Time travel has fascinated people for centuries. It’s one of those things that makes us stop and think, “What if…?” Below, you’ll find a list of time-travel-themed writing prompts to get your students thinking about the possibilities of time travel.
Using This Guide
You could use this guide in your classroom when you read a book about time travel. Here are a few ways to use these prompts:
- Assign these along with required reading in your ELA class.
- Challenge students to use one prompt a night every week for an entire school week.
- Keep these handy for students who finish work early.
The Prompts
- If you could go back in time and meet any musician, who would it be? Why?
- Write a story about someone using time travel to cheat on a test.
- Write a poem about time traveling.
- Write a story where the main character travels back in time to warn their younger self about something.
- If you could go back in time and meet any actor or actress, who would it be? Why?
- What is a historical event that you would like to time travel to? Describe what you would see.
- What is your favorite movie about time traveling? What do you like about it?
- What is your favorite book about time traveling? What do you like about it?
- Write a story about a librarian who time travels via books.
- If you could go back in time and meet any prominent woman from history, who would it be? Why?
- Write a time travel story that involves a dog and its owner.
- Write a story where the main character travels back to the same morning every single day.
- If you could travel back in time to a certain summer memory, what would it be? Describe your day.
- Write a time travel story about superpowers.
- If you could travel back in time to any period of history, which would you choose? Why?
- Write a time trial story about video games.
- If you could go back in time and stop any major historical event, which would you choose? How would you stop it?
- Write a time travel story about school.
- Write a time travel story about your favorite season.
- Write a time travel story about a person who is nervous.
- Do you think time travel really exists? Explain your answer.
- Explain the pros and cons of time travel.
- If you could travel into the future, what do you think it would be like?
- If you could go back in time and try any food, what would you eat? Why?
- If you could go back in time and protect one endangered animal, which would you choose? Why?
- Write a story where the main character goes back in time to meet a relative or ancestor they never got to meet.
- Write a time travel story that takes place in a big city.
- Write a time travel story that takes place in the countryside.
- Can you think of a moment when you should have stood up for someone and didn’t? If you could, would you go back and change it?
- If you went back in time, would you purposely try to find your younger self?
- If you went ahead in time, would you purposely try to find your older self?
- Write about your favorite cartoon that features time travel.
- Do you think the time travel aspect of the Harry Potter series makes sense? Why or why not?
- Which time travel trope do you think is overused? Why?
- If you could travel back in time to see any band or musician live, who would you choose? Why?
- Write a time travel story featuring superheroes.
- Write a time travel story about your favorite holiday.
- If you could travel back in time to meet any artist in history, who would it be? Why?
- Why do you think society is so intrigued by the thought of time travel? Explain.
- Write a story about someone who only thinks they’ve time traveled, but they actually haven’t.
- Write a time travel story about science.
- If you could go back in time and witness any important event in history, which would you choose? Why?
- Write a time travel story that takes place 200 years from now.
- Write a time travel story that takes place 200 years ago.
- Write a time travel story that takes place during the year one of your parents were born.
Looking For More?
Whether you’re looking for writing guides, substitute teacher forms, or something in between, you’ve come to the right place. Our site is home to a number of educational resources to use in the classroom and at home.
