2nd Grade Writing Prompts: Inspiring Young Minds

Recently updated on December 9th, 2023 at 09:54 am

Sharing is caring!

Igniting a passion for writing in young writers can be a thrilling process. Utilizing fun 2nd grade writing prompts is a great addition to your lesson plans.

Writing and journaling are creative ways to help children talk about their thoughts and reflect on their emotions.

The 2nd grade writing prompts can be used in the classroom or even at home.  Instead of asking your child “how was school?”, you can use the prompts to ask specific questions to know exactly what happened during their day.

The writing prompts will tap into their imagination and get them to think about things they like and dislike.

Also, second grade writing prompts are a great way to encourage young children to learn to write and spell while doing something fun.

We made these writing prompts to be fun, to keep children engaged in the activity.

Related: Check out these 3rd-grade writing prompts

Fun 2nd-grade writing prompts:

  1. Who is your favorite Disney character?
  2. Write about your best friend
  3. What does your dream holiday look like?
  4. If you can be a superhero, what will your superpower be?
  5. What is the best thing about growing up?
  6. What do you like most about your school?
  7. List 3 most amazing things about your family
  8. Which is your favorite holiday season?
  9. If you could get anything for your birthday this year, what would it be?
  10. If you could be a famous person, who would you want to be?
  11. What do you see yourself doing ten years from now?
  12. What do you want to be when you grow up?
  13. What is your favorite subject? Why do you like this subject?
  14. Which subject in school do you not like? Why do you not like it?
  15. If you could spend the weekend building something, what would you build?
  16. What is your favorite poem or thought of the day?
  17. What is your biggest fear?
  18. What is your favorite food?
  19. Write about your favorite color.
  20. Write about a moment you felt very proud of yourself
  21. What do you like most about spending time with friends?
  22. What makes you angry?
  23. Write about your favorite animal.
  24. Which animals are your least favorite? Why do you not like it?
  25. Imagine being the teacher of your class for one day. How would you do things differently?
  26. You woke up with one million dollars one day. What will you do with all that money?
  27. If you can solve one world problem, what would it be?
  28. If animals can talk, what will they say?
  29. Would you rather spend the weekend in the mountains or on the beach?
  30. Do you think the world is ending? Why do you think so?
  31. What is your favorite board game?
  32. Would you rather play video games or play outside with friends?
  33. What would you do if you found a secret passage in your home?
  34. If you could have any wild animal as a pet, what would it be?
  35. Write a short story about visiting a new planet in the solar system.
  36. What’s your favorite song and why?
  37. Describe your daily routine using vivid detail.
  38. How would you design your dream swimming pool?
  39. Create a list of things you’d buy in different grocery stores.
  40. What would you do if you could be a movie star for a day?
  41. Write a letter to your favorite dinosaur as if it were alive today.
  42. Describe a birthday party that you’ll remember for a long time.
  43. What’s the best way to spend a rainy day?
  44. What would you do if you were the principal of your school for a day?
  45. If you could invent a new game, what would it be?
  46. What’s the most amazing thing about being a second-grade student?
  47. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
  48. Write a persuasive writing piece about why homework should be fun.
  49. What would you do if you found a treasure chest?
  50. If you were a king or queen, what would be your first rule?
  51. Describe your favorite meal using descriptive words.
  52. What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

Growth Mindset Questions For Kids : 

Funny 2nd Grade Writing Prompts

  1. Write about a day when all your food started talking to you.
  2. What would happen if you could switch places with your pet for a day?
  3. Imagine your shoes had a mind of their own and could take you anywhere.
  4. Write about a classroom where the desks and chairs play pranks on the students.
  5. What if your pencils were magical and did your homework for you?
  6. Describe a day when your clothes decided what you would do and where you would go.
  7. Write a story about a cat who thinks it’s a super bowl champion.
  8. What if you had a robot that only told silly jokes?
  9. Imagine you could shrink down and explore your garden like a jungle. What funny things would you encounter?
  10. What would happen if you found a genie that was terrible at granting wishes?
  11. Write about an alien who came to Earth just to taste pizza.
  12. Imagine having a conversation with a piece of furniture. What would it say?
  13. What if the characters from your favorite video game came to life in your living room?
  14. Describe a world where every time you laugh, something strange happens.
  15. Write about a family vacation on a planet where everything is upside down.
  16. What if your favorite book characters had a debate? What would they argue about?
  17. Imagine being a superhero with the power to turn anything into spaghetti.
  18. Write about a day when all the adults had to follow the children’s rules.
  19. What would a conversation between your toothbrush and toothpaste sound like?
  20. Imagine if every time you sneezed, you changed into a different wild animal. What adventures would you have?

Creative 2nd grade writing prompts:

  1. Which exercise do you enjoy doing the most?
  2. Do you believe in miracles?
  3. Write about a moment you felt shy or embarrassed.
  4. When was the last time you did something and could be so proud of yourself?
  5. Do you think Santa is real?
  6. Write about a person you admire the most.
  7. Write about the funniest thing that happened this week.
  8. What do you plan to do this weekend?
  9. Describe yourself to your friends.
  10. Write three things that make you special.
  11. What is your biggest talent?
  12. If you could rename a holiday, what would you rename it?
  13. If you could spend the day with someone famous, who would you spend it with?
  14. If you were to live on an island for one year with just another person, who would you choose to come with you?
  15. What is the most important invention so far?
  16. Write about your favorite book.
  17. What is your favorite movie?
  18. If you could play any musical instrument, what would it be?
  19. If you could do anything without being judged, what would you do?
  20. What is the most important advice your parents tell you?
  21. If you can be the leader of your country, how will you do things differently?

Trivia For KidsMore fun second-grade writing prompts:

  1. What is the biggest news right now?
  2. What is your favorite bedtime story?
  3. What do you like most about being in second grade?
  4. Is it essential to go to school? Why?
  5. Imagine all the animals running from the zoo. What do you think would happen next?
  6. What is your favorite game to play at the playground?
  7. Which is your favorite sport?
  8. What can you do to make the world a better place?
  9. Do you think the world is a peaceful place?
  10. Write about your best birthday celebration.
  11. Write about your favorite family holiday.
  12. Write about the fantastic things fish can do.
  13. Why do you think it is essential to be kind to another person?
  14. Did you do anything kind this week?
  15. Why is it important to exercise?
  16. Why do you think people should not eat junk food?
  17. Have you ever felt scared and alone? What happened?
  18. Why do you think it is important to stand up for your friends?
  19. Imagine a new boy/girl starting school. What can you do to make him/her feel welcome?
  20. What subject would you teach if you could be a teacher for one day?
  21. Write about your favorite room in your house.
  22. If you could spend the weekend baking, what would you bake?
  23. You developed the ability to fly. Where would you go?
  24. You can spy on someone for one day by being invisible. Who would you spy?
  25. You are a detective solving a big mysterious case. What is the case about?
  26. You met spiderman and superman fighting. What did you do next?
  27. You find yourself alone in school. What happens next?
  28. Do you think school should give a longer recess time?
  29. What is your favorite day of the week?
  30. What is the best thing about waking up in the morning?
  31. Do you prefer spending the day at home or going to school?
  32. What do you like most about the summer holiday?
  33. What is your favorite month of the year?
  34. What do you like most about Christmas?
  35. Do you have any new year’s resolutions?
  36. You found a hidden treasure in your back garden. What did you do next?
  37. Write a thank you letter to someone you care about.
  38. Write a note to your parents that would make them smile
  39. What is your morning routine like?
  40. How did your parents meet?
  41. What do you admire most about your parents?
  42. Would you rather have more hours during the day or more days in a week?

Check out these creative writing prompts for kids

Imaginative 2nd-grade writing prompts:

  1. You developed the 3rd limb. What can you do with it?
  2. You discovered a magic wand that can make dreams come true. What is your first wish?
  3. You are given a chance to gain one new skill magically. What skill do you want to have?
  4. You got stuck in a museum all alone. What happens next?
  5. You woke up being the only person on the planet. What did you do next?
  6. Animals started talking to you. What are they saying?
  7. You found a medicine that would cure all the problems in the world. How did you discover this medicine?
  8. You are given the one-in-a-million chance to go to space. Which planet would you want to visit?
  9. Once upon a time, you became a hero that saved millions of lives. What did you do? Describe the kind of prince you became.
  10. If you could live inside any book, which one would you choose?
  11. What would you do if you discovered a hidden world behind your wardrobe?
  12. Write about a day when everything turned into candy.
  13. If you could be any fictional character for a day, who would you be?
  14. Describe a world where everyone has a personal robot.
  15. Imagine if you could speak a foreign language instantly. Which one would you choose?
  16. What would a day be like on a cloud?
  17. If you could time travel, where and when would you go?
  18. Create a new animal by combining two existing ones. Describe it.
  19. Imagine if your favorite toy came to life. What would you do together?
  20. What would you do if you were a wizard or a witch?
  21. Describe a magical garden that only you can enter.
  22. What would school be like if your teachers were all aliens?
  23. Imagine you have a map to a hidden treasure. Describe the journey.
  24. If you were a superhero, what would be your mission?
  25. Describe a dream where you flew on a giant butterfly.
  26. What would you do if you had a magic paintbrush?
  27. Write a story about a day when all the adults turned into children.
  28. Imagine if you could breathe underwater. Describe your underwater adventures.
  29. What would you do if you could control the weather?

Finally, before you go don’t forget to check this out

Awesome Journal Cover

Narrative Writing Prompts for 2nd Grade

Narrative writing prompts are an excellent way for your child to become an accomplished writer. They can be used for all kinds of different skills, including:

  1. What is the most important thing you learned this week?
  2. What will your teacher say when they return from vacation?
  3. What was your favorite part of school today?
  4. What was your most minor favorite part of school today?
  5. What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
  6. The dog is barking, but the boy doesn’t know why. He looks out the window and sees a snake slithering across the grass. The dog starts barking again, and now he’s worried that something terrible will happen. What happens next?
  7. The boy rushes outside and sees that it’s just a tiny snake—but he still doesn’t want to go back in! What does the boy do?
  8. “It’s okay,” his mother says. “You can come back inside.” It took some time, but he finally calmed down and went back inside with his family. What would you do if you were in place of the boy?
  9. One day, a group of children was playing outside, and something strange happened. What do you think happened?

Journal Writing Prompts for 2nd Grade.

  1. Dear Diary, today I learned about the Great Depression. It was hard for people to find jobs because there were no more factories. I think that’s a good lesson for us to remember. I also learned how people were out of work because they didn’t have money or food. I think it’s a good lesson for us to remember as well—there are some things in life that we have to work hard for, like money and food. What did you learn?
  2. What do you want to be when you grow up?
  3. Do you like sports? Write about your favorite sport and why you like it.
  4. Do you have any pets? If so, what kind of pet is it?
  5. What is your favorite thing to do after school?
  6. What is your favorite food?
  7. How many siblings do you have? Write what you like most about your siblings.
  8. Who is your best friend? Why do they make a great friend for you?
  9. What is the best part about being in 2nd Grade at [school name] Middle School?
  10. Are there any things at school that bother you or make you sad sometimes?
  11. Write a story about how your family got together.
  12. Write a story about a time when you were sad or mad and how you dealt with it.
  13. Write a story about a time when you were wronged by someone else and how they felt after the fact.
  14. Write a story about something you did good or something that made you feel good.
  15. Write a story about something terrible that happened to someone else and how they felt about it afterward.

Short Writing Prompts for 2nd Graders.

These short Writing prompts for 2nd graders are great if you want to add some variety to your classroom. 

They’re perfect for writing about what you love, what makes your school special, or just about the weather! 

  1. Write about a topic that interests you (or one that would be interesting to someone else). For example: “I like math because it helps me solve problems.” Or: “I love hanging out with my friends at recess because we go everywhere together.”
  2.  Write about a family who goes on a picnic. The weather is terrible, but they decide to go anyway. They pack up their picnic basket and get ready to leave, but the rain starts coming down really hard, and they realize it’s too dangerous to go out. So they stay home and have a good time! 
  3. Write about a boy who finds an old toy truck in the woods. He brings it home, but then he gets bored because he doesn’t know how to drive it or play with it anymore. He tries to fix it up so he can still use it, but no matter what he does, all of his attempts end up breaking the toy truck again! 
  4. Write about a boy who gets lost in an old abandoned building at night while trying to find his way home from school. He desperately searches for help, but no one hears him or comes anywhere near him until morning when everyone else has already left for school!
  5. What is your favorite memory of your parents?
  6. Write a story about making new friends at a new school.
  7. Write about the experience of making new friends at a new school.
  8. Please describe how you felt when you first met these new people and how they made you think.
  9. What was it like to start attending this new school? What was different from your old one?
  10. What do you want to be when you grow up and why?
  11. Write a story about being stuck in an elevator.
  12. Write about a time you lost something significant to you.
  13. What happened? Write about something that happened to you or someone else and their loss.
  14. Did the situation affect your life in any way? If so, how so? What did this person do after they lost their item or event/experience/etc.? How did it affect them, and how did they recover from it (or not)?
  15. Write about future events that might happen based on current situations in the real world (like natural disasters).
  16. Write about a time someone surprised you.
  17. Do you prefer summer or winter? Why or why not?
  18. Describe what would happen if dogs ruled the world.

Inspiring Writing Prompts

These prompts can inspire 2nd graders to write about topics they are interested in and also help them write about things they have experienced and read. Have a look at some inspiring 2nd grade writing prompts.

  1. The world is full of different kinds of people. Some are kind, some are mean, and some are just weird. But the best part about being a kid is that you can do whatever you want. You can be whatever kind of person you want, even if that means being weird! What kind of person do you want to be when you grow up?
  2. If someone were to ask me what my favorite food is, I would say pizza. The smell in the oven makes me hungry all day long. We have a pizza place near our house that makes the best pizza I’ve ever had. It’s not because they have the best ingredients or anything—it’s just because their dough is so good that it doesn’t need anything else! What’s your favorite food?
  3. When visiting my grandma at her house, she made us some homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert. They tasted so good that we ate every single one! And then my grandma told us to clean up our mess before dinner started cooking downstairs—which would take about an hour and fifteen minutes or so because she had lots of other things to do first (like getting ready for work). Can you relate to this?
  4. The snowman is lonely. What do you think would make him feel better?
  5. A group of kids is playing football, but one kid is missing. Where does he go?
  6. My favorite part of the day is when I go to school; it’s where I go every day and learn lots of new things. I like going to school because we have lots of fun things to do and know, and we can make friends with other kids. What’s your favorite part of the day?
  7. I like playing outside at recess, mostly because I can tell my friends about what we did or learned in class that day. Do you like playing outside?
  8. My parents always say, ‘work hard and play hard,’ meaning that if you work hard in school, you will be able to play harder later on in life! Do you agree?
  9. I like eating breakfast because it makes me feel complete for the whole day, plus it helps me get ready for school so that when I get there, my stomach is full of energy, prepared for whatever else might be thrown at us all day from teachers or friends around us here at our school! Do you like eating breakfast?
  10. When it comes down to writing stories, one thing that always comes into my mind is how fun it must be for authors when they are creating their own worlds! They can imagine anything they want and make it all out without limits! Do you think the same?

2nd Grade Fiction Writing

  1. Write a short story about a young explorer discovering a secret island with pirate ship ruins.
  2. Imagine you are a detective solving a mystery at your school. What’s the case about?
  3. Create a short story where you find a magical ring that grants wishes.
  4. If you could travel to a fairy tale world, which story would you enter?
  5. Write about an adventure in a forest where the animals can talk.
  6. Imagine discovering a hidden civilization under the sea. What is it like?
  7. What would a day be like if you were a president of a new country?
  8. Write about a journey to the center of the Earth and the surprises you encounter.
  9. Create a short story about a space race to a new planet in another galaxy.
  10. How would you feel if you woke up in a world filled with dinosaurs?
  11. Write about a magical school where you learn extraordinary skills.
  12. Imagine being a time traveler’s apprentice. Where would you go, and what would you learn?
  13. What would happen if your drawings could come to life?
  14. Write about an encounter with a friendly dragon in a magical kingdom.
  15. Describe an adventure with a best friend in a land of giants.
  16. Create a short story about a world where children rule the country.
  17. Imagine if your pet could suddenly speak. What would it say?
  18. Write about a young inventor creating the most amazing machine ever.
  19. Describe a world where plants have emotions and can communicate.
  20. What would happen if you found a map leading to a hidden world inside your local library?

What if questions for 2nd Graders

  1. What if you were a superhero?
  2. What if you could go back in time?
  3. What if you were invisible?
  4. What if your superpowers were more potent than anyone else’s on Earth today? 
  5. What if you could meet one author? Which author would it be and why? Explain.
  6. What if you woke up and realized you could fly? Where would you go?
  7. What if you could talk to animals? What questions would you ask them?
  8. What if the ocean turned into jelly? How would you swim in it?
  9. What if you could grow or shrink to any size at will? What adventures would you have?
  10. What if you found a door in your room leading to another world? What’s on the other side?
  11. What if you had the ability to make things come to life by drawing them?
  12. What if there were no rules for a whole day at school? What would happen?
  13. What if you could see into the future? What would you want to know?
  14. What if every time you laughed, you changed colors? What color would you be most often?
  15. What if you were in charge of designing a new planet? What would it look like?
  16. What if trees could talk? What would they tell you about the world?
  17. What if you could invent a new holiday? What would it celebrate?
  18. What if you could travel back in time to meet any historical figure? Who would it be?
  19. What if you were the author of your favorite book? How would the story change?
  20. What if you could only eat your favorite food for a whole month? Would you still like it?
  21. What if you could turn invisible for a day? What would you do?
  22. What if your toys came to life every night? What would they do?
  23. What if you could breathe underwater? Where would you explore?
  24. What if you discovered a new wild animal? What would it look like, and what would you name it?
  25. What if you were a king or queen for a day? What laws would you enact?

These prompts encourage 2nd grade students to explore a variety of genres and themes. By engaging with these prompts, students can develop their writing skills, critical thinking abilities, and creativity.

Teachers can utilize these prompts on an interactive whiteboard for an even more engaging experience, providing specific details, sentence starters, and supportive environments for the most reluctant writer.

Whether it’s daily writing prompts, descriptive writing prompts, or just having writing fun, these questions can be an effective way to spark creativity in young learners.

Was this helpful?

Good job! Please give your positive feedback

How could we improve this post? Please Help us.

Parven founded Kids N Clicks after obtaining her MSc in Corporate Governance from the London School of Economics. She worked as a business studies and digital marketing lecturer. Internet Matters recognizes her profound knowledge of online safety, dubbing her an Internet safety expert. At Kids N Clicks, Parven keeps abreast of the newest apps. Drawing from her teaching background, she fervently promotes screen-free activities for students and encourages introspective thinking through journaling, games and writing prompts.

Leave a Comment