Prompt Library

Writing Prompts Kids Actually Want to Write About

30 copy-paste prompts

30 creative writing prompts designed for kids ages 5-12. No boring essay topics — just fun story starters, silly scenarios, and imagination-sparking exercises that make kids want to pick up a pencil.

In short: This page contains 30 copy-paste ready prompts, organized into 6 categories with a description and pro tip for each. The first 5 prompts are free instantly, no signup needed. Hand-curated and tested by the AI Academy team.

By Louis Corneloup · Founder, Techpresso

Last updated August 28, 2026·Hand-curated & tested by the AI Academy team

Silly Story Starters

5 prompts

The Day My Pet Learned to Talk

1/30

✨ What it does

This prompt asks a kid to write the first conversation after a pet (or wished-for pet) starts talking in perfect English, including the first line and a secret. They pick the pet, then write the whole silly talk.

One morning you wake up and your pet (or a pet you wish you had) starts talking to you in perfect English. What is the first thing it says? What secret does it tell you? Write the story of your very first conversation with your talking pet.

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Pro tip: Ask your child to act out the conversation first — speaking as both themselves and the pet — before writing it down. This makes the dialogue feel natural.

Backwards Day at School

2/30

✨ What it does

This prompt asks a kid to write a backwards school day: recess first, students teaching, lunch before breakfast, and the funny things that happen. They follow the flipped schedule, then tell the story in order.

Imagine everything at school happens backwards today. You start with recess and end with the morning bell. The teacher asks questions and the students give the lessons. Lunch comes first and breakfast comes last. Write about your backwards school day and what funny things happen.

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Pro tip: Have your child list their normal school routine first, then reverse it. This gives them a concrete framework before they start writing creatively.

The Spaghetti Tornado

3/30

✨ What it does

This prompt asks a kid to describe a spaghetti-and-meatball tornado hitting their town: the street, how people react, and whether they eat it or run. They pile on the messy details, then finish the whole silly story.

A wild tornado hits your town, but instead of wind and rain, it is made entirely of spaghetti and meatballs. Describe what happens. What does your street look like? How do people react? Do you try to eat it or run from it? Tell the whole silly story.

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Pro tip: Encourage your child to use all five senses: what does the spaghetti tornado look like, sound like, smell like, feel like, and taste like?

My Teacher Is Actually a Robot

4/30

✨ What it does

This prompt asks a kid to write what they do after realizing their teacher is a robot (blue-flash eyes, no blink, lightning sneeze). They decide whether to tell anyone or find the real teacher, then write the mystery.

You notice something strange about your teacher today. Their eyes flash blue for a second. They never blink. And when they sneeze, a tiny bolt of lightning comes out. You realize your teacher is actually a robot. What do you do? Do you tell anyone? Do you try to find the real teacher? Write the story.

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Pro tip: Ask your child what clues they would notice first. Building a list of "robot clues" before writing helps organize the story.

The Shrinking Potion

5/30

✨ What it does

This prompt shrinks a kid to ant size for one hour in their own backyard after a Drink me bottle, and asks what the grass looks like, who they meet, and how they survive. Stay ant-sized on the page, then finish the adventure before the hour is up.

You find a tiny bottle in your backyard with a label that says "Drink me and shrink to the size of an ant for one hour." You drink it. Now you are ant-sized in your own backyard. What does the grass look like? What animals do you meet? How do you survive for one hour? Write your tiny adventure.

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Pro tip: Take your child outside and have them look closely at the ground, bugs, and blades of grass. Real observation fuels better imaginative writing.

Adventure & Fantasy

5 prompts

The Door in the Tree

6/30

✨ What it does

This prompt sends a kid through a door in an old tree into a magical world they invent: who lives there, the rules, and the quest. They open the door, then build the world on the other side.

While exploring the woods behind your house, you find a door built right into the trunk of an enormous old tree. You open it and step inside. Describe the magical world you find on the other side. Who lives there? What are the rules of this world? What is your quest?

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Pro tip: Ask your child to draw a map of their magical world before writing about it. Visual planning helps kids organize their ideas spatially.

You Get One Superpower for a Day

7/30

✨ What it does

This prompt gives a kid any one superpower for 24 hours and asks which they choose, what they do in the first hour, the biggest problem they try to solve, and midnight. Choose the power, then write the day before it runs out.

A mysterious figure appears and tells you that you can have any one superpower, but only for 24 hours. Which power do you choose and why? What do you do with your first hour? What is the biggest problem you try to solve? What happens when the power runs out at midnight?

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Pro tip: Push your child beyond the first answer. If they say "flying," ask: where do you fly first? What do you see from up there? What goes wrong?

Pirate Captain for a Week

8/30

✨ What it does

This prompt makes a kid captain of a 20-sailor pirate ship sailing to an island no one has returned from. Sail the week on the page, including the sea dangers and whether the treasure is what they expected.

You are the captain of a pirate ship with a crew of 20 sailors. Your treasure map shows an island that no one has ever returned from. Write the story of your voyage. What dangers do you face on the sea? What do you find on the island? Is the treasure what you expected?

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Pro tip: Help your child name two or three crew members and give them one personality trait each. Stories with named characters feel more real and are more fun to write.

The Dragon Egg in Your Closet

9/30

✨ What it does

This prompt hatches a kitten-sized baby dragon from a glowing closet egg and asks how the kid hides it from parents and what happens as it grows. Plan how to hide it, then write what happens as the secret grows.

You hear a strange tapping sound coming from your closet. Inside, behind your shoes, you find a large egg that is warm to the touch and glowing faintly. It cracks open and a baby dragon the size of a kitten crawls out. How do you take care of it? How do you hide it from your parents? What happens when it starts to grow?

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Pro tip: Ask your child to think about the practical problems: what does a baby dragon eat? Where does it sleep? What happens when it breathes fire for the first time?

Lost in a Video Game

10/30

✨ What it does

This prompt drops a kid inside their favorite video game as the main character, with real monsters and power-ups, and they must beat the final boss to get home. They describe three levels plus the boss fight, then write the way back.

While playing your favorite video game, the screen flashes and suddenly you are inside the game. You are now the main character and everything is real — the monsters, the power-ups, the levels. You have to beat the final boss to get back home. Describe your journey through three levels of the game and the final boss battle.

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Pro tip: Have your child pick a real game they play or invent one. Ask them to describe each level in detail: what does it look like, what enemies appear, what item helps them survive?

Animals & Nature

5 prompts

A Day in the Life of Your Pet

11/30

✨ What it does

This prompt asks a kid to write a whole day from their pet's point of view: school goodbye, mailman, vacuum, bath, favorite hour, morning to bedtime. They put on the pet's voice, then tell it like a diary.

Write a story from your pet's point of view. What does your pet think about all day? What does it think when you leave for school? What is its favorite part of the day? What does it think about the mailman, the vacuum cleaner, or bath time? Tell the whole day from morning to bedtime, as if your pet were writing in a diary.

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Pro tip: If your child does not have a pet, they can choose any animal — a squirrel in the backyard, a bird on the windowsill, or a pet they wish they had.

The Secret Meeting of the Animals

12/30

✨ What it does

This prompt gathers neighborhood animals for a secret midnight meeting with a big problem to solve, a leader, and a plan. The kid names the problem and the leader, then writes tonight's meeting.

Every night after humans fall asleep, all the animals in your neighborhood hold a secret meeting. The squirrels, cats, dogs, birds, and even the bugs gather together. Tonight, they have a big problem to solve. What is the problem? Who is the leader of the meeting? What plan do they come up with? Write the story of tonight's meeting.

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Pro tip: Have your child assign a personality to each animal type. For example: the squirrels are nervous, the cats are bossy, and the dogs are enthusiastic but easily distracted.

You Turn Into an Animal for a Day

13/30

✨ What it does

This prompt turns a kid into an animal overnight and asks which one, what feels different, how they move and eat, whether they tell family, and the best and worst parts. Name the animal first, then write the day in that body.

When you wake up tomorrow, you have transformed into an animal. Which animal are you? What is the first thing you notice that is different? How do you move, eat, and see the world? Do you try to tell your family it is really you? What is the best part and the worst part of being this animal?

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Pro tip: Encourage your child to go beyond the obvious choice. Instead of a dog or cat, what about a hawk, a dolphin, or a praying mantis? Unusual choices lead to more interesting writing.

The Tree That Has Been Watching

14/30

✨ What it does

This prompt lets a 300-year-old town tree talk, and the kid writes as the tree telling a visitor the most amazing, funny, or scary thing it has seen. They choose one memory, then tell it from the roots.

There is a very old tree in your town that has been standing for 300 years. If that tree could talk, what stories would it tell? What has it seen? Write as if you are the tree, telling a visitor about the most amazing, funny, or scary thing you have witnessed in 300 years of standing in one spot.

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Pro tip: Help your child think about what their town looked like 300 years ago. Were there horses instead of cars? Fields instead of houses? This historical imagination enriches the story.

The New Animal Discovery

15/30

✨ What it does

This prompt makes a kid an explorer who just found an animal science has never seen, and asks for a field-journal entry: looks, diet, home, special ability, and a name. They invent the creature, then write the discovery entry.

You are an explorer who has just discovered an animal that no scientist has ever seen before. Describe this brand-new animal in detail. What does it look like? What does it eat? Where does it live? What is its special ability? What do you name it? Write a field journal entry about your discovery.

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Pro tip: Have your child draw their animal first, then describe it in writing. Encourage them to mix parts from real animals — wings of a bat, tail of a fish, fur of a fox — to make something new.

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What Would You Do?

5 prompts

If You Were Principal for a Day

16/30

✨ What it does

This prompt puts a kid in as principal for a day: first new rule, lunch changes, subjects cancelled or added, and the perfect school day. They justify the choices, then write the day they would run.

The principal of your school is sick and has asked YOU to be in charge for the whole day. You get to make all the rules, change the schedule, and decide everything. What is the first rule you make? What do you change about lunch? Do you cancel any subjects or add new ones? What does your perfect school day look like? Write about your day as principal.

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Pro tip: After the fun choices, ask your child: what was the hardest decision you had to make as principal? This pushes them to think about trade-offs and responsibility.

You Find a Suitcase Full of Money

17/30

✨ What it does

This prompt has a kid find a sidewalk suitcase full of thousands of dollars with nobody around, and asks keep, find the owner, or tell an adult, plus what happens if they keep it. They make the call, then write the consequences.

You are walking home from school and you find a suitcase on the sidewalk. You open it and it is full of money — thousands and thousands of dollars. Nobody is around. What do you do? Do you keep it? Do you try to find the owner? Do you tell an adult? What would happen if you kept it? Write about your decision and what happens next.

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Pro tip: There is no single right answer here. Encourage your child to explore what would actually happen — not just the "correct" answer but the realistic temptations and consequences.

If You Could Time Travel to One Day

18/30

✨ What it does

This prompt gives a kid one day in a time machine, any day in history or the future, back by bedtime, and asks which day, what they see and hear, and what they bring back. Lock one day only, then write the trip.

A time machine appears in your room. You can travel to any single day in history or any day in the future, but you can only go once and you come back at bedtime. Which day do you choose and why? What do you see, hear, and experience? What do you bring back with you (if anything)? Write about your one-day time travel trip.

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Pro tip: If your child picks a historical day, do a quick search together to learn a few real details. Mixing real facts into a fictional narrative teaches research-supported writing.

The Hardest Choice: Save One Thing

19/30

✨ What it does

This prompt says the house is safe but they move countries tomorrow and can bring only one object, not a person or pet, then asks why that thing matters and the first day there. They choose the object, then write the why.

Imagine your house is safe but you have to move to a new country tomorrow and you can only bring ONE thing with you. Not a person or a pet — just one object. What do you bring and why? Write about why this one thing matters more to you than everything else you own. Then describe your first day in the new country with only that one thing.

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Pro tip: Resist the urge to correct their choice. If they pick a stuffed animal over a phone, that is valid. The goal is to practice justifying a personal decision, not to make the "smart" choice.

If Animals Could Vote

20/30

✨ What it does

This prompt runs an Animal President election: who runs, campaign promises, the opponent, a speech, election day, and who wins. Nominate an animal, then write the speech and the result.

The animals of the world have been given the right to vote and they are electing a new Animal President. Which animal runs for president? What are its campaign promises? Who is its opponent? Write a campaign speech for your animal candidate and describe the election day. Who wins and why?

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Pro tip: Ask your child to think about what problems animals face (habitat loss, pollution, predators) and how their candidate would solve them. This builds real persuasive writing skills through a silly lens.

Picture Prompts

5 prompts

The Abandoned Treehouse

21/30

✨ What it does

This prompt asks a kid to invent the story of an old woods treehouse with a broken ladder, dark windows, door markings, and a brand-new flashlight at the base. They decide who built it and why it was left, then write what the flashlight means.

Imagine a picture of an old treehouse deep in the woods. The ladder is broken, the windows are dark, and there are strange markings carved into the door. But someone has left a brand-new flashlight at the bottom of the tree. Write the story of who built this treehouse, why it was abandoned, and what the flashlight means. Who left it there and why?

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Pro tip: Ask your child to describe the scene before writing the story. What season is it? What time of day? What sounds do they hear? This observation step produces richer writing.

The Mysterious Footprints

22/30

✨ What it does

This prompt shows giant footprints in a snowy backyard, three times normal size, from the fence to the back door. They decide what made them and whether it came inside, then write the night they appeared.

Imagine a picture of a snowy backyard with a single set of giant footprints leading from the fence to your back door. The footprints are three times bigger than a normal person's feet. Write about what made these footprints. When did they appear? Where did the creature go after it reached your door? Did it come inside?

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Pro tip: Have your child draw the footprints first and decide their shape. Are they human-shaped but huge? Animal-like? Something else entirely? The shape tells a different story.

The Floating Island

23/30

✨ What it does

This prompt drops a floating island over town overnight, waterfalls off the edges, trees growing upside down, and nobody knows how. Tell the morning it appeared, who tries to reach it, and what is on it.

Imagine a picture of a small island floating in the sky above your town, with waterfalls pouring off its edges and trees growing upside down. Nobody knows how it got there — it appeared overnight. Write about the day the floating island arrived. What do people do? Does anyone try to get up there? What is on the island?

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Pro tip: Ask your child: how do different people in town react? The mayor, the scientists, the kids, the pets? Different reactions make the story feel more complete.

The Message in the Bottle

24/30

✨ What it does

This prompt washes up a bottle whose message says they are the only one who can help and to come to the lighthouse at midnight. They decide who finds it and what it means, then write whether anyone goes.

Imagine a picture of a glass bottle washed up on a beach. Inside is a rolled-up piece of paper with a message written in messy handwriting. The message says: "If you are reading this, you are the only one who can help. Come to the lighthouse at midnight." Write about who finds the bottle, what the message means, and what happens at the lighthouse at midnight.

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Pro tip: Encourage your child to decide who wrote the message before they write about who finds it. Knowing both sides of the mystery makes the story stronger.

The Empty Classroom

25/30

✨ What it does

This prompt finds a classroom with desks on the ceiling, a backwards clock, a chalkboard that says they moved and to come find them, and one chair in the middle. Follow the chalkboard, then decide whether anyone sits in the chair.

Imagine a picture of your classroom, but everything is wrong. The desks are on the ceiling. The clock is running backwards. The chalkboard has a message written on it that says "We moved. Come find us." The room is completely empty except for one chair in the middle of the floor. Write the story: where did everyone go? Who wrote the message? What happens when you sit in that one chair?

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Pro tip: Ask your child to add one more weird detail to the scene before writing. Personal additions to the prompt increase ownership of the story.

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AI Story Helper

5 prompts

Custom Story Starter Generator

26/30

✨ What it does

ChatGPT writes 5 age-appropriate story starters for a [age]-year-old who likes [topics the child likes, e.g., dinosaurs, space, cooking, sports], each 2-3 sentences that set a scene and end with a question. Fill age and interests, then let the child pick one and write.

I am a parent helping my [age]-year-old child with creative writing. Generate 5 story starters appropriate for their age level. My child is interested in [topics the child likes, e.g., dinosaurs, space, cooking, sports]. Each story starter should be 2-3 sentences that set up an exciting scenario and end with a question or cliffhanger that motivates the child to keep writing. Keep the vocabulary at a [grade level] reading level.

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Pro tip: Be specific about your child's interests. "Dinosaurs" is good, but "dinosaurs and cooking" gives ChatGPT a more unique combination to work with, producing more creative starters.

Writing Feedback for Kids

27/30

✨ What it does

ChatGPT reviews a story by a [age]-year-old with 3 specific genuine strengths, 2 improvements phrased as fun challenges, and 3 follow-up questions. Paste the story and age, then share the kind notes with the child first.

My [age]-year-old child wrote the following story for a school assignment. Please give feedback that is encouraging and age-appropriate. Start with 3 specific things they did well (be genuine, not generic). Then suggest 2 things they could improve, phrased as fun challenges rather than corrections. Finally, ask them 3 questions about their story that would help them add more detail if they want to revise it. Here is their story: [Paste child's story]

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Pro tip: Read the AI feedback before sharing it with your child. Adjust the tone if needed — you know your child best and what kind of feedback motivates them versus what shuts them down.

Turn Their Story Into a Mini Book

28/30

✨ What it does

ChatGPT turns [Paste child's story] by an [age]-year-old into an 8-page mini picture book: 1-2 sentences per page plus an illustration note, keeping the child's original words. Paste the story and age, then let them draw the pages.

My [age]-year-old child wrote this story: [Paste child's story] Help me turn this into a mini picture book format. Divide the story into 8 pages, with each page having 1-2 simple sentences and a description of what illustration should go on that page. Keep the child's original words as much as possible — just reorganize them to fit a page-by-page format. Add a title page and an "About the Author" page at the end where the child can write about themselves.

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Pro tip: Print the pages out, let your child draw the illustrations, and staple it together. Having a physical book they wrote and illustrated is one of the most powerful motivators for young writers.

Vocabulary Builder Story

29/30

✨ What it does

ChatGPT writes a fun 200-word story at a [grade level] reading level that naturally uses [list 5-10 vocabulary words], plus 3 comprehension questions and a writing prompt. Add the level and word list, then read it together and answer the questions.

Generate a short story (about 200 words) written at a [grade level] reading level that naturally includes these vocabulary words my child is learning this week: [list 5-10 vocabulary words]. The story should be fun and engaging, not like a textbook. After the story, include 3 comprehension questions and a writing prompt that asks the child to continue the story using at least 3 of the vocabulary words.

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Pro tip: Use the vocabulary words from your child's actual school list. Seeing those words in a fun story outside of homework helps cement them in memory.

Writing Prompt Remix

30/30

✨ What it does

ChatGPT writes 3 new prompts related to the story they just finished from [paste the original prompt], taking the same world in a new direction. Paste the original prompt, then let them pick the sequel they want to write.

My child finished writing a story based on this prompt: "[paste the original prompt]." They enjoyed writing it and want to write more. Generate 3 new writing prompts that are related to their original story but take it in a new direction. For example, if they wrote about finding a dragon egg, maybe the next prompt is about the dragon's first day at school, or what happens when a second egg appears. Make each new prompt build on what they already created so they feel like they are expanding their own world.

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Pro tip: Let your child pick which of the three follow-up prompts they like best. Giving them a choice maintains their sense of ownership over the story.

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Frequently Asked Questions

These prompts are designed for kids ages 5 to 12, roughly kindergarten through 6th grade. The simpler prompts like silly story starters and animal prompts work well for kids ages 5-8 who are just learning to write paragraphs. The adventure, what-would-you-do, and picture prompts work better for kids ages 8-12 who can write multiple paragraphs or short stories. You can adapt any prompt by adjusting your expectations: a 6-year-old might dictate their story while you write it down, while a 12-year-old might write a full two-page story independently. The AI Story Helper category is designed for parents and teachers who want to use ChatGPT to generate customized prompts at the right level for their specific child.

The most important rule is that ChatGPT should never write the story for the child. Instead, use it as a brainstorming partner and feedback tool. Before writing, you can use ChatGPT to generate story starter ideas tailored to your child's interests, or to help them work through plot problems ("my character is stuck in a cave, what are three ways they could escape?"). After writing, use ChatGPT to provide age-appropriate feedback that highlights what the child did well before suggesting improvements. The AI Story Helper prompts in this collection are specifically designed for this purpose — they keep the child as the author while using AI as a support tool. Never paste a prompt and hand the AI-generated story to your child as their work. The goal is to make writing fun, not to skip it.

Kids who say they hate writing usually hate one of three things: the topics they are given, the pressure to be correct, or the physical act of writing. These prompts address the first problem by offering scenarios kids genuinely find funny, exciting, or interesting — no child has ever been bored writing about a spaghetti tornado. For the pressure problem, emphasize that these are not graded assignments. Spelling, grammar, and handwriting do not matter in a first draft. Let them be messy. For the physical writing problem, let younger kids dictate their stories while you type or write for them, or let them use a tablet or computer. The goal is to get them excited about storytelling first. The mechanics of writing improve naturally once a child wants to write. Start with the Silly Story Starters category — humor is the fastest way to break down resistance to writing.

AI tools like ChatGPT can be appropriate for elementary-age children when used under parental or teacher supervision and positioned correctly. Children should never interact with ChatGPT unsupervised, as the tool can produce content that is not age-appropriate even with safety settings enabled. The AI Story Helper prompts in this collection are designed for adults to use on behalf of children — the parent or teacher pastes the prompt into ChatGPT, reviews the output, and then shares the appropriate parts with the child. This keeps an adult in the loop at all times. Used this way, AI becomes a tool for generating personalized prompts, providing encouraging feedback, and extending stories kids have already written. The child still does all the creative thinking and writing. Think of it like a parent using Google to find writing prompt ideas — the AI is helping the adult help the child, not replacing the child's effort.

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