Baby Animals Writing Warm-Ups

Picture Books authors – spark ideas for children’s stories or warm up those writing muscles with these new prompts all about baby animals.

1.) What adjectives come to mind when you think about…

• A baby rabbit (kitten)? 
• A baby turtle (hatchling)?
• A baby polar bear (cub)?

2.) Now, what verbs might describe the baby animal’s movements? Think about how a baby turtle might move, for example. 

• A baby rabbit (kitten): 
• A baby turtle (hatchling):
• A baby polar bear (cub):

3.) Give your baby animals names. Don’t overthink it – let your imagination work. 

• What’s your baby rabbit’s name?
• Your baby turtle’s name:
• Your baby polar bear’s name:

4.) Think about your baby animal’s wants and needs. Again, don’t overthink it. These are warm-up exercises. You can come back to these at any time and develop a full story if you wish.

• What does your baby rabbit want today (their external “want”)? What does your baby rabbit need (their internal “need”)? 
• What does your baby turtle want today? What does your baby turtle need? 
• What does your baby polar bear want today? What does your baby polar bear need? 

5.) What’s an obstacle standing in your baby animal’s way? 1 thing stopping them from getting their external “want”? 

• Your baby rabbit’s obstacle:
• Your baby turtle’s obstacle:
• Your baby polar bear’s obstacle:

Bonus baby animal warm-ups:

Answer these questions without overthinking…

• Why did the duckling swim away from his mama? 
• Why did the fox cub get mad?
• Why did the mole pup get lost? 

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