Motivate students to share interesting family experiences using these fun family writing prompts.
These family writing prompts eliminate writer’s block and encourage even the most reluctant students to write with excitement.
What’s more, students will sharpen their writing skills, freely express their thoughts, and even stretch their critical thinking skills.
So pencil into your writer’s workshop lesson plans this week a few of these family writing prompts for students.
Family Writing Prompts
Here you will find an assortment of family writing prompts for all ages.
1. What is your favorite thing to do with your family and why?
2. Which holidays do you celebrate with your family, and how do you celebrate them?
3. Share a memory going to the movie theater with your family.
4. Describe your favorite family trip or vacation. Write about where your family traveled, the sights you visited, and the things you did during the trip.
5. Are you an older sibling, younger sibling, middle child, or only child? Describe the advantages and disadvantages of your position on the family tree.
6. Describe the one thing that you like most about each member of your family. You may also include pets as family members.
7. Does your family practice any unique family traditions? If so, write about the traditions and what they mean to you. If your family does not practice any traditions, create a new one, and write about it.
8. Do you have a favorite grandparent? If so, what do you love about your grandparent?
9. Who is your favorite relative outside of your immediate family? What do you like most about him or her?
10. Write as much as you know about your ancestors. If possible, describe where they are from, when they came to the country and any cultural traditions that they have passed down.
11. What does the word “family” mean to you? Describe in detail.
12. Write about a time when your family enjoyed a special meal. What did you eat, where were you, and how did you feel?
13. When was the last time you went on a long car ride with your family? Describe the trip.
14. Think of a close family member who has passed away. Describe how you felt losing your family member and how other members of your family dealt with the loss.
15. Imagine that you could travel back in time and spend a day with any family member or ancestor. Who would you visit, and how would you spend the day?
16. How does your family spend dinner time? Do you sit and eat as a family? What rules does your family have for the dinner table?
17. Who is your most eccentric or unusual relative? What things make this person unusual?
18. Which relative are you most excited to see when they visit? Why do you look forward to seeing this relative?
19. Are any of your relatives, alive or dead, famous? Write about this relative.
20. Do you know the story of how your parents met? If so, write about how they met. If not, create a story imagining how they met.
21. What chores do you need to complete around the house to help your family?
22. Do you have a relative with whom you do not like spending time? Describe the reasons why you dislike spending time with this relative followed by at least one thing you like about them.
23. Imagine that you could invite a historical figure to your family dinner? Who would you invite and why? What would you talk about during dinner?
24. Do you plan on having a family of your own when you grow up? Why or why not?
25. What does family mean to you? Does someone need to be part of your household to be considered family? Why or why not?
26. Imagine that you find out that you have a long-lost sibling. How would you feel finding out that you have a brother or sister that you never met?
27. What is the furthest you have traveled to see a family member? Where did you go, and who did you see?
28. Do you behave differently with your family at home compared to with your friends at school? Why do you think you act differently with different people?
29. What was the best gift that you ever received from a family member? Share what made the gift so special.
30. Imagine that you traveled back in time to when your dad or mom was the same age as you are now. Do you think that you would be friends with your dad or mom at your age? Why or why not?
31. What is the biggest challenge that your family has dealt with? How did it affect each member of your family?
32. Describe your family to someone that has never met them. Think about what makes your family different, unique, or normal.
33. Are you embarrassed when your parents talk to you in front of others? Why or why not?
34. If you could only save one memory from your childhood, what memory would you save?
35. You wake up having switched bodies with your mother or father. Write a short story describing how the rest of your day unfolds.
36. Do you remember any interesting stories told by a grandparent? If so, try to write the story in as much detail as you can remember. If not, create an interesting story with one of your grandparents as the main character.
37. How does responding to family writing prompts improve your writing skills?
38. Are you more like your mom or dad? Explain the features that you share with each such as facial features or personality traits.
39. Research your genealogy and trace your family tree back as far as you can. Write a short story about a day in the life of one of your oldest ancestors.
40. Write two or three family writing prompts that you think your teacher might like.
41. Share a holiday memory about a family member.
42. Explain the purpose of a family tree.
43. Tell about a time when you felt let down by a family member.
44. Share a nice memory you have doing something special with an elderly person in your family.
45. Describe the perfect family vacation.
46. Explain the different roles of people in your family.
47. To me, a family is…
48. State the benefits of having a close-knit family.
49. Describe family night or game night at your house.
50. In your opinion, who is the most important member of your family? Explain.
51. Convince your family to watch your favorite movie.
52. Are friends just as important as family? Why or why not?
53. Compose a poem about your family.
Final Thoughts: Family Writing Prompts
Now you have a varied collection of writing prompts about family to use with students for various writing activities.
Download family writing prompts lined paper.