Expository writing prompts about family

Family is a common and dominant theme in literary texts. It is also a great theme to explore with your class and homeschool students. We all have great stories to tell about our families – stories filled with laughter and sometimes, with grief; stories of trials, tribulations and success. Whether you teach preschool, elementary, middle or high school, or college and adult education, you’ll find these expository writing prompts will produce great pieces of writing.

Writing prompts for Pre-K and Kindergarten

1. Describe a fun day out with your family.
2. What is your favorite thing to do together with your family?
3. Tell a funny story about your pet, if you have one.
4. What’s your favorite thing to make or eat at home with your family?

Elementary writing prompts

1. Does your family have any unique or unusual traditions? 
2. You have been tasked with planning your family’s upcoming vacation. Where would you go and what would you do? Why?
3. Describe a fun day out. Where did you go and what did you do?
4. Share your family’s favorite dish! What makes it unique or delicious? 
5. Describe a fun day out with your family that ended with a surprise.
6. Interview a grandparent about their childhood. What was life like then? What did their school look like? What did they do for fun?
7. Write a story that starts with: “We decided not to tell anyone about what that happened but…”
8. Draw your family tree. Get some examples from or use these completely free family free templates.
9. Would you rather be an older sibling or younger sibling. Why?

Writing prompts for Middle and High school

1. Describe a family meal. Focus on the sounds, smells and conversations.
2. Write a story in which you travel back in time and meet your parents when they were your age. Did they know each other? What were they like?
3. Draw a self-portrait and then write 2 expository paragraphs about:
   1. How others see you 
   2. How you see yourself 
4. A day in the life of my mom
5. A day in the life of my dad
6. What is your favorite memory from your childhood?
7. Do you have any famous or unusual or quirky relatives, living or dead? 
8. Think about jobs or chores you do to help out at home. Maybe you like some chores more than others. What are your favorite chores to do at home? Think about why doing your chores are important. If you didn’t do a chore, would it impact someone else? How?
9. Suppose you could invite a famous person, living or dead, to have dinner with your family. Who would you invite and why?
10. You have been given the unique honor of addressing the entire nation and sharing your favorite family ritual with your fellow countrymen. Which ritual will you share. What is its importance or significance?
11. Does your family favorite recipe? Share it with your class
12. Describe mealtimes at your place. Focus on the sounds, smells and people, using descriptive language to make the scene come alive!
13. What makes your family different or unique from other families? What are you most grateful for, when it comes to your family?
14. Describe a challenging time or situation that you were able to overcome with the help of your family.