Storytime: Overcoming A Fear
Write and illustrate a short story about a character facing a fear, create simple puppets, and perform it to practice courage and storytelling.
Step-by-step guide to Storytime: Overcoming A Fear
Step 1
Sit in a quiet spot with your materials ready.
Step 2
Choose a character you want to tell a story about.
Step 3
Give your character a name.
Step 4
Pick one fear your character will face.
Step 5
Write a short three-part outline with a beginning a middle and an end.
Step 6
Turn your outline into a short story of about four to eight sentences on paper.
Step 7
Draw one picture for the beginning one picture for the middle and one picture for the end.
Step 8
Draw two simple puppet shapes of your character on cardboard or a paper bag.
Step 9
Carefully cut out your puppet shapes with scissors.
Step 10
Colour and decorate your puppets and your story pictures.
Step 11
Attach a popsicle stick or skewer to each puppet with glue or tape to make handles.
Step 12
Make a small stage by turning a box on its side or clearing a space on a table and placing your pictures as a backdrop.
Step 13
Practice your puppet performance aloud once or twice.
Step 14
Perform your puppet story for family or friends to practice courage and storytelling.
Step 15
Share your finished puppet story and pictures on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have popsicle sticks, skewers, or a paper bag for the puppets?
If you don't have popsicle sticks, skewers, or a paper bag to make handles, glue or tape rolled-up cardboard strips, wooden chopsticks, stiff drinking straws, or strips of index card to the cut-out puppet shapes when you 'Attach a popsicle stick or skewer to each puppet with glue or tape'.
My puppet shapes keep tearing when I cut them out—how can we avoid that?
To prevent tearing while you 'Carefully cut out your puppet shapes with scissors,' draw larger, simpler shapes on thicker cardboard or a paper bag, cut slowly with an adult's help, or use pre-cut templates or a craft knife on a cutting mat for clean edges.
How can we adapt the activity for younger or older kids?
For younger children, simplify by choosing a familiar character, having an adult help write the three-part outline and pre-cut puppet shapes to color, while older kids can expand the four-to-eight sentence story, add dialogue and sound effects, and build a more detailed box stage.
What are some ways to make the puppet show more engaging or personalized after finishing the basic steps?
Make the show more engaging by adding movable joints with brads to your cardboard puppets, layering the three beginning/middle/end pictures inside the box stage for depth, creating simple sound effects during practice, and personalizing the character's fear-resolution before sharing the finished puppet story on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to perform Storytime: Overcoming A Fear
"Face Your Fears! Fun Tips for Kids to Be Brave | Overcoming Scary Challenges"
4 Videos
"Face Your Fears! Fun Tips for Kids to Be Brave | Overcoming Scary Challenges"
How To Overcome Fear - Best Educational Animation Video For Kids
Three Steps to Help Kids Overcome Their Fears
💙 Read-Along with the Author | EVERYBODY FEELS FEAR! | Brightly Storytime
Facts about storytelling and emotional resilience for kids
🎭 Puppetry is ancient — puppet shows have appeared in many cultures for thousands of years.
✏️ Many picture books use 32 pages because printing and folding make that a handy standard for illustrators.
🐻 Performing through a puppet helps shy kids speak up because they can pretend the puppet is talking instead of themselves.
📖 Telling and listening to stories boosts empathy and vocabulary — it's a superpower for understanding feelings and new words.
😱 Most children experience common fears (like the dark or monsters) and often outgrow them as they practice bravery and coping skills.
