A painted enchanted forest with glowing red toadstools and a shining path between the trees.

FREE STORY STARTERS · AGES 6–7 · US GRADE 1

Year 2 story starters

Here are 20 story starters written for Year 2 (ages 6–7), with a generator, the Year 2 writing expectations from the National Curriculum, and ways to practise expanded noun phrases and joining words such as “when” and “because”.

Reviewed by Joshua Younger, Senior Educator, on 30 October 2026.

Story starter generator

Year group

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“What happens next?” mode

Only starters that come with three choices for what happens next.

92 starters in this set

Example starter · Year 2

When Grandpa opened the shed, a little green dragon was asleep in his wheelbarrow.

Prints every starter for the year group and theme chosen above.

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20 Year 2 story starters

When Grandpa opened the shed, a little green dragon was asleep in his wheelbarrow.
The school was very quiet because everyone had gone on the trip, except me.
If you whistle three times at the old oak tree, a door opens.
Ellie had a shiny blue bike, but it only went backwards.
There was a strange, glowing shell on the beach.
The class goldfish was missing, and there were wet footprints on the floor.
It was the first day of the holidays when the letter arrived.
Max and his sister built a den in the garden. In the night, someone moved in.
The lonely robot sat at the bus stop and waited.
Every time Zara sneezed, something turned purple.
Our new teacher was very tall, very kind and very, very unusual.
The penguin at the zoo wanted to fly, so it made a plan.
When the lights went out at the party, the cake disappeared.
Noor found a tiny umbrella. It was just the right size for a mouse.
The wind blew Mrs Brown’s washing all the way to the top of the hill.What happens next? A: A goat at the top is wearing her best scarf. B: The washing is tangled in a kite, and a little boy needs help. C: The sheets are flying like flags from a castle that was not there before.
The old toy shop had a sign in the window: “Toys that really work.”
Jake dropped his ice cream, and a seagull said, “Thank you!”
Under the bridge lived a troll who was afraid of the dark.
I wished for a pet, but I did not wish for an elephant.
Ava was the only one who saw the hot-air balloon land in the playground.What happens next? A: She climbs into the basket, and it lifts off. B: A little old lady steps out and asks for directions. C: The balloon is empty except for a map.

Want a theme? Choose one in the generator above to mix in the Years 1–2 starters from that theme.

What Year 2 writing looks like

Some of the statutory requirements for writing in Year 2, quoted from the National Curriculum in England.

“planning or saying out loud what they are going to write about”
Year 2, Writing – composition (statutory)
“encapsulating what they want to say, sentence by sentence”
Year 2, Writing – composition (statutory)
“re-reading to check that their writing makes sense and that verbs to indicate time are used correctly and consistently, including verbs in the continuous form”
Year 2, Writing – composition (statutory)
“expanded noun phrases to describe and specify [for example, the blue butterfly]”
Year 2, Writing – vocabulary, grammar and punctuation (statutory)
“subordination (using when, if, that, or because) and co-ordination (using or, and, or but)”
Year 2, Writing – vocabulary, grammar and punctuation (statutory)

Grammar to practise in Year 2

Expanded noun phrases, and joining ideas with when, if, that, because, or, and, but

Year 2 children learn to add detail to a noun (“the blue butterfly”) and to join ideas with words that explain when, why or what if. Starters give them a sentence to stretch: add an adjective, then add a “because”.

BeforeThere was a shell. Ellie picked it up.

AfterThere was a strange, glowing shell on the beach, and Ellie picked it up because it was humming.

Try it: Find the main noun in a starter and add two describing words. Then continue the story with a sentence that uses “because” or “when”.

How long should the sentences and story be?

Mostly 6 to 12 words, mixing simple sentences with longer ones joined by when, if, because, but or or. A finished Year 2 story might be 6 to 10 sentences with a clear beginning, middle and end. This is Litsee’s rule of thumb, not a curriculum target.

Tips for Year 2 writers

Jot three key words for the beginning, middle and end before writing.
Stretch one noun per sentence: “the dragon” becomes “the tiny, grumpy dragon”.
Use “because” to explain why a character does something.
Check the tense: if the story starts in the past (“ran”), keep it in the past.
Read the story aloud with expression, as if to an audience.

How to use these with your child or class

Year 2 is the year children start to write stories with some stamina. They can usually spell many common words, they know a sentence needs a capital letter and a full stop, and they are ready to add detail. The National Curriculum asks them to plan by saying or jotting down ideas first, and to write narratives about real and imagined experiences. A good starter does the hardest part, the first sentence, and leaves them free to plan the rest.

Plan with three words. Before writing, ask your child for one word for the beginning, one for the middle and one for the end: for the goldfish starter, perhaps “footprints”, “bath” and “home”. Write the three words at the top of the page. It takes a minute, and it stops the story wandering or stopping halfway.

Teach detail through noun phrases. Year 2 children learn to expand a noun phrase, so take one noun from the starter and build it up together: a balloon, a red balloon, a huge red balloon, a huge red balloon with a patched basket. Then ask them to do the same once in each part of their story. It is a quick, visible way to improve writing, and children can see exactly what they have added.

Use joining words to explain. Many Year 2 stories are lists of events. Words such as “because”, “when” and “if” turn a list into a story by explaining why things happen: “The penguin wanted to fly because it was tired of swimming.” Challenge your child to use “because” once and “when” once, and underline them when they appear.

Watch the tense. Year 2 pupils are taught to use past and present tense correctly and consistently. Most starters here are in the past tense, so a quick check at the end (“Did everything already happen?”) catches the common slip into “is” and “goes” halfway through. The progressive form (“was running”, “were singing”) is also part of Year 2 and is useful for setting a scene.

In class, try paired planning: pupils read the same starter, each jot three key words, then compare plans before writing. Afterwards, ask them to read their stories aloud with expression to a partner, which is also part of the Year 2 programme. The generator on this page can give each pair a fresh starter, and the choose-your-path starters are good for a quick class vote on what happens next.

Worked example: building a noun phrase

Starter: “The lonely robot sat at the bus stop and waited.”
Noun: a bus → a red bus → a big red bus with a flat tyre.
Next sentence: At last, a big red bus with a flat tyre came wobbling round the corner.
Add because: The robot climbed on because it wanted to see the sea.
Tense check: sat, waited, came, climbed, wanted. All past tense.

About this page

Reviewed by Joshua Younger · How it was made · Sources

Sources

The quotations in “What Year 2 writing looks like” are copied word for word from these documents, with the year and section each applies to. Sentence lengths are Litsee’s own rule of thumb.

National curriculum in England: English programmes of study (DfE, 2013, updated 2014) (PDF)

How this page was made

Reviewed by Joshua Younger, Senior Educator, on 30 October 2026.

Starters drafted with AI help and checked against the National Curriculum by Litsee. Spotted something to improve? Email info@litsee.com.

The generator picks from the starters shown on these pages, in your browser. It doesn’t use AI, and it doesn’t save or send anything you choose.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What writing is expected in Year 2?

In England, Year 2 pupils are taught to plan by saying or jotting down ideas, write stories about real and imagined experiences, use expanded noun phrases, join ideas with words such as when, if, that and because, and keep their tenses consistent.

What is an expanded noun phrase?

It is a noun with extra words that describe or specify it, such as “the blue butterfly” or “a huge red balloon with a patched basket”. Expanded noun phrases are part of the Year 2 grammar curriculum.

How long should a Year 2 story be?

Around 6 to 10 sentences is a good target, with a clear beginning, middle and end. That is Litsee’s rule of thumb; some children will write more, and that is fine.

What is the US equivalent of Year 2?

Year 2 in England is for ages 6 to 7, roughly first grade in the United States.

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