Here you will find a delightful collection of narrative writing prompts for 5th grade.
Not only do these narrative prompts reduce writer’s block, they motivate students to reflect on personal experiences, develop ideas, and improve writing skills.
Even reluctant fifth grader writers will enjoy sharing about their lives using these high-interest narrative writing prompts.
So add a few of these narrative writing prompts for 5th grade to your writer’s workshop instruction this week.
Narrative Writing Prompts for 5th Grade
The following personal narrative writing prompts for 5th grade work well for various educational purposes.
1. Discuss a moment when someone showed you an act of kindness that you were not expecting.
2. Write about a moment when you received a grade lower than what you had expected.
3. Retell the events from the first day of school. How were you feeling? What activities did your class do? What was most memorable?
4. Write about a time when you were so shy that you could barely speak.
5. Retell the story of a time when you exhibited strong leadership skills.
6. Write about a time when you attended or participated in a parade.
7. Describe your favorite place in the entire world.
8. Write about the most amazing or most dreadful road trip you took with family or friends.
9. Tell the story of how you and your best friend met and became good friends.
10. Write a story about the most amazing summer vacation you ever experienced.
11. Share an exciting memory from visiting a theme park or waterpark.
12. Tell about a time when you felt very calm, relaxed, and peaceful. Who were you with? Where were you? What was going on around you?
13. Write about a time when you helped someone learn how to do something.
14. Describe the best birthday you have ever had.
15. Write about a time when you got into trouble for disrespecting a family member or teacher.
16. Retell the main events of the most special day of your life.
17. Write a story about a time when you got hurt during recess or P.E class.
18. Tell about a memorable first day of school.
19. Write a story about a horrible visit to the dentist or doctor.
20. Share what you like most and least about responding to narrative writing prompts for 5th grade.
21. Tell about a time when you played an innocent joke on a friend or relative.
22. Share an exciting summer memory that involves a water park, the ocean, or a swimming pool.
23. What is one of your biggest fears? Why is it a fear, and what steps can you take to overcome the fear?
24. Share your best talent. How do you share your talent with the world? When you grow up, how can you use your talent to earn money?
25. Recall a time when you made a recipe that turned out horribly.
26. Write about an incredible adventure that you took with your friends or family.
27. Tell about the best holiday gathering you’ve ever experienced.
28. Suppose you invented a time machine. Write a story about the adventures you’d have with it.
29. If you were teacher for the day, what activities would you do with students?
30. How are you different from yourself a year ago?
31. Write about someone who you consider a hero. What qualities and actions make this person a hero?
32. Tell about a time when you stood up for yourself.
33. Write about a time when someone made you feel special.
34. Share an experience helping a younger student do something.
35. Describe what your routine is like on a weekday morning.
36. Write about a memory teaching an adult how to do something.
37. Tell about a time when you received an unexpected apology.
38. Describe a memory barbecuing in the backyard with family.
39. Tell your favorite things to do at the beach.
40. Share an experience building a sand castle.
41. Write a news story about a recent event in your life.
42. Tell about a time when you lost something valuable. What was the outcome?
43. Write about a time when you broke something that didn’t belong to you.
44. Share your strategy for scoring well on narrative writing prompts for 5th graders.
45. Describe your favorite genre of TV shows and movies.
46. Share a memory of feeling alone.
47. Describe an experience meeting a distant relative for the first time.
48. Share a memory attending a wedding.
49. What are your best qualities? Give examples.
50. Retell a memorable Field Day.
51. What are some things most people don’t know about you?
Final Thoughts: Narrative Writing Prompts for 5th Grade
Now you have a ready-supply of narrative writing prompts for 5th grade students to use for various writing activities.
See Common Core English Language Arts (Writing) Standards to understand how to assess these narrative prompts.