Here are 28 Christmas writing prompts for kids, teens and adults: cosy memories, funny stories, festive letters and a set of Christmas ghost stories. That last group has history on its side, because Dickens's A Christmas Carol was first sold as a ghost story of Christmas.
December is a gift for anyone teaching writing, because every child has something to say about it. The problem is that 'what I want for Christmas' prompts produce shopping lists. These go further: the smell of the house on Christmas morning, the elf who quits, the ghost who visits a grumpy neighbour. I've grouped them by mood so you can pick cosy, silly or spooky, and there are letter prompts for writers who like a real reader.
Christmas used to be ghost-story season
Dickens's A Christmas Carol was published on 19 December 1843 under the full title A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, and the first edition sold out by Christmas Eve. Telling ghost stories on dark winter nights was a festive tradition, which makes a spooky Christmas prompt less strange than it sounds. It also suits the season: the Met Office says astronomical winter begins at the winter solstice, around 21 December, the shortest day of the year.
| Mood | Best for | Group below |
|---|---|---|
| Cosy and nostalgic | All ages, family writing | Christmas memory prompts |
| Silly and imaginative | Younger kids, warm-ups | Funny Christmas story prompts |
| Letters and lists | Writers who like a real audience | Festive letter prompts |
| Spooky, in the Dickens tradition | Older kids, teens and adults | Christmas ghost story prompts |
Christmas memory prompts
Ask for one moment rather than the whole day. The smaller the memory, the better the writing.
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Describe Christmas morning in your house using all five senses.
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Write about a Christmas decoration that has a story behind it.
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Tell about the best present you ever gave someone, and how they reacted.
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Write about a Christmas when something went wrong, and how it turned into a good memory.
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Describe a family tradition that only your family does.
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Write about the first Christmas you can remember. What stands out?
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Describe the sound of your house on Christmas Eve night.
Funny Christmas story prompts
These are for younger writers and anyone who needs a laugh in December.
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One of Santa's elves quits the week before Christmas. Write their resignation speech.
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The reindeer go on strike. What do they want, and how does Santa win them back?
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Your snowman comes to life and refuses to melt. Where does it go?
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Write the story of a Christmas tree that is scared of heights.
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A gingerbread person escapes from your kitchen. Write the chase.
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Santa gets stuck in your chimney. Write what happens, minute by minute.
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Write a shopping list for the Grinch after he changes his ways.
Festive letter prompts
Letters give children a reader to write for, which makes them more careful. Post the kind ones for real.
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Write a letter to Santa that asks for nothing for yourself.
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Write a thank-you letter for a present you didn't like, and make it kind.
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Write a letter from Santa to a child who has had a tough year.
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Write a letter to yourself to open next Christmas, saying what you hope will happen.
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Write to a neighbour who might be alone this December, inviting them round.
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Write a letter from a reindeer to Santa explaining why they deserve to lead the sleigh.
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Write a note to whoever cooks Christmas dinner in your home, telling them what you notice they do.
Christmas ghost story prompts
In the spirit of A Christmas Carol, these mix the festive with the eerie. Keep the ending hopeful if you want to honour Dickens.
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A ghost visits the grumpiest person on your street on Christmas Eve. What does it show them?
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An old Christmas card arrives, signed by someone who died long ago.
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Every Christmas Eve, a light appears in the window of the empty house across the road.
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A carol singer at your door sings a song nobody alive should know.
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The family photo on the mantelpiece shows one extra person who isn't in any other photo.
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Write a modern Christmas Carol where the three ghosts visit a teenager glued to their phone.
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On the shortest day of the year, the snow outside your window falls upwards.
Matching the prompt to the writer
Under-sevens do best with the funny prompts and a drawing to go with them; they'll happily write three lines about a snowman on the run. Eight to eleven-year-olds love the letters, because there's a real person on the other end. Teenagers tend to roll their eyes at cosy memories but won't say no to a ghost story, and adults often surprise themselves with the memory prompts. Don't be afraid to let a child pick their own group; choice is half the motivation.
How to get better Christmas writing
- Ban the shopping list. Ask for one moment, one person or one object instead.
- Use the letters for real. A child writing to an actual neighbour writes with far more care.
- Read a short extract of A Christmas Carol aloud before the ghost prompts, so writers hear the voice.
- Give funny prompts a time limit. Ten minutes of silliness often beats an hour of trying too hard.
- Keep a family Christmas journal and write one page together each year.
If you're getting the house ready too, my room-by-room Christmas decorating ideas are a good place to start, and my Christmas Eve box ideas make a lovely home for a finished story or letter.
My verdict on December writing
Mix one cosy prompt with one silly one for younger children, and let older writers try a ghost story, which is the most fun to read aloud on a dark December afternoon. Writing that's shared at the table or posted through a neighbour's door is writing children remember, so give at least one piece a real audience.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good Christmas writing prompt for kids?
Funny prompts work well, such as an elf who quits, reindeer on strike or a snowman who refuses to melt. Memory prompts about Christmas morning are good too.
Why are there Christmas ghost stories?
Telling ghost stories on winter nights was a festive tradition. Dickens's A Christmas Carol, published on 19 December 1843, was subtitled Being a Ghost Story of Christmas.
How do I stop Christmas writing turning into a wish list?
Ask for one moment, one person or one object, or set a letter prompt that asks for nothing for the writer.
When does winter start?
The Met Office says meteorological winter starts on 1 December, while astronomical winter begins at the winter solstice, around 21 December.
Can adults use Christmas writing prompts?
Yes. The ghost story and memory prompts suit adults, and a letter to yourself to open next Christmas is a lovely reflective exercise.
