling between reading a book and watching a movie adaptation.

4. Rainy Days vs. Sunny Days: Compare what it’s like to experience rainy and sunny days. They can talk about the activities they do, the clothes they wear, and their feelings about each type of weather.

5. Traditional Games vs. Video Games: Compare playing traditional games like hide-and-seek or hopscotch with playing video games . Look at the social aspects, physical activity , and enjoyment.

6. Eating at Home vs. Eating at a Restaurant: Discuss the experience of eating a home-cooked meal versus dining out at a restaurant, including the atmosphere, food choices, and family interaction.

7. School Learning vs. Learning at Home: Contrast the experience of learning in a school environment with learning at home or homeschooling , focusing on interaction, discipline, and learning styles .

8. Trains vs. Airplanes: Contrast traveling by train with airplane travel. Kids can discuss speed, the scenery they see, the noise level, and what they find exciting about each mode of transportation.

9. Playing Inside vs. Playing Outside: Contrast the activities kids do when playing indoors (like board games or reading) with those they do when playing outdoors (like sports or exploring nature). Discuss the fun aspects and benefits of each.

10. Ice Cream vs. Cake: Kids can compare these two popular desserts, looking at flavors, occasions when they are eaten (like birthdays or hot summer days), and why they might prefer one.

11. Cars vs. Bicycles: Discuss the differences and similarities between these two modes of transportation. Kids can talk about the experience of riding a bike versus being in a car, the speed of travel, and when each mode is useful.

12. Story Books vs. Picture Books: Compare storybooks , which mainly focus on a narrative, with picture books, which use images to tell a story or convey concepts. Discuss the enjoyment of reading each type of book and how the pictures or stories help them understand and imagine.

13. Cartoons vs. Live-Action TV Shows: Discuss the differences and similarities between watching cartoons and live-action TV shows. Kids can talk about the characters, the stories , and what makes each type of show enjoyable.

14. Vegetables vs. Fruits: A great way to discuss healthy eating! Children can compare the taste, textures, and uses of fruits and vegetables and discuss their favorites and why they like them.

15. Storytelling vs. Reading a Book: Kids can contrast listening to a story being told (like a bedtime story ) with reading a book themselves. They might consider aspects like imagination to understand the story, which they find more enjoyable or easier.

Creative writing with pencil

Encourage kids to explore their inner world and creativity through these engaging essay topics. Perfect for enhancing imagination and personal storytelling, these prompts are ideal for essay writing for kids.

  • My Favorite Day and Why: Describe your most cherished day and why it stands out, making it a memorable essay for kids.
  • The Best Dream I Ever Had: Share the details of a wonderful dream and why it was so special to you.
  • If I Were an Animal, I Would Be…: Imagine being an animal and describe a day in your life, using creativity and fun details.
  • A Magical Adventure in My Backyard: Create a story about a magical adventure right in your backyard, perfect if you are looking for writing topics for elementary students.
  • When I Grow Up, I Want to Be…: Talk about your dream job and what makes it exciting.
  • My Superpower Wish: If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why? Describe how you would use it.
  • A Letter to My Future Self: Write a letter to your future self, sharing your hopes and dreams.
  • The Day I Learned to Ride a Bike: Narrate your experience of learning to ride a bike and how you felt.
  • My Favorite Holiday Memory: Recount a cherished holiday memory and why it’s important.
  • Building My Dream House: Describe what your dream house would look like and what makes it special.
  • A Trip to the Moon: Imagine a trip to the moon and describe what you see and do.
  • My Best Friend and Why I Cherish Them: Write about your best friend and the qualities that make your friendship special.
  • The Most Interesting Thing About My Family: Share something unique or interesting about your family.
  • If I Were President for a Day: Describe what you would do if you were the president for a day.
  • A World of Talking Animals: Create a story where animals can talk and share their adventures. This is a great choice for easy essay topics.

Kids walking on a globe

Discover and learn about our diverse world through these fun essay topics for kids. They are tailored to help kids observe, question, and understand the environment and cultures around them.

  • A Trip to the Zoo: What I Saw and Learned: This is a perfect essay topic for 5th graders . Ask them to describe their visit to the zoo and the interesting animals they saw
  • My Family’s Traditions and Celebrations: Share about your family’s unique traditions or celebrations and why they are important to you.
  • The Life Cycle of a Butterfly: Ask kids to explore and explain the transformation of a butterfly. It is a great prompt if you are looking for short essay topics.
  • How to Take Care of Our Planet: Discuss ways we can help protect and preserve our planet Earth.
  • A Day in the Life of a Firefighter: Imagine a day in the life of a firefighter and describe the challenges and rewards of their job.
  • Visiting a Museum: Write about a museum experience and what you learned.
  • The Importance of Recycling: Explain why recycling is important and how it helps our environment.
  • Different Cultures Around the World: Choose a culture different from your own and describe its unique customs and traditions.
  • Under the Sea: Exploring Marine Life: Dive into the ocean world and describe the fascinating marine life you find there.
  • My Favorite Season and Why: Share your favorite season of the year and what makes it special to you.
  • A Journey Through Space: Imagine traveling through space and describe what you might see and experience.
  • The Process of Making Chocolate: Describe how chocolate is made, from cocoa beans to your favorite chocolate bar.
  • Life on a Farm: Explore what life is like on a farm and the different tasks involved in farming.
  • The Wonders of the Rainforest: Discover a rainforest’s unique and diverse life and its importance to our ecosystem.
  • Celebrating a Festival in My Community: Write about a local festival, its significance, and how it is celebrated.

Informative essay topics written on white background

Explore and learn with these factual and educational essay topics. They are designed to encourage research, curiosity, and a deeper understanding of various subjects.

  • The Moon and Its Phases: Learn about the moon and why it looks different during the month.
  • Dinosaur Discoveries: Explore the fascinating world of dinosaurs and what they might have looked like.
  • Rainbows and How They Appear: Find out what makes rainbows and why they are so colorful.
  • Heroes in History: Write about a hero from history and what makes them special.
  • From Seed to Plant: Discover how a seed grows into a plant and the role of sun and water.
  • Planets in Our Solar System: Take a fun trip through space and learn about the planets.
  • Healthy Eating: Talk about your favorite fruits and vegetables and why they are good for you.
  • Simple Machines Around Us: Look at simple machines like the wheel and how they make life easier.
  • The Four Seasons: Describe the four seasons and what you like about each one.
  • The Fascinating World of Insects: Explore the diverse and interesting world of insects and learn about their lives.
  • Volcanoes: Mountains That Blow Their Tops: Discover what volcanoes are and why they erupt.
  • Our Bodies: Bones and Muscles: Learn about bones and muscles and how they help us move.
  • Under the Sea: Exploring Ocean Life: Dive into the ocean and learn about the fish and animals.
  • Why Do Stars Twinkle in the Night Sky? : Learn about the science behind the sparkling stars and what makes them look like twinkling from so far away.
  • The Secret Life of Ants: Discover how ants live, work together, and build their homes. Learn about the different roles ants have in their colony.

4 Importance of Essay Writing for Kids

Essay writing is more than just a school assignment; it’s a crucial skill that plays a significant role in a child’s development. Here’s why it’s important:

  • Improving Language Skills: Writing essays helps children enhance their vocabulary , grammar, and language proficiency. It’s a practical way for them to learn new words and how to use them effectively in sentences. 
  • Organizing Thoughts: One of the key benefits of essay writing is that it teaches kids how to organize their thoughts. When they write an essay, they learn to structure their ideas logically, making it easier for others to understand their point of view. 
  • Expressing Ideas Clearly: Essays allow children to express their ideas and opinions. This practice helps them articulate their thoughts in a coherent and concise manner. Expressing oneself is a valuable skill that will serve them well throughout their lives, both personally and professionally.
  • Academic and Future Career Success: Good writing skills are essential for academic success . Essays are a common part of school assignments; excelling in them can improve grades. Furthermore, writing well is a sought-after skill in many careers. Effective writing is key, whether it’s drafting reports, creating presentations, or communicating with clients.

In conclusion, by embracing the practice of essay writing, we open doors for our children to not only excel academically but also to develop essential life skills . Let’s encourage and support them in this journey, fostering a generation of articulate, thoughtful, and confident communicators.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

At what age should children start practicing essay writing.

Children can start practicing simple essay writing around 6 or 7. Starting with basic sentences and gradually moving to more structured essays helps build their writing skills early on.

How can I make essay writing interesting for my child?

To make essay writing interesting, choose topics that align with your child’s interests or current events in their life. Also, incorporating creative elements like storytelling or illustrations can make the process more engaging.

How long should essays for kids be?

The length of the essay should be appropriate for the child’s age and skill level. For younger children, a paragraph or two is sufficient, while older kids can aim for longer essays with more detailed content.

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300 Fun Writing Prompts for Kids: Story Starters, Journal Prompts & Ideas

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Are you a parent or teacher? Here are 300 fun and creative writing prompts for kids to spark the imagination of young writers everywhere. Use these kids writing ideas as journaling prompts, story starters or just for fun!

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It’s never too early to start writing, and so we’ve created this fun list of 300 creative kids writing prompts for teacher and parents to use.

You’ll love these fun ideas for kids writing prompts to use as creative sparks to get young imaginations writing in no time!

writing prompts for kids

These are perfect to use as kids journal writing prompts, as short story writing prompts, or just for exercises to help students and children of all ages tap into their creativity. Maybe your kids will write an essay, maybe a poem, or maybe even a whole book!

Whether you are a teacher or parent looking to inspire your kids to write, or maybe even an adult who would like to practice writing with a more playful and young-hearted approach, I hope you find these creative writing prompts inspiring!

Buy the Printable Cards!  We will always have this list of 300 kids writing prompts available for free, but I’m very excited to now also offer an  ad-free printable version of these prompts  in my online Etsy shop. Thank you for your support!

The Ultimate List of 300 Fun & Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

#1. Imagine a giant box is delivered to your front doorstep with your name on it. What’s inside and what happens when you open it?

#2. Write a short story about what it might be like if you woke up one morning with a mermaid tail.

#3. Which is better, winter or summer? Write about the reasons why you think winter or summer is better.

#4. Write about what would it be like if you had an alligator as a pet.

#5. If you had $1,000, what would you buy and why?

#6. Write a story using these 5 words: apple, train, elephant, paper, banjo

#7. What do you want be when you grow up and why?

#8. Who is your favorite person on the planet? What do you like most about that person?

#9. If you could have any secret super power, what would you want it to be and why?

#10. Write about 3 places you would like to travel someday. What do these three places have in common?

#11. Write about a time you felt really happy. What happened? What made you feel happy?

#12. Imagine what would happen if someone shrunk you down to be only 1″ tall. How would your life change?

#13. If you were in charge of the whole world, what would you do to make the world a happier place?

#14. Write a story about what it would be like to climb to the very top of the highest mountain in the world.

#15. If you were in charge of planning the school lunch menu, what foods would you serve each day?

#16. What are some of your favorite animals? What do you like about them?

writing prompt card for kids example

#17. Imagine that dogs take over the world. What do they make the humans do?

#18. Write a story about flying to outer space and discovering a new planet.

#19. You are a mad scientist and have invented a new vegetable. What is it called? What does it look like? What does it taste like? Most importantly: Is it safe to eat?

#20. You go to school one morning to discover your best friend has been turned into a frog by an evil witch! How do you help your friend?

#21. Describe what it is like when trees lose all of their leaves in the autumn season.

#22. Write about your favorite sport and why you like it so much.

#23. Imagine what it might be like to live on a boat all the time and write about it.

#24. If you had one wish, what would it be?

#25. Write about what you might do if you have the super power to become invisible.

#26. You are walking through the forest when one of the trees starts talking to you. What does it say? What do you do?

#27. The weather forecast is calling for a blizzard in the middle of the summer. What do you do?

#28. What types of transportation will people have in the future?

#29. What were some of your favorite toys when you very little? Do you still enjoy playing with them?

#30. What would a day in your life be like if you were a movie star?

#31. Imagine you’ve invented a time machine! What year do you travel to?

#32. What are your favorite things to do over summer vacation?

#33. What is your favorite holiday and why?

#34. If you could meet any fictional character from a book, who would it be?

#35. You are writing a travel guide for kids visiting your city. What places do you think they should visit?

#36. What is a food you hate? Write about it!

#37. Imagine what it would be like if there was no electricity. What would be different in your daily routine?

#38. You are building a new city! What types of things do you think your city needs? How will you convince people to move to your new city?

#39. What is your favorite movie? Write your review of the movie and why you think people should watch it.

magic sweater writing prompt for kids

#40. Imagine you get a magic sweater for your birthday. What happens when you wear the sweater? What do you do with these new found magical powers?

#41. You are the security guard at the zoo and someone has stolen a rhinoceros! How do you track down the thief?

#42. You have been invited to have lunch with the queen. What foods do you eat and what topics do you and the queen discuss?

#43. If you could design a school uniform, what types of clothes would you suggest? What colors would they be?

#44. Imagine you are a reporter interviewing a celebrity about their life. What questions do you ask?

#45. You are running a lemonade stand. Describe the steps for how you make lemonade and the types of customers you see during the day.

#46. Write a story about being the ruler of an underwater world.

#47. Write an acrostic poem for the word “treehouse”.

#48. You decide to grow a sunflower, but the sunflower grows so tall it reaches up to the sky! Write about what happens when you decide to climb to the top. What do you discover?

#49. Imagine you look out the window and it is raining popsicles from the sky! Write a story about the experience.

#50. If you could be any animal, which one would you be and why?

#51. If you were on a spaceship, what would you be most excited about seeing?

#52. Do you have any pets at home? Write an essay about how you take care of your pets. If you do not have a pet, what type of pet might you like?

writing prompts for pets

#53. Imagine you are opening a store that only sells items which are blue. What types of items do you sell?

#54. Have you ever lost something that is important to you? Were you able to find it?

#55. Write a story about a kid who is moving to a new school. How do you think they might feel?

#56. Rewrite the ending of your favorite fairy tale. For example, what would have happened if Cinderella never went to the ball?

#57. Have you ever forgotten to do your homework? What happened?

#58. Do you have a favorite song? Write about the type of music you like to listen to.

#59. Imagine your parents wake you up one morning to tell you they will take you to do anything you want to do for the whole day – you don’t even have to go to school or do your chores. What would you choose to do and why?

#60. Do you like amusement parks? What are some of your favorite rides?

#61. Write a story using these three words: detective, piano, and pizza.

#62. Have you ever been to the beach? Write about your favorite things to do. If you have never been to the beach, what would you like to do the first time you visit?

#63. Is there a favorite tv show you like to watch? Write about your favorite character and why they are your favorite.

#64. Write a poem using onomatopoeia , where the words you use are pronounced similar to the sound they make. For example, buzz, bark, sizzle, slam and pop.

#65. Have you ever had to stand in line to wait a long time for something? What did you do while you waited? How did you feel while waiting? How did you feel once the wait was over?

#66. Is it a good idea to keep ALL secrets a secret? Write about examples of when it is okay to spill a secret – and when it isn’t.

#67. Is there something you are good at doing? Write about your best strengths.

#68. What historical time period and location would you go back to live in if you could? Write about it!

#69. Write about 5 things you can do that are important for you to stay healthy and safe.

#70. Do you think thunderstorms are scary? Why or why not?

#71. What would you most like to learn over the next year? Think about things that interest you or questions you might have about the world and make a list!

#72. You are going on a trip to a jungle safari! What items do you pack in your suitcase?

essay topics for 12 year olds

#73. Imagine you are sitting at home one day and you hear someone shrieking in the living room they see a mouse in the house! Write a story about what might happen next.

#74. You are writing a letter to someone who is having a hard time making new friends at school. What do you write? What advice do you give them?

#75. Imagine you just met a magician – but their beloved rabbit who they pull out of a hat for all the tricks has been kidnapped! How do you help find the rabbit?

#76. Do you hear what I hear? Set a timer for 5 minutes and write about all of the sounds you hear in those 5 minutes.

#77. Imagine you go to get a haircut and they accidentally shave your head! How do you feel about that and what would you do?

#78. Do you find it easy to talk to people you don’t know? What are some ways you can start up a conversation with someone you have never met before?

#79. Are there any chores you have to do at home? What are they? What do you like – and not like – about each one?

#80. Open up a random book to any page. Write for 5 minutes about the first word you read.

#81. Pretend you are a writer for your city’s newspaper. Who would you like to interview for a news story and why?

#82. There are many fictional characters who live in unusual houses, such as the old woman who lived in a shoe. What kind of unusual house would you like to live in? Write about what it would be like to live in an unusual house!

#83. Write a list of 10 things you can do to practice kindness to others.

#84. Is there a homework subject you dread? Why do you not like getting homework in that subject?

#85. What is your favorite month of the year? Write about why you like it and some of your favorite things to do during that month.

#86. Imagine you are planning a surprise birthday party for someone. How do you keep it a surprise?

#87. Pretend you walked outside to find a sleeping dragon in the grass! Why is the dragon there? Is it a friendly dragon? What do you do? Write about it!

#88. What are you grateful for today and why?

#89. You were on your way to a very important event when you fell into a puddle. Now what?

#90. Have you ever watched a movie and didn’t like how it ended? Write what you think should happen instead.

#91. Can you answer this riddle from Alice in Wonderland ? How is a raven like a writing desk?

#92. Imagine you are the captain of a pirate ship. Write a diary entry for what your day was like.

#93. If you could start any type of business, what kind of business would you start? What types of products or services would you provide?

#94. Write a sequel to one of your favorite fairy tales. For example, what was Goldilocks’s next adventure after she left the bears?

#95. What is something you are afraid of? What helps you to feel less afraid of something? What would you say to a friend who feels scared to help them feel less afraid?

#96. Write a letter to your future self in 20 years.

kids writing prompts and ideas

#97. In addition to basic survival needs such as food, water, air and shelter, what are 3 things you would you need to be happy?

#98. If you could invent a robot of any type who could do anything you imagine, what types of things would you would have the robot to do?

#99. Which do like better? Apples or Oranges? How are they alike? How are they different?

#100. Why did the chicken cross the road? You are a detective and are assigned to the case. How do solve the mystery?

#101. Write instructions for how to make your favorite snack. Be sure you add your favorite tips and suggestions for how to select the best ingredients!

#102. Imagine you borrowed a friend’s favorite lucky pencil to help you pass a math test – but then it snapped in half! How will you ever tell the news to your friend?

#103. Look around the current room you are sitting in and choose 3 random objects that are nearby. Now write a story or poem that includes those three items!

#104. Write a letter to the author of a book you recently read and tell them what you liked most about the book.

#105. Ernest Hemingway is famous for writing a six word story. Can you write a story in just 6 words?

#106. What do you think will be the future for cell phones? Will people still use them in 25 years or will something else take its place?

#107. Do you want to go to college? Why or why not?

#108. Write a story or poem about a kitten who wanders off and gets lost. How does the kitten find its way home?

#109. Currently, it is required by law that kids go to school. Do you think this is a good or bad idea?

#110. If you could invent a new board game, what would it be called? How is it played? What are the rules? What makes it fun to play? Write about it!

#111. Imagine you come home to discover your entire bedroom is covered in ketchup! What on earth happened? What is your reaction? How do you clean everything up?

#112. What is something you learned today?

#113. Would you rather have a goldfish or shark as a pet?

#114. From A-Z: make a list of something for every letter of the alphabet.

#115. Have you ever gone fishing? If you have, did you like it? Why or why not? If you haven’t, do you think you might want to?

#116. What is one of the most important things you do each and every day?

#117. Write a story about Gretchen the Grouch, a girl who is always angry! Will she ever be happy? Why is she so grumpy all of the time?

#118. How do you feel when someone takes something of yours without asking? What is a good way to deal with it when that happens?

#119. Write a poem that starts with the word “if”.

#120. Write a story about a family of rabbits who live in the woods. What are some of the challenges they face?

#121. What clothes do you think are the most comfortable? What kind of clothes do you like to wear the most? What clothes do you NOT like to wear?

#122. Imagine there are no grocery stores and you must get your own food. What are some of the ways you find food? What types of things do you eat?

#123. What are 3 things you can do that are good for the environment?

#124. If you could meet any famous person today, who would you want to meet and why? What questions might you ask them?

#125. A tongue twister is a quick poem where many of the words start with the same letter and are similar in sound. For example, “Peter picked a peck of pickled peppers.” Try writing your own with this fun kids writing prompt!

#126. What is the first thing you think of when you hear or see the word green?

#127. A hero is someone who is admired for their courage and achievements. What do you think makes someone a hero? Who are some of your heroes?

#128. What did you do during summer vacation last year? What do you want to do for summer vacation this year?

#129. Write a story about a super hero dog who saves the day! Who does the dog help and why?

kids journal prompts

#130. Would you rather live somewhere that is always cold, or somewhere that is always hot? Write about which one you would rather choose.

#131. Have you ever volunteered to help a charity? If so, write about the experience! If not, what are some charities you think you might like to volunteer for?

#132. What does the word courage mean to you?

#133. What makes you unique? What are some things about you that make you an individual?

#134. Have you ever been to a museum? What is your favorite thing to look at on display?

#135. What can you do to set a good example for others to be kind?

#136. A Tall Tale is a story that exaggerates something that actually happened. Write a tall tale about something that recently happened to you.

#137. What is one of your favorite toys that you think you might still want to have and play with when you are 22 years old?

#138. Oh no! Everyone around you is sick with a nasty cold! Write a silly poem about how you try to avoid catching their germs!

#139. Personification is when a non-living object takes on human characteristics. Write a story where you personify a common electronic gadget in your house, such as the Television or toaster.

#140. Write a poem using similes, which is when you say an object is like something else. Here is an example of a simile: “Her eyes were as blue as the sky.”

#141. Have you ever read a book written by Dr. Suess? Write your own “Suess-style” story, complete with rhymes and made up words.

#142. Do you have any siblings? Think about what it might mean to be a good brother or sister and write about it!

#143. Make a list of questions to interview your parents or grandparents about what it was like when they were growing up as a kid. Then, ask them the questions and write about their answers!

#144. You are in charge of writing a new radio show just for kids! What topics will you talk about? What music do you play?

#145. What do you usually eat for breakfast every day? What, in your opinion, is the greatest breakfast food ever created? What makes it so great?

#146. Write a 12 line poem where every line is about a different month of the year.

#147. What is something you look forward to doing the most when you are an adult?

Use these prompts in your classroom!  Get the  ad-free printable version of these prompts  to inspire your students to write! Thank you for your support!

#148. Do you like to try new things? What is something new you have tried recently or would like to try?

#149. Imagine what it might be like to be alive in Egypt when the pyramids were built. Write about what it was like.

#150. A credo is a statement of personal beliefs. Try writing your own credo for things that you believe in and feel are important.

#151. The circus has come to town but they have no place to perform! How do you help the ringmaster find a place to put on a show?

circus lion

#152. Do you like to act? What are some of your favorite actors or actresses? What do you think makes someone a good actor or actress?

#153. “Practice makes perfect” is a popular saying. What is something you like to practice so you can become better at it? A sport? A musical instrument? A special skill? Do you like to practice?

#154. Write about what it might be like to be water drops freezing and turning into ice.

#155. Do you think it is important to keep your room clean? What do you like about having a clean room?

#156. Imagine your parents are sending you away for a two week summer camp trip. Would you be excited? Why or why not?

#157. What are you currently learning about in history class? Write a fictional story about someone from the past you are learning about.

#158. Many wars have been fought in the past. Instead of going to war, what do you think countries could do to resolve their differences peacefully?

#159. Every year over 8 billion plastic bottles and cans are thrown away. What are some things you can do to help encourage your family and friends to recycle?

#160. Imagine if you were the principal of the school. What might you do differently? What things would you do that are the same? Write about it!

#161. Pretend that one day you are at your neighbor’s house and you notice a strange noise coming from the basement. You go downstairs to investigate to see a large machine running with many lights and buttons. Why is it there?

#162. Write an essay that starts with the line, “Tomorrow, I hope…”

#163. If you could give one thing to every child in the world, what would you want to give them?

#164. Do you have a piggy bank at home? How do you earn money to add to your savings?

writing ideas for kids

#165. What qualities make a house a home? What are 3 things you think every house should have?

#166. Would you rather go scuba diving or rock climbing? Write about which one you think you would like to do more and why.

#167. Do you think it is a good idea for kids to write a daily journal? What are some of the benefits of writing every day?

#168. Do you like watching fireworks or are they too noisy? Write about a time when you saw fireworks in the sky.

#169. Oh no! Your friend has turned into a statue! How did this happen? What do you do? Does your friend ever turn back into a person again?

#170. If you could be any movie character, who would you be and why?

#171. A mysterious message appears in code on your computer screen. What could it mean?

#172. If you could go to work with one of your parents for a day, what do you think the day would be like? What types of things do your parents do at work all day long?

#173. Imagine you are the President and you are creating a new national holiday. What is your holiday about? How is it celebrated? What day of the year do you celebrate? Write about it!

#174. You won a never-ending lifetime supply of spaghetti noodles! What will you do with all of these noodles?

#175. Would you rather be a bunny rabbit or a hawk? Why did you choose the one you chose?

#176. Your teacher has been acting mysterious lately. After school one day, you notice a weird green light shining through underneath the door of your classroom. What do you do? What is happening with your teacher?

#177. Write an article about tips for how kids can be more organized and study well for tests.

#178. Look at any product in your house and read the ingredients labels. Research what each ingredient is. Do you think these ingredients are good or bad for people?

#179. If you were a doctor, what do you think would be the most important part of your job every day?

#180. The school librarian needs your help! A truck just arrived with 2,000 books and she can’t fit all the books onto the shelves! What do you do? How do you find a place to put all these books?

#181. Do you think it would be fun to plant a garden? What types of plants would you want to grow? Write about your garden ideas.

#182. What is a sport or activity you would like to try playing for the first time?

#183. Do you think kids should be allowed to do the same things as adults? What things do you think kids should be able to do that only grown-ups can?

#184. Imagine you and your parents switch places for a day. Your parents are the kids and you are now in charge! What would you do?

#185. Write a get-well letter to someone who has been sick. What can you say to make them feel better?

#186. If you could visit any planet in the solar system, which planet would you like to visit the most and why? Write about what it might be like.

#187. Have you ever been to a farm? What did you like about it? If you haven’t been to a farm, do you think you might like to visit one? Why or why not?

#188. The mayor of the city has a big problem and needs your help! What is the problem and how will you solve it?

#189. Pretend your little sister ate carrots for dinner and the next morning woke up with rabbit ears!  How did this happen? What do you do? Will she be a rabbit forever?

#190. Imagine you wake up in the morning to find out you get to relive any day of your life again for the whole day. What day would you want to experience again and why?

#191. Do you think you might like to be a firefighter? Why or why not?

fire fighter writing prompt

#192. You are a lawyer and your client has been accused of stealing a car. How do you convince the jury your client is innocent?

#193. Think of the four elements: fire, air, earth, and water. Which of these four elements do you like the best?

#194. What would you do if you could be invisible for a whole day? Do you think you would enjoy it or be glad to be back to normal the next day? Write about it!

#195. Imagine you are a meteorologist and people are starting to get angry that your weather predictions are always wrong. What do you do?

#196. If you could create any law, what would it be? Why do you think the law is an important one to have?

#197. You are going incognito and need to hide to your identity so you aren’t recognized or discovered while you walk through the city. What type of disguise do you wear?

#198. Write a persuasive letter to your parents explaining why you should get a new pet. Make sure you provide a convincing argument they won’t be able to refuse!

#199. Your friend wants to do something dangerous. What should you do?

#200. How do you think the world would be different if there were no oceans?

#201. What do you do when someone disagrees with your opinions? Is there a better way to handle conflicting opinions?

#202. What do you think you as a kid could do to help encourage more people to read?

#203. Do you have a good luck charm? What makes this item lucky? When do you use it? How do you use it?

#204. What is at the end of a rainbow? Imagine you follow a rainbow to the end. What do you discover? Is it a pot of gold, or something else?

Use these prompts in your classroom!  Get the  ad-free printable version of these prompts  to inspire your students to write! Thank you for your support!

#205. What do you think the consequences should be for someone who is caught cheating on a test at school?

#206. Imagine you are riding your bike one day when you encounter an older kid who wants to steal your bike. What do you do?

#207. You are the lead singer and star of a famous rock and roll band, but there is one problem – your drummer is jealous of your fame! How do you solve this situation?

#208. If you could help a group of kids in any part of the world, what kids would you want to help the most and why? What are some things you think would help these kids?

#209. Everyone knows the house on the end of the street is haunted. What are some of the strange things that happen there? Why is the house haunted?

#210. You notice at school one day there is a door to a secret passage next to the janitor’s closet and decide to explore. Where does it lead? Why is it there? Do you go alone or bring a friend along?

#211. A bucket list is a list of things you want to accomplish in your lifetime. What are 5 things on your bucket list?

#212. Imagine the perfect treehouse or clubhouse for you and all of your friends as a place to hang out. Describe what it is like inside.

#213. Do you get bored easily? Make a list of things you can do whenever you feel like you are bored and there is nothing fun to do!

#214. Now vs. Then: Think about how today is different from one year ago. How have you changed? What things in your life are different?

#215. Write your autobiography about your life.

#216. It’s a heat wave! What do you do when the weather is hot? What are some of your favorite ways to stay cool?

#217. What are three important safety tips every kid should know to stay safe?

#218. What genre of books do you like to read the most? Write about the characteristics of the genre and list some of your favorite books as examples.

#219. Holiday Traditions: How does your family celebrate the different holidays and events? What are some traditions you do each and every year?

#220. Imagine one day in science class a science experiment goes terribly wrong and now you and all of your classmates have superpowers! What are your superpowers and what do you do with them?

superheroes writing prompts for kids

#221. Who is favorite teacher? Why are they your favorite?

#222. You are baking a cake, but you accidentally put salt in the cake instead of sugar. Nobody will eat it! How do you feel? What will you do next time?

#223. Do you think it is important to have good table manners? What do you think some good manners to practice might be?

#224. Many schools no longer teach cursive handwriting. Do you think this is a good or bad thing? Do you know how to write cursive handwriting? Would you like to learn if you haven’t?

#225. If you were the owner of a theme park, what types of rides and attractions would have? Describe what they would be like and why people would want to visit your park.

#226. Your parents give you $100 to spend at the grocery store. What do you buy and why?

#227. Some people who are alive today grew up without computers or video games. What would you do if you didn’t have a computer or video games? How would life be different?

#228. You walk into your living room and discover there is a giant elephant standing there. How did the elephant get there? What do you do about it? How do you explain the elephant in the living room to your parents?

#229. Have you ever had a weird dream? What happened in the dream? What do you think it means?

#230. Do you like to draw or paint? Write a story inspired by a painting, doodle, or sketch.

#231. You are being sent on a mission to outer space to live in a space station for 5 years. What supplies do you pack and why?

#232. What is the scariest creature alive on earth? Describe in detail what makes it so horrifying.

#233. What do you think your pet might say if they could talk to you?

#234. Imagine your school is putting on a talent show. What act will you perform? What other acts will be in the show?

#235. If you could breathe under water, what would you do?

#236. What time of day do you think school should start? Write a convincing argument on why or why not the time of day school starts should change.

#237. If you were to start your own YouTube video channel, what would the videos on your channel be about?

#238. Do you like to cook? What are some things you like to make and eat?

#239. Your school is having a field day and you are in charge of planning the activities and games. What types of activities and games would you plan for the event?

#240. If you had a remote control drone that takes video of everything it sees from the sky and you could take it anywhere, what would you film? For example, the inside of a volcano or soar it over the plains of Africa.

#241. The Bermuda Triangle is an area of the ocean where many ships and planes have gone missing. Why do you think this could be? Write a story about what it might be like to travel there.

#242. There are 7 great wonders of the world – which one do you think is the most wonderful?

#243. If you could speak any foreign language fluently, which one would you like to speak and why?

#244. You are inventing a new flavor of ice cream! What is the new flavor called and what ingredients do you need to make it?

#245. Would you rather go to a baseball game or read a good book? What reasons do you have for your choice?

#246. You walk outside to get your mail and your mailbox starts talking to you! What does your mailbox have to say?

#247. Imagine you are a famous person. What are you most famous for? What is it like to be famous?

#248. What do you think would be the most fun job in the world to have? Give examples of why you think it would be a fun job to have.

#249. Write a poem about an object that is shiny and dazzling.

#250. Do you like to watch the Olympics? Why or why not? If yes, what is your favorite Olympic sport?

#251. What kind of car do you want to drive when you are older? Do you think learning to drive will be easy or hard?

#252. What do you think would make for a great gift to give someone on their birthday?

#253. Describe a time when you needed help and someone helped you. What did they help you with and how did it make you feel?

#254. If you could be any type of fruit or vegetable, what would you be and why?

Love these prompts?  Get the  ad-free printable version of these prompts  to use at home or in the classroom!

#255. Do you think it is more important to have a good imagination or have all the facts proven?

#256. Do you have a favorite aunt, uncle, or another relative? Write a story about their life and why you like to be with them.

#257. Think of a time you laughed really, really hard. What was so funny? Why were you laughing? Write about it!

#258. Write a poem about an emotion. For example: happy, sad, angry, embarrassed, guilty.

#259. Do you ever have a hard time falling asleep? What are some things that help you feel sleepy?

#260. If you could drive a car, where would you drive and why?

#261. Imagine you are trading places with your friend for a day. What will it be like to be at their house? What will your friend think while they are at your house? Write about it!

#262. If you could break a world record, what would it be? What do you think would be necessary to be able to break the world record?

#263. Imagine you live in Colonial times. What would it be like to grow up as a kid in Colonial America?

#264. You are building a new city. What is the name of your city? What is the weather like? What buildings will you build?

#265. What do you think it would be like to work as a sailor on big ship in the ocean each day?

ocean writing prompt

#266. Imagine you are the teacher for the day. What types of activities do you make the students in the class do?

#267. How would you feel if your parents told you that you would be getting a new baby brother or sister? Write about it!

#268. Do you know any good jokes? What are some of your favorite jokes? What makes them funny? Do you think you could write your own?

#269. Imagine you are floating down a river on a raft. What types of things can you see from the river that you normally wouldn’t see from the land?

#270. You want to start a new hobby collecting something. What kinds of things would you collect and why?

#271. Your mom announces she is having a yard sale. Would you let her sell any of your things? Why or why not?

#272. Imagine you walk out your front door one morning and it is raining popcorn! What do you do?

#273.  You are camping in the woods one night and hear a scary noise. What do you do? What might be the cause?

#274. What do you think might make kids really happy to go to school? What are some things you think schools should do so that it could be more fun?

#275. Today’s lunch at the cafeteria was unusually horrible. You are a detective on the case to investigate. What do you think is the cause?

#276. If you had a tree that grows money, what would you do?

#277. What would you do if you had a unicorn as a pet?

#278. Would you rather go to the zoo or go to the aviary? Which one would you pick and why?

#279. What are some safety tips you should follow when riding a bike?

#280. You are designing the cover of a magazine. What are some of the headlines on the cover?

#281. Are you afraid of the dark? Why or why not?

#282. If you could learn to play any type of musical instrument, which one would you like to learn how to play and why?

#283. Imagine you are playing a sport that involves a ball, such as soccer, baseball or kickball. What would it be like if the ball could talk?

#284. You come home to discover a friendly alien has been living in your closet. What do you do? Why is there an alien in your closet?

#285. Is there something you are afraid of that you wish you weren’t afraid of? Write about it.

#286. Write about the best party you’ve ever been to. What made the day fun and special?

#287. What makes you feel loved and cared about? What are some ways people can show you that they love and care about you?

#288. There is a kite flying competition coming up and you are going to design your own kite. What will your kite look like? What colors will it be? Will it have any certain shape?

#289. You are given the challenge to drop an egg on the floor – without it breaking! What are some things you might try to make sure the egg won’t break?

#290. What are some of the things you can do every day to stay healthy?

#291. Do you think grown-ups are boring? Why do you think they are so boring all of the time? What is something fun that boring grown-ups could do instead of being so boring?

#292. Write a lyrical poem or song about what kids do while they are at school all day long.

#293. What are the first things you like to do when you are done with school each day? What are some of the activities you like when you are not at school?

#294. Imagine dinosaurs were still alive today. How do you think our lives would be different?

#295. Would you rather visit a volcano or a desert? Which one would you choose and why?

#296. Is there a sound you think is annoying? What types of sounds drive you crazy? Write about them!

#297. What do you think it would be like to be the size of an ant for a day? What types of things would you do?

Writing Prompt: What would it be like if your teddy bear came to life?

#298. Imagine one of your stuffed animals comes to life and starts talking to you. What types of things will you talk about? What will you do?

#299. What makes you feel happiest? Write about the things in life that make you feel happy!

#300. Imagine there is no gravity. What kind of things would you do you for fun? How would some of the things you already do for fun be different?

Buy the Printable Cards!  We will always have this list of 300 kids writing prompts available for free, but I’m very excited to now also offer an  ad-free printable version of these prompts  in my online Etsy shop. Thank you for your support!

Parents and teachers, I hope you enjoyed these 300 writing prompts for kids and that you will use them to inspire your children’s creative imaginations.

These prompts of course can be used in a number of different ways and can be adapted for a variety of different styles of writing !

What do you think? Do you think these are good conversation and story starters for kids? Do you have any ideas for writing prompts you would like to share?

And of course, if you’d like to make it super fun and easy to use these prompts at home or in your classroom, be sure to get our ad-free printable version of these kids writing prompt cards now available in my Etsy shop.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on different creative writing ideas and topics for kids to write about! Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Chelle Stein wrote her first embarrassingly bad novel at the age of 14 and hasn't stopped writing since. As the founder of ThinkWritten, she enjoys encouraging writers and creatives of all types.

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48 comments.

These are awesome! I feel like answering the questions myself! Thanks a million!

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed them! 🙂

Lovely and amazing help

I wrote all 300! but my fingers hurt badly now. :l But i got to admit these are exellent questions!

Hi. Thanks for this list. So many great ideas. I will definitely use some of them for my Language Arts class.

hi people THIS WAS SO LONG but so worth it for my class thx mate

This was great for homework

Thank you for the topics. It was really helpful

Your writing prompts are awesome

These are amazing! Thank you so much for sharing. I will definitely be using it with my kids.

Thank you! I hope they enjoy the writing prompts!

I love these, they are awesome and very helpful too. Thank you very much.

these questions hooked me on easily thanks your the best!

They are all good prompts

This is always good and improves the brain.

These are very useful and very enjoyable topics, i enjoy by giving these to my students , their creations are marvelous

It’s was very long but worth it

This is good. I love it. It helps me in my studies. I share it with my friends children that likes the writing. We love it. Please, think of another writing.

Thanks! Worth printing and providing for my middle school students as a first week of the year activity. Must have taken you ages to come up with all 300 of these!

I’m glad to hear you can use them for your students! It did take some time, but it’s well worth it knowing it might inspire kids to write! 🙂

You need a printable version of this!!

Hi Katelyn, we have one! https://gumroad.com/UBnsO Hope you enjoy!

The link doesn’t seem to be working for me… Could you send me a copy of the list, please?

Hi Tori, the printable version of this post is available as an ad-free paid upgrade – you can purchase it through my Gumroad store: https://gum.co/UBnsO

I quite liked your ideas, I’ll try a few, surely!

How long did it take for you guys to make 300 ideas?

Definitely took some time Vilenti, but it was definitely worth writing all of them! Our prompts reach over a million people a year and are used in literacy, poverty, and mental health programs worldwide. 🙂

These were awesome, thanks a TON

i have school work and this is one thing i do.

i do this for school work to

i do this for school work

Hello Chelle, thanks a lot for this. During these tough Covid times, I find your list to be a great idea to engage kids. Have got them started on some today. Hopefully this will be a long term engagement for them.

The prompts are grrrreat

This was really helpful i have looked for a lot of these, that have a lot of topics and only found one other good one and finished it all, i got to 17 and was like are they all this good! And they all are so thanks!

Glad you enjoyed them!

These are awesome

These are amazing! Thank you so much for sharing.

I loved looking at these prompts!! They were very helpful. I am loving writing and supporting my claims with these prompts. You should post more ideas!! Thanks for sharing the prompts.

Do you have any more?

This really was think written

I’d like to use a few of your questions in a journal for adults that I am creating for sale. I will absolutely credit you at the beginning of the book. Is that okay with you or not? I don’t want to infringe on any copyright laws. I think I used about ten of them.

Hi Kristen, you cannot use these prompts for products for sale, that would definitely be an infringement on copyright. These prompts can only be used for non-commercial use.

this is the greatest app ever

I like all the questions

thank you for all the ideas they are so good

OMG These are all very good and many questions i like all these Thankyou soooooooooooo much for these

I’m in class doing this and it is so fun yes every body is doing this

I LOVE these! My daughter and I stumbled across a post full of fun writing prompts on another website but they were more geared for adults. This list is HUGE and perfect for us to tackle together. Thank you! ❤️

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How to write a perfect essay

Need to write an essay? Does the assignment feel as big as climbing Mount Everest? Fear not. You’re up to the challenge! The following step-by step tips from the Nat Geo Kids Almanac will help you with this monumental task. 

Sometimes the subject matter of your essay is assigned to you, sometimes it’s not. Either way, you have to decide what you want to say. Start by brainstorming some ideas, writing down any thoughts you have about the subject. Then read over everything you’ve come up with and consider which idea you think is the strongest. Ask yourself what you want to write about the most. Keep in mind the goal of your essay. Can you achieve the goal of the assignment with this topic? If so, you’re good to go.

WRITE A TOPIC SENTENCE

This is the main idea of your essay, a statement of your thoughts on the subject. Again, consider the goal of your essay. Think of the topic sentence as an introduction that tells your reader what the rest of your essay will be about.

OUTLINE YOUR IDEAS

Once you have a good topic sentence, you then need to support that main idea with more detailed information, facts, thoughts, and examples. These supporting points answer one question about your topic sentence—“Why?” This is where research and perhaps more brainstorming come in. Then organize these points in the way you think makes the most sense, probably in order of importance. Now you have an outline for your essay.

ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, WRITE!

Follow your outline, using each of your supporting points as the topic sentence of its own paragraph. Use descriptive words to get your ideas across to the reader. Go into detail, using specific information to tell your story or make your point. Stay on track, making sure that everything you include is somehow related to the main idea of your essay. Use transitions to make your writing flow.

Finish your essay with a conclusion that summarizes your entire essay and 5 restates your main idea.

PROOFREAD AND REVISE

Check for errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. Look for ways to make your writing clear, understandable, and interesting. Use descriptive verbs, adjectives, or adverbs when possible. It also helps to have someone else read your work to point out things you might have missed. Then make the necessary corrections and changes in a second draft. Repeat this revision process once more to make your final draft as good as you can.

Download the pdf .

Homework help

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How do I use writing topics in my classroom?

essay topics for 12 year olds

Do you want to inspire your students to write great narratives, essays, and reports? Check out these grade-specific writing topics organized by mode (explanatory, creative, and so on). Or search for writing topics that relate to a theme, such as “life” or “animals” or “family.”

Jump to . . .

Explanatory writing.

  • A day in the rainforest
  • After-school games
  • An important person I know about
  • At the library
  • Foods I don't like
  • Friendly places
  • Games I play with friends
  • Games we play at recess
  • Good things in my neighborhood
  • How plants grow
  • How to make my favorite dessert
  • How to make new friends
  • I like spring because . . .
  • I like to make . . .
  • I'd like to see . . .
  • Insects, insects everywhere
  • Learning to ride a bike
  • My favorite food
  • My favorite pet
  • My favorite season
  • My mom's/dad's hobby
  • My new friend
  • My shopping list
  • Our clubhouse
  • The biggest bubble-gum bubble
  • The funniest zoo animal
  • This person makes me laugh
  • What I know about . . .
  • What I know about an animal
  • What I know about dinosaurs
  • What I know about stars
  • What I know about the ocean
  • What I like about math
  • What makes me laugh?
  • What will I share?
  • Who I will be in the future
  • Who's at the zoo?
  • Why I like to read
  • Why I love to sing
  • Words I think are funny

Persuasive Writing

  • Don't litter!
  • Things that would make my neighborhood better

Narrative Writing

  • A day at the beach
  • A special birthday
  • Buying something with my own money
  • Cooking dinner with Mom/Dad
  • Eating lunch with my friends
  • Going grocery shopping
  • Going to the circus
  • I rode on a . . .
  • I'm happy when . . .
  • Losing my teeth
  • My adventure
  • My trip to . . .
  • Noisy times and quiet times
  • Playing a game with Grandma/Grandpa
  • Playing with pets
  • Something funny that happened to me
  • The biggest thing I ever saw
  • The last time I cried
  • When _ was born

Response to Literature

  • A book I just read
  • Some of my favorite books

Creative Writing

  • A story about a holiday
  • A trip on a rocket ship
  • Dear George Washington
  • Seeing the world through the eyes of . . .
  • Sometimes I wish . . .
  • What if I met a . . .
  • What if I were 10 years old?
  • What if I were someone else?
  • What if toys could talk?
  • What's under my bed?

Research Writing

  • I wonder why . . .
  • Something I don't understand
  • A bicycle I'd like to have
  • A day in the desert
  • A great place to go
  • A great treehouse
  • A place I like to visit
  • A sport I'm good at
  • A trip on a monorail
  • Activities for indoor fun
  • Activities for outdoor fun
  • Amazing facts I know
  • An amazing animal
  • Dancing to the music
  • Having fun at school
  • Helping out around the house
  • Magic tricks I can do
  • Making my favorite food
  • My favorite baby-sitter
  • My favorite board game
  • My favorite teacher
  • My homework place
  • Our classroom pet
  • Some things I like about the museum
  • The best house pets
  • The weirdest house pets
  • Things that are hard to believe
  • Things to do in the snow
  • Unusual fruits and vegetables
  • Water balloons!
  • What I like about where I live
  • What makes me special
  • Who is beautiful?
  • Let's help the environment by . . .
  • Things I'd like to change
  • A cozy spot at home
  • A funny time in my family
  • A great day with a friend
  • A helpful person I have met
  • A person who means the world to me
  • A walk in the woods
  • Funny things my pet has done
  • My best birthday
  • My favorite family story
  • Putting on a play
  • Swimming at the pool or lake
  • When everything goes wrong
  • Book characters I'd like to meet
  • A dark hallway
  • Donuts for dinner
  • Something I wish would happen
  • What if there were no electricity
  • All about an amazing animal

Business Writing

  • A cartoon character that I like
  • A song that means a lot to me
  • A special photograph
  • A special, secret place
  • A trip in a submarine
  • An important time in history
  • Building a fort
  • Creatures that live in the ocean
  • Creepy, crawly things
  • Dirt bikes and skateboards
  • Do I want to be famous?
  • Doing homework
  • Going to the dentist
  • Gone fishing!
  • How to stop hiccups
  • How we divide the chores at our house
  • I don't understand why . . .
  • I'd like to invent a machine that . . .
  • If I started my own business, I'd . . .
  • Instructions for a pet sitter of my pet
  • Let's help the animals by . . .
  • Looking at the globe
  • My favorite clothes
  • My favorite form of exercise
  • Pizza is . . .
  • Staying at a friend's house
  • The first day of school is the worst/best because . . .
  • The rules we follow
  • Things I see when I take a walk
  • What I use a computer for
  • What if I were the teacher?
  • What is important to me?
  • What it's like to use a wheelchair
  • What my dreams feel like
  • When I see nature, I . . .
  • Why I like/dislike playing team sports
  • Why my mom and dad are the greatest
  • My school really needs . . .
  • A day in the life of my pet
  • A visit to a friend's school
  • An excellent birthday party
  • Discovering a new friend
  • Getting my first pair of glasses
  • Grandma's attic
  • I'll never eat another . . .
  • My best day
  • My first school memories
  • My most embarrassing moment
  • Rings on her fingers
  • Talk about being scared!
  • When I did something amazing
  • When I was upside down
  • When the big storm hit
  • If I wrote like the author of . . .
  • A really spooky story
  • Summer games
  • What if we suddenly had to move?
  • A game that meant a lot to my childhood
  • A school field trip
  • A toy I've held onto all these years
  • A trip to a space station
  • A typical lunch hour
  • Can farmers grow enough food for everyone?
  • Here's what a new student needs to know
  • How I can change the way I look
  • How I picture myself four years from now
  • How I would define the word . . .
  • I would have liked to have lived during this time.
  • I'm principal for the day. Here is my schedule.
  • I've done something that no one else has done
  • If I could be someone else, I would be . . .
  • My bedroom from top to bottom
  • My favorite place
  • My idea of a fun weekend
  • My life as a . . .
  • My participation in an activity outside of school
  • One thing I want to do by the time I leave 8th grade
  • Overcoming health problems
  • The wildest hairstyle I have ever seen
  • What a family member taught me
  • What a house of the future might look like
  • What I broke or lost that belongs to someone else
  • A big hazard on the road
  • A big problem in education is . . .
  • A cool store
  • A dedicated teacher or coach
  • Dear Senator
  • Discover nature
  • Finally, a good assembly
  • How could TV be better?
  • Let's save _ in our schools
  • My best class ever
  • My favorite neighbor
  • My favorite singer(s)
  • Rights that kids in my grade should have
  • The worst food I ever ate
  • This really bugs me
  • What's good about hard work?
  • Why I deserve a larger allowance
  • Why parents should be honest with their kids
  • Why school fund-raisers are important
  • Why weekends need to be longer
  • A memorable bus ride
  • A narrow escape from trouble
  • A time that was just not fair
  • A visit to a relative's house
  • If I lived back in history
  • If only I would have listened!
  • My first concert
  • My first friend
  • Summer in a cabin by a lake
  • The most fun I've had recently
  • We couldn't stop laughing!
  • We got caught!
  • When I was lost
  • A great book made into a great movie
  • My favorite character from a book
  • What if a book came to life?
  • What this story means to me
  • How _ came to be.
  • Life among the cloud people
  • Long ago and far away
  • Meeting myself in the future
  • Traveling west in a wagon train
  • When the dinosaurs returned
  • A job I'd really like to have
  • All about an amazing place
  • The most fascinating things I learned
  • The tallest, the deepest, the longest, the biggest
  • When I conducted an experiment
  • When science took a big leap forward

Personal Writing

  • The book that got me hooked on reading
  • A day I will always remember
  • A friend who moved away
  • A great scientific breakthrough
  • A person who changed history
  • A personal habit I'd like to change
  • A project I am working on
  • A typical evening at home
  • A visit with the doctor or dentist
  • An invention that transformed the world
  • Causes of a huge change in the world
  • Coping with brothers and sisters
  • Hanging out
  • How a vehicle works
  • How do people cope with constant pain?
  • How I express myself artistically
  • How it would feel to walk in space
  • I admit it: I enjoy professional wrestling.
  • I take some things too seriously
  • If I were a superhero, I'd be . . .
  • Is pollution a necessary evil?
  • Is this love?
  • Morning madness
  • My craziest experience in a restaurant or shopping mall
  • My dream car
  • My first crush
  • My first encounter with a bully
  • My muscles were so sore after . . .
  • My Web site
  • Self-esteem
  • Something this school really needs is . . .
  • Sometimes, adults seem . . .
  • The environment: problem and solution
  • The hardest thing I have ever done
  • The idea hit me like a tornado.
  • The next wave of social media
  • The toys I'll never give up
  • Tools I will need in my intended profession
  • We all make mistakes
  • What animals can teach people
  • What different colors mean to me
  • What do Americans do well?
  • What do I do to break routine?
  • What do I worry about?
  • What if school sports were dropped?
  • What invention would I like to see in my lifetime?
  • What it's like where I work
  • Who knows me best?
  • Why are crime dramas so popular?
  • Why are some people so cruel?
  • "Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal."
  • A change that would improve school life
  • Foods I love, foods I hate
  • I couldn't believe that Mom/Dad volunteered me for that job
  • It's a rule, so it's right . . . right?
  • Let's hear it for my favorite senior citizen
  • Let's push alternate forms of energy
  • Putting my foot in my mouth
  • The government should . . .
  • What most drives me crazy is . . .
  • Why appearance is not so important
  • Why I deserve the job
  • _ is like a boomerang
  • A funny thing happened when . . .
  • A meaningful gift I've given or received
  • A time when I got in trouble
  • An unforgettable dream
  • Looking at pictures of family and friends
  • My brother or sister made me so mad
  • My worst vacation
  • What I regret most
  • When I faced my fears
  • When I learned something difficult
  • When I traveled to . . .
  • A remarkable artist
  • An all-new album from an important artist
  • An amazing work of art
  • Meet the characters of . . .
  • The music that moves me most
  • The theme of my favorite story is . . .
  • Alone on a desert island

Hundreds of Awesome Creative Writing Topics for kids

Creative writing is a great way for children to express themselves using imagination. At Kids Play and Create, we value young writers, and we are constantly updating our list to bring you new, fun, and imaginative writing prompts for kids.

We have story starters, icebreakers, fiction writing prompts, and fun topics to inspire kids through writing. From young students to middle school students and even high school, we have great writing prompts for all writing styles and even the most reluctant writers.

We started out with 50 creative writing topics for kids but have added many more. Check back regularly for newly added writing topics. 

                Check the end of the article for updated Creative Writing Topics for Teens. Are you looking for Creative Writing topics for 1st grade and 2nd grade with free printables? We have that too!

Creative Writing prompts for kids

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing can be used to explain many types of writing. It is a writing style that lets the writer express themselves.  Some forms of creative writing entertain the reader, while others are therapeutic.  Creative writing lets the writer use their imagination and takes the reader on a journey into their thoughts.

Is Creative Writing Important?

Creative writing is a great way to learn more about the children you work with.  You can find out things about what they like and don’t like.  Depending on the topic you choose, you can also find out things about their personality, what kind of friends they are, how they feel about themselves, and if they set goals and more.  

There are many benefits to writing. Creative writing helps build critical thinking skills and writing skills. These writing prompts will build a child’s confidence to write their own stories.

How do you get kids to want to write without complaining?  Give them fun topics that they will learn about themselves while writing.  On this list, you will find various good topics for both younger and older children.

Creative Writing is fun for All Ages.

Creative writing isn’t just for older children. It can be for the little ones too. Young students as early as Preschool or Kindergarten may not have the ability to write but can express themselves through drawing.

Have young students concentrate less on the writing and more on drawing a picture that goes with the topic. Children are great at expressing themselves through art.

hundreds of writing prompts for kids

Awesome Creative Writing Prompts for Elementary Students

1. Have the children write on top of the page:  I Am Special Because… This is a good topic to help children express themselves.

Have the children think about why they are special and ask themselves questions, here are some examples: what am I good at? Who have they helped? How have I made a difference? What special talent do I have?

2. If I was a superhero, what kind of superhero would I be, and what powers would I have? (This can also be done using villains)

 Examples of powers they can write about: are flying, super speed, eye lasers, walking through walls, shooting ice, shooting fire, changing the weather, camouflage, shapeshifting (changing shape), and turning invisible. 

Activity:  Keep track of who chose a superhero or a villain. Do not let the children know that another activity will follow after the writing activity. When the writing activity is over, split the children into two teams, the superhero team and the villain team.  Have them vs. each other in a game of tag.  Who will champion the superheroes or the villains? 

3. What do I want to be when I grow up and why? This a great way to get to know children.  By asking what they want to be when they grow up, you can find out what the children like.  It’s also a great way for children to start thinking about the future.

4. If you were given three wishes, what would they be and why? This is a fun topic.  Children can think about having anything in the world.  Will they pick something like peace on earth or go the million-dollar route?  

5. If I could invent a new animal, what animal would it be?  Have the children ask themselves the following questions: What does the animal look like (what color, is it big or small, is it a combination of two animals)?  What sounds does the animal make?  What does it eat?  Where does it live?  Describe the animal’s habitat.

Creative Writing Topics for kids

Creative Writing Topics for Kids

6. If I could invent a new toy, what kind of toy would I create and why? Or, If I could improve a toy, which toy would I improve, and how would I make it better?  You can talk to the children about the creative process:  First, you come up with an idea, then you have to get it made.  You can talk to the children about manufacturing toys.  Here are some questions you can ask the children about improving a toy.  How do you want to make the toy better?  Do you want to make the remote control car faster?  Is the game challenging enough?  Do you want your doll to have more features or do more?  These are all questions you can ask the children to get their brains thinking.

7. If I could make something disappear in my life, what would it be and why? Ask the children if there is something in your life that makes them unhappy.  Is there a problem you are having?  

8. All About me essay. Some sample questions the children can ask are:  What are my likes and dislikes? What is my favorite subject in school? What do I want to be when I group up?  Who is their favorite actress/actor?  Where do they want to visit? They can name the people in their family, talk about any extracurricular activities they do, etc.

In what ways do I help my family? Have children write about the ways they help their families.  Do you have chores?  If so, what are they?  Do you help your mom or dad cook?  Do you talk out the garbage? Do you take care of your siblings?  Do you have a job to help pay bills?  

10. How can I be a better friend?  Have children think about what type of friends they are.  Are they good listeners?  Are you kind?  Do you talk about your friends to other people?  Have them think about how they would like to be treated by a friend, do they treat their friends the way they want to be treated?

The Best Creative Writing Topics for 4th and 5th grade

11. If you could be invisible, what would you do and why? Have the children think about what it would be like to be invisible.  Would they use this new power for good or would they try to do something bad?

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12. What do you think about bullies and why? Have the children define what a bully is to them in their paper.  Do they think they are a bully?  Do they think bullying is wrong?  Remember, these are things the children are feeling, there are no wrong answers.

13. Why is it important to be honest and not lie?  To them, the children with their writing ask them the following questions. What does it mean to be honest?  Have you ever told a lie that turned into another lie?

14. What would you do if you won a million dollars?  This question is usually a favorite topic with the children.  Ask them if they think one million dollars is a lot of money.  Depending on where you live, it might be just enough to buy a small house and a car.  What are some things you would buy?  Would you save some or spend it all?

15. If you could change the world, what would you do and why? This is a good question for older children.  Would they change things, such as ending hate and violence in the world? Would they change things such as making gas or food free for everyone? You will get various answers, making this a fun and interesting topic.

Little Boy Writing

Fun Writing Prompts Ideas

16. If you were a king/queen, what would you do and why? This is a fun topic for both younger and older children.  Activity: Have the children draw their kingdom and a picture of them as king or queen

17. If you could invent a video game, what kind of game would you create and why? This topic is also great for older children and young er children.  Children love playing video games, they may not realize that they can make video games for a living.  Talk to the children about video game developers and the process of creating video games.  Have them brainstorm ideas for games, and find out what they can come up with.

18. Write about a time when you had to be brave, what did you do, and how did it feel?  Ask the children if they have ever been afraid. What were they afraid of? Did something scary happen to them?  What did they do to get through it?

19. Write about a trip to the moon, how did you get there, what did you see, it was fun or scary?

20. Write about something you are good at?

21. Write about one thing you want to learn about?

22. Write about a time when you worked hard to get something. This can be a thing or an accomplishment, like making a team, finally getting that cartwheel, or passing a test.

23. Write about five things you could be better at if you worked hard and gave more effort.  There is always room for improvement.  Talk to the children about the importance of trying hard and working towards a goal.

24. If you had to give away $1,000, what would you do with it, who would you give it to? This is a great question when talking to children about being kind and helping others.  

Journal Prompts or Kids

25. What is the best thing someone has ever given to you?

26. What is the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

27. Write about what you can teach others. Everyone is good at something.  This question helps children think about what they’re good at and how they can help others.

28. Did you ever get into an argument with a friend or family member? How did that make you feel?  

29. Did you ever hurt someone’s feelings?  Explain what happened and how it made you feel.  

30. Did someone ever hurt your feelings? How did it make you feel? Did you talk to that person about it?

31. Is there anyone you would like to switch places with? who and why?

32. What does it mean to be loyal?

33. When was a time you were loyal to a friend or a friend who was loyal to you?

34. What famous person would you like to meet? Write about a day spent with a famous person.

Self-Esteem Writing Topics

34. Has a friend ever betrayed you? How did it make you feel? What do you think your friend should have done differently?

35. Have you ever been friends with someone who was unpopular or not part of the group?  This is a great question to ask children when teaching them about acceptance and how it feels not to be part of a group.

36. When was a time you felt you were treated unfairly? How did it make you feel?

37. Is it fair to give someone a head start in a race?  When is it fair? When is it not fair?

38. Write about a time when you had a strong opinion about something? Why did you feel so strongly about it?

39. Write about a time you made a big mistake.  How did you fix it?  Everyone makes mistakes.  This writing topic helps children understand that mistakes are part of the learning experience.

40. Write about a time when you were very angry.  What happened? How did being angry make you feel? I find that many times children will feel sad when they are angry.  Did I make a good choice when I was angry? This is a great writing topic when discussing feelings with children.  It is important for them to understand that anger isn’t wrong, and you are allowed to feel angry.

41. If you heard a rumor about a friend you knew wasn’t true, what would you do? How would it make you feel?

42. Write about a time when you cheered someone up. What did you do? How did it make you feel? How did it make that person feel?

43. Write about a time you used your inner strength to get through a tough situation.

44. Write about three things that are hard for you and why.

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45. When was the last time you were afraid? What scared you? How did you react?

46. What is the bravest thing you’ve ever done?

47. Who is your hero, and why?

48. What do you think risk-taking is?  Have you ever taken a risk?

49. Write about your best friend. Who are they, how long have you known them, and why are they your best friend?

50. What does it mean to have good character? Do you think you have good character, why?

Short Story Writing Topics for Kids

51. Think about something you are not allowed to do but wish you could.  Write about why you want to do it and why you should be allowed to do it.

52. If you could be on a t.v show, which one would it be and why?  

53. If you had to choose to be one age for the rest of your life which age would you want to be?  Why?

54.  If you could pick the perfect job, what would it be?

55. You just found a treasure map, write about what you would do next.  Do you decide to look for the treasure?  Who is going to help you?  What supplies do you need? Did the map lead you to the treasure, or was it fake?  If you found the treasure, what was it?  What did you do with it?

56. You just built a time machine.  Where in time would you go?  What did you do?  What did you see?  Would you want to stay there or come back to the present time?

57.  You just discovered a new land.  What are you going to call your land?  What kind of animals live there?  Have you discovered anything on your land?  What are you going to build on your new land?

58. Challenge the kids to write a scary story.

59. If you are working with younger children, instead of having them write, you can have them draw and answer questions about their drawing.  Try some of these topics.

1  Create a monster.  Your monster can be silly, scary, funny, big, little, colorful, etc..  What is your monster’s name?  What does your monster eat?  Where does your monster live?  Is your monster nice or mean?  You can write the answers to the questions on the paper for the child or have them come up and share their drawing, while they are showing their picture, ask them questions about their monster.

2.  Create an animal.  This is the same as the monster but just an animal instead.

3. Create new food. What kind of food is it?  Is it a dessert, is it something spicy, is it a combination of both?  Have the children draw a picture of their new food.

Group Writing Prompts for kids

Group Writing Prompts for Kids

I’ve been working with kids on group writing and art projects.  The kids enjoyed these topics the best.

58. Create a fairy tale. have each group member write one part of the story. Then have each member of the group draw one part of the story. When the children are finished writing, have them come up in front of the class and retell their story.   

59.  Create an amusement park.  Discuss as a group the name of the park.  Have each member of the group write about the parts of the park. 

A. What is the theme of your park?  Adventure, thrill rides, water rides, safari, etc.

B.  Write about the type of rides in the park.  Are there shows in the park?

C. Describe places to eat at the park and what type of food they serve.

D. Do they have a gift shop?  What do they sell at your park?

Art Project:  On a large poster board, have each group member draw a park map.  List of attractions, games, food, restrooms, gift shops, shows, etc..

 60. Create a planet – Your group has just discovered a new planet.  Have a group discussion about the planet.  What is the name?  Do anyone live on the planet? Is there water on the planet? Did you find fossils, aliens, or animals?  Is there oxygen? Are there plants, trees, or water?  Have each member of the group write something about the planet.

Art Project: Make a planet out of paper mache.  Once dry, paint, and decorate the planet.

Newly Added Creative Writing Prompts

61. Create a new food/or meal and make a recipe to teach others how to make it.  Have the kids draw a picture of the new food/meal.

62. Create a new game and describe how to play.  This writing topic lets children use their imaginations.  Have the children draw out the game on paper.  If creating a  board game, have the children turn the paper into a board game.

63. Write about a time you lost a game, didn’t do well on a test, or made a mistake, what lesson did you learn? This is a great writing topic to use when teaching children about losing.  Everyone loses sometimes.  losing actually makes you better.  Without losing, sometimes, you won’t strive to become better.

64.  Your video just went viral on Youtube.  What did you do in your video? These days children spend so much time looking at videos on Youtube.  Have them imagine what it would be like to become famous overnight with a viral video.

Fabulous Creative Writing Prompts for Kids

65.  Pretend you had an evil twin.  Write about some things your evil twin does.

66. What is the grossest lunch you have ever been served?  Write about this gross meal.  Remember to add many details about what the food looked and tasted like.

67. What is your sorcerer’s name?  What kind of sorcerer would you be?  Would you be evil or nice?  What kind of powers would you have?  What is something that you did as a sorcerer?

68. What are your personal superpowers?  Are you a great friend, are you smart, do you have a hidden talent?  Write about the superpowers that you already have.

See also   Black History Month Writing Prompts for Students .

69. Write about a time when you were proud of your work and did your best.  How did that make you feel?  Do you always try your best?  Why or why not

70. You have been working hard on your schoolwork/project all for a while, and your mind and body are tired, and you need a break.  What are some ways that you like to take a break?  Do you like to color, take deep breaths, play your favorite game, nap, or have a snack?  Tell us about how you like to take a break.

  • Invent a new holiday. What would you call your holiday? When is it celebrated? How is it celebrated?
  • You became a movie star overnight, what movie were you in? What character did you play?
  • Write about your favorite sport. Why is it your favorite? Give directions on how to play.
  • What is your favorite thing? Describe it and tell why it is your favorite.
  • Who is your favorite teacher? Explain why they are your favorite.

Creative Writing Topics for teens

The Best Creative Writing Prompts and Topics for Teens

  • Have you ever seen somebody being treated unfairly?  If so, did you do anything about it, or did you ignore it and walk away?
  • Do you talk to people the same way in person as you do on social media?
  • How do you think social media has changed or is changing the world?
  • What kind of America do you want to live in?
  • What are your plans after high school?
  • What do you think college life is like?
  • Do you think it is important to save money at your age?  If so, how do you save money?  Why do you think it is important?
  •  Do you know what it means to have good credit?  Do you think it is important to have good credit?  Why?
  • Would you ever join the military?  Why?
  • Who is your idol, and why?
  • What is your favorite childhood memory?

New Creative Writing Prompts for Middle School and High School Students

  • If you could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would you go?
  • Write about something you would love to try and why
  • Write about something you did but then felt guilty about it later.  How did you handle the situation?
  • What is the hardest experience you have ever been through?  How did you handle it?
  • Have you ever been to a job interview?  Where are you prepared?  Did you get the job? Would you say something different if you could do it over? Would you be better prepared next time?
  • How do you think the world will be 50 years from now? How do you think people will treat each other?  How do you think the internet/social media has changed the world?  What kind of cars do you think we will be driving?  Will we still be using gas?
  • Write about your dream home.  Would you live in a house or an apartment in the city?  Do you want a big house or something small?  What kind of fun features would your dream home have?
  • If you were a parent, would you let your child have a social media account?  Why or why not?
  • Would you rather work in a team on a project or alone?
  • Write about your favorite song, why is it your favorite?  What is your favorite verse?  How do you feel when listening to it?
  • If you were a clothing designer, what kind of clothes would you design?
  • You have to spend one year stranded on a deserted island, you can bring five things or people with you, what do you bring?
  • You are a superhero, you have to use your powers to make a positive change in the world.  What powers do you have?
  • You are given the power to change one thing you don’t like about yourself, would you change anything?  If yes, what would you change and why?
  • Write about your future self. What is your life like?

Updated Creative Writing Topics for Middle School and High School

  • You are creating a new amusement park.  What kind of park would it be?  What kind of rides does it have?
  • Write about the best Christmas gift you have ever received. Explain what it was, why it was your favorite, who gave it to you, do you still have it.  
  • You were given 1 million dollars, but you must give it away.  Who would you give it to?  would you give it to one person or a couple of different people?  Would you donate it to an organization? 
  • Name 5 of the most important things in your life ( house, family, health, etc..); now you just lost all of them.  How would you feel, what would you do?
  • You just became a YouTube sensation.  What did you do that made you famous?  How does it feel to be recognized by people on the street?
  • A friend of yours has been depressed and said that they told you they don’t want to live anymore.  What do you do and why?
  • How would people describe you and why?
  • Do you think that violent video games make people violent?  Do you think there should be age restrictions on video games?
  • You have a choice of giving up social media or hanging out with your friends for a week, which one do you choose and why?
  • Do you think what you learn in school can help you in the real world?  What topics do you think you should be learning and why?

The Best Creative Writing Prompts for Teens Continued 

  • Do you think that money can buy happiness, why or why not?
  • Do you think you need higher education to become successful?
  • How important is your cell phone with you? I rather give up….blank…. than my cell phone (explain).
  •  Describe the perfect day. What would you do?
  • Have you ever been faced with discrimination?  Were you the one being discriminated against, or were you a witness to discrimination, How did you feel?
  • If you were given the opportunity to meet anyone in the world, living or dead, who would you want to meet and why?
  • Why do you think we pay taxes?  Do you believe taxes are necessary?  What do you think our tax money is used for?

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Essay Writing Topics for Children

A comprehensive list of simple essay writing topics and ideas for kids.

Essays are literary works written in prose, which present an argument or an opinion. Essay writing is a way to express one’s opinion on a topic. It can be about anything, but essays for kids should relate to the topics they learn in class. English essay writing is the process of creating a literary piece that presents an idea, argument or point of view. Typically, this type of work takes time and effort to develop fully. Children must first understand the nature of the essay and plan their writing accordingly. Also, essay writing is a fulfilling task. Writing on a topic and producing a high-quality essay is not easy, but it is worth the effort. Help kids improve their writing and vocabulary by providing various essay topics in English.

Also, refer to the vocabulary worksheets .

List of 100+ Essay Writing Topics

Essays are an excellent way for kids to practise writing skills and learn about different topics. They can focus on a wide range of topics like the environment, animals and birds, technology, proverbs, etc. Essay writing helps children enhance their critical thinking abilities and express their opinions creatively. English essays also help them identify their strengths and weaknesses in the language. This helps them to improve themselves and overcome writing challenges. Below is a list of essay writing topics for kids, which are helpful in improving their language and writing skills.

Essay Topics on Nature and Environment

  • Value of Trees Essay
  • Planting Trees Essay
  • Essay on Banyan Tree
  • Apple Tree Essay
  • Save Environment Essay
  • Trees Our Best Friend Essay
  • Causes of Environmental Pollution Essay
  • Environmental Pollution Essay
  • Population Explosion Essay

Essay Topics on Animals and Birds

  • Essay on Dog
  • Essay on Elephant

Essay Topics on Technology

  • Essay on Mobile Phone
  • Social Media Essay

Essay Topics on Proverbs

  • A Stitch in Time Saves Nine Essay
  • Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover Essay

Essay Topics on Yourself

  • School Life Essay

How to Write an Essay?

Little ones might find essay writing quite a challenging task. However, to write a good English essay, one has to spend time researching. Here are some simple steps on how to write good essays for kids.

  • Start with a brainstorm of ideas.
  • The following step would be to learn how the different parts of the essay should be structured.
  • Next, collect notes and other writing materials to outline the main points.
  • Then, create a rough draft related to what you want to convey in the paragraphs.
  • Edit it by removing unnecessary words and phrases.
  • Finally, read it over for any potential inconsistencies and rectify them, if you find any.

Frequently Asked Questions on Essay

What is an essay.

Essays are literary works written in prose, which present an argument or an opinion. Essay writing is a way to express one’s opinion on a topic. It can be about anything.

How to write an essay?

Start with a brainstorming of ideas. Learn how the different parts of the essay should be structured. Next, collect the notes and other writing materials to outline the main points. Then, create a rough draft by writing out what you want to say in the paragraphs. Edit it by taking out unnecessary words and phrases. Read it over for any potential inconsistencies before turning in your piece.

What are some nature and environment essay topics for kids?

Nature and environment essay topics for kids include essays on a tree for Class 1, the save environment essay, the causes of environmental pollution essay, the population explosion essay, etc.

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205 Essay Topics for Grade 8, 9, 10, 12 + Writing Tips [2024]

We came up with this guide to make school essay writing easy for you. Need some creative writing topics for grade 8? Or recommendations for the 11th-grade expository paper? We’ve got you!

Our specialists will write a custom essay specially for you!

Helpful tips and essay topics for grades 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12— our Custom-writing.org team has advice for everyone. Here, you’ll find:

  • 205 great essay ideas;
  • tips on how to write argumentative and persuasive papers.

In fact, our recommendations will be perfectly suitable for both middle and high school students. Still, there will be some grade-specific information. So, start with the 8th-grade essay topics and tips and read till the end!

  • ✏️ 8th Grade Essay
  • 📜 9th Grade Essay
  • 📚 10th Grade Essay
  • 🧑‍🎓 11th Grade Essay
  • 🎓 12th Grade Essay

🔗 References

✏️ essay or class 8: topics & tips, top 10 essay topics for grade 8.

  • The future of print books
  • Aliens in science fiction
  • Why do people need art?
  • What’s the point of fashion?
  • Why homework is useless
  • A book that changed the world
  • Should all education be free?
  • Should people learn foreign languages?
  • The world’s biggest secret
  • The next scientific breakthrough

8th Grade Essay: How to Write

You already know how to write short, simple essays. In an 8th grade, however, you need to make a point , collect evidence , and present it in your paper. This is when learners start experiencing difficulties with their essay writing.

The picture enumerates the ways to approach research of an essay's subject.

We want to present to you some helpful tips that will help you write excellent papers. Check them out:

  • Do your research. It’s especially important with argumentative, persuasive, and analytical papers. So, before you start writing, you should go to a library or at least search for information online.
  • Make outlines. 8th grade is the right time to start making outlines for your essays if you haven’t made them before. It’s best to write an outline after researching the topic since you need to organize all the information.
  • Be positive. Thinking of your essay as a burden won’t do you any good. You can make things easier by being more positive. Try to pretend your essay is a story you want to tell your friends. It has a main storyline ( thesis statement ), plot twists (arguments), and you wrap everything up in the end.
  • Make it interesting for yourself. Find the things that excite you the most about your topic. For example, you can try to think of surprising facts you’ve learned while researching it.
  • Start with 5 sentences. Feeling overwhelmed is another factor that makes it hard to write an excellent essay. The thing to remember is that at the core of any essay there are just 5 sentences. The rest is just additional information to back them up. So, what are these sentences?
  • Thesis statement.  This is where you describe the whole idea of your paper.
  • Topic sentence 1.  The first sentence develops your thesis a bit more.
  • Topic sentence 2.  You add a counterargument here.
  • Topic sentence 3.  Here, you explain how that counterargument helps the case and introduce ways to solve the issue.
  • Conclusion.  Summarize and wrap everything up.
  • Write the body paragraphs first. After they’re done, it will be easier for you to write the conclusion and introduction since they both basically summarize your whole paper.
  • Always proofread and edit your essays. 8th-grade teachers are strict when it comes to mistakes and inaccuracies.

Essay Topics for Class 8 in Various Subjects

The deadline is approaching, and you’re out of ideas? This section is for you. Topics provided below can prompt you to write an excellent paper:

Just in 1 hour! We will write you a plagiarism-free paper in hardly more than 1 hour

  • Noise pollution , or Let me hear nature. Noise pollution refers to exposure to high sound levels. In your paper, examine the level of noise pollution in modern cities. Alternatively, you may concentrate on the impact it has on people or domestic animals.
  • Can robots replace people? Robots perform many tasks faster and better than people do. You can think of professions that may disappear in the near future because of it. You may also think about the spheres that robots can never dominate.
  • Do children need handwriting skills? Many children (and adults) hate writing by hand. Some even say that people don’t need such skills anymore. Messages are mainly typed now. What do you think about the value of handwriting skills? Should students still be taught them?
  • Can people live in isolation ? The COVID-19 pandemic made countries launch strict lockdowns . People had to be isolated for many weeks. Such isolation leads to health problems, such as depression and anxiety. What does it tell us about the importance of communication?
  • Age-based film ratings . Do you agree that age restrictions should exist? Can some movies be excessively violent and inappropriate for some age groups? Is it a kind of discrimination ? What aspects should be considered to impose age restrictions?
  • Should people go to Mars or the Moon? Why or why not?
  • What can make a person truly happy?
  • Who is the mightiest hero among fictional characters?
  • Write about the bad habits you have and how you can get rid of them
  • What is the most essential discipline at school?
  • Describe humanity’s best and worst qualities
  • Explain how society benefits from using the Internet
  • If you could change one part of your life , what would you change, and why?
  • Is it possible to fall in love with someone you’ve never met?
  • If you had a time machine, what time would you travel to?
  • Can you judge people without knowing them and how they live their lives?
  • How would humanity change if we knew the world would end in 10 years?
  • What would it be like if you couldn’t use your smartphone for a month?
  • What consequences may occur if artificial intelligence keeps developing?

📜 Essay for Class 9: Topics & Tips

Top 10 essay topics for grade 9.

  • What is the right age to start dating?
  • Choosing your future occupation.
  • Solving urgent environmental issues.
  • Should animal testing be banned?
  • The difference between knowledge and wisdom.
  • What is the greatest invention in history?
  • How important is trust in a friendship?
  • What misunderstandings do you have with your parents?
  • Should students discuss controversial topics in classes?
  • Why do some teenagers flee from their homes?

9th-Grade Essay: How to Write

Writing grade 9 essays amounts to improving your skills, gaining more knowledge, and developing your position on various issues. If you need more details about grade 9 essays, keep reading!

First, we want to talk about different types of written assignments that you may receive:

Essays are the most common academic paper assignment that you can master with our free tips:

  • Use quotes. Sometimes, when researching for your essay, you may stumble across a source that perfectly describes your thesis or some other thought you wanted to use in your paper. Why not quote it, then? Just make sure to include your own ideas as well.
  • Use Wikipedia the right way. If you’ve got a topic you know nothing about, Wikipedia will quickly help you familiarize yourself with it. Another way to use it is for finding sources. Read an article on your topic and then check its reference section to select some trustworthy ones.
  • You’re not the only one writing a paper. Your teacher will probably read several more works like yours. This fact makes it even more important to make your text unique and exciting.
  • Your teacher won’t have enough time to reread if something’s unclear. The clarity of information will definitely influence the result, so make sure that your writing is flawless.

Essay Topics for Class 9 in Various Subjects

Below you will find unique topics for argumentative or persuasive essays:

  • What is the future of music ? Many people don’t like modern pop music and believe that it was better back in the day. What’s your opinion on it? Discuss what’s in store for pop music . What directions of music development can you predict?
  • What makes people come up with conspiracy theories ? Some people believe in the secret world government or Americas’ fake Moon mission. You can describe a particularly interesting conspiracy theory . You may also explore the reasons for the existence of such ideas.
  • Can humans prevent or at least slow down global warming ? Scientists are sure that human negative impact on the environment is significant. What do they think of our ability to address the problem? To what extent can we affect life on the planet?
  • How much should parents control their children? Rearing children is difficult, and it’s hard to set the balance between restrictions and freedom. Should children and adolescents be allowed to behave the way they want? How can it affect children’s self-esteem in the future?
  • Do best friends exist? This essay can start with the definition or description of a good friend. Can two people really be best friends ? In what situations is it impossible? Are all people able to be good friends? How can you detect fake friends?
  • What extracurricular activities should be available in all schools (a specific kind of sport or art)?
  • Is it a threat to people’s privacy to use cameras as a security measure?
  • When is the right time to allow children to make their own life decisions?
  • How does a feeling of importance influence a person’s ego?

The picture shows the 5 stages of writing an essay.

📚 10th-Grade Essay Topics & Tips

Top 10 essay topics for grade 10.

  • What makes a good parent?
  • Fantasy: origins and future
  • Friendships in the Information Age
  • Marriage vs. cohabitation
  • Your most memorable trip
  • What defines a hero?
  • Millennials vs. Gen Z
  • Is urbanization a positive trend?
  • Communism: a dream that failed
  • Things to do before graduating

Grade 10 Essay: How to Write

Like any typical sophomore, you want to get good grades and write excellent essays. But what if your written assignments never grade higher than a B? Don’t give up! We can help you with it.

Receive a plagiarism-free paper tailored to your instructions. Cut 20% off your first order!

What follows next are the necessary attributes of an A+ essay. Pay attention to them while writing and you will surely succeed:

Read the tips below and learn about the essentials of writing excellent essays.

  • Resort to advanced storytelling. Even if you’re not working on a narrative essay, you can try applying the following 3-act structure to your writing. According to Indiana University, the structure consists of 3 parts: setup, confrontation, and resolution . The acts set an uninterrupted narrative flow. As a result, the reader doesn’t even notice the transition from one part of the work to another. Here’s how to use this technique:
  • Don’t let go of your ideas . The thing is always to be prepared for writing, just in case you suddenly find inspiration or a brilliant idea pops into your head. Don’t risk trying to remember it and write it down later—you’ll likely end up forgetting it. To avoid such regrettable situations, make sure to always have a notebook with you.
  • Check out other people’s essays. Apart from getting ideas for the content of your essay, you’ll also be able to consider the writing style and format of the paper. The more samples you can look through, the better. You’ll see all the possible options and variations of how this type of assignment can be done.

10th-Grade Essay Topics in Various Subjects

Need creative essay ideas? Check out this list:

  • Censorship and social media. Answer these questions: What is censorship related to social media content? Should any topics be considered taboo? What are the adverse outcomes of such a practice? Where is the line between censorship and fundamental rights violation?
  • Music and student productivity . The essay can examine the latest findings regarding the effects of different music genres on people’s cognitive abilities. What have neuroscientists discovered? Why does music influence people in such a way? You can describe your personal attitudes and anecdotes.
  • Why do people have holidays? All nations have their unique holidays . Why is that so? Do people just need more days to rest from work? Do Americans need more national holidays? You may explore the role different holidays play in the development of a nation.
  • Should individuals, nations, or international bodies interfere in other people’s affairs? Thousands of messages regarding people’s suffering appear every minute. Individuals, charities , governments, and international institutions try to help people across the globe. Is this involvement always justified? Can such interference be regarded as a form of cultural expansion ?
  • What can national cuisine tell about a nation? Compare the national food of several countries in your essay. Think about whether the environment plays a role in developing cuisines.
  • Would societies develop without the use of fossil fuels ?
  • Does science fiction influence the development of technology or vice versa?
  • How has school life changed throughout the last 20 years?
  • What’s the best way to choose which school to go to?
  • How vital is a personal understanding of people’s lives ?
  • What are the consequences of having too much money?
  • Do teens need to follow all of their parents’ guidelines?
  • Does doing less homework make you a better student?
  • How do celebrities influence the way teenagers look and behave?

Grade 10 English Essay Topics

If you’re a 10-grader, you probably write many essays for your English classes. Can’t choose a topic? Have a look at these ideas:

  • The role fairy tales play in people’s lives. This essay can be concerned with the way fairy tales contribute to the norms as well as prejudice . Why do people create fairy tales? What is their place in world literature? Can children develop properly without reading them?
  • The history and significance of comic books . Some people think comic books are inferior to literary works. Do you agree with this viewpoint? What role do comic books play in American society? Why did this art form appear?
  • The role the setting plays in literary works. You can analyze a specific genre or a text. For example, explore how the setting reflects Emily’s character in A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner.
  • Should all plastic be banned? Writing an argumentative essay is always a good idea. Students may try to decide whether plastic should be prohibited. Can people (especially in developing countries) live without plastic? What can be a cost-effective replacement?
  • Oscar Wilde: a master of epigrams. Focus on his plays or The Picture of Dorian Gray . What characteristic features can be found in Wilde’s epigrams? What is the purpose of their use?
  • What makes Macbeth one of the greatest literary works in English (and world) literature?
  • Should students read ancient literature, such as The Epic of Gilgamesh ?
  • What can we learn from books written by politicians?
  • What distinguishes the epistolary genre?
  • How the image of the vampire evolved: from folklore to pop culture
  • Female writers in antiquity and Middle Ages
  • What is the future of world literature ?

Grade 10 Essay Topics for Creative Writing

The following list of topics will inspire an outstanding composition or even a short story:

Get an originally-written paper according to your instructions!

  • A detective story of a failed assignment/meeting/ exam. Students become genuinely creative when they try to explain the reasons for not doing their homework . Why not make it an essay topic? Describe a force majeure that made doing something impossible.
  • A dystopia or a utopia. You can create your own world based on an optimistic or pessimistic view. How perfect can a society be? What atrocities can become accepted in the future? What hierarchies, political orders, or economic models can emerge?
  • A letter from a historical leader. Imagine you are a ruler of Medieval France or any other monarch . You can write a letter to your royal relative or enemy. A letter from Elizabeth I to future generations can make an excellent essay!
  • Creative description . Come up with a detailed description of an interesting thing, person, or event. For example, describe a charm on your bracelet and its meaning. Describing someone’s personality traits can be another option.
  • Writing memoirs . Create a biography of a historical person, fictional character, or modern celebrity. Or, imagine you became famous and write about your way to glory.
  • A narrative about the most remarkable or tiresome waiting experience
  • A poem about first love
  • A parody of A Song of Ice and Fire
  • Pretend to be a future historian analyzing a current popular song or movie (or any other artifact)
  • Ponder on the nature and relevance of creativity
  • Your stream of consciousness (the road to school, a minute in a class, enjoying the sunrise, and so on)
  • Elaborate on the theory regarding the nature of Agent Smith of The Matrix
  • Write down the associations connected with your favorite song
  • Description of the dream you had last night

🧑‍🎓 Grade 11 Essay Topics & Tips

Top 10 essay topics for grade 11.

  • Can positive discrimination be beneficial?
  • Is violence a human invention?
  • Should we give scientists more funding?
  • Should science interfere with natural processes?
  • Reasons for keeping a journal.
  • Which country is the most difficult to live in?
  • Can online education replace other forms of schooling?
  • Should all countries give up their nuclear arsenals?
  • Reasons why Donald Trump lost the 2020 elections.
  • The role of successful athletes in popularizing sports.

11th Grade Essay: How to Write

You can consider 11th-grade essay writing to be a combination of everything you’ve learned in the previous 3 years. One of its main goals is to demonstrate that you have a clear understanding of all essential writing elements.

You’re going to have the chance to practice various forms of writing. The following tips will help you excel at it.

  • Try practicing ACT Writing. ACT Writing is a test that requires you to create an essay in just 40 minutes. There are several limitations and requirements associated with it (if you want to learn more, you can check out this article by Southern Utah University on ACT tests and their characteristics ). Practicing this kind of writing with a timer can be highly beneficial for developing your skills. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:
  • Ideas and analysis.  Answer the question given in the prompt as clearly as possible. You also need to demonstrate your perspective and analyze how it relates to other aspects under discussion.
  • Development and support.  Explain all the points you make. The trick here is to make each explanation fit into 2 or 3 sentences—not because of word count requirements, but due to the time limit.
  • Language use.  While writing your essay, make your sentences clear and easy to understand. You should also avoid repetition. You may use some terms or fancy words, but if you do, make sure you know what they mean.
  • Organization.  Even though there are no strict rules for formatting your paper, it doesn’t mean you can turn it into a chaotic mess. The easiest thing to do is to separate each of your ideas into a paragraph. Make sure that the overall structure is logical, and take care of smooth transitions.
  • Try the Elevator Pitch. It’s a technique salespeople use when developing a short, catchy product summary. When using this technique to write an essay for high school, you boil your ideas down to the essentials. Even though it’s a challenging task, it leaves you with a perfect summary . And you can use it to write an introduction that will undoubtedly grab your reader’s attention.
  • Know the limits. It’s important to know when to stop. This statement is especially true when you’re selecting a position to take or choosing the main point you want to prove in your essay. Your argument needs to be compelling enough to capture your reader’s attention. But at the same time, you don’t want to overdo it.

Here are some other things that are better to avoid:

  • An overly broad or poorly written thesis statement.
  • Topic sentences without a proper focus.
  • Off-topic writing.
  • Inadequate conclusion.
  • Inability to foresee and refute objections.
  • Talking about things that are too obvious to discuss.

Essay Topics for Grade 11 in Various Subjects

Senior students are required to write about serious subjects. Here we’ve compiled a list of great thought-provoking topics to kickstart your writing:

  • Pros and cons of criminalizing the sales of alcohol. Alternatively, you can think about the consequences of banning cigarettes .
  • Nature vs. nurture. Researchers are still unsure whether the environment or inborn traits play a key role in people’s personal development . You may try to provide an answer to this challenging question. You can concentrate on the notorious case of Three Identical Strangers . The examination of the ethical issues related to this kind of research is also a good idea.
  • Career path plans. Naturally, eleventh-graders need to consider their future careers. It can be a good idea to write a professional development plan . What kind of higher education or skills do you need? How can you acquire them?
  • Autocratic and democratic regimes in the times of pandemics. You may try to compare the effectiveness of authoritarian or democratic countries when addressing the COVID-19 crisis. How do different regimes address the problem? What role does access to information play in the process? Compare the outcomes of the measures undertaken in the US and China.
  • Identity in the cyber world. Adolescence is the period of paying considerable attention to one’s identity. The Internet has changed our lives, including the process of identity-making. Why do young people create fake identities in the digital environment? Do these identities affect their authentic selves?
  • Can English be replaced as an international communication language any time soon?
  • Is it necessary to punish those who download content from the Internet illegally?
  • What digital devices can be used to improve education?
  • Should everyone switch to electric or environmentally friendly vehicles ?
  • Do the world’s wealthiest countries help poor ones enough?
  • Is it appropriate for students and teachers to interact on social media?

Grade 11 Essay Topics for Narrative Writing

Choosing the most exciting and potentially successful topic can be challenging. Here are some ideas for the best narrative papers.

  • The hardest goodbye you’ve ever said. A common approach to this topic is to write about saying goodbye to a friend or loved one. Creative students may describe the moment when they said goodbye to their childhood .
  • A disaster that led to good outcomes. Write about an event or action that seemed like a mistake but turned out to be beneficial. It can be connected to extracurricular activities, going to a party, taking up responsibility, etc.
  • Science in our daily lives. It may seem that science is just a school subject. However, every person has conducted at least one experiment or observation in their lifetime. The narrative composition of this essay can deal with such an observation.
  • The evolution of your professional inclinations. Children often dream of being athletes or movie stars. Some want to be teachers or writers. You may describe the way your idea of a dream job changed throughout your life. What factors affected this evolution?
  • Conflict management. Describe a situation when you used conflict management skills. These cases can include working on a project, debating with other students, or distributing chores. What skills are needed to manage conflicts effectively?
  • The most challenging aspects of being an adolescent
  • Describing the first time doing something ( first day at college , first driving experience, etc.)
  • The most significant event in a specific year or century
  • The first considerable success in your life
  • Growing up in the 21st century
  • When did Murphy’s Law work in your life?
  • A day in the life of the world’s happiest person
  • The most important piece of advice someone gave you

11th Grade Writing Prompts & Topics for Argumentative Essays

Select a topic from the the list below and impress your teacher with a stunning essay:

  • Should the system of American presidential elections be changed? During the past few years, Americans have started criticizing the existing presidential election system. The Electoral College seems outdated to many. In this essay, you may share your views on the strengths and weaknesses of the voting system.
  • Should female students be encouraged to study science rather than humanities? Many researchers point out that the scientific world is highly disproportioned when it comes to gender. Women often choose to study humanities rather than sciences due to bias or lack of confidence. How can we encourage talented girls to pursue scientific careers?
  • Restrictions and totalitarianism . Can governments impose restrictions related to certain areas of people’s lives? Is it a pathway to dictatorship ? Can people be responsible enough to have personal limits? You can focus on such aspects as marriage age and access to information.
  • Student loans : an opportunity or a burden? Student loans have become a serious issue leading to substantial economic constraints for individuals and the educational system. Older generations stress that they managed to work and pay their tuition fees . Should young people use student loans? Can they receive higher education without this financial burden?
  • Is conservation a proper approach to treating endangered species ? Many species are on the brink of extinction due to various reasons. Governments and non-governmental organizations try to preserve natural diversity. Conservation is one of the employed methods. Is it effective? Do people have the right to interfere with the natural evolution of species?

 The picture explains the process of school essay grading.

  • Autocratic leaders and technological breakthroughs: the cases of Steve Jobs and Elon Musk
  • Should physical punishment make a comeback in the American educational system?
  • Should humans consume products containing GMOs?
  • Should the US government invest in the exploration of outer space ?

Essay Topics for Grade 11: Persuasive Writing

When writing persuasive essays, students need to find the right words to convince their opponents or the reader. Here are some ideas for such a paper:

  • Nudging is manipulation, so it should be banned. Companies and even governments often influence people’s choices. Using a coffee smell to boost the sales of food is one such technique. Is it ethical?
  • Cigarettes should be banned altogether. Everybody knows of the long-term effects of smoking . The negative impact of cigarettes is severe and compatible with substance abuse. Is it necessary to make smoking cigarettes illegal?
  • Blogging for young people. Many adolescents find blogging a sphere where they can excel. For some, blogging becomes a profession. However, to be a successful blogger , a person should have experience, knowledge, and skills. Do you agree that young people should study hard instead of blogging?
  • Zoos cannot exist in the modern world. Animal rights gained momentum decades ago, but zoos are still popular places visited by millions. In modern zoos, animals live in cages that can be pretty spacious. However, this does not make them an appropriate place for wild animals. Is it possible to stick to wildlife parks as an alternative?
  • Birth control . Birth control is a common area of concern for many countries. The Chinese government even had a policy regarding the number of children in a family. Should such policies exist? Are they effective?
  • Should the age of presidential candidates be changed?
  • Silent praying time at public schools: is it necessary?
  • Standardized tests in schools should be banned
  • Teachers should pass qualification testing regularly
  • Toy manufacturers shouldn’t advertise their products on kids’ channels
  • Children committing violent crimes require appropriate punishment
  • Sex education is necessary for public schools

🎓 Grade 12 Essay Topics & Tips

Top 10 essay topics for grade 12.

  • How do you survive isolation?
  • What makes politicians lie?
  • Causes of obesity in low-income groups
  • Taxation as a way to address the income gap
  • Outsourcing as a viable business model
  • The geography of your hometown
  • The end of Sumer civilization
  • Low-performing schools should be closed
  • Teachers should follow a dress code
  • The role of economics in our everyday lives.

Grade 12 Essay: How to Write

Grade 12 essays are very similar to those you have completed before. They’re just a bit longer and require more effort and knowledge from you. Here are our tips that will help you write such essays:

  • Organize your essays adequately and write strong thesis statements.
  • Make your arguments well-grounded and support them with evidence.
  • Use terms and various sentence structures.
  • Make sure your text is grammatically correct.

Bonus: College Essay Tips

When it comes to grade 12, the trickiest writing assignment you’re likely to receive is a college application essay. Don’t worry, though: the tips below will help you ace it! Have a look:

  • Keep the right amount of detail. To make your college essay memorable, choose the most exciting event from your life. Describe it in great detail, without wasting space on boring trivia. This way, you’ll paint a clear picture of what happened and how it influenced you.
  • Avoid clichés. Clichés are words and phrases that are often overused and don’t add any value to our writing. Thinking outside the box and using a couple of witty phrases is a good thing. But using age-old clichés defeats the purpose.
  • Make yourself memorable. Your story needs to stay in the minds of those who are going to read it. Make a strong personal statement so that even sometime later, they can pick your essay up and say, “Yes, I know this one…it’s about that student.”
  • Check your essay yourself after writing the first draft. Does the story leave a powerful impression? If not, what can you do to make it better? The committee will appreciate that you’ve put some serious work into writing a personal essay.
  • Don’t settle for an average result. You can do much better than that. To understand the task better, look through some college essay examples and make your work far superior to those.

For more helpful tips and topics, check out our article on writing successful college essays .

Essay Topics for Grade 12 in Various Subjects

Here are some of the current topics that can inspire an outstanding essay:

  • The future of space exploration . Elon Musk has revolutionized space exploration, giving it a new life. What countries will be leaders in this sphere in the nearest future? Will people colonize Mars any time soon?
  • What is the background of the Black Lives Matter movement? Discuss what connects BLM and the Civil Rights movements . What factors led to its rise in the late 2010s? What about other ethnic groups and minorities?
  • Living in a post-COVID era. Will communication become more digitalized? Can we transform healthcare systems accordingly? How did the pandemic affect people’s personal lives?
  • The future of movie theaters. Can they recover completely from pandemic-related restrictions? Is watching blockbusters at home a more comfortable option?
  • Body positivity . Can the body-positive approach lead to unhealthy behaviors ? The focus on being too slim or too fat is harmful. Is it better to focus on health and wellness? Should we establish a new health-positive trend instead of the existing appearance-based movements?
  • The background of the gender pay gap in the scientific world
  • To what extent can communities interfere with people’s family lives?
  • The limits of the First Amendment in the contemporary USA
  • How can we make political debates more civil and focused on solving problems?
  • If you were a senior mentor, what wisdom would you pass on to a first-year student?
  • What are effective ways of convincing people to exercise more?
  • What skills should students have to convince a school that they deserve a scholarship ?
  • What might be the cause of World War III ? What would be the consequences?
  • Are books still relevant, or should we all switch to computers, iPhones, and tablets?
  • How do the obstacles we encounter in life make us better?
  • What sparks your desire for personal growth and self-development ?
  • Without which fact, quality, or story would your life be incomplete?

Essay Topics for Grade 12: Creative Writing

Creative writing can be challenging for some students. However, an essay’s success often depends on the chosen topic. The following ideas will boost your creative potential.

  • When Hulk met Mr. Hyde . It can be interesting to imagine a meeting or a battle between Mr. Hyde and his later version, Hulk. Which one is stronger? Who is more malicious?
  • Happy new holiday! Come up with a brand-new holiday for the US. What can it be based on? Why do Americans need this celebration?
  • Being a book on a shelf. It can be exciting to write from the perspective of a mundane object found in any home. What could books on the shelves think of? What are the biggest fears of a fridge?
  • The best robot ever! Imagine that you live in a future where all people can own robots . What qualities will such robots have? What kinds of chores can they do? Can they complete school assignments for students? What ethical concerns could exist in the society of the future regarding robots?
  • Home alone. The story of the eight-year-old Kevin is well-known. What would you do in his place? How challenging or relaxing can such an experience be? How soon would you feel lonely?
  • Should evil be romanticized in literature and cinema?
  • Being in a 14 th -century classroom
  • The class in the fantasy world with fictional characters
  • Imagine a global government of the future
  • Being a President of the US and proclaiming an inaugural speech
  • If God were one of us
  • Lessons from creative people of the past
  • How to find true love: a guide

Grade 12 Essay Topics for Narrative Writing

Tell your own unique story with one of our imaginative topic ideas:

  • Being an activist. Youth activism is now on the rise. You can write about your personal contribution or analyze existing movements. What activities are appropriate for students of your age? Where is the line between activism and delinquency?
  • Talk about your family’s values . Are they culture-based? How did religious beliefs affect these values ? Why should families have such values?
  • People are responsible for those they have tamed. What did Antoine de Saint-Exupéry mean by this? What kind of responsibility is it? Does it refer to pets or people? You can write your own story of being responsible for someone.
  • What to do with a billion dollars. Imagine you received an enormous sum of money. What would be the first thing to do? Think of any purchases or orders such as a house, a journey around the world, or even your own island . With this topic, it’s easy to be creative!
  • The most embarrassing moment of your life . Write from experience or imagination. You can focus on a fictional or famous person. What awkward moments can politicians and movie stars go through?
  • Things to say to your future self
  • Becoming a true leader for peers and family
  • Self-improvement plan to follow after the graduation
  • Who is the role model for modern children?
  • Is being a teenager as bad as people say?
  • The most profound moment in your life
  • The most striking news of the past year

If you need more ideas, you can try using our topic generator .

Have you found what you were looking for? We hope our guide helped you with your school essay writing. Make sure to share your experience in the comments below!

This might be interesting for you:

  • Primary School Essay: Simple Writing Guide
  • What Does an Excellent Essay Look Like?
  • 1000-Word Essays: Quick Answers
  • Breaking Down the Types of Essays
  • A Complete Guide to Essay Writing
  • How to Write a Good 5 Paragraph Essay
  • 140 Excellent Analysis Essay Topics & Questions
  • 200 Interesting Cause and Effect Essay Topics & Ideas
  • 260 Good Descriptive Essay Topics and Writing Tips
  • 150+ Excellent Narrative Essay Topics
  • 420 Good Compare and Contrast Essay Topics
  • 180 Process Essay Topics

❓ School Essay FAQ

Students write essays on every educational level. Naturally, middle school essays are different from that of a high school. But the general principle is to choose a good topic, research it, make an outline, write the essay, and proofread it.

On that level, the best choice would be to write an argumentative, informative, or narrative essay. Pick a topic that is familiar, interesting, or not too difficult for you. Then, research it, make an outline, and write your essay.

To write a 9th-grade essay, you need to:

1. Choose a suitable topic; 2. Do your research in a library or online; 3. Outline your essay; 4. Write the body paragraphs; 5. Write the introduction and the conclusion.

It’s better not to pick overly narrow college-level topics for an 8th-grade essay. It is better to write about the environment, career choice, nature, or yourself. Choose something broad enough to identify several pros and cons, causes and effects, and other essay components.

  • How to Do Research: A Step-By-Step Guide, Get Started: LibGuides at Elmira College
  • Overview of the Academic Essay: Harvard College Writing Center
  • A Comprehensive Guide for Writing Research Papers, Humanities Edition: Southwestern University
  • Student Guide to Academic Writing & Research: Accredited Online Schools
  • Generate Topic Ideas Quickly and Easily: Online Research Library, Questia
  • Thesis Statements: KU Writing Center
  • Narrative Essays: Literacy Education Online
  • Writing Topics: Thoughtful Learning K-12
  • 50 Writing Prompts for All Grade Levels: Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation
  • 100 Persuasive Essay Topics: Grace Fleming, ThoughtCo
  • Essay Tips: 7 Tips on Writing an Effective Essay: The Fastweb Team
  • Essay Topics: Oral Roberts University
  • Essay Topics and Tips: College of Arts and Sciences, Lewis & Clark
  • UChicago Supplemental Essay Questions: The University of Chicago
  • 50 Narrative Essay Topics: Reading and Writing Resource
  • High School Essay Writing Course: Time4Writing
  • Creative Writing Prompts: The Write Practice
  • 81 Creative Writing Prompts for Writers: Writer’s Digest
  • Short Story Ideas: Creative Writing Now
  • 25 Controversial Topics: The Best Schools
  • Research Topic Ideas: University Michigan-Flint
  • Climate Change: ProCon
  • Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing: The New York Times
  • Interesting Debate Topics: Udemy
  • 10 Creative Writing Prompts for Story Ideas: MasterClass
  • Research Topics: Frontiers
  • Research Topics: National Archives
  • Essay Topic Suggestions: Gallaudet University
  • Past Essay Topics: University of Warwick
  • Literature Topics and Research: Purdue University
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we need conversation questions for the same paragraph writing would be super.

Okay, so I’m in extension English (highest English), and we’ve just written our first essay on To Kill A Mockingbird. Last year I was getting high C’s, mostly B’s and the odd A. But this year, I have a different teacher, and he is not so satisfied with my writing. I got a C- for my first essay this year. He said my ideas were great, logical, and enthusiastic, but the way I’m writing it is not as appealing, motivating and persuasive. How can I improve my writing, so that I can easily get my ideas on the page without making them less effective?

Custom Writing

Hi, It’s cool that you want to improve your writing. These are a few suggestions from our experts: 1) use strong thesis statements in your papers (examples are here: https://custom-writing.org/blog/thesis-statement-examples) or download our guide on how to write a thesis statement (you can see it on a pop-up when you come to our blog); 2) use examples to illustrate your position; 3) avoid using too long sentences, so that readers could follow your train of thoughts; 4) subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter (in the upper right sidebar of the blog) and receive our expert tips directly to your e-mail. Good luck! We are sure that you will learn how to write only A+ papers pretty soon. See you!

I came to college as a mature student. Now I need to write a 4-page essay. I need help.

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Thank you so much! It’s a big help. I hope I get an A* for my O/L exams this year May. Wish me luck!

Katherine, we aren’t going to wish you luck! You don’t need it:) You will get A+, that’s for sure! 🙂

But if you’re that superstitious – GOOD LUCK! 🙂

103 Teenagers Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Welcome to our list of topics about teens! Here, you will find everything you need to write an essay on teenagers: topics, samples, and a free teenagers topic generator. Sounds interesting? Check it out!

🏆 Best Teenagers Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

👍 good essay topics for teens, 📌 most interesting teenagers topics to write about, 🔎 research topics for teens.

  • The Influence of Media Advertising on Teenagers – Essay Negative influences of advertising on teenagers include embracement of unhealthy eating habits, lack of self-esteem and confidence, perpetuation of violence and stereotypes, propagation of drinking and smoking, enhancement of teenagers’ propensity to risk, and development […]
  • Do Curfews Keep Teenagers Out of Trouble? This paper shall argue that curfews are beneficial to society in regard to the role they play in improving the lives of teenagers, and maintain social order. They help parents to monitor their children’s activities […]
  • Should Teenagers Have Mobile Phones? Essay This paper will address the negative impacts that mobile phones are having on teenagers’ school life. Campbell confirms that most teenagers have the desire to upgrade their phones in order to fit in with their […]
  • Communication Between Parents and Teenagers Communication between parents and their children, especially teenagers, is an ongoing process that can be developed and modified in order to create a sense of openness and support that will become a basis for the […]
  • How Do Teenagers Deal With Problems and Consequence Without Parent’s Support? This is because the parents are not in a position to be of good guidance during the period of the problems and they are not reliable and therefore teenagers tend to rely on themselves.
  • Sports Impact on Teenagers: Rhetorical Appeals Participating in any form of sports is of great significance as it helps to utilize, maintain, and improve an individual’s physical capabilities and develop advanced skills in that particular game.
  • Social Media and Teenagers’ Mental Health This book highlights the impact of social media on adolescent mental health and offers several solutions to this problem. 1, 2020, pp.
  • Academic Stress and Its Impact on Teenagers Another possible solution is raising awareness about the harms of stress to human health to educate students and their parents on the risks associated with stress.
  • Negative Effects of Multitasking on Teenagers Another reason the students multitask is that they simply do not see the negative impact it has on their coursework. That is the reason why multitasking is a poor practice for students.
  • Is Cyber Bullying Against Teenagers More Detrimental Than Face-To-Face Bullying? Social networking has also contributed greatly to the issue of cyber bullying especially in making it more harmful as compared to face-to-face bullying.
  • Abortion in Teenagers: Proposal Argument In the overwhelming majority of cases, the teenager who has encountered such problems is inclined to violate the law, which often leads her to illegal and sometimes unsafe abortion. According to WHO, it is the […]
  • Effects of Internet Addiction on Family Relationships Among Teenagers In the modern society, cyber bullying refers to the instances where the individual uses the internet to interfere with the rights and freedoms of others.
  • Phones and Teenagers’ Mental Health Connection This essay aims to discuss the connection between phones and teenagers’ mental health and explain why the use of smartphones is merely a reflection of problems that children would face either way.
  • Effects of Underage Drinking on the Academic Development of Teenagers In effect the question which is posed in this research seeks to investigate the severity of the effects of alcohol abuse on the school attendance of the teenagers.
  • Arab Culture and Teenagers With this approach, the parents have managed to mould their teenagers into the right path that is to stick to their culture.
  • Getting a Teenager to Clean His/Her Room This will teach Jimmy to be responsible and it may also make him understand that a tidy room is a norm and it is a great convenience.
  • Influence of Modelling in Teenager’s Eating Disorders The body types required for the models to have demand of them to maintain their body shape and sizes. The models influence on the teenagers is considered too great to cause eating disorders in them.
  • “The New Gay Teenager” by Ritch Savin Williams He explores how the concept of being gay is slowly changing as a result of pop culture influences brought about by the media which in effect has created a whole new generation of gays completely […]
  • Group Therapy for Pregnant and Parenting Teenagers It is important for the girls to understand that life still has meaning in spite of their circumstances. If the girls are able to develop a positive perception of life, they will be motivated to […]
  • Smoking Among Teenagers as Highlighted in Articles The use of tobacco through smoking is a trend among adolescents and teenagers with the number of young people who involve themselves in smoking is growing each day.
  • Sources of Conflict Between Parents and Teenagers One of the recurrent themes linked to dress codes and the conflict between parents and adolescents is the adherence to cultural norms.
  • Freaks, Geeks, and Cool Kids: American Teenagers, Schools, and the Culture of Consumption The first part of the book is titled “The Puzzle and the Tools”. The author of the book clearly states that it is not the American schools that make the teenagers behave in this manner.
  • Cyberbullying Impact on Teenagers The proposed research will be a qualitative review of the recent literature covering the issue of cyberbullying in teenagers for the purpose of identifying the prevalence and trends of this phenomenon.
  • Drug and Alcohol Abuse Among Teenagers The thesis statement is: “Conviction is a better way to reduce drug and alcohol addiction among teenagers in the United States”.
  • An Opinion on Contraception for Teenagers What is the significance of providing birth control to adolescents without a prescription? What are the repercussions of not administering birth control to adolescents?
  • Sexual Education Among Teenagers The changes are evident in different spheres, such as the widening of the chest and the deepening of the voice in boys.
  • Tobacco Addictions Among Teenagers This makes it urgent to fight all forms of tobacco and nicotine use in order to preserve the health of adolescents.
  • Using Arts in At-Risk and Juvenile Teenagers The two programs are based on arts as art engagement can be therapeutic in and out itself, which is vital to enhance arts-based initiates for at-risk populations.
  • Bulimia in Teenagers: How to Make a Change This paper hypothesizes that to make a change a complex of psychological measures should be taken that includes the use of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, formation of the right attitude to food and body weight, and building […]
  • Placebo Effect on Mentally Ill Teenagers The major reason for using a placebo is to assess the effectiveness of the treatment administered to the patients. For instance, a study was conducted to evaluate the predictors of pills and characterize the impacts […]
  • Transgender Teenagers and Obstacles They Face Transgender teens are one of the most vulnerable groups of people due to the enormous amount of discrimination and everyday challenges they face.
  • Social Media Damages Teenagers’ Mental Health Thus, the selected social group that could help improve teenagers’ mental health is sports coaches and organizers of sports activities in schools.
  • Drug Addiction in Teenagers: Smoking and Other Lifestyles In the first part of this assignment, the health problem of drug addiction was considered among teens and the most vulnerable group was established.
  • Anxiety Issues Amongst Teenagers One of the most notable stress sources is a feeling of anxiety a state of mind characterized by negative mood and overall tension.
  • Substance Abuse in Teenagers The essay presents the issues and the causes of substance abuse among adolescents. Despite significant legislative and social communication efforts in the field, the prevalence of drug use remained relatively unchanged for the commonly used […]
  • The Role of Genetics and Diet of Acne in Teenagers It is significant that the number of relapses, the duration of the course of therapy, and the increase in the number of patients with moderate and severe forms of acne directly depend on the adherence […]
  • Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Among Teenagers The third question is, does the race of the teenagers affect the lack of testing? Evaluation of the performance of a point-of-care test for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
  • Peer Pressure and Smoking Influence on Teenagers The study results indicate that teenagers understand the health and social implications of smoking, but peer pressure contributes to the activity’s uptake.
  • Dietary Intervention in Teenagers With Obesity The sensitive topic of weight and diet is greatly influenced by a social factor of body image and deceptive objectification of the human body and healthy weight parameters.
  • Discussion of Body Shaming Among Teenagers The concept of body positivity was presented as well, and it was pre-assumed that it is an appropriate variant to address body shaming among teenagers.
  • Reasons of Alcohol Addiction in Teenagers Given the clinical diagnoses, the wide-spread nature of the problem, and the severe consequences impacting the life and health of millions of people, the in-depth investigation of the causes of the disorder is of critical […]
  • Cigarette Smoking Among Teenagers in the Baltimore Community, Maryland The paper uses the Baltimore community in Maryland as the area to focus the event of creating awareness of cigarette smoking among the teens of this community.
  • Planning Program: Decreasing Cases of DWI Among Teenagers It is important to acknowledge the role authorities will play in implementation and success of any plan like the one outlined above. Authorities will also play an important role in providing legislative support to successful […]
  • An Analysis in Relation to Mrs. Ingrim’s 15-Year Old Teenager In the past, the criminal justice system treated minors the same way as adults. When a person below the age of 18 years commits a crime, they are taken through the juvenile system as opposed […]
  • Offending Increase Among the Imprisoned Teenagers The article studies the degree at which feelings, family units, and surrounding correlates are linked with the increase of non-aggressive to aggressive offending among the imprisoned teenagers.
  • Using the Mobile Phone by Teenagers The aims and objectives of this study were; To find out the purpose for which the mobile phones are used in the everyday lives and how long the mobile phones are used during the day.
  • Effects of Human Trafficking in Teenagers: The Present-Day Situation In this case, the inclusion of the additional factor, the type of human trafficking, will contribute to a better understanding of the problem and develop a solution.
  • Aftermath of Human Trafficking in Children and Teenagers The major part of the available research is concentrated on the victims of sex abuse and the applied means of their treatment.
  • Effects of Social Pressures on Teenagers Today On the other hand, the “midriff” is used to represent the teenagers that are ready to always make sure that they purchase the products that are currently in the market.
  • Why Teenagers Must Be Allowed to Use Birth Control? It is the purpose of this paper to underscore why teenagers should be given the opportunity to use contraceptives. These findings point to the importance of contraceptives in solving the problem of teenage pregnancy in […]
  • Should the Teenagers Be Tried as Adults or Juveniles? Thus, it is logical to treat these teens as adults and the judicial system should proceed in accordance to the procedure enlisted in the case of an adult.
  • How Teenagers Can Avoid Becoming Alcohol Abusers Drinking a glass of wine or a can or two of beer during a social event is acceptable and does not impair the physical ability and senses of a person.
  • Cause and Effect of Teenagers Crazy Driving They have to acknowledge that they are the childhood role model for the kids and this includes being the indirect driving teacher of the child.
  • Teenagers in the UK and Carrying Knives The number of teenagers in the UK carrying knives for use on each other has slowly been increasing during recent years and the media is not publishing stories about knife crimes out of the blues; […]
  • Birth Control for Teenagers This is exactly the reason why the idea of using birth control should not be given to teenagers. The third reason why birth control should not be advocated for teenagers is that there are more […]
  • Healthy Behavior Barriers Among Teenagers The primary purpose of the study conducted by Zhai et al.was to explore the link between perceived family and peer gambling and binge drinking and problem gambling.
  • Teenagers’ Suicidal Thoughts and Contemporary Issues To screen for suicidal thoughts in the given age group, it is necessary to focus on the manifestations of this problem and related external stressors when asking questions.
  • Technology Impact on US Teenagers’ Reading Habits Since the turn of the century, numerous changes in the type and amount of material teenagers are reading in the United States have been witnessed.
  • Parental Divorce and Its Impact on Teenagers In their article, Gustavsen, Nayga, and Wu use the results of the Add Health survey to study potential links between the experience of parental divorce and the likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors.
  • Teenagers With Autism Disorder Autism is seen as a spectrum disorder since its severity and symptoms vary greatly among affected individuals – from mild and occasional to persistent and interfering with all aspects of life.
  • Crimes That Teenagers Do Not Commit However, the most common reason for the specified age group to confess to the crimes that they never committed is the lack of techniques for questioning teenagers that can be observed in the modern legal […]
  • “Are Smartphones Really Destroying the Lives of Teenagers?” by Flora By showing the inconsistencies in research results, the author suggests that the use of smartphones on its own is not a dangerous behavior, but how teens use smartphones could play both a positive and a […]
  • Sexual Harassment of Teenagers in the USA The disregard of the probability of bullying to lead to incidences of sexual harassment has assisted to camouflage sexual harassment cases in U.S.schools as cases of teenage violence and teasing.
  • Relations of Parents and Teenagers This is although the children may be extremely proud of their parents and would like to take grow up to be just like them.
  • Teenagers Motivated to Smoking While the rest of the factors also matter much in the process of shaping the habit of smoking, it is the necessity to mimic the company members, the leader, or any other authority that defines […]
  • Sharp Teenager Recreation Center’s Business Plan The facility will be operated as a club, with teen members having the opportunity to suggest the programs of their choice, and the management being the final decision-making organ.
  • Email as a Dead Technology for Teenagers However, with the emancipation of the internet and the development of social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Gamma the number of youth who use email as a mode of communication has reduced.
  • Volunteering: Troubled Teenagers and Healthy Community I would get experience in guiding young people and making them a part of something bigger. I would try to show the kids the other way out, and they would make me a better person.
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Hispanic Teenager Family dynamics and social withdrawal do not seem to have affected the client’s academic history; her grades are good and she has no history of behavioral problems.
  • Health Promotion: Depression Awareness in Teenagers In addition to community sensitization and promoting the expression of melancholic emotions by adolescents, the DAP program will include depression screening days in schools.
  • Cyberbullying in Teenagers: Offenders and Offending As the contemporary teenagers are a population group that is characterized by very frequent use of digital technologies and the internet on a daily basis, they are just as likely to become victims of cyberbullying […]
  • Suicide in Teenagers: Health Policy Research Therefore, the evaluation of regulations and strategies and the factors that contribute to the positive outcomes in the administrative process is essential to the achievement of better policy effectiveness.
  • Problem of the Depression in Teenagers Despite the lack of sufficient data on the variation of depression among young adults over the last 10 to 20 years in the US, from the literature review, the research identifies an increasing trend of […]
  • Mobile Culture: Texting Effects on Teenagers Given the abilities of smartphones to access the Internet and social media platforms, teenagers have turned their smart devices to tools of socialisation and communication in which texting is the most preferred mode of communication.
  • Giving Birth Control to Teenagers It is paramount to say that it is a significant problem that needs to be addressed because the number of cases of teenage childbearing is one of the highest in the United States compared to […]
  • “Let Teenagers Try Adulthood” by Leon Botstein – Youth Issues At the beginning of the article, the author explains the reasons for removing the so-called high school elite because this group does not contribute to the development of students’ personality.
  • Teenagers Suicide in New Jersey Factors that are attributed to the causes of teenage suicide have always drawn mixed reactions from policymakers, parents, and organizations that work to prevent the issue in America, specifically in the state of New Jersey, […]
  • Alcohol Effect on Teenagers Health It is a common idea that the lack of awareness concerning the effects of binge drinking is what makes teenagers grow addicted to liquor.
  • Suicide in Teenager 14-18 Years Old Although the statistics show that there has been a considerable reduction in the number of the reported cases of suicide, the current rates are still worrying.
  • Community Education Forum on Drug Use Among Teenagers The organizer can enlist the participation of volunteers to support the noble initiative. The organizer can provide leadership in communication and delegates other roles to volunteers.
  • Bullying and Suicide Among Teenagers Specific objectives Analyze the causes of bullying among teenagers in the country Analyze the effects of bullying among victims, perpetrators and by-standers Analyze the relationship between bullying in school and suicide among teenagers in the […]
  • Literature Review and Research Methodology Draft: Effects of Internet Addiction on Family Relationships Among Teenagers The focus of the literature review will be to find information on effects of the internet on family members and also to determine the current state of research as regards to the effects of the […]
  • The Effect of Cellphones and Internet on Teenagers From one point of view, it is possible to see that texting and using other features of a cell phone have become detrimental, but at the same time, there are some advantages to the communication […]
  • Peer System: How Adolescents Perceive Popularity? In order to characterize the attitude of youths to the concept of popularity and to determine the dependence of their attitude on such factors as age or social status, the authors used a survey method.
  • Peer Pressure as One of the Main Teenagers Problem The introduction of a healthy social and psychological environment in schools is a program that will be implemented to help curb negative effects of peer pressure.
  • Doctors’ Reluctance to Prescribe Birth Control Pills to Early Adolescents These are some of the proposed solutions that could help solve the problem of doctors not prescribing birth control pills to teenagers.
  • The Sex Life of Teenagers There are various reasons that can be behind the increase of adolescent sex in our society and this is what needs to be looked at.
  • Does TV Increase Violence Among Children and Teenagers? With the increase in media freedom, the media has brought a number of issues that have influenced on the life of a people, they have sometimes aired programs, and music and news that can reign […]
  • Gang Involvement of Teenagers The risks involved to members of a gang will vary based on the kind of activities the gang is involved in.
  • The Effects of Media on Teenagers Conclusively, from the above study, it is apparent that over reliance on internet as a means of communication negatively affect face-to-face interaction among family members, friends, and society for teenagers.
  • Join Us is the Program about Teenagers’ Needs In the first place, the hosts will be teenagers. The viewers will have the opportunity to choose topics for the programs.
  • Effects on Teenagers: Dysfunctional Families and Family Violence At the center of all this is the important relationship between parents and the kind of kind of treatment the parents give to the child.
  • Promoting Behavior Change among Teenagers The first step will involve sensitizing the teenagers on the negative effects of substance abuse. Finally, the teenagers will be educated on how to avoid the use of drugs.
  • How Screen Time and Social Media Impact Teen Mental Health
  • Risk Factors for Bullying and Cyberbullying Among Teens
  • Drug and Alcohol Use Among Teenagers
  • The Influence of Peer Pressure on Teen Decision Making
  • Relationship Between Adolescent Sleep Patterns and Academic Performance
  • The Prevalence and Consequences of Dating Violence in Teenagers’ Relationships
  • Technology Use and Digital Citizenship Among Teenagers
  • Challenges and Opportunities during Teens’ Identity Development
  • Body Image and Eating Disorders Among Teens
  • The Effects of Media and Advertising on Teenagers’ Consumer Behavior
  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

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65 Engaging Personal Narrative Ideas for Kids and Teens

Tell a story to engage the reader.

essay topics for 12 year olds

Personal narrative essays are all about telling stories. Engage your reader with lots of descriptive language, and ensure you have a beginning, middle, and end. ( Get more tips about teaching narrative writing here. ) Try these personal narrative ideas to inspire kids and teens to tell meaningful stories from their own lives, no matter what they’ve experienced.

“Describe a Time When You …” Personal Narrative Ideas

Firsts and bests personal narrative ideas, general personal narrative essay ideas, college essay personal narrative ideas.

These personal narrative ideas urge students to dig into their past experiences and share them with their audience. Be sure to share the details, including what took place and how it made you feel, and anything you learned from the experience.

Describe a time when you:

  • Were scared
  • Overcame a big challenge
  • Learned an important life lesson
  • Had to make a difficult decision

essay topics for 12 year olds

  • Were proud of a friend or family member
  • Did something you didn’t want to and ended up liking it
  • Met a celebrity or someone you really admire
  • Tried something new
  • Made a mistake and had to apologize and/or fix the mistake
  • Were in danger
  • Helped someone in need
  • Had a dream come true
  • Felt inspired
  • Had a really terrible day

essay topics for 12 year olds

  • Were a leader
  • Made someone else laugh
  • Did something you later regretted
  • Set a goal and achieved it

These essay topics explore the times you did something for the first time ever, or when you were the best version of yourself.

  • Write about meeting your best friend for the first time and how your relationship developed.

essay topics for 12 year olds

  • Tell about learning to ride a bike or drive a car.
  • Tell about your proudest moment.
  • What is your happiest memory?
  • What is your earliest memory?
  • Explain what it’s like to move to a new town or start a new school.
  • What’s the best (or worst!) vacation you’ve ever taken?
  • Tell the story of the time you got your first pet.
  • Describe your favorite field trip of all time.
  • Tell the story of your first day of kindergarten.
  • What’s the best meal you’ve ever eaten?
  • Describe the best party or celebration you’ve ever attended.
  • Tell about the first time someone ever paid you for work (first job, chores for a neighbor, babysitting, etc.) and how it made you feel.

essay topics for 12 year olds

  • Describe the first time you spent a night away from home without your family.
  • What’s the best gift you’ve ever been given?

Here are more personal narrative topics to inspire young writers.

  • Describe a performance or sporting event you took part in.
  • Explain the process of cooking and eating your favorite meal.
  • Write about a time when you or someone you know displayed courage.
  • Share the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you.
  • Describe a time when you or someone you know experienced prejudice or oppression.

essay topics for 12 year olds

  • Explain a family tradition, how it developed, and its importance today.
  • What is your favorite holiday? How does your family celebrate it?
  • Describe your morning routine from the time you wake up until the moment the school bell rings to start the day.
  • Share what you do on a typical non-school day.
  • Tell about a time when you were injured. How did it happen?
  • Describe an argument you and a friend had and how you resolved it.
  • Tell about what you think your life will be like when you’re 25 years old.
  • Explore a time when you felt you were treated unfairly.
  • What makes your family different from everyone else’s family?
  • If you could relive any day in your life, what would it be? Would you want it to be the same or different?

essay topics for 12 year olds

These personal narrative essay topics all come from real 2022–2023 college applications. ( See more college essay prompts here. )

  • Discuss a time when reflection or introspection led to clarity or understanding of an issue that is important to you.
  • Share an example of how you have used your own critical-thinking skills on a specific subject, project, idea, or interest.

essay topics for 12 year olds

  • Using your personal, academic, or volunteer/work experiences, describe the topics or issues that you care about and why they are important to you.
  • Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
  • When was the last time you questioned something you had thought to be true?
  • Reflect on a time when you or someone you observed had to make a choice about whether to act with integrity and honesty.
  • Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
  • Describe a time when you were challenged by a perspective that differed from your own. How did you respond?
  • Elaborate on an activity or experience you have had that made an impact on a community that is important to you.

essay topics for 12 year olds

  • Describe any meaningful travel experiences you’ve had.
  • Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.
  • What is the greatest compliment you have ever been given? Why was it meaningful to you?
  • What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?
  • Describe a time when you’ve felt empowered or represented by an educator.
  • Describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

What are your favorite personal narrative ideas? Come share on the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, check out the big list of essay topics for high school (100+ ideas) ., you might also like.

essay topics for 12 year olds

15 Inspiring Personal Narrative Examples for Writers

Reveal a part of yourself in your essay. Continue Reading

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What the data says about abortion in the U.S.

Pew Research Center has conducted many surveys about abortion over the years, providing a lens into Americans’ views on whether the procedure should be legal, among a host of other questions.

In a  Center survey  conducted nearly a year after the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision that  ended the constitutional right to abortion , 62% of U.S. adults said the practice should be legal in all or most cases, while 36% said it should be illegal in all or most cases. Another survey conducted a few months before the decision showed that relatively few Americans take an absolutist view on the issue .

Find answers to common questions about abortion in America, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute, which have tracked these patterns for several decades:

How many abortions are there in the U.S. each year?

How has the number of abortions in the u.s. changed over time, what is the abortion rate among women in the u.s. how has it changed over time, what are the most common types of abortion, how many abortion providers are there in the u.s., and how has that number changed, what percentage of abortions are for women who live in a different state from the abortion provider, what are the demographics of women who have had abortions, when during pregnancy do most abortions occur, how often are there medical complications from abortion.

This compilation of data on abortion in the United States draws mainly from two sources: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute, both of which have regularly compiled national abortion data for approximately half a century, and which collect their data in different ways.

The CDC data that is highlighted in this post comes from the agency’s “abortion surveillance” reports, which have been published annually since 1974 (and which have included data from 1969). Its figures from 1973 through 1996 include data from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and New York City – 52 “reporting areas” in all. Since 1997, the CDC’s totals have lacked data from some states (most notably California) for the years that those states did not report data to the agency. The four reporting areas that did not submit data to the CDC in 2021 – California, Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey – accounted for approximately 25% of all legal induced abortions in the U.S. in 2020, according to Guttmacher’s data. Most states, though,  do  have data in the reports, and the figures for the vast majority of them came from each state’s central health agency, while for some states, the figures came from hospitals and other medical facilities.

Discussion of CDC abortion data involving women’s state of residence, marital status, race, ethnicity, age, abortion history and the number of previous live births excludes the low share of abortions where that information was not supplied. Read the methodology for the CDC’s latest abortion surveillance report , which includes data from 2021, for more details. Previous reports can be found at  stacks.cdc.gov  by entering “abortion surveillance” into the search box.

For the numbers of deaths caused by induced abortions in 1963 and 1965, this analysis looks at reports by the then-U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, a precursor to the Department of Health and Human Services. In computing those figures, we excluded abortions listed in the report under the categories “spontaneous or unspecified” or as “other.” (“Spontaneous abortion” is another way of referring to miscarriages.)

Guttmacher data in this post comes from national surveys of abortion providers that Guttmacher has conducted 19 times since 1973. Guttmacher compiles its figures after contacting every known provider of abortions – clinics, hospitals and physicians’ offices – in the country. It uses questionnaires and health department data, and it provides estimates for abortion providers that don’t respond to its inquiries. (In 2020, the last year for which it has released data on the number of abortions in the U.S., it used estimates for 12% of abortions.) For most of the 2000s, Guttmacher has conducted these national surveys every three years, each time getting abortion data for the prior two years. For each interim year, Guttmacher has calculated estimates based on trends from its own figures and from other data.

The latest full summary of Guttmacher data came in the institute’s report titled “Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2020.” It includes figures for 2020 and 2019 and estimates for 2018. The report includes a methods section.

In addition, this post uses data from StatPearls, an online health care resource, on complications from abortion.

An exact answer is hard to come by. The CDC and the Guttmacher Institute have each tried to measure this for around half a century, but they use different methods and publish different figures.

The last year for which the CDC reported a yearly national total for abortions is 2021. It found there were 625,978 abortions in the District of Columbia and the 46 states with available data that year, up from 597,355 in those states and D.C. in 2020. The corresponding figure for 2019 was 607,720.

The last year for which Guttmacher reported a yearly national total was 2020. It said there were 930,160 abortions that year in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, compared with 916,460 in 2019.

  • How the CDC gets its data: It compiles figures that are voluntarily reported by states’ central health agencies, including separate figures for New York City and the District of Columbia. Its latest totals do not include figures from California, Maryland, New Hampshire or New Jersey, which did not report data to the CDC. ( Read the methodology from the latest CDC report .)
  • How Guttmacher gets its data: It compiles its figures after contacting every known abortion provider – clinics, hospitals and physicians’ offices – in the country. It uses questionnaires and health department data, then provides estimates for abortion providers that don’t respond. Guttmacher’s figures are higher than the CDC’s in part because they include data (and in some instances, estimates) from all 50 states. ( Read the institute’s latest full report and methodology .)

While the Guttmacher Institute supports abortion rights, its empirical data on abortions in the U.S. has been widely cited by  groups  and  publications  across the political spectrum, including by a  number of those  that  disagree with its positions .

These estimates from Guttmacher and the CDC are results of multiyear efforts to collect data on abortion across the U.S. Last year, Guttmacher also began publishing less precise estimates every few months , based on a much smaller sample of providers.

The figures reported by these organizations include only legal induced abortions conducted by clinics, hospitals or physicians’ offices, or those that make use of abortion pills dispensed from certified facilities such as clinics or physicians’ offices. They do not account for the use of abortion pills that were obtained  outside of clinical settings .

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A line chart showing the changing number of legal abortions in the U.S. since the 1970s.

The annual number of U.S. abortions rose for years after Roe v. Wade legalized the procedure in 1973, reaching its highest levels around the late 1980s and early 1990s, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher. Since then, abortions have generally decreased at what a CDC analysis called  “a slow yet steady pace.”

Guttmacher says the number of abortions occurring in the U.S. in 2020 was 40% lower than it was in 1991. According to the CDC, the number was 36% lower in 2021 than in 1991, looking just at the District of Columbia and the 46 states that reported both of those years.

(The corresponding line graph shows the long-term trend in the number of legal abortions reported by both organizations. To allow for consistent comparisons over time, the CDC figures in the chart have been adjusted to ensure that the same states are counted from one year to the next. Using that approach, the CDC figure for 2021 is 622,108 legal abortions.)

There have been occasional breaks in this long-term pattern of decline – during the middle of the first decade of the 2000s, and then again in the late 2010s. The CDC reported modest 1% and 2% increases in abortions in 2018 and 2019, and then, after a 2% decrease in 2020, a 5% increase in 2021. Guttmacher reported an 8% increase over the three-year period from 2017 to 2020.

As noted above, these figures do not include abortions that use pills obtained outside of clinical settings.

Guttmacher says that in 2020 there were 14.4 abortions in the U.S. per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. Its data shows that the rate of abortions among women has generally been declining in the U.S. since 1981, when it reported there were 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women in that age range.

The CDC says that in 2021, there were 11.6 abortions in the U.S. per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. (That figure excludes data from California, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey.) Like Guttmacher’s data, the CDC’s figures also suggest a general decline in the abortion rate over time. In 1980, when the CDC reported on all 50 states and D.C., it said there were 25 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44.

That said, both Guttmacher and the CDC say there were slight increases in the rate of abortions during the late 2010s and early 2020s. Guttmacher says the abortion rate per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 rose from 13.5 in 2017 to 14.4 in 2020. The CDC says it rose from 11.2 per 1,000 in 2017 to 11.4 in 2019, before falling back to 11.1 in 2020 and then rising again to 11.6 in 2021. (The CDC’s figures for those years exclude data from California, D.C., Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey.)

The CDC broadly divides abortions into two categories: surgical abortions and medication abortions, which involve pills. Since the Food and Drug Administration first approved abortion pills in 2000, their use has increased over time as a share of abortions nationally, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher.

The majority of abortions in the U.S. now involve pills, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher. The CDC says 56% of U.S. abortions in 2021 involved pills, up from 53% in 2020 and 44% in 2019. Its figures for 2021 include the District of Columbia and 44 states that provided this data; its figures for 2020 include D.C. and 44 states (though not all of the same states as in 2021), and its figures for 2019 include D.C. and 45 states.

Guttmacher, which measures this every three years, says 53% of U.S. abortions involved pills in 2020, up from 39% in 2017.

Two pills commonly used together for medication abortions are mifepristone, which, taken first, blocks hormones that support a pregnancy, and misoprostol, which then causes the uterus to empty. According to the FDA, medication abortions are safe  until 10 weeks into pregnancy.

Surgical abortions conducted  during the first trimester  of pregnancy typically use a suction process, while the relatively few surgical abortions that occur  during the second trimester  of a pregnancy typically use a process called dilation and evacuation, according to the UCLA School of Medicine.

In 2020, there were 1,603 facilities in the U.S. that provided abortions,  according to Guttmacher . This included 807 clinics, 530 hospitals and 266 physicians’ offices.

A horizontal stacked bar chart showing the total number of abortion providers down since 1982.

While clinics make up half of the facilities that provide abortions, they are the sites where the vast majority (96%) of abortions are administered, either through procedures or the distribution of pills, according to Guttmacher’s 2020 data. (This includes 54% of abortions that are administered at specialized abortion clinics and 43% at nonspecialized clinics.) Hospitals made up 33% of the facilities that provided abortions in 2020 but accounted for only 3% of abortions that year, while just 1% of abortions were conducted by physicians’ offices.

Looking just at clinics – that is, the total number of specialized abortion clinics and nonspecialized clinics in the U.S. – Guttmacher found the total virtually unchanged between 2017 (808 clinics) and 2020 (807 clinics). However, there were regional differences. In the Midwest, the number of clinics that provide abortions increased by 11% during those years, and in the West by 6%. The number of clinics  decreased  during those years by 9% in the Northeast and 3% in the South.

The total number of abortion providers has declined dramatically since the 1980s. In 1982, according to Guttmacher, there were 2,908 facilities providing abortions in the U.S., including 789 clinics, 1,405 hospitals and 714 physicians’ offices.

The CDC does not track the number of abortion providers.

In the District of Columbia and the 46 states that provided abortion and residency information to the CDC in 2021, 10.9% of all abortions were performed on women known to live outside the state where the abortion occurred – slightly higher than the percentage in 2020 (9.7%). That year, D.C. and 46 states (though not the same ones as in 2021) reported abortion and residency data. (The total number of abortions used in these calculations included figures for women with both known and unknown residential status.)

The share of reported abortions performed on women outside their state of residence was much higher before the 1973 Roe decision that stopped states from banning abortion. In 1972, 41% of all abortions in D.C. and the 20 states that provided this information to the CDC that year were performed on women outside their state of residence. In 1973, the corresponding figure was 21% in the District of Columbia and the 41 states that provided this information, and in 1974 it was 11% in D.C. and the 43 states that provided data.

In the District of Columbia and the 46 states that reported age data to  the CDC in 2021, the majority of women who had abortions (57%) were in their 20s, while about three-in-ten (31%) were in their 30s. Teens ages 13 to 19 accounted for 8% of those who had abortions, while women ages 40 to 44 accounted for about 4%.

The vast majority of women who had abortions in 2021 were unmarried (87%), while married women accounted for 13%, according to  the CDC , which had data on this from 37 states.

A pie chart showing that, in 2021, majority of abortions were for women who had never had one before.

In the District of Columbia, New York City (but not the rest of New York) and the 31 states that reported racial and ethnic data on abortion to  the CDC , 42% of all women who had abortions in 2021 were non-Hispanic Black, while 30% were non-Hispanic White, 22% were Hispanic and 6% were of other races.

Looking at abortion rates among those ages 15 to 44, there were 28.6 abortions per 1,000 non-Hispanic Black women in 2021; 12.3 abortions per 1,000 Hispanic women; 6.4 abortions per 1,000 non-Hispanic White women; and 9.2 abortions per 1,000 women of other races, the  CDC reported  from those same 31 states, D.C. and New York City.

For 57% of U.S. women who had induced abortions in 2021, it was the first time they had ever had one,  according to the CDC.  For nearly a quarter (24%), it was their second abortion. For 11% of women who had an abortion that year, it was their third, and for 8% it was their fourth or more. These CDC figures include data from 41 states and New York City, but not the rest of New York.

A bar chart showing that most U.S. abortions in 2021 were for women who had previously given birth.

Nearly four-in-ten women who had abortions in 2021 (39%) had no previous live births at the time they had an abortion,  according to the CDC . Almost a quarter (24%) of women who had abortions in 2021 had one previous live birth, 20% had two previous live births, 10% had three, and 7% had four or more previous live births. These CDC figures include data from 41 states and New York City, but not the rest of New York.

The vast majority of abortions occur during the first trimester of a pregnancy. In 2021, 93% of abortions occurred during the first trimester – that is, at or before 13 weeks of gestation,  according to the CDC . An additional 6% occurred between 14 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, and about 1% were performed at 21 weeks or more of gestation. These CDC figures include data from 40 states and New York City, but not the rest of New York.

About 2% of all abortions in the U.S. involve some type of complication for the woman , according to an article in StatPearls, an online health care resource. “Most complications are considered minor such as pain, bleeding, infection and post-anesthesia complications,” according to the article.

The CDC calculates  case-fatality rates for women from induced abortions – that is, how many women die from abortion-related complications, for every 100,000 legal abortions that occur in the U.S .  The rate was lowest during the most recent period examined by the agency (2013 to 2020), when there were 0.45 deaths to women per 100,000 legal induced abortions. The case-fatality rate reported by the CDC was highest during the first period examined by the agency (1973 to 1977), when it was 2.09 deaths to women per 100,000 legal induced abortions. During the five-year periods in between, the figure ranged from 0.52 (from 1993 to 1997) to 0.78 (from 1978 to 1982).

The CDC calculates death rates by five-year and seven-year periods because of year-to-year fluctuation in the numbers and due to the relatively low number of women who die from legal induced abortions.

In 2020, the last year for which the CDC has information , six women in the U.S. died due to complications from induced abortions. Four women died in this way in 2019, two in 2018, and three in 2017. (These deaths all followed legal abortions.) Since 1990, the annual number of deaths among women due to legal induced abortion has ranged from two to 12.

The annual number of reported deaths from induced abortions (legal and illegal) tended to be higher in the 1980s, when it ranged from nine to 16, and from 1972 to 1979, when it ranged from 13 to 63. One driver of the decline was the drop in deaths from illegal abortions. There were 39 deaths from illegal abortions in 1972, the last full year before Roe v. Wade. The total fell to 19 in 1973 and to single digits or zero every year after that. (The number of deaths from legal abortions has also declined since then, though with some slight variation over time.)

The number of deaths from induced abortions was considerably higher in the 1960s than afterward. For instance, there were 119 deaths from induced abortions in  1963  and 99 in  1965 , according to reports by the then-U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, a precursor to the Department of Health and Human Services. The CDC is a division of Health and Human Services.

Note: This is an update of a post originally published May 27, 2022, and first updated June 24, 2022.

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Support for legal abortion is widespread in many countries, especially in Europe

Nearly a year after roe’s demise, americans’ views of abortion access increasingly vary by where they live, by more than two-to-one, americans say medication abortion should be legal in their state, most latinos say democrats care about them and work hard for their vote, far fewer say so of gop, positive views of supreme court decline sharply following abortion ruling, most popular.

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13-year-old girl killed, 12-year-old boy in custody after shooting at Iowa home

The house where police responded to the shooting death of a 13-year-old female on Sunday, April 14, 2024, in Eldora, IA. Police placed a 12-year-old male into custody.

A 13-year-old girl was fatally shot on Sunday afternoon in Iowa and a 12-year-old boy is in custody, officials announced Monday in a news release.

The Eldora Police Department and the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call about a shooting in a home in Eldora around 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to the release from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

The 13-year-old girl was found dead and a 12-year-old boy was taken into custody.

Michael Krapfl, special agent in charge of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, told the Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network, that the two children were friends. Officials have not released any more information about the individuals involved.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was called to assist and the investigation remains ongoing. All information on the case will be forwarded to the Hardin County Attorney’s Office for review of potential charges.

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NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism

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David Folkenflik

essay topics for 12 year olds

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument. Uri Berliner hide caption

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument.

NPR has formally punished Uri Berliner, the senior editor who publicly argued a week ago that the network had "lost America's trust" by approaching news stories with a rigidly progressive mindset.

Berliner's five-day suspension without pay, which began last Friday, has not been previously reported.

Yet the public radio network is grappling in other ways with the fallout from Berliner's essay for the online news site The Free Press . It angered many of his colleagues, led NPR leaders to announce monthly internal reviews of the network's coverage, and gave fresh ammunition to conservative and partisan Republican critics of NPR, including former President Donald Trump.

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo is among those now targeting NPR's new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the network. Among others, those posts include a 2020 tweet that called Trump racist and another that appeared to minimize rioting during social justice protests that year. Maher took the job at NPR last month — her first at a news organization .

In a statement Monday about the messages she had posted, Maher praised the integrity of NPR's journalists and underscored the independence of their reporting.

"In America everyone is entitled to free speech as a private citizen," she said. "What matters is NPR's work and my commitment as its CEO: public service, editorial independence, and the mission to serve all of the American public. NPR is independent, beholden to no party, and without commercial interests."

The network noted that "the CEO is not involved in editorial decisions."

In an interview with me later on Monday, Berliner said the social media posts demonstrated Maher was all but incapable of being the person best poised to direct the organization.

"We're looking for a leader right now who's going to be unifying and bring more people into the tent and have a broader perspective on, sort of, what America is all about," Berliner said. "And this seems to be the opposite of that."

essay topics for 12 year olds

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month. Stephen Voss/Stephen Voss hide caption

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month.

He said that he tried repeatedly to make his concerns over NPR's coverage known to news leaders and to Maher's predecessor as chief executive before publishing his essay.

Berliner has singled out coverage of several issues dominating the 2020s for criticism, including trans rights, the Israel-Hamas war and COVID. Berliner says he sees the same problems at other news organizations, but argues NPR, as a mission-driven institution, has a greater obligation to fairness.

"I love NPR and feel it's a national trust," Berliner says. "We have great journalists here. If they shed their opinions and did the great journalism they're capable of, this would be a much more interesting and fulfilling organization for our listeners."

A "final warning"

The circumstances surrounding the interview were singular.

Berliner provided me with a copy of the formal rebuke to review. NPR did not confirm or comment upon his suspension for this article.

In presenting Berliner's suspension Thursday afternoon, the organization told the editor he had failed to secure its approval for outside work for other news outlets, as is required of NPR journalists. It called the letter a "final warning," saying Berliner would be fired if he violated NPR's policy again. Berliner is a dues-paying member of NPR's newsroom union but says he is not appealing the punishment.

The Free Press is a site that has become a haven for journalists who believe that mainstream media outlets have become too liberal. In addition to his essay, Berliner appeared in an episode of its podcast Honestly with Bari Weiss.

A few hours after the essay appeared online, NPR chief business editor Pallavi Gogoi reminded Berliner of the requirement that he secure approval before appearing in outside press, according to a copy of the note provided by Berliner.

In its formal rebuke, NPR did not cite Berliner's appearance on Chris Cuomo's NewsNation program last Tuesday night, for which NPR gave him the green light. (NPR's chief communications officer told Berliner to focus on his own experience and not share proprietary information.) The NPR letter also did not cite his remarks to The New York Times , which ran its article mid-afternoon Thursday, shortly before the reprimand was sent. Berliner says he did not seek approval before talking with the Times .

NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

Berliner says he did not get permission from NPR to speak with me for this story but that he was not worried about the consequences: "Talking to an NPR journalist and being fired for that would be extraordinary, I think."

Berliner is a member of NPR's business desk, as am I, and he has helped to edit many of my stories. He had no involvement in the preparation of this article and did not see it before it was posted publicly.

In rebuking Berliner, NPR said he had also publicly released proprietary information about audience demographics, which it considers confidential. He said those figures "were essentially marketing material. If they had been really good, they probably would have distributed them and sent them out to the world."

Feelings of anger and betrayal inside the newsroom

His essay and subsequent public remarks stirred deep anger and dismay within NPR. Colleagues contend Berliner cherry-picked examples to fit his arguments and challenge the accuracy of his accounts. They also note he did not seek comment from the journalists involved in the work he cited.

Morning Edition host Michel Martin told me some colleagues at the network share Berliner's concerns that coverage is frequently presented through an ideological or idealistic prism that can alienate listeners.

"The way to address that is through training and mentorship," says Martin, herself a veteran of nearly two decades at the network who has also reported for The Wall Street Journal and ABC News. "It's not by blowing the place up, by trashing your colleagues, in full view of people who don't really care about it anyway."

Several NPR journalists told me they are no longer willing to work with Berliner as they no longer have confidence that he will keep private their internal musings about stories as they work through coverage.

"Newsrooms run on trust," NPR political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben tweeted last week, without mentioning Berliner by name. "If you violate everyone's trust by going to another outlet and sh--ing on your colleagues (while doing a bad job journalistically, for that matter), I don't know how you do your job now."

Berliner rejected that critique, saying nothing in his essay or subsequent remarks betrayed private observations or arguments about coverage.

Other newsrooms are also grappling with questions over news judgment and confidentiality. On Monday, New York Times Executive Editor Joseph Kahn announced to his staff that the newspaper's inquiry into who leaked internal dissent over a planned episode of its podcast The Daily to another news outlet proved inconclusive. The episode was to focus on a December report on the use of sexual assault as part of the Hamas attack on Israel in October. Audio staffers aired doubts over how well the reporting stood up to scrutiny.

"We work together with trust and collegiality everyday on everything we produce, and I have every expectation that this incident will prove to be a singular exception to an important rule," Kahn wrote to Times staffers.

At NPR, some of Berliner's colleagues have weighed in online against his claim that the network has focused on diversifying its workforce without a concomitant commitment to diversity of viewpoint. Recently retired Chief Executive John Lansing has referred to this pursuit of diversity within NPR's workforce as its " North Star ," a moral imperative and chief business strategy.

In his essay, Berliner tagged the strategy as a failure, citing the drop in NPR's broadcast audiences and its struggle to attract more Black and Latino listeners in particular.

"During most of my tenure here, an open-minded, curious culture prevailed. We were nerdy, but not knee-jerk, activist, or scolding," Berliner writes. "In recent years, however, that has changed."

Berliner writes, "For NPR, which purports to consider all things, it's devastating both for its journalism and its business model."

NPR investigative reporter Chiara Eisner wrote in a comment for this story: "Minorities do not all think the same and do not report the same. Good reporters and editors should know that by now. It's embarrassing to me as a reporter at NPR that a senior editor here missed that point in 2024."

Some colleagues drafted a letter to Maher and NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, seeking greater clarity on NPR's standards for its coverage and the behavior of its journalists — clearly pointed at Berliner.

A plan for "healthy discussion"

On Friday, CEO Maher stood up for the network's mission and the journalism, taking issue with Berliner's critique, though never mentioning him by name. Among her chief issues, she said Berliner's essay offered "a criticism of our people on the basis of who we are."

Berliner took great exception to that, saying she had denigrated him. He said that he supported diversifying NPR's workforce to look more like the U.S. population at large. She did not address that in a subsequent private exchange he shared with me for this story. (An NPR spokesperson declined further comment.)

Late Monday afternoon, Chapin announced to the newsroom that Executive Editor Eva Rodriguez would lead monthly meetings to review coverage.

"Among the questions we'll ask of ourselves each month: Did we capture the diversity of this country — racial, ethnic, religious, economic, political geographic, etc — in all of its complexity and in a way that helped listeners and readers recognize themselves and their communities?" Chapin wrote in the memo. "Did we offer coverage that helped them understand — even if just a bit better — those neighbors with whom they share little in common?"

Berliner said he welcomed the announcement but would withhold judgment until those meetings played out.

In a text for this story, Chapin said such sessions had been discussed since Lansing unified the news and programming divisions under her acting leadership last year.

"Now seemed [the] time to deliver if we were going to do it," Chapin said. "Healthy discussion is something we need more of."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

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  1. 50 Essay Topics for Kids

    Ways I'm alike and ways I'm different from my parent/sibling are…. Cats and dogs may be very different, but they're also alike in some respects. My two favorite bands compare and contrast in the following ways. Compare and contrast your two favorite superheroes. My two favorite restaurants are different in many ways.

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    100 Thought-Provoking Argumentative Writing Prompts for Kids and Teens. Practice making well-reasoned arguments using research and facts. Writing a strong argumentative essay teaches students to make a case for their own point of view without relying on emotion or passion. These argumentative essay topics provide options for kids of all ages ...

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    Kids Essay Topics: 35 Writing Prompts to Help Students Practice Essay Writing. Use these kids essay topics with your students this year to help them improve their essay writing skills! Write a research essay about the effects of homework on learning. Write a research essay about the process of recycling. Write a research essay about the history ...

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    What would you name each chapter? #5: What is your earliest memory? Write every detail you can remember about it. #6: If you had the power to change one thing about school, what would you change and why? #7: Describe three goals you have for yourself. #8: Imagine you are creating your dream restaurant.

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    Here are some good essay topics that kids may find easy to write. ~ My Best Friend. ~ My Favorite Sport. ~ My Last Holiday. ~ The Pet that I would Like to Have. ~ What if I had Super Powers. ~ My Mother/Father. ~ Things I Like to do During My Pastime. ~ The Most Special Day of My Life.

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    Informative writing can include how-to process essays, biographical writing, an in-depth analysis of a topic, research papers, or compare-and-contrast essays. Just remember to stick to the facts, and be clear and descriptive. These informative essay topics offer something for all interests and ages. Jump to: How-To Informative Essay Topics

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    You can refer to the following list of 60 simple topics for essay writing for kids. These essay ideas are designed to compel your kids to use their imagination, English writing skills, thought process, and emotions all at once! A Picnic With Friends & Family. Perks of Rainy Season.

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    English essays for students are generally of four types -. Narrative Essays - These types of essays follow the concept of storytelling. As the name suggests, the writer narrates their experience in a narrative essay. There can be a number of fun essay topics in this category where you can explain bizarre incidents happened with you.

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    10. Ice Cream vs. Cake: Kids can compare these two popular desserts, looking at flavors, occasions when they are eaten (like birthdays or hot summer days), and why they might prefer one. 11. Cars vs. Bicycles: Discuss the differences and similarities between these two modes of transportation.

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    Which is better, winter or summer? Write about the reasons why you think winter or summer is better. #4. Write about what would it be like if you had an alligator as a pet. #5. If you had $1,000, what would you buy and why? #6. Write a story using these 5 words: apple, train, elephant, paper, banjo. #7.

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    Writing Topics. Do you want to inspire your students to write great narratives, essays, and reports? Check out these grade-specific writing topics organized by mode (explanatory, creative, and so on). Or search for writing topics that relate to a theme, such as "life" or "animals" or "family.".

  16. Hundreds of Awesome Creative Writing Topics for kids

    58. Challenge the kids to write a scary story. 59. If you are working with younger children, instead of having them write, you can have them draw and answer questions about their drawing. Try some of these topics. 1 Create a monster. Your monster can be silly, scary, funny, big, little, colorful, etc..

  17. 50+ Super Persuasive Writing Topics for Kids

    15 Persuasive Writing Topics for Kids. We should not have a school dress code. Pets should be allowed in school. School break times should be longer. There should be no homework. The school day should be shorter. Children should be able to use cellphones in school. I should get a pocket money raise from my parents.

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    Guttmacher says that in 2020 there were 14.4 abortions in the U.S. per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. Its data shows that the rate of abortions among women has generally been declining in the U.S. since 1981, when it reported there were 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women in that age range.

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