Get your 3rd graders excited about writing this back to school season with these fun and engaging back to school writing prompts for 3rd grade!
These four free back to school writing activities are a great way to build your classroom community, assess your students’ writing skills, and let them show off their imaginations. All while having fun during the first week of school.
SCROLL TO THE END TO SNAG YOUR FREE PRINTABLES!
Free Back to School Writing Prompts for 3rd Grade
Here’s a peek at the four free writing worksheets included:
1. The Missing Lunch
In this writing activity, students are encouraged to write a mystery story about a lunch that goes missing on the first day of school. (Students will be guided with transition words like first, next, and lastly to help organize their story.)
This mystery prompt is a hit with students because it combines the excitement of a new school year with a playful problem to solve!
Your students get to become detectives in their own classroom stories, making this writing activity both imaginative and structured.
2. Space School vs. Underwater School
This is a fun opinion writing prompt!
Would you rather go to a space school on the Moon or an underwater school in the ocean?
We know how much third graders love sharing their opinions, especially when it involves something as adventurous as outer space or deep-sea exploring!
This prompt encourages creative thinking while also teaching students how to back up their opinions with reasons.
3. Art Class Every Day or Gym Class Every Day
This is another fun opinion writing activity! This time, students get to share their opinion on would they rather only have art class every day or gym class every day?
This is a fun and relatable prompt that gets students thinking about their favorite parts of school.
I believe it’s a phenomenal way to help students practice opinion writing skills early in the year, while also learning more about their classmates’ interests.
4. The Most Exciting Recess Ever
This narrative writing prompt lets students dream big!
Perhaps their best recess ever has obstacle courses, zip lines, or even flying swings!
It’s a fantastic way to ease students into longer writing assignments by focusing on a topic they naturally love – recess.
How and When to Use These Writing Prompts?
You can use these prompts during:
The first week of school to help your students ease back into writing.
Back to school morning work or early finisher activities.
Writing workshop introductions when you’re teaching narrative and opinion writing.
Classroom discussions to help your students share and connect with one another.
Bulletin board displays showcasing students’ first writing pieces of the year!
Each prompt gives students a chance to practice different types of writing (narrative, opinion, and free writing) while having fun and getting excited about the year ahead.
Why Your Students Will Love These Writing Prompts?
Here’s why your students will absolutely love these writing activities:
Creative Freedom – They get to dream up mysteries, adventures, and wacky schools!
Easy Structure – Clear starters like first, next, and lastly to help them feel confident as they organize their ideas.
Fun Choices – They’ll love debating whether they prefer a space school or an underwater school — and discovering what their classmates pick, too!
Relatable Topics – From lunch to recess, these prompts feel personal and exciting.
Snag Your Back To School Free Writing Activities
Click on the link below to snag your free back to school writing activities!
Back To School Writing Prompts For 3rd Grade (5 downloads )
Love These Freebies? Grab Even More!
If you and your students enjoyed these prompts, be sure to check out my full set of Back to School 3rd Grade Writing Activities on TpT.
It’s packed with even more narrative, opinion, and free writing prompts designed just for third graders.
And For More Back To School Printables
Check out these blog posts:
- Free back to school coloring printables
- Fun icebreakers for first week back to school
- Interview a friend worksheets
- 70 would you rather writing prompts for kids
Pin These Free 3rd Graders Writing Activities
Head to your back-to-school Pinterest board and save these engaging first week of school writing prompts for your 3rd graders!
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