Tell a Terribly Tiny Tale
Write and illustrate a terribly tiny tale on a small folded booklet, make tiny paper characters, and perform the micro-story aloud to friends.
Step-by-step guide to Tell a Terribly Tiny Tale
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Step 1
Gather all the listed materials and bring them to your workspace.
Step 2
Fold one sheet of paper in half widthwise so the short edges meet.
Step 3
Fold that folded paper in half again so you have a quarter-size rectangle.
Step 4
Use scissors to cut a slit along the center fold about halfway from the folded edge.
Step 5
Push the cut edges together so the paper pops into a small booklet and press it flat.
Step 6
Write a tiny title on the front page with your pencil.
Step 7
Write one very short sentence or scene on each inside page to build your micro-story.
Step 8
Draw a matching picture for each sentence using your coloring materials.
Step 9
Cut small squares from scrap paper to make tiny paper characters.
Step 10
Fold each square into a simple character body or shape.
Step 11
Add faces clothes and details to each tiny character with your coloring materials.
Step 12
Set up a small stage area using a box lid or a cleared spot on the table.
Step 13
Practice telling your tiny tale aloud while moving the tiny characters through the pages.
Step 14
Perform your micro-story aloud to friends using the tiny paper characters and your booklet.
Step 15
Share your finished creation 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 I use if I don't have scissors or fancy coloring supplies?
If you don't have scissors, carefully tear the center fold to make the slit or ask an adult to use a craft knife, and swap markers for crayons, colored pencils, or stickers as your coloring materials.
Why won't my paper pop into a booklet and how can I fix it?
Check that the slit is cut along the center fold about halfway from the folded edge and then press the outer folds flat while pushing the cut edges together so the paper can pop into a small booklet.
How can I adapt this activity for younger or older kids?
For toddlers have an adult pre-fold and pre-cut the slit and provide stickers and premade tiny paper characters to move on a box-lid stage, for early elementary let kids fold, cut squares, draw and write short sentences themselves, and for older kids add more pages, detailed illustrations, dialogue, and record a performance to share on DIY.org.
How can we make the tiny tale more creative or personal?
Extend the tiny tale by decorating the box-lid stage with painted backgrounds, sewing or taping fabric curtains, turning multiple booklets into a series, or giving each tiny paper character a name and unique costume drawn with your coloring materials before performing and filming to post on DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to Tell a Terribly Tiny Tale
5 Tiny Tales | English Stories for Kids | Short Moral Stories & Bedtime Stories
4 Videos
5 Tiny Tales | English Stories for Kids | Short Moral Stories & Bedtime Stories
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Facts about storytelling and puppetry for kids
📚 Flash fiction can tell a whole story in just six words — tiny but mighty!
🔎 Some miniature books are so small you need a magnifying glass to read them.
✂️ Papercraft can turn a single sheet into characters and props using only folds and cuts.
🕊️ Origami cranes are a famous paper-folding symbol often associated with peace and hope.
🎭 Performing a micro-story with tiny voices and props helps listeners imagine a huge world.
