Tell the Longest Story Ever Told
Write and illustrate the longest story you can with friends, adding one sentence each, binding pages into a book to share and read aloud.
Step-by-step guide to Tell the Longest Story Ever Told
Big and Small | English Learning Stories | PINKFONG Story Time for Children
Step 1
Gather all the materials and sit in a circle with your friends.
Step 2
Decide the order of turns by drawing names or counting off.
Step 3
On the first page write one starter sentence to begin the story.
Step 4
When it is your turn write exactly one sentence on a fresh page to continue the story.
Step 5
Draw a picture that matches your sentence on the same page.
Step 6
Pass the next blank page to the next person in the order.
Step 7
Keep taking turns adding one sentence and an illustration until everyone agrees the story is long enough.
Step 8
Collect all the pages and place them in the order the sentences were written.
Step 9
Write a big title on a piece of cardboard to make the cover.
Step 10
Write the list of all authors (your names) on the inside of the cover.
Step 11
Decorate the cover with colours and drawings to make it look amazing.
Step 12
Bind the pages and cover together using a stapler or by punching holes and tying string or by taping the spine.
Step 13
Read the whole finished book aloud together, using fun voices and sound effects.
Step 14
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 if we don't have cardboard, a stapler, or string for the cover and binding?
Use a cereal-box piece or a thick folder for the cover and fasten the pages with binder clips, large paperclips, tape along the spine, or punch holes and tie yarn or a shoelace instead of a stapler or string.
What should we do if pages get mixed up or someone accidentally writes two sentences?
Number each fresh page in the corner as you write and remind everyone of the 'one sentence per turn' rule, then Collect all the pages and place them in the order the sentences were written to restore sequence.
How can we adapt the activity for much younger or older children?
For preschoolers, have an adult or older sibling write the child's spoken sentence on the fresh page while the child draws with crayons, and for older kids require two-sentence turns, a new vocabulary word, or more elaborate cardboard cover decorations and an authors list.
How can we make the finished book more special or share it beyond reading aloud?
After binding the pages and cover, add short 'about the author' lines next to each name inside the cover, record the read-aloud with your fun voices and sound effects, and upload photos or a scan of the finished creation to DIY.org.
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Facts about creative writing and storytelling for kids
✍️ The Surrealists invented the "exquisite corpse" game in the 1920s so friends could build surprising collaborative stories and drawings together.
📖 Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time is often cited as one of the longest novels — around 1.2 million words!
🎨 Most traditional picture books follow a 32-page format — a handy size for planning, illustrating, and binding your group's story.
🎤 Reading stories aloud makes them more memorable and is a super fun way to share a long group story with friends and family.
🧵 You can make a real book with just paper, a needle, and thread using methods like Japanese stab binding that have been used for centuries.
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