Celebrate World Storytelling Day - Fun at-home activities for Kids.

All Activities

Celebrate World Storytelling Day

Create and perform a short story or puppet show with friends, make simple puppets, and practice storytelling skills aloud together.

Table of contents

Step-by-step guide to celebrate World Storytelling Day

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Celebrating World Storytelling Day | GMA

What you need

Paper bags or socks, colouring materials such as markers crayons or pencils, scissors, glue or tape, scrap paper or felt, popsicle sticks or straws, stickers or googly eyes optional, adult supervision required

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

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 off—how 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 1–2 simple puppets decorated with stickers and have an adult write a short beginning/middle/end, while older children can choose 2–4 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

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

Crayola Adventures App | World Storytelling Day

3 Videos

Facts about storytelling and puppetry for kids

📚 World Storytelling Day is celebrated around the March equinox each year, with storytellers in dozens of countries sharing tales together.

🎭 Puppetry is one of the world's oldest theatrical arts—ancient cultures used puppet-like figures to tell stories thousands of years ago.

🧦 A fun puppet can be made from a single sock, two buttons, and some yarn—simple supplies let kids jump straight into performing.

🗣️ Telling stories out loud helps children build vocabulary, memory, and confidence—practice makes performance easier and more fun.

🤝 Puppet shows are perfect team projects: kids can write, build, and perform together while practising cooperation and public speaking.

How do you create and perform a short story or puppet show with friends for World Storytelling Day?

Start by brainstorming a simple story with a clear beginning, middle and end. Assign roles for storyteller, puppeteers and sound effects. Make quick puppets (sock or paper-bag styles) and a small stage from a cardboard box. Rehearse lines and puppet movements aloud, practice timing and cues, and add simple props or music. Keep the performance 3–7 minutes, encourage improvisation, and end with a group clap and a short reflection to celebrate the story.

What materials do I need to make simple puppets and set up a puppet show?

Gather basic craft supplies: socks, paper bags or felt for puppets; markers, glue, fabric scraps, googly eyes and yarn for hair; craft sticks and tape for stick puppets. Use a cardboard box or a table with a cloth for a stage, plus simple props like paper trees or hats. Have scissors, a marker for a script, and a camera to record. Optional: battery-powered tea lights, a backdrop, and a small speaker for music.

What ages is this puppet storytelling activity suitable for?

This activity suits preschoolers through tweens with adaptations: ages 3–5 enjoy simple puppet play and adult-led stories; 6–9 can help create puppets, follow a short script, and perform with guidance; 10–12 can write scripts, direct scenes and experiment with character voices. Supervise scissors and small parts for younger children, and offer more structure or creative freedom depending on each child’s attention and skill level.

What are the benefits of making and performing a puppet show with friends?

Puppet shows boost language skills, storytelling structure awareness and public speaking confidence. They encourage teamwork, turn-taking and active listening while developing fine motor skills through puppet-making. Acting out emotions supports empathy and social-emotional learning. The activity is low-cost, screen-free and sparks creativity and cultural storytelling. Regular practice can improve vocabulary, memory and cooperation, making it a fun learning experience for groups of children.

Ready to create?

All Activities

Celebrate World Storytelling Day

Create and perform a short story or puppet show with friends, make simple puppets, and practice storytelling skills aloud together.

Table of contents

Step-by-step guide to celebrate World Storytelling Day

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

Celebrating World Storytelling Day | GMA

What you need

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

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 off—how do we fix it?

How can we change the activity for a 4-year-old versus a 10-year-old?

How can we make the show more special or share it with others?

Watch videos on how to create and perform a short story or puppet show

0:00/0:00

Here at SafeTube, we're on a mission to create a safer and more delightful internet. 😊

Crayola Adventures App | World Storytelling Day

3 Videos

Facts about storytelling and puppetry for kids

📚 World Storytelling Day is celebrated around the March equinox each year, with storytellers in dozens of countries sharing tales together.

🎭 Puppetry is one of the world's oldest theatrical arts—ancient cultures used puppet-like figures to tell stories thousands of years ago.

🧦 A fun puppet can be made from a single sock, two buttons, and some yarn—simple supplies let kids jump straight into performing.

🗣️ Telling stories out loud helps children build vocabulary, memory, and confidence—practice makes performance easier and more fun.

🤝 Puppet shows are perfect team projects: kids can write, build, and perform together while practising cooperation and public speaking.