Whether you're hosting a sleepover in your backyard under the stars, sending the kids off to summer camp, or packing up the camping gear and heading out on a family retreat in the car, make-your-own stories can be a fun, low-tech way to stay entertained. So I came up with the easiest craft idea: A fun story starter grab bag themed around campfire stories, filled with little icons to help generate ideas and make things more fun.
In fact, you don't even have to be around a campfire to use it. Though marshmallows are always a plus, in any situation.
Free printable story starter images from Cool Mom Picks
Our free printable story starter images PDF, or your own made from clip art around the Web Printer Paper Scissors A small drawstring bag (Or make one using the tutorial below)How to Make and Use A Set of Story Starters Tiles
1. First free printable story starter images PDF and print it out on a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. We went with campfire story themed images but you can do anything you want! 2. Cut out the pictures following our lines. Before you cut them out, consider taking a trip to your local office supply store and having them laminated. It only costs a couple of dollars, and it will make the cards last a lot longer than the trip. Or just print on heavier card stock and hope it doesn't rain. 3. Have fun! Here are a few ideas:- You can pass the bag in a circle, and whoever has it draws one tile and has to tell a story incorporating that image.
- Let each person in the circle draw a tile. Go around the circle and tell a story one sentence at a time, but you have to include the item you've drawn.
- Have the story teller draw three to five random tiles, and tell a story using all of them. Should get interesting!
- To make things more fun, include the names of people around the campfire, cartoon characters, and random items in the grab bag. You could end up with an awesome story about Grandma saving Batman from a fire-breathing kitten.
