Celebrate World Storytelling Day
Create and perform a short story or puppet show with friends, make simple puppets, and practice storytelling skills aloud together.
About this activity
Create and perform a short story or puppet show with friends, make simple puppets, and practice storytelling skills aloud together.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Pick a short story idea that sounds fun to you and your friends.
- 2
Step 2
Decide if you will perform your idea as a puppet show or as a spoken story.
- 3
Step 3
Choose 2 to 4 characters for your story and give each friend a character to play.
- 4
Step 4
Gather all Materials Needed from the list so everything is ready.
- 5
Step 5
Make a simple puppet for each character using a paper bag or a sock as the base.
- 6
Step 6
Decorate each puppet with colouring materials and scrap paper to give it a face and clothes.
- 7
Step 7
Attach a popsicle stick or straw to the puppet with tape to make it easier to move if you want handles.
- 8
Step 8
Create a quick backdrop by folding a large sheet of paper or hanging a blanket as your stage.
- 9
Step 9
Write or outline your story on paper with a clear beginning middle and end using short sentences.
- 10
Step 10
Practice telling the story aloud with your friends so everyone remembers their lines.
- 11
Step 11
Rehearse the puppet movements and try different voices or sounds for each character.
- 12
Step 12
Perform your puppet show or storytelling live for family or friends and have fun with it.
- 13
Step 13
Share your finished creation on DIY.org
Fun facts
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.
Watch & Learn
Need 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.