Celebrate World Storytelling Day
Create and perform a short story or puppet show with friends, make simple puppets, and practice storytelling skills aloud together.
Step-by-step guide to celebrate World Storytelling Day
Celebrating World Storytelling Day | GMA
Step 1
Pick a short story idea that sounds fun to you and your friends.
Step 2
Decide if you will perform your idea as a puppet show or as a spoken story.
Step 3
Choose 2 to 4 characters for your story and give each friend a character to play.
Step 4
Gather all Materials Needed from the list so everything is ready.
Step 5
Make a simple puppet for each character using a paper bag or a sock as the base.
Step 6
Decorate each puppet with colouring materials and scrap paper to give it a face and clothes.
Step 7
Attach a popsicle stick or straw to the puppet with tape to make it easier to move if you want handles.
Step 8
Create a quick backdrop by folding a large sheet of paper or hanging a blanket as your stage.
Step 9
Write or outline your story on paper with a clear beginning middle and end using short sentences.
Step 10
Practice telling the story aloud with your friends so everyone remembers their lines.
Step 11
Rehearse the puppet movements and try different voices or sounds for each character.
Step 12
Perform your puppet show or storytelling live for family or friends and have fun with it.
Step 13
Share your finished creation on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use instead of a paper bag or a sock if we don't have either?
Use a cardboard tube, a glove, a folded paper plate or a cut foam sheet as a puppet base in place of the paper bag or sock.
My popsicle stick handle keeps falling offâhow do we fix it?
Reinforce the popsicle stick or straw by wrapping tape tightly around the attachment point, stapling it to the paper bag or sock base, or using hot glue after decorating so the handle stays secure during rehearsal.
How can we change the activity for a 4-year-old versus a 10-year-old?
For younger kids make 1â2 simple puppets decorated with stickers and have an adult write a short beginning/middle/end, while older children can choose 2â4 characters, write a fuller outline, practice voices, and build a backdrop themselves.
How can we make the show more special or share it with others?
Create a more detailed backdrop by painting a large sheet or decorating a hung blanket, add sound effects and simple lighting, record the performance on a phone, and upload the finished creation to DIY.org to share.
Watch videos on how to create and perform a short story or puppet show
Crayola Adventures App | World Storytelling Day
3 Videos
Crayola Adventures App | World Storytelling Day
7 Fun and Easy Storytelling Activities to Boost Literacy Skills
STORY TELLING GAMES FOR KIDS | Storytelling Activities Elementary
Facts about storytelling and puppetry for kids
𧌠A fun puppet can be made from a single sock, two buttons, and some yarnâsimple supplies let kids jump straight into performing.
đ¤ Puppet shows are perfect team projects: kids can write, build, and perform together while practising cooperation and public speaking.
đ Puppetry is one of the world's oldest theatrical artsâancient cultures used puppet-like figures to tell stories thousands of years ago.
đŁď¸ Telling stories out loud helps children build vocabulary, memory, and confidenceâpractice makes performance easier and more fun.
đ World Storytelling Day is celebrated around the March equinox each year, with storytellers in dozens of countries sharing tales together.
How do you create and perform a short story or puppet show with friends for World Storytelling Day?
What materials do I need to make simple puppets and set up a puppet show?
What ages is this puppet storytelling activity suitable for?
What are the benefits of making and performing a puppet show with friends?
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