Free Year 1 The Hat That Talks to Animals — Story Writing
A playful story prompt for early writers: a hat that lets you talk to animals. Children plan the who, where and what of their story with simple questions, then write a short story with a beginning, middle and end. Success criteria are written in child-friendly language.
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- Year
- Year 1
- Subject
- English
- Topic
- Narrative Writing
- Difficulty
- Getting started
- Estimated time
- 25 minutes
- Curriculum
- Australian Curriculum
- Questions
- 5
- Answers
- Included, with working
- Format
- PDF (A4) + print
Students will practise
- planning a story with a character and setting
- writing a beginning, middle and end
- using capital letters and full stops
- adding describing words to sentences
Curriculum: Australian Curriculum. We show specific outcome codes only where they have been verified against the official curriculum document.
What's next?
Completed: The Hat That Talks to Animals — Story Writing
Ready for more? Move on to Year 2 English.
How to use this writing prompt
- Print the PDF or complete it on screen. Write the student's name and date at the top.
- Read the instructions for each part together before starting. Encourage working to be shown.
- Mark with the answer sheet. Use the model answers and success criteria as a guide rather than a single right answer.
- Record the score, celebrate what went well, then follow the "What's next" suggestion.
Common questions
Who is this writing prompt for?
Year 1 students (typically ages 6–7) working on narrative writing. It is pitched at getting started.
Are the answers included?
Yes. The PDF includes a full answer sheet with model answers and success criteria where there is more than one good answer. You can also view the answers online.
How long does it take?
About 25 minutes for 5 questions. Short, regular sessions work best: two or three a week beats one long one.
Do I need to sign up to download?
No. Click Download Free PDF and it opens immediately. It is free for personal, classroom and homeschool use.
What should we do next?
Explore more Year 1 english resources.
Preview
Year 1 · English · Narrative Writing
The Hat That Talks to Animals — Story Writing
Student name:
Date:
Read the prompt, fill in your plan, then write your story on the lines.
The prompt
Imagine you find a hat in your backyard. When you put it on, you can understand what animals are saying!
Write a story about what happens. Which animal do you talk to? What does it tell you? What do you do next?
Plan
Answer each question with a few words. These are your story ideas.
Write
Preview — the PDF contains the full resource and answer sheet.
Narrative Writing in other year levels
- A Very Strange Pet — Story Writing
Writing Prompt · Year 2 · Narrative Writing · Getting started
- The Door in the Tree — Narrative Writing
Writing Prompt · Year 3 · Narrative Writing · Level 1 · Easier
About this resource
- Created by
- Success Tutoring
- Last reviewed
- 1 October 2026
- How it was made
- Written by our team
Free to print and share for personal, classroom and homeschool use. Please don't resell. Spotted an error? Let us know.