Congrats! You’re about to celebrate another birthday with your child! Isn’t it such a special and exciting time? No matter how old your child is turning, there is always a reason to celebrate! Birthday writing prompts can easily slide right into the celebration!
In our family, birthdays are a big deal. We have a lot of wonderful traditions – like a present scavenger hunt (shoutout to my friend who gave me that awesome idea!). We always take the day off of school; flexible scheduling is one of our favorite perks of homeschooling!
Even if you take the day off of school like we do, you can incorporate a birthday theme into your child’s writing on the days surrounding their birthday – and in the process, give them not only some writing practice but also create writing that you can save as a reflection of who they are.
One neat idea is to give them the same prompt or prompts every year and collect them in a book that you can compile when they turn 18. You’ll be able to see not only how their writing skills have grown and changed but also how they have grown and changed.
Here is a list of ten writing prompts that you can use on or around their birthday!
Birthday Writing Prompts
What is your dream birthday?
This one is great to give them a week or two before their birthday; then if possible, you can incorporate some elements into their birthday. This might not always be possible – after all, you can’t visit the moon – but it will give you some insights into what would make them feel special and loved on their birthday.
What’s the best thing you did in the last year?
This will get them reflecting on really good experiences that they have had in the last year. If they feel the pressure of choosing just one thing, invite them instead to write about their top three.
What’s the hardest thing that happened in the last year?
This invites them to reflect on what was hard – but that they have hopefully overcome! Sometimes looking back on our past struggles can encourage us that we can survive and do hard things.
What are you looking forward to about being [age]?
This one is especially nice for milestone years. For example, when they are 16, are they looking forward to driving? Regardless, I think there are always things to look forward to for every age, so finding out their dreams can be really neat!
What goals do you have for this next year?
Goal setting can be challenging for kids, but this can help them brainstorm goals. If the word goals is too intimidating, you could substitute this prompt for something like What do you want to do this year? After they have written this, it would be great to look at it together and decide on some next steps to accomplishing those things.
What do you think your [family member] was like at this age?
This is a great question because often, kids can’t imagine their parents ever being kids. You can fill in the blank with mom or dad or even grandma or grandpa or a favorite aunt or uncle. After they’ve written this, have them connect with the family member they wrote about and see what it was actually like.
What do you want to remember from this last year?
You may be looking at this and thinking, how is this different than the best thing that happened? And it’s true; your child may write the same thing for both of these. But things to remember are not always the best things – or the biggest things. This prompt has more nuance to it and may require your child to think a little deeper.
What is one thing you learned this last year?
This is a really great prompt because it could go a couple of different ways. It could be about life lessons they learned. Or it could be about something they learned in their schoolwork.
What are your three favorite things right now?
This one is so much fun to repeat year after year to see how their favorites change. Maybe one year they’re obsessed with Minecraft. Maybe another year it’s jewelry making.
What would a city called Birthdayville be like?
This last prompt is just for fun and imagination, for a child who really adores creative writing or needs some creative writing practice. Have them use their best imagination to come up with an answer.
Adapting Prompts for Younger Kids
Sometimes you come across a really awesome prompt, but you think to yourself, my child is just not ready for that level of writing yet. There are a few ways that you can adapt a prompt to a younger child.
- Ask them to draw a picture of the prompt. After they draw it, ask them to describe it to you and write down what they say.
- Ask them to draw a picture of the prompt and write one sentence. Help them come up with the sentence if they need help.
- Ask them the question verbally and then you write down the answer for them. This is helping them to make the connection that words you speak are also words you write!
Your child’s birthday presents a wonderful time for them to reflect on their lives and who they are, and who they want to be. Use these writing prompts to help them think about it.
