If your child has a drawing they want to show you, try asking what’s happening in it. They might already have a whole story in mind. Or they might look at it for a moment and decide the dog is late for work.
Either way, you have somewhere to start.
These storytelling activities for kids use things you probably already have: paper, pencils or crayons, and a little space to make a mess. You can follow the whole process and make a small book, or spend a few minutes playing with one idea.
There’s no need to turn it into an assignment. If they’re having fun with the drawing, follow their lead.
1. Start with the character
Pick someone from the picture and ask about them. What’s their name? What do they want to do?
If your child isn’t sure, give them something to work with. Maybe the dog wants to visit a friend, but he’s lost his favorite shoes. Maybe a duck wants a bath, only to find someone has filled the tub with boats.
You don’t need a long list of questions. Ask one, listen to the answer, and see where it goes.
And if their answer doesn’t make much sense to you, that’s okay. You can ask why a dog needs shoes, but be prepared for a very confident explanation.
2. Give them somewhere to go
Once you have a character, draw a place for them to visit.
A simple map works well for this. Put the character’s home on one side of the paper and their destination on the other. Add a path between them, then let your child decide what they’ll find along the way.
Will they have to cross a stream? Is there someone waiting at the gate? What’s inside that little building beside the road?
If drawing a whole map feels like too much, add one detail to the original picture. A suitcase beside a tree or a ladder leaning against the moon can give you something new to talk about.
The map can be as simple or as crowded as they like. You may end up spending all your time drawing places and never leave the first one.
3. Try a story in three pictures
For children who want a bit of structure, divide a sheet of paper into three spaces.
In the first space, draw what the character wants to do. In the second, show something that gets in the way. Use the last space to show what happens next.
For example, a hedgehog packs a picnic, the wind blows away the blanket, and the friends chase it across the park. Maybe they catch it. Maybe they give up and eat on a bench.
Let your child tell you what’s happening before adding any words. They might want speech bubbles, a sentence under each picture, or just the drawings.
If writing slows things down, offer to write while they talk. They can also leave the words off entirely and tell the story aloud.
4. Make some noise
Now read the story together and add a few sound effects.
You can tap the table for footsteps, rub your hands together for rustling leaves, or provide the bark for a dog who has quite a lot to say.
One person can tell the story while the other handles the sounds. Then swap. Giving the character a different voice can make the second telling surprisingly different from the first.
For a quieter version, write the sounds into the pictures. A big “SPLASH” across a puddle or a few small “tap, tap, tap” marks beside the path will do the job.
5. Make it their book
Fold a fresh sheet of paper in half to make a four-page book. The front becomes the cover, and the three remaining pages can hold the story pictures.
Help your child choose a title, then add “Made by” and the name they want to use.
They can redraw their pictures, write their own sentences, or ask you to help with the words. If they’d rather keep the three-picture version they already made, that works too. It doesn’t need to become a bigger project.
Put the finished story somewhere they can pick it up and read it again. Leave a little paper nearby in case they decide it needs another page.
Keep it easy
You don’t have to finish all five activities. Naming a character and making up a few sentences might be enough for one afternoon.
A doodle, a coloring page, or a favorite scene from a book can give you a starting point. Let your child change direction if another idea catches their attention. You can always come back to the first story later.
At Color and Chaos, we’re making room for that mix of stories, pictures and play. You can explore our children’s books and activity books, including the stories we have in the works.
If you’d like something to color next time, take a look at our free coloring-page previews and monthly newsletter. Each monthly issue includes a three-page printable pack. New subscribers receive the next newsletter; the pages aren’t an instant download after signing up.