Here's a list of our 3rd Grade Story Prompts that will inspire your 3rd grader to pick up a pencil or pen and let the words flow!
Parents and kids, if you can think of a fun prompt that you want to share here, feel free to contact me at our Contact page!
If it's a good fit for this list, we'll include it along with your first name and last name's initial.
Oh, and if you have a story that you wrote based on these crazy prompts, no matter how short or long, I'd love to read it! Maybe we'll post it on this blog!
Finally, for basic Story tips that we use to begin OR add to your rollicking tales, scroll to the bottom and use what works for you.
Okay! Now "knock OUR socks off with your story!" That is, go wild and impress us with a fun hero on a silly and wild adventure. We can't wait to read it!
Royd Hatta
Writing Coach
Fantasy • Story Prompts

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- A magical key opens doors to different worlds every time it is turned.
- A friendly monster lives in a book and helps children fall asleep at night.
- A fairy plays pranks on humans until she learns the importance of kindness.
- Sea creatures have to work together to save a mermaid trapped in a shipwreck.
- A boy finds a talking rock that grants wishes.
- What if you found a secret door in your house that leads to a magical world?
- What if you discovered a portal that takes you to the land of giants?
- What if you found a mysterious potion that can make you invisible?
- What if you had a magic wand that could grant three wishes?
- A group of toys come to life and go on an adventure to find their missing friend.
- What if a group of magical creatures help a prince find his princess?
- What if a cat with wings was a legendary hero that fought evil kings?
- What if you could ride on an enormous pet bird to a magical world? (by Y.H)
Silly Animals • Story Prompts

Image by Freepik
- A gathering of pets have to find the perfect outfit to wear to the fancy animal ball.
- An adventurous rabbit goes on a journey to find the biggest carrot in the world.
- A wise old owl helps a lost baby mouse find its way back home.
- A snowman who wants to be a firefighter.
- A crab that dreams of being a ballerina.
- A horse who learns how to play the guitar.
- A lion who wants to be a vegetarian.
- A penguin who becomes a famous artist.
- A fish who wants to fly.
- A turtle who becomes a ninja.
- A spider who wants to be a fashion designer.
- A koala who wants to be a professional wrestler.
- A butterfly helps a group of flowers find their missing colors.
- A cat becomes a fashion designer and creates trendy outfits for other animals.
- A lion becomes a painter and creates beautiful works of art.
- A caterpillar eats in a magic garden and turns into a magic butterfly.
- A sneaky squirrel steals all the nuts from the other animals in the forest.
- A bear who learns how to ride a bike.
- An elephant who wants to be a singer.
- A snake who wants to be a magician.
- A giraffe becomes a detective and solves a mystery in the savanna.
- A crab learns how to surf and becomes a champion.
- A kangaroo becomes a basketball player and leads his team to victory.
- A worm becomes a scientist and discovers a new species of insect.
- A worm becomes a superhero and saves the day.
- What if a dolphin learns how to play the piano and becomes a famous musician?
- A group of animals have to plan the ultimate surprise party for their best friend.
- A team of birds build the biggest nest to win the annual birdhouse competition.
- A sea creature team must compete in the Ocean Olympics to win the gold medal.
- Animal detectives must solve the mystery of a missing cake from a bake sale.
- Silly insects must form a band at the bug music festival.
- Hamsters build their own amusement park for their friends to enjoy.
- Neighborhood animals create their own superhero team to save their city.
- Furry creature friends plan the best birthday party ever for their friend in the forest.
- A band of animals invent their own toys to sell at the animal toy store.
- Animals plant their own garden to make the best salad for the annual food festival.
Science Fiction • Story Prompts

- A superhero dog saves the day and becomes the town's beloved hero.
- What if you woke up with the power to talk to animals?
- What if you exited a building and found yourself in the time of the dinosaurs?
- What if you were granted the power to time travel?
- What if a robot learns how to play soccer and leads his team to victory?
- What if a group of ants builds a rocket ship to explore outer space?
- A robot must create new gadgets for itself to win the obstacle course championships.
- An alien learns about Earth and makes new friends at an outdoor summer camp.
- Three kids must design and build a cool new vehicle to travel to Mars.
- A robot creates new strange recipes that kids want to eat.
- What if a kid inventor builds a pet robot that can almost do anything!
Adventure • Story Prompts

- A group of kids discover a lost treasure in an old abandoned amusement park.
- Four friends design and build the fastest roller coaster in the world.
- Three friends design and build their own crazy treehouse for their club meetings.
- A brave firefighter saves a cat from a burning building.
- A group of kids build their own pirate ship and go on an adventure to find treasure.
- Kids put on a talent show to raise money for their local animal shelter.
- What if you discovered a hidden world inside your closet?
- What if you found a genie in a bottle?
- What if you found a map that leads to a lost city of gold?
- What if you discovered a talking tree in the forest?
- What if you found a book that can transport you to other worlds?
- What if you discovered a secret lab hidden beneath your school?
- What if a group of penguins go on a mission to find a lost treasure in Antarctica?
- What if a little girl discovers a secret garden filled with talking animals?
Beyond the Box Writing Tips:
- Make us Worry
- Make us Care
- Create a Strong Want for your Hero. What Must they do?
- Focus on your character’s relationships or tension with others.
- Find your flow! “Just get into the Story” and walk in your hero’s shoes.
- Add these BAD TOD elements into your story.
- Backstory
- Action
- Dialogue
- Thoughts
- Observations (Nuggets of Wisdom)
- Description