Storytelling, imagination, and laughter are such simple, yet powerful tools for connecting with our kids.
This game incorporates them all. And it’s EASY, meaning you can play while multitasking. In the car. Cleaning up the house. Cooking dinner. Eating dinner!
At the bottom of this post, I’ll share an audio recording of my stepdaughter and me playing “popcorn” storytelling the other day. We had just gotten home from school. I was running around the kitchen trying to get the kids a snack, tidy up, and start dinner. You’ll hear my toddler chiming in.
These questions start up pretty much right away after school:
“How much longer ‘til we get home?”
“What’s for dinner?”
“When will Daddy be home?”
“I’m bored. What can I do?”
When I start to feel my eye twitch, I know what time it is.
It’s time to play “Popcorn” Storytelling!
Here’s how I play this game with my students and kids:
- Whoever starts the story, starts out with the words:
“Once upon a time…”
2. They tell a few sentences of a story to get it going. It’s helpful for whoever is starting to establish a main character and a setting. Then they say,
“Popcorn!”
Which means they’re ready to pass the story off to the next player. The story then POPS (get it?) over to the next person!
(If there are two players, we go back and forth. Three or more, we go in a circle).
3. The next player picks up the story where it left off.
4. And so on, and so on. It’s so much fun to see where the story goes — usually somewhere ridiculous!
5. Eventually, we work together to wrap up the story. When it feels like the end, we give each other a knowing look and all say in unison…
“THE END!”
This storytelling game isn’t just good for child development. It’s a great way to challenge yourself to be creative and spontaneous as well.
In the example below, you’ll hear my stepdaughter and me cracking each other up throughout the game.
Those moments of genuine shared laughter are like little gold nuggets in our relationship. Each one seems to bring us closer to each other.
That may sound cheesy, but it’s 100% true.
I can’t wait until my son is old enough to play!
The Giraffe And The Witch
*Side note: This was after I trimmed two minutes off. This game is so great for long car rides in that way. It can go on for a while. Which really buys you some time before the “I’m bored’s” start back up.
NOTES:
-This is a great game to play over FaceTime with loved ones. We played with my sister (“Aunt Nad”) later that day. It ended up being about a girl who had 57 ferrets living in her studio apartment. But then it turned out they were actually carrots. I was crying laughing and could barely talk. See the comedic magic that comes from kids and adults playing this game together!?
-A more challenging, advanced version of this storytelling game is “One-Word Story.” It’s generally more successful with older kids who can really focus and be in tune with the other players. My sister and I have literally played this together for hours — as ADULTS. Tears of laughter every time.
–The “Let Them Live” Rule: When I play this with my theater students, here’s the rule. No characters in the story die. That’s not for the sake of censorship/control. It’s just that sometimes kids have this urge to “kill off” characters, thinking it’s funny. But what ends up happening is the story just loses momentum and doesn’t go anywhere.
If you play this game with your kids, please share in the comments a little synopsis of your story. I love seeing the creativity that comes out in this game!
Hi! I’m Mia.
Mom, stepmom, wife, songwriter, performer, and theater educator.
I love sharing ideas, tips, and templates for connecting with kids through low-to-no budget, waste-free, creative play.
[…] up a short story together, either by playing a quick round of “Popcorn” or by using this simple story-writing […]
[…] If you are playing an improv storytelling game like this one for the first time with your kids, I highly recommend starting out with “Popcorn Stories,” where you each take turns telling a few sentences at a time. […]