Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
Easter Egg Hunt Story Prompts: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 2
- ForYear 2
- StageKey Stage 1
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Easter Egg Hunt Story Prompts is a free printable story writing worksheet for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7). Children plan and write a short story about a lost Easter egg, with a beginning, a middle and an end. It takes about 15 minutes, needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help, a stretch idea and answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children answer a set of numbered story prompts about an egg hunt that goes wrong. They decide who is hunting, where they look, what goes wrong, who or what helps, where the egg is found and how the story ends. There is space to write under each prompt. Together the answers make a plan for a short story, which children then read aloud.
- Who is hunting for the egg?
- Where are they looking?
- What goes wrong?
- Who or what helps?
- Where is the egg found?
- How does the story end?
How the story is built
Beginning
Every story needs someone to follow and somewhere to start. Children choose a character and a place, so the reader knows who and where.
Middle
Something has to go wrong, or there is no story. Children think of a problem and then who or what could help. This is the part where the story gets interesting.
End
A story needs a proper finish. Children decide where the egg turns up and how everyone feels. They can then read the whole story aloud and check that it makes sense.
Why write about an egg hunt?
Easter egg hunts are a familiar tradition for many families in England. Eggs are hidden in gardens, parks or indoors, and children search for them. Year 2 children often know exactly what a hunt feels like: the excitement, the searching and the moment of finding something. That shared experience gives them plenty to write about.
Young writers often find a blank page hard. A set of short prompts breaks the job into small, clear choices. Children answer one prompt at a time, then join their ideas into sentences. Planning first also helps them see that a story has a shape, which makes the writing that follows calmer and clearer.
Easter facts to chat about
- Easter Sunday always falls on a Sunday.
- The date of Easter changes from year to year.
- Easter is a Christian festival, and many families also enjoy the spring traditions around it.
- An egg is often used as a symbol of new life at Easter.
- Many families in the UK enjoy chocolate eggs and egg hunts at Easter time.
Skills and curriculum link
- Story planning
- Writing sentences
- Imagination
- Beginning, middle and end
- Reading aloud
Ideas to help young writers
- Talk before writingAsk your child to tell the idea out loud first. A spoken sentence is easier to write down once it has been said clearly.
- Use the sensesAsk what the character can see, hear or feel while searching. One detail, such as a rustle in the bushes, makes a story come alive.
- Check each sentenceAsk your child to check that each sentence starts with a capital letter. It should end with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark.
- Read it aloudReading the story out loud helps children hear if a word is missing or a sentence sounds odd. They can then fix it themselves.
Key words
- CharacterA person, animal or creature in a story.
- SettingThe place where a story happens.
- ProblemThe thing that goes wrong in a story.
- Beginning, middle and endThe three parts of a story. The beginning starts it, the middle has the problem, and the end finishes it.
- SentenceA group of words that makes sense on its own. It starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark.
- ImaginationThinking of new ideas and pictures in your head.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the prompts aloud together. Ask your child to picture the egg hunt before writing anything.
- Let your child answer each prompt with a pencil. Say each idea out loud first if they need help getting started.
- Check the work together with the notes on page 2. Praise good ideas and neat, clear sentences.
- Read the finished story aloud. Come back another day to write a new one. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Say each answer out loud before writing it down. Start with just one prompt at a time and take a short break between them. A grown up can write the first word of a sentence to get a hesitant writer started.
To stretch confident children
Use the answers to write the whole story on a fresh sheet. Add describing words, a line of speech and a title. Try a different ending and decide which version the reader would enjoy more.
Make it a game
Swap with a friend and write what happens next. Each player reads the other's story, then adds one more sentence. Take turns until the story reaches a good ending, then read it aloud together.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forThe story has ideas but sentences run on without any full stops.
Try thisRead the story aloud and pause at each breath. Mark each pause with a full stop, question mark or exclamation mark, then add a capital letter to start the next sentence.
Watch forThe egg is found straight away, so there is no problem to solve.
Try thisAsk, "What could stop them finding it?" Let your child choose one thing that goes wrong before the egg turns up.
Watch forThe story stops suddenly with no proper ending.
Try thisAsk how everyone feels at the end. Write one sentence that tells the reader the story is finished.
Talk about it
- Have you ever been on an egg hunt? Where did you look?
- What is the best place to hide an egg, and why?
- What would you do if you could not find your egg?
- Who would you most like to have in your story as a helper?
- How does your character feel when the egg is found?
- What could you change to make your story funnier or more exciting?
Take it off the page
Paper egg hunt
Cut out paper eggs and decorate them. An adult hides them around a room. Your child finds them and says a sentence about where each one was.
Story map
Draw a map of the hunt with a start and a finish. Mark where things go wrong and where the egg is found. Use it to tell the story aloud.
Egg character
Draw an egg with a face, arms and legs. Give it a name and say what it wants. Then tell a short story about it.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first prompt, then let them lead. About 15 minutes is plenty. If they get stuck, ask them to tell you the idea first and write it down afterwards.
Teachers
Use it in the weeks before Easter as a starter, a plenary, an early finisher task or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Pair it with a picture book about a hunt or a search, a walk outdoors and some talk about favourite stories. Because the sheet is free to print, it can be used again for brothers and sisters or a few weeks later.
Where this fits
Before this sheet, children tell stories out loud and write simple sentences. Year 1 writers practise putting ideas into words, using a capital letter and a full stop. This sheet brings those skills together in a short story with three clear parts.
After it, children write longer stories with more detail and describing words. They learn to plan, write, read back and improve their work. Later in Key Stage 2 they build on this by writing stories with more developed characters and settings.
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Easter Egg Hunt Story Prompts for?
It is written for Year 2 (ages 6 to 7), in Key Stage 1. Children who are a little older or younger can also try it, with more or less help from a grown up.
- What will children practise?
They practise planning and writing a short story with a beginning, middle and end. They also practise writing sentences, using their imagination and reading their own work aloud.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 15 minutes. Children can write more if they enjoy it, or you can work through the prompts in two shorter sessions. Page 2 has ideas for making it easier or longer.
- What if it feels too hard?
Say each answer out loud before writing it down. Work on one prompt at a time. A grown up can write the first word of a sentence, then let the child finish it.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or another group of children.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has help and stretch ideas.
- Do I need to print in colour?
No. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper. Children can colour in any pictures afterwards if they wish.
Preview the full PDF
Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.