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100 FREE 5th Grade Writing Prompts

Sometimes students need a little push to tap into their creativity and unleash their writing skills. To help 5th Graders to stay at the top of their game, we have compiled 100 writing prompts, covering a range of scenarios. Feel free to try out the ones that resonate most with you. Because, after all, practice is the key to improve your writing skills.

  • Creative Writing Prompts for 5th Grade
  • Persuasive Writing Prompts for 5th Grade
  • Research Writing Prompts for 5th Grade
  • Imaginative Writing Prompts for 5th Grade
  • Science Writing Prompts for 5th Grade
  • Reflecting Writing Prompts for 5th Grade

Creative Writing Prompts for 5th Grade

  • Imagine you can do anything you want for a day. What are you going to do?
  • Imagine you can travel to any place in the world for one month. Write about where would you go and why.
  • Suppose you had the power to change one thing about your school. What would you do and why?
  • Imagine your best friend is in a bit of trouble. What would you do to cheer him up?
  • Imagine a local reporter wants to know about your favorite school event. Which event will you pick and why?
  • Suppose you are asked to create a rule for students for one day. Write to explain what rule you will make and the reasons for picking that rule.
  • Your teacher asks you to take photographs of five things you like at school. Using details, write about the pictures you would take.
  • Imagine one day you wake up and find you are invisible. Write to explain what adventures you will have.
  • Vincent Van Gogh famously declared, “If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” Using details, write about your three most-favorite places in nature.
  • Imagine you have won a $10,000 lottery. Write to explain what you would do with the money.
  • Would you rather have lots of friends or lots of money?
  • Would you rather read or play outdoors with your friends?
  • Imagine you wake up one day and find you can fly. What would you do? Where would you go? Describe the adventures you would have in details.
  • If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?
  • Write a letter to someone in fourth-grade telling him or her about how to succeed in fifth grade.
  • Imagine you wake up one day and find you have turned into an eagle. Describe the adventures you would have.
  • Imagine you are a superhero. You might be able to fly or see through walls or become invisible at a press of a button. Write about your unnatural power and how you will use it.
  • Imagine you woke up one day to find a talking parrot on your window sill that squawks, “I know where a big treasure is buried.” Describe what happens next.
  • Suppose you could meet your favorite sportsperson for a day. Who will you pick and why?
  • Suppose you could meet your favorite role model. Who will you pick and why?
  • Imagine you can go back in time and relive one moment of your life. Which event will you pick and why?
  • Suppose you have the power to correct one mistake that you have made in the past. Using details, describe what you will do.
  • Imagine your friend has a pet that can talk. Write to tell what happened when you met this pet.
  • Imagine a famous celebrity visits your school. Using details, write a story about this event.
  • Imagine one day you were outside when you came across a magical baseball bat that lets you hit home runs at will. Using details, write a story about what happens next.
  • Imagine your friend has a bike that talks. The bike can do many other amazing things as well. You and your friend go for a ride on this bike. Using details, tell about the adventures you two have.
  • One day you saw a big unruly kid bullying a first grader on the school playground. Write about what you did next?
  • If you were principal for a month, what five things would you do?
  • Describe your dream job.
  • Pen a story containing these five words: ostrich, serious, however, camper, and flabbergasted.

Persuasive Writing Prompts for 5th Grade

  • Should fifth grade be part of middle school or elementary school?
  • Should children be allowed to vote?
  • Should fifth graders be allowed to bring smartphones to school?
  • Do children spend a lot of time playing video games?
  • Do children spend a lot of time on social media platforms?
  • Does celebrating kindness week make students kinder?
  • Is the saying “There are no stupid questions” correct?
  • Do American students have it too easy?
  • Do camera drones help make public places safer? Or are they just an excuse to violate our privacy?
  • Is being beautiful more important than being smart?
  • Is being loved more important than being respected? Or is it the other way round?
  • Do people speak truthfully on social media? Share your opinion with examples.
  • Is your ethnicity a key part of your identity? If yes, explain how?
  • Is the fear of failure a constructive thing? Share your opinion with a couple of personal examples.
  • Is it important to give back to the community?
  • Are teenagers spending more time in front of screens than in extracurricular activities?
  • Do students need recess?
  • Should fifth graders be allowed excused mental health days?
  • Is depression on rise among teens?
  • Should students be allowed to pick their teachers?

Research Writing Prompts for 5th Grade

  • Do teenagers who spend more time in extracurricular activities and less time in front of screens have better mental health?
  • How much screen time is too much for teenagers?
  • How does screen time affect the teenage brain?
  • How much time teenagers are spending glued to a screen every day on average?
  • What are the best ways to reduce teen screen time?
  • Which channel has better shows: Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon?
  • Are channels like Discovery and National Geography helpful to teenagers? If yes, how do they help? Explain with examples.
  • Is it important for students to have a role model?
  • Is it better to have multiple small breaks from school throughout the year instead of one long summer break?
  • Has technology made life easier or more complicated? Explain with examples.

Imaginative Writing Prompts for 5th Grade

  • Would you rather be a robot or a zombie?
  • Would you rather be respected or loved?
  • You would be in middle school next year. What four things you are most looking forward to?
  • Would you rather be very smart or very beautiful?
  • If the internet were to go down forever, how would that affect you?
  • Write a scene that features a) magical shoes, b) your best friend, and c) $10 million
  • You get to pick one celebrity, one food item, and one book to a remote island. Which person would you pick? Which book and food item would you choose? Why?
  • What do the three friends you spend time with most have in common?
  • What qualities a person needs to make friends quickly?
  • If you could learn anything about your future,    what would you most like to know?
  • What would it be like to be a student in a foreign country?
  • If you could be the President for a week, what would you do?
  • What is the best thing about getting older?
  • Write a script for a new show on Netflix.
  • Rewrite a classic fairytale of your choice in a way that makes the bad guy a hero.

Science Writing Prompts for 5th Grade

  • Do you think we would ever really find out if there’s another planet like Earth in outer space?
  • Do you think virtual reality games affect our brain in any negative way?
  • Which is more important for sustaining human life — plants or animals?
  • What steps can we take to prevent the melting of glaciers in the Antarctic region?
  • How do Penguins survive extreme cold?
  • Which is the most important part of the human body?
  • If you could give another name to the Earth’s moon, what name would you pick for it and why?
  • Besides the sun and the water, what else can be used by us to harness energy to power our homes?
  • Which is one technology that you wish scientists could make?
  • Do you think smart appliances (like smart fans, bulbs, or cars) can undermine our security?

Reflective Writing Prompts for 5th Grade

  • What makes you unique? Identify three things.
  • Describe what would you like to do when you grow up?
  • Describe what would like to become in the afterlife?
  • If you could jump to any grade, what grade would you pick?
  • Should we fear failure? Share your view in detail and with examples.
  • Write an email to yourself 15 years from now. What would you like to say?
  • How can you tell if a fellow student is feeling anxious, insecure, or depressed?
  • What real-life situations would work out better if you were a more confident person than you really are?
  • How can one learn to not give in to peer pressure?
  • Do social media represent people genuinely? Share your view with examples.
  • What are your two most important learning experiences? Tell about them in detail.
  • How important is what we think about ourselves?
  • How much control you have over your life?
  • Do you believe in the saying: Don’t judge a book by its cover? Give real-life examples to support your viewpoint.
  • Explain why we must recycle as much as we can.

Well, that’s just about it. We hope you liked these writing prompts. But remember these writing prompts are only helpful if you use them. They help you become a better writer only if you practice writing every day.

Want more help? Check out this article. It contains scores of writing prompts to help you dig deeper into your writing practice. We recommend you to use different types of writing prompts, as that will help you become a better all-round writer.