📝 This post, Back-to-School Writing Activities, was originally published in 2015 and has been updated with new information and resources.

Back-to-School Writing

Back-to-school season is one of my favorite times of the year. Every August I welcomed a brand-new group of students into my classroom. I didn’t know much about them yet—I didn’t know what they could do, what they loved, or what kind of writers they would become. But I did know one thing: every single one of them arrived with an incredible imagination.

That’s exactly what I loved tapping into during the first week of school. Everyone gets to school somehow, and when you combine that everyday experience with a child’s imagination, you end up with some of the funniest, most creative writing you’ll read all year!

Why Do  Back-to-School Writing?

📍 Get to know your students
📍 Students get to know one another
📍 Encourage creativity
📍 Assess beginning-of-the-year writing skills
📍 Have an instant back-to-school bulletin board

Silly Back-to-School Writing and Books

What funny, impossible, or imaginative thing happened on the way to school? These imaginative picture books inspire students to dream up hilarious adventures, impossible excuses, and creative ways to get to school—all while building confidence as writers.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to School by Davide Cali

Evil ninjas, a massive ape, mysterious mole people and a giant blob are among the things that kept this boy from being on time to school. Are these the real reasons this boy is late to school or is there some other, more astonishing reason why?

After reading and discussing this imaginative book, students get to choose one wacky idea that kept them from getting to school on time and write about it.  My students always came up with the funniest excuses for being late!

“Because a giant cat took the school bus.”
“Because my dog wouldn’t let go of my shoelaces.”
“Because I was captured by a giant snake.”

💚 Grab the FREE A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to School Writing Activity

---

On My Way to School by Sarah Maizes

Getting ready for school is the perfect time to procrastinate, and Livi knows just how to do it!  She pretends to be an elephant at the watering hole, a leader on an expedition to Mt. Everest, and even a star posing for the paparazzi.  Livi’s imagination takes her on all kinds of wonderful adventures, but will she ever make it to school on time?

After reading the book, students conjure up something that keeps them from getting to school on time, then write about it and, of course, add a picture. Their ideas were always completely different, which made sharing time one of my favorite parts of the activity

💚 Grab the FREE On My Way to School Writing Activity.

---

How Will I Get to School This Year  by Jerry Palolotta

School starts tomorrow. Last year, I got tired of taking the smelly school bus. What if I went to school a different way? How would you go? Would you fly on a bald eagle? Swing with a gorilla? How would you get to school on a different day?

How do your students imagine they would get to school if they could travel anyway they want? After reading the book, students imagine a brand-new way to travel to school this year, then write and illustrate their creative ideas.

💚 Grab the FREE How Will You Get to School This Year Writing Activity

---

Beginning-of-the-year writing doesn’t have to be limited to “What I Did This Summer” or “All About Me.” Books that spark students’ imaginations often lead to the most memorable writing, and they’re a great way to get to know your new class. Whether your students are inventing silly excuses for being late or dreaming up wild ways to get to school, they’re building writing confidence while letting their personalities shine.