Sequence Writing Prompts

60 prompts that ask a young writer to tell steps or events in order.

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NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comWrite your answer in each box.First, Next, Then, LastHow do you give a dog a bath? Tell the steps in order.
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Next step Put the steps on a blank timeline

All 60 prompts

How to do it 16

  • How do you call a grandparent on the phone? Tell the steps in order.
  • How do you catch a ball? Tell the steps in order.
  • How do you clean up a messy room? Tell the steps in order.
  • How do you fill a bird feeder? Tell the steps in order.
  • How do you fold a T-shirt? Tell the steps in order.
  • How do you give a dog a bath? Tell the steps in order.
  • How do you go down a slide at the playground? Tell the steps in order.
  • How do you line up for lunch at school? Tell the steps in order.
  • How do you look up a word in a dictionary? Tell the steps in order.
  • How do you pack a suitcase for a trip? Tell the steps in order.
  • How do you pay for something at a store? Tell the steps in order.
  • How do you pour a glass of juice without spilling? Tell the steps in order.
  • How do you put on socks and shoes? Tell the steps in order.
  • How do you put the groceries away? Tell the steps in order.
  • How do you rake leaves into a pile? Tell the steps in order.
  • How do you wash the dishes after dinner? Tell the steps in order.

How to make it 16

  • How do you build a pillow fort? Tell what you need, then the steps.
  • How do you build a snow fort? Tell what you need, then the steps.
  • How do you make a bead necklace? Tell what you need, then the steps.
  • How do you make a bookmark? Tell what you need, then the steps.
  • How do you make a fruit salad? Tell what you need, then the steps.
  • How do you make a leaf rubbing? Tell what you need, then the steps.
  • How do you make a mud pie? Tell what you need, then the steps.
  • How do you make a paper chain? Tell what you need, then the steps.
  • How do you make a paper snowflake? Tell what you need, then the steps.
  • How do you make a pizza with toppings? Tell what you need, then the steps.
  • How do you make a sock puppet? Tell what you need, then the steps.
  • How do you make a taco? Tell what you need, then the steps.
  • How do you make an ice pop from juice? Tell what you need, then the steps.
  • How do you make lemonade? Tell what you need, then the steps.
  • How do you make toast with jam? Tell what you need, then the steps.
  • How do you make trail mix? Tell what you need, then the steps.

How to play it 13

  • How do you play charades? Tell how it starts, goes on and ends.
  • How do you play checkers? Tell how it starts, goes on and ends.
  • How do you play duck, duck, goose? Tell how it starts, goes on and ends.
  • How do you play four square? Tell how it starts, goes on and ends.
  • How do you play go fish? Tell how it starts, goes on and ends.
  • How do you play hopscotch? Tell how it starts, goes on and ends.
  • How do you play hot potato? Tell how it starts, goes on and ends.
  • How do you play leapfrog? Tell how it starts, goes on and ends.
  • How do you play musical chairs? Tell how it starts, goes on and ends.
  • How do you play red light, green light? Tell how it starts, goes on and ends.
  • How do you play rock, paper, scissors? Tell how it starts, goes on and ends.
  • How do you play Simon says? Tell how it starts, goes on and ends.
  • How do you play tic-tac-toe? Tell how it starts, goes on and ends.

What happened, start to finish 15

  • Retell a book you know, from the first page to the ending.
  • Tell about a day at a beach or a pool, from arriving to going home.
  • Tell about a field trip, from getting on the bus to coming back.
  • Tell about a game your team played, from the start to the final score.
  • Tell about a holiday morning at home, from waking up to lunch.
  • Tell about a morning you ran late, from waking up to walking in.
  • Tell about a night away from home, from packing to waking up there.
  • Tell about a rainy day indoors, from the first drops to the sun coming out.
  • Tell about a visit to a zoo or a farm, from the gate to the ride home.
  • Tell about cooking with a grown-up, from the first step to the first bite.
  • Tell about getting a haircut, from sitting down to seeing the mirror.
  • Tell about learning something hard, from the first try to the day you could.
  • Tell about the day you lost a tooth, from the first wiggle to bedtime.
  • Tell about your first day of school this year, from the door to the last bell.
  • Tell what you did last weekend, from waking up to bedtime.

How it works

Each of these sequence writing prompts prints above a page of ruled lines, under the four order words First, Next, Then, Last. They come in four sets, and each set asks for a different kind of order.

Read the full guide

Four kinds of order

How to do it asks for the steps of an everyday job, such as giving a dog a bath. How to make it asks for what you need, then the steps. How to play it asks how a game starts, goes on and ends. What happened gives a true story its start and its end: a lost tooth, from the first wiggle to bedtime.

A box for each step

Type First, Next, Then and Last in the box for your own prompts, one word per line. The page becomes four boxes of ruled lines, one for each step. Say the prompt aloud or write it on the board.

  • Have writers tell the steps to a partner before writing. A step that was skipped shows up when the partner tries to follow them.

Questions and answers

What are sequential writing prompts?

Another name for sequence writing prompts. Each one asks the writer to put steps or events in the order they happen: the steps of a job, the turns of a game, or a day from morning to night.

What are sequence words in writing?

Words that tell a reader when each thing happens. First, next, then and last are the four on this sheet. The Common Core writing standards call such words temporal words and ask first and second graders to use them to signal event order.

What grade are sequence writing prompts for?

About grades 1 to 3, as our own suggestion. The Common Core standards ask first graders to write about two or more events in order, and third graders to use temporal words and phrases.

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