Share the story of when you lost your first tooth!
Write and illustrate a short story about losing your first tooth, describing feelings, details, and a drawing to share with family and friends.
About this activity
Write and illustrate a short story about losing your first tooth, describing feelings, details, and a drawing to share with family and friends.
What you need
Step by step
- 1
Step 1
Gather your materials at a quiet spot where you can work comfortably.
- 2
Step 2
Take 30 seconds to remember the moment you lost your first tooth and the little details you can picture.
- 3
Step 3
Write a short title at the top of your paper that tells what your story is about.
- 4
Step 4
Write 2 to 4 sentences describing where you were when your tooth came out.
- 5
Step 5
Write 2 to 4 sentences describing who was with you and what they did.
- 6
Step 6
Write 2 to 4 sentences about how you felt in that moment.
- 7
Step 7
Write 1 to 2 sentences about what happened right after the tooth came out.
- 8
Step 8
Pick one special moment from your story to turn into a drawing.
- 9
Step 9
Draw a big picture of that moment on the same page as your story.
- 10
Step 10
Add small details to your drawing like faces expressions and objects from your memory.
- 11
Step 11
Color your drawing with your colouring materials to make it bright and fun.
- 12
Step 12
Share your finished story and drawing on DIY.org so family and friends can see it.
Fun facts
How do I do the 'lost first tooth' writing and illustrating activity with my child?
Start by asking your child to remember the moment they lost their first tooth. Prompt with simple questions about where they were, who helped, how it felt, and any funny details. Have them write a short beginning, middle, and end; younger kids can dictate while you write. Next, add an illustration showing the scene or a tooth character, then color and caption it. Finally, read the story aloud together and display or photograph it to share with family and friends.
What materials do I need for the lost first tooth storytelling activity?
You’ll need paper or a small blank booklet, a pencil and eraser, and colored pencils, crayons, or markers. Optional supplies: stickers, glue stick, scissors for collage elements, ruler for panels, and a sharpener. For younger children, use tracing paper or stencils; for digital versions, a tablet or drawing app works well. A camera or smartphone is handy to photograph the finished story for sharing or saving in a family keepsake.
What ages is this 'lost first tooth' activity suitable for?
This activity fits children roughly ages 4–10. Preschoolers (about 3–5) can dictate their memory while an adult writes and they draw simple pictures. Early elementary kids (6–8) can write short sentences and add details independently. Older children (9–10 and up) can create longer narratives, comic strips, or add dialogue and multiple scenes. Adjust support, prompts, and complexity to match your child’s writing and drawing abilities.
What are the benefits of sharing and illustrating the story of losing a first tooth?
Telling and illustrating this milestone helps children process feelings, develop storytelling and vocabulary, and practice fine motor skills. It boosts confidence by celebrating a personal event and creates a lasting keepsake for the family. Reading the story aloud strengthens speaking skills and family bonds. Simple variations—making a class book, turning it into a comic, or recording a video reading—add creativity and chances to share with relatives.
Watch & Learn
Need help?
What can we use if we don't have the specified paper or colouring materials?
If you don't have plain paper or colouring materials, use a notebook page, cardboard, or the back of a cereal box for your story and colour with crayons, markers, colored pencils, or even cut-up magazine pieces glued onto the same page as your drawing.
I'm stuck and can't remember details or start writing—what should I do?
Follow the instruction to take 30 seconds to remember and if that still feels hard, ask a family member who was there for prompts about where you were and who was with you, look at old photos for location clues, then write short 2–4 sentence answers and sketch a simple big picture to build momentum.
How can I adapt this activity for different ages?
For younger children have an adult write the 2–4 sentence sections as the child dictates and let them focus on the big drawing and colouring, while older kids can expand each 2–4 sentence section into longer paragraphs, add more small details in the drawing, and refine before sharing on DIY.org.
How can we extend or personalize the finished story and drawing?
Turn your chosen special moment into a mini comic or storyboard with several small panels showing before and after the tooth came out, add labels for facial expressions and objects from your memory, colour each panel, and photograph the page to share on DIY.org for family feedback.