Top 70 Creative Things to Write on a Whiteboard
Whiteboards are a great tool for brainstorming, collaborating, and capturing ideas in the workplace, classroom, or at home. Having a whiteboard around encourages creativity, engagement, and productivity.
But coming up with fun, unique, and thoughtful things to write on a whiteboard can be a challenge. To spark your imagination, here are 70 creative Things To Write On A Whiteboard.
Why Write on a Whiteboard?
Before jumping into the list, let’s first go over some of the key benefits of writing on whiteboards:
Brainstorming Sessions
Whiteboards are ideal for brainstorming sessions. They provide a large, shareable space to generate ideas, map out thoughts, and draw connections. The impermanent nature of dry-erase markers encourages freely flowing creativity.
For example, you can use a whiteboard for:
- Brainstorming new product features
- Mapping out the steps in a complicated process
- Visually organizing research findings
Visual Thinking
Writing things out by hand stimulates visual thinking. It helps us organize information spatially, see relationships, and retain concepts. Whiteboards leverage these cognitive benefits well.
Some ways to tap into visual thinking include:
- Drawing conceptual diagrams
- Sketching out workflows
- Making annotated illustrations of ideas
Collaboration
Whiteboards facilitate collaboration. Team members can gather around a whiteboard to simultaneously contribute ideas and build on each other’s inputs. This levels the playing field and gives everyone a voice.
For instance, whiteboards enable activities like:
- Jointly creating project plans
- Playing idea-generation games
- Building off each other’s suggestions in meetings
Engagement
Writing things out manually is often more engaging than typing digitally. The creative process of writing on a whiteboard helps hold attention, interest, and participation among groups.
You can prompt engagement through:
- Interactive whiteboard games
- Contributing to evolving drawings
- Answering questions and polls
Flexibility
Whiteboards allow fluid, flexible note-taking. You can easily erase, modify, and move things around as ideas evolve. This supports an agile, iterative creative process.
For example:
- Shifting sticky notes into categories
- Continually refining diagrams
- Rearranging blocks of text
Creative Things to Write on a Whiteboard
Now let’s get into the list! Here are 70 fun, meaningful, and creative things you can write on a whiteboard at home, work, school, or elsewhere:
1. Daily Affirmation
Start each day on a positive note by writing an uplifting affirmation, quote, or mantra on your whiteboard. Some examples:
- I am strong, capable, and deserving of happiness.
- Stay positive and enjoy the little things.
- Everything will work out in the end. Breathe and be patient.
2. Daily Gratitude
Practice gratitude by jotting down things you’re thankful for. Make it a ritual each morning or evening. Some ideas:
- I’m grateful for my loving family.
- Thankful for my health.
- I appreciate my amazing coworkers.
3. Goals & Reminders
Use your whiteboard to set goals and reminders. Visually posting them reinforces your commitment. For instance:
- Finishthe project proposal by Friday.
- Email A. about the conference at 2pm.
- Read for 30 mins before bed.
4. Grocery List
Make your grocery list on a whiteboard placed in the kitchen. Add items as you think of them to consolidate your list in one spot.
For example:
Grocery List |
---|
Milk |
Eggs |
Bread |
Apples |
Chicken |
5. Meal Planner
Map out your weekly meals on the whiteboard. This helps organize grocery lists and takes the guesswork out of dinnertime.
For example:
Meal Planner |
---|
Monday: Pasta |
Tuesday: Tacos |
Wednesday: Soup & Salad |
Thursday: Chicken & Rice |
Friday: Leftover Buffet |
6. Calendar
Use dry-erase markers to hand draw a calendar for the month. Markdown key events and appointments.
It could look something like:
Date | Event |
---|---|
10/2 | Dentist Appointment |
10/12 | Sara’s Birthday |
10/31 | Halloween Party |
7. Checklist
Make a checklist of tasks, chores, errands, or steps in a project. Cross things off as you complete them.
For example:
Weekend Chores |
---|
[x] Clean gutters |
[x] Mow lawn |
[ ] Vacuum house |
[ ] Dust furniture |
8. Daily Schedule
Write down your agenda for the day – meetings, calls, tasks, events, etc. Review it each morning.
It may look like:
Monday Schedule |
---|
9:00 AM – Team meeting |
10:00 AM – 1:1 with boss |
11:00 AM – Project review |
12:00 PM – Lunch break |
1:00 PM – Interviews |
3:00 PM – Brainstorm session |
9. Habit Tracker
Use a whiteboard to track habits you want to build, like exercise, reading, or spending less time on your phone. Make a simple calendar grid and X off each day you stick to your habit.
For instance:
Su | M | T | W | Th | F | Sa |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
X | X | X | X | X | X |
10. Morning Questions
Pose fun questions each morning to get your creative juices flowing. Some examples:
- If money was no object, how would you spend your time?
- What’s something you want to learn this year?
- What is one small thing that made you happy recently?
11. Weekly Savings Goal
Note down how much you want to put into savings each week. Watching the number grow can be great motivation.
For example:
Week | Savings Goal |
---|---|
1 | $50 |
2 | $75 |
3 | $100 |
12. Money Matters
Use your whiteboard to organize your household budget, track expenses, plan for big purchases, and visualize financial goals.
You can create tables like:
Monthly Budget | |
---|---|
Income | $5,000 |
Rent | $1,500 |
Utilities | $250 |
Groceries | $400 |
Entertainment | $150 |
And:
Savings Goals |
---|
New car – $5,000 |
Kitchen remodel – $15,000 |
Vacation fund – $2,000 |
13. Menu Planner
Map out creative menu ideas for upcoming dinner parties, holidays, or special events.
For example:
New Year’s Eve Party Menu |
---|
Passed hors d’oeuvres |
Filet mignon |
Scalloped potatoes |
Green beans |
Salad |
Champagne |
Chocolate cake |
14. Recipe of the Day
Display the recipe you’re making that evening for easy reference in the kitchen.
Such as:
Chicken Parmesan
Ingredients: |
---|
2 boneless chicken breasts |
1 cup breadcrumbs |
1/2 cup parmesan |
2 eggs |
1 jar marinara sauce |
Mozzarella cheese |
Directions: |
---|
1. Pound chicken flat and coat in egg. |
2. Coat in breadcrumb mixture. |
3. Pan fry until golden brown. |
4. Top with sauce and mozzarella. |
5. Bake 10 mins. |
15. Coffee Orders
Keep track of coffee orders for coworkers when making a run. Names can be erased when orders are picked up.
For instance:
Name | Order |
---|---|
Sarah | Iced vanilla latte |
Mark | Black coffee |
Nina | Chai tea |
16. Guest Room Schedule
Note down upcoming visits from family and friends if you have a dedicated guest room.
It could look like:
Guest | Arrival | Departure |
---|---|---|
Mom & Dad | March 12 | March 15 |
Cousin Sally | April 2 | April 6 |
And so on.
17. Chore Chart
Make a family chore chart showing each person’s cleaning tasks for the week. Have kids check off items as they complete them.
For example:
Name | Chores |
---|---|
Maria | Dust, vacuum, laundry |
Luis | Take out trash, clean bathrooms |
Sophia | Sweep, mop, dishes |
18. Daily Learning
Challenge yourself to learn one new thing a day and write on a whiteboard.
Your list may evolve like:
- Day 1 – Learned how barometers work
- Day 2 – Learned what the Higgs boson is
- Day 3 – Learned a new Spanish phrase
- Day 4 – Learned how to fix a leaky faucet
- Day 5 – Learned a new origami figure
And so on.
19. Bucket List
Keep an ongoing bucket list on your whiteboard. Add destination ideas, books to read, skills to learn, events to attend, and more.
For instance:
Bucket List
- See the Northern Lights
- Visit the Galapagos
- Learn to play guitar
- Read War and Peace
- Run a 5K
20. Lyrics & Quotes
Write down meaningful song lyrics, famous quotes, or passages from books. Change them regularly to keep things fresh.
Some examples:
“All you need is love.” – The Beatles
“Dance like no one is watching.” – Anonymous
“You become what you think about all day long.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
21. Jokes of the Day
Start each morning with smiles by posting silly jokes and riddles. Let everyone contribute their favorites.
For example:
Q: What starts with “e” and ends with “e” but only has one letter in it?
A: An envelope!
Q: What do you call cheese that isn’t yours?
A: Nacho cheese!
Q: How do you organize an astronaut party?
A: You planet!
22. Conversation Starters
Come up with unique conversation starters to liven up family dinners. Pull one each evening to break the ice.
Such as:
- If you could be any fictional character, who would you be?
- What’s your favorite childhood memory?
- If you had to rename yourself, what name would you pick?
23. Daily Doodle
Get creative by doing a daily doodle or drawing. Let your inner child play.
This provides a simple outlet to be spontaneous and imaginative.
24. Weekly Weather
Note down weather predictions for the coming week so everyone knows what to expect.
For example:
Day | Forecast |
---|---|
Monday | Sunny, 72F |
Tuesday | Partly Cloudy, 68F |
Wednesday | Scattered Thunderstorms, 78F |
Thursday | Rain, 64F |
25. Movie & TV Night Picks
Have a dedicated family whiteboard for tracking picks for upcoming movie and TV nights.
It could look like:
Date | Pick | Chosen By |
---|---|---|
Fri., 4/10 | Moana | Mark |
Sat., 4/11 | The Office | Jen |
Fri., 4/17 | Avengers | Connor |
26. Home Improvement To-Do List
Use a garage or basement whiteboard to maintain a list of home improvement projects.
For example:
Projects |
---|
Paint living room |
Fix leaky sink |
Install backsplash |
Replace light fixture |
27. Household Questions
Pose household questions like “Should we repaint the living room?” to get input from family members.
This enables democratic decisions on issues affecting the whole household.
28. Shopping Ideas
Make an ongoing list of gift ideas for family and friends to reference for holidays and birthdays.
Your list may look like:
Gift Ideas
- Mom – gardening tools
- Wife – necklace
- Brother – golf clubs
- Friend – board game
And so on.
29. Brainstorm Ideas
Use your whiteboard for free-flowing brainstorming whenever inspiration strikes. Capture every thought.
The randomness and impermanence of whiteboard notes foster creative thinking.
30. Meeting Agenda
To make meetings more productive, write the agenda visibly on a whiteboard that all attendees can see.
For example:
Team Meeting Agenda |
---|
Old business review |
Project Alpha update |
New budget approval |
Open discussion |
31. Conference Room Availability
For shared conference rooms, use a whiteboard outside to note reservations and free/busy times.
It could look like:
Room 101 |
---|
8-9 AM – Reserved – Sales team |
9-10 AM – FREE |
10-12 PM – Reserved – Marketing |
12-1 PM – FREE |
And so on.
32. Project Timelines
Map out project plans and timelines on a whiteboard. Update milestones as you achieve them.
For instance:
Website Redesign Timeline
January: Planning
February: Wireframes
March: Copywriting
April: Design mockups
May: Development & testing
June: Launch
33. Team Goals
Post short and long-term team goals. Review them in meetings to align efforts.
For example:
Goals
- Increase sales by 20% (annual goal)
- Release iOS app in 6 months
- Improve customer satisfaction score to 4.5/5
34. Dionysian Street Painting
Using multi-colored dry-erase markers, create a complex mosaic of intertwining lines and shapes covering the entire whiteboard.
This encourages free-form creativity and experimentation with visual patterns.
35. Mind Map
Visually brainstorm and connect ideas around a central topic using branches, bubbles, and doodles.
Mind maps leverage our innate spatial/visual intelligence.
36. Process Flow Diagram
Map out step-by-step workflows of business processes from start to finish.
37. Office Floor Map
Draw a map of your office layout and seating chart. Help newcomers learn their way around.
This provides an easy visual reference to find colleagues, departments, printer locations, and more.
38. Birthday Announcements
Write fun birthday messages to celebrate coworkers’ special days.
For example:
“Happy Birthday Bob! Let’s grab donuts & decorate your desk!”
39. Thank You Notes
Show employee appreciation by posting thank you notes for good work being done. Shout outs can go a long way.
For instance:
“Thanks, Anna for pulling together that report so quickly for the client presentation. You’re a lifesaver!”
40. Lunch Orders
In a shared office kitchen, write down lunch orders for coworkers making a food run.
For example:
Name | Order | $ Given |
---|---|---|
Sarah | BLT & iced tea | $10 |
Mark | Burger & fries | $8 |
Andre | Salad & water | $6 |
41. Coworker Tips
Ask for unique tips, tricks, or productivity hacks from each coworker and compile the list on a whiteboard.
This crowdsources work wisdom from the team.
42. Bad Jokes
Get laughs by posting cringeworthy puns and dad jokes in the office kitchen.
For example:
- What do you call an alligator in a vest? An investigator!
- Why don’t eggs tell jokes? They’d crack each other up!
- What do you call a dog magician? A labracadabrador!
43. Company Goals
Post important company goals and metrics for all employees to see, such as sales targets or project roadmaps.
This aligns everyone to core organizational objectives.
44. Employee of the Month
Name an employee of the month and change it up each month.
This boosts morale and motivation.
45. HR Announcements
Designate a whiteboard for HR to post organizational announcements: new hires, policies, events, etc.
Keeping this information visible ensures all staff stay informed.
46. Staff Portraits
Have employees draw fun caricature portraits of each other. Display the masterpieces in a common area.
This allows creative expression and builds camaraderie.
47. Staff Superlatives
Generate silly staff superlatives like “Best dressed,” “Funniest laugh,” or “Most likely to brighten your day” and announce winners on the whiteboard.
48. Polls & Voting
Post engaging polls, quizzes, and contests that employees can participate in by voting on the whiteboard.
For example:
“Which team-building activity should we do this month?”
- Bowling night
- Escape room
- Picnic in the park
- Museum tour
49. Puzzles & Games
Write brain teasers, riddles, mazes, and other games to enjoy during coffee breaks. Have contests to see who can solve them fastest.
Some ideas:
- Hangman
- Crossword puzzle
- Logic riddles
- Spot the difference puzzles
50. Wall of Recognition
Create a slideshow background then place sticky notes with thank you messages to recognize employees.
This highlights accomplishments and excellence.
51. Classroom Rules
Let students establish classroom rules and post them on the whiteboard as a daily reminder. Update as needed.
For instance:
Rules:
- Be kind
- Take turns
- Listen when others speak
- Clean up messes
- Have fun!
52. Schedule & Agenda
Post daily or weekly schedules and lesson agendas on the classroom whiteboard.
Keeping students informed of activities and transitions helps keep things running smoothly.
53. Class Points Leaderboard
Keep an ongoing tally of house points or class points earned by groups of students. Update scores as you award them.
For example:
House | Points |
---|---|
Eagles | 35 |
Lions | 30 |
Snakes | 27 |
Bears | 22 |
54. Birthdays
Celebrate student birthdays by posting fun birthday messages on the whiteboard. Let classmates sign for an extra festive touch.
For instance:
“Happy Birthday Sam!”
Signed,
Mrs. Baker & your classmates
55. Field Trip Countdown
Note down an exciting field trip and have students cross off days leading up to the big event.
Building eager anticipation keeps kids engaged.
56. Question of the Day
Engage bored kids waiting between activities with fun questions like “What’s your favorite ice cream?” or “What superpower would you want?”
This gives them something amusing to ponder.
57. ABC Graphic Organizers
Pick a weekly vocabulary word starting with A, B, C etc, and have kids decorate it creatively on the whiteboard.
Making it visual aids retention and comprehension.
58. Mad Libs
Play classroom Mad Libs by posting fill-in-the-blank stories with missing verbs, nouns, and adjectives and letting students supply answers.
For example:
“One day I went to the park with my friends. I brought my (noun) to play (verb). We had so much _ (adjective) there! I can’t wait for our next _ (adjective) adventure!”
59. Student of the Week
Name a student of the week and allow them to draw artwork or write an uplifting message on the whiteboard.
This makes each child feel uniquely empowered and celebrated.
60. Class Accomplishment Jar
As a class achieves learning milestones, jot them down and add them to the accomplishment jar visualized on the whiteboard.
Watching the jar fill up motivates students’ sense of progress.
61. Enrichment Challenges
Post supplementary enrichment activities or brain teasers on the whiteboard for gifted students to work through.
This provides engaging extensions for quick learners.
62. Hallway Announcements
Designate a whiteboard space to share news on school events, schedule changes, closures, etc. with students and parents.
Keeping this information highly visible ensures the school community stays notified.
63. Assembly Schedule
Note down the agenda for an upcoming assembly – speaker lineup, performances, awards, etc.
For example:
Assembly Schedule |
---|
9:00 – Welcome |
9:05 – Dance performance |
9:15 – Choir performance |
9:25 – Math awards |
9:35 – Author guest speaker |
10:00 – Dismissal |
64. School Menu
Handwrite the cafeteria menu for the week so students can plan lunches accordingly.
For instance:
Monday – Cheese pizza
Tuesday – Chicken nuggets
Wednesday – Tacos
Thursday – Pasta & meatballs
Friday – Fish sticks & fries
65. Motivational Quotes
Share inspirational quotes from historical figures, artists, authors, or celebrities to uplift students.
Some examples:
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill
“Tough times never last but tough people do.” – Robert Schuller
“Do what you can with all you have, wherever you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt
66. College Acceptances
Give seniors a space to proudly announce what colleges they get accepted into.
Celebrating their hard work provides encouragement.
67. Prom Promposals
Let students use the whiteboard to ask dates to prom in creative, cute ways.
For example:
“Taylor, you make my heart flutter. Butterfly you go to prom with me?”
68. Poetry Slam
Host classroom poetry slams and let students display their best original poems on the whiteboard.
Sharing their work builds confidence.
69. Math Concepts
Work through math concepts and equations step-by-step on the whiteboard during lessons.
The hands-on, visual nature reinforces comprehension.
70. Hangman
Play a game of hangman using vocabulary words or historical concepts.
Making reviews interactive boosts retention in a fun way.
This covers additional examples for the final whiteboard ideas. Let me know if you would like me to expand on anything further.
Get Creative With Your Whiteboard!
Hopefully, these ideas sparked some inspiration for making productive and fun use of whiteboards, whether at home, work, or school.
At the end of the day, the most important thing is to simply start writing. Pick up a dry-erase marker, let your creativity flow freely, and see where your whiteboard musings take you and others. The simple act of writing by hand, collaborating, and sharing visually can work wonders.
So grab some fresh markers and start brainstorming the many creative ways your whiteboard can help you organize, motivate, communicate, collaborate, educate, and get those creative juices flowing. The possibilities are endless.
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