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
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.
Optional: How to Make a Simple Drawstring Bag
Materials:
Fabric measuring 10 inches x 18 inches
Fabric scissors
Sewing pins
Sewing machine
Thread
Ribbon
1. Cut your fabric so it measures 10″ x 18″
2. Cut 15″ of ribbon for the drawstring tie.
3. Place the fabric horizontally on a table and fold down the top 1.5″. Pin it down.
4. Sew a 1/4 inch seam. This will create a channel where you thread your ribbon drawstring.
5. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, right sides together.
6. Sew around the bottom and side of the bag using a 1/4″ seam allowance. Make sure you do not sew over the channel you created in step 3! Also, don’t sew the fourth side, which will be the opening to the bag. (Bags, kind of need openings, right?)
7. Turn the bag to the right side and thread the ribbon through the tunnel you created in step 3. Tip: I like to use a safety pin on one end to help cinch it through. Then knot the two ends of the ribbon together so they don’t slip back into the tunnel.
8. Now you’re ready to place the printed tiles in the bag. Done!
Alternatively, you could skip all of these steps and buy a simple drawstring bag; decorate it with markers, iron-ons, felt, stamps, glitter, you name it.
