We limited this roundup to tools that either rely on fill-in-the-blank prompts (classic Mad Libs style) or tightly guided templates (tap-to-choose nouns and adjectives). Every pick was tested on the latest public build, and we prioritized apps that clearly outline privacy practices for young users.
How we picked
Evaluation criteria
The best fill-in-the-blank tools keep prompts focused while rewarding kids with finished work they can show off. Here’s what we scored for each contender:
Child-friendly prompts
Kids should be able to answer each prompt with a tap or a single word, so we looked for sentence stems, noun pickers, and other fill-in helpers that avoid open chat boxes.
Creative payoff
Filling in blanks should lead to illustrated pages, printable books, or at least shareable stories—otherwise the novelty wears off fast.
Privacy and pace
We favored tools that mention COPPA/GDPR compliance, require minimal accounts, and keep gameplay under ten minutes so kids can finish a story in one sitting.
Silly Scribe
A guided Ad Libs builder that turns family names or silly nouns into a fully illustrated book with consistent characters.
- Kids “tap through guided nouns, verbs, adjectives, and character picks — no free-form chat or typing required,” so prompts stay age-appropriate while still feeding an AI storyboard.
- The landing page emphasizes that adventures star family, friends, or pets and that everything runs “without accounts, logins, or trackers,” which makes it easy to hand the device over at dinner.
- “Where imagination meets hilarious wordplay” isn’t just tag-line fluff—the app promises to turn every prompt into an illustrated adventure powered by curated storytelling tech.
Best for: Families who want the polish of a custom-illustrated book without kids staring at a blank chat box.
Source: sillyscribe.app
Mad Libs
The original fill-in-the-blank franchise wrapped in a mobile app with hints, badges, and replayable stories.
- The App Store listing reminds kids that “The world’s greatest word game is back” and still revolves around picking nouns, verbs, adjectives, and body parts before revealing the comedy.
- Comes with “21 free Mad Libs stories with new free content added all the time,” so you can hand the phone to cousins on a road trip without paying first.
- Interactive hints, swipe gestures, and Game Center rewards modernize the experience without changing the core mechanic generations already understand.
Best for: Road trips, classroom brain breaks, and any kid who already knows how Mad Libs cards work.
Source: App Store listing
ABCya Storymaker
A simple canvas where early readers fill in sentences, draw supporting art, then save or print the finished tale.
- ABCya explains the tool plainly: “You can write the words. You can draw the pictures. You can even save or print your story,” which is exactly the low-friction workflow emerging writers need.
- Skills callouts focus on grammar, capitalization, and typing—making it easy for teachers to pair Storymaker with mini-lessons on parts of speech.
- Runs in a browser, so Chromebooks and shared desktops can join the fun without installing anything.
Best for: Centers or stations where students rotate between writing, drawing, and sharing their quick stories.
Source: abcya.com/games/story_maker
Night Zookeeper
Story missions set inside the Night Zoo encourage kids to invent characters and complete scaffolded writing prompts before unlocking art and lore.
- Night Zookeeper positions itself as “The #1 Reading & Writing Program for Kids,” promising to improve spelling, punctuation, grammar, vocabulary, and more through its online adventures.
- The site tells families that kids “join the magical world of the Night Zoo, inventing their own characters” to help series heroes stop the Lord of Nulth—perfect motivation for reluctant writers.
- Because story beats live inside a persistent world, previously created characters and props reappear, reinforcing continuity the same way a graphic novel would.
Best for: Kids who crave lore, achievements, and a little narrative pressure to finish their writing quests.
Source: nightzookeeper.com
WriteReader
A teacher-friendly book maker where students drop text, images, and voice notes into templated pages, then publish a class library.
- WriteReader leads with “Learning by creating and sharing books” and calls the platform an “Easy to use learning tool to increase student’s motivation and literacy development,” signaling that scaffolds are built in.
- The homepage highlights creation of “multimedia books,” so students can mix typed blanks with photos, drawings, or audio for multi-modal storytelling.
- Built with COPPA, FERPA, and GDPR compliance in mind, making it straightforward for districts that need parent consent workflows before kids start typing.
Best for: Teachers who want fill-in-the-blank sentence stems plus the ability to print or share every learner’s finished book.
Source: writereader.com
Tips for keeping fill-in-the-blank fun
Rotate between analog and digital: a quick notebook brainstorm before kids tap through Silly Scribe or Mad Libs keeps handwriting skills sharp. Set a timer so each story finishes in one sitting, and screenshot or print the final page so kids have something to reread later. Most importantly, preview prompts yourself—if an app buries you in ads or asks for personal info, move on.
Ready to build your own?
Open Silly Scribe, invite the whole family into the cast, and let StoryMaker keep every character consistent from the first prompt through the last illustration.