Make an adventure story

What can we use instead of index cards, cardboard boxes, or spoons if we don't have them?

If you don't have index cards use cut-up printer paper or cereal-box pieces for drawing characters, replace cardboard boxes with shoe boxes or folded cardstock for props, and swap spoons for rolled socks, wooden spatulas, or recycled plastic utensils.

My props keep falling apart or my child gets stuck turning the outline into pages—what should we do?

Reinforce fragile props with tape or hot glue before practice and if the child is stuck turning the three-or-four bullet-point outline into pages, pick one map stop and write just one sentence about it to turn into a single illustrated page to build momentum.

How can I adapt the steps for younger or older kids?

For preschoolers, simplify by making one big map stop, drawing characters on larger paper with an adult scribing the one-sentence pages and using one prop, while older kids can add a subplot, write four-or-more bullet points in the outline, create detailed cardboard props, and rehearse expressive voices.

How can we extend or personalize the adventure after the basic performance?

Enhance the project by turning the illustrated pages into a stapled booklet, adding homemade sound effects or a phone soundtrack during performance, decorating costumes that match your map locations and props, creating choice-based branch points at the two cool stops, and sharing photos or a short video on DIY.org.