In these difficult and stressful times of self-isolation, it is so hard to keep your children occupied inside while, at the same time, trying to maintain a normal routine. Why not try some of these short story ideas to boost your child's imagination, improve their creativity and writing skills, while at the same time having lots of fun exploring all of the storyline possibilities. You can take these stories in any direction you choose, and because of the nature of the story prompts, a good imagination is key to bring the story to life. 

1. In a land far away, a mythical creature turns out to be more than a myth. Now it decides to make a small village its home.
2. A young boy makes a wish as he blows out his candles on his birthday cake. That night strange things start to happen around him.
3. A young girl buys a storybook in a magical bookstore. Each time she reads it, the ending is different. 
4. When a boy gets a computer game for his birthday, he gets a huge surprise when it begins to play. The characters in the game seem to know him.
5. A group of friends spends a summer's day fishing on the local lake. Suddenly, one of the children catches something extraordinary.
6. A new teacher arrives at a school. Unfortunately, she can read the children's minds.
7. One Christmas Eve there is a magical thunderstorm that brings all the decorations to life. The decorations intend to ruin Christmas Day.
8. A new Chinese restaurant has opened in a small town. Suddenly, everyone's fortune cookie messages begin to come true.
9. A class of children thinks they are just going on a normal day trip to the zoo. But things take a strange turn when the children get locked in and the animals seem to be in charge. How can they escape?
10. When a group of friends buys a video game from a new store in town, they are transported into the TV and then the adventure begins.
11. A boy finds a stray dog and decides to adopt him. The following morning he realizes the dog can fly. What adventures could they have?
12. When a family moves into a new town, they realize that the residents are not what they seem. None of the residents has the ability to lie. 
13. A group of explorers finds an abandoned ship washed up on the seashore. What they discover on board will change their lives forever and make them really famous.
14. When a family finds an old radio in the attic of their new home, the mother decides to clean it and give it pride of place in the kitchen. Suddenly, the radio switches on by itself and begins to give the family some strange instructions.
15. When a young girl receives a dreadful school report, she decides to hide it from her parents. As she makes a silly wish that night, lightning strikes and in the morning her life changes drastically. Be careful what you wish for. 

Hopefully, these short story ideas will help your children think outside the box, remove them from electronic gadgets for an afternoon and, who knows, maybe they will catch the creativity bug and will want to create many more stories once the self-isolation time has ended.