Animal Storytelling Activity for Preschoolers: One Picture, Many Stories

For a simple animal storytelling activity for preschoolers, choose one animal picture and invent a tiny adventure together. Let your child name the animal, choose something it wants to do, and decide what happens next. You can tell the story aloud, add animal sounds, or point to choices. Reading, writing and finishing a coloring page are all optional.

A rabbit drawing left on the kitchen counter can become a rabbit looking for its missing picnic. Tomorrow, the same rabbit might run a hat shop. The picture is a starting point, and your child gets to change the story.

This guide gives you one short game, an example conversation and six prompts to use when you need them. Try it with a child aged 3–7, adjusting the amount of talking to what they enjoy today.

Start with one picture your child likes

Set out an animal coloring page, a drawing your child has made, or an animal picture in a book you already own. Choose a picture you can both see clearly. If several animals appear, ask your child which one the story will follow.

You do not need to cut out cards, prepare a worksheet or print a whole pack. A used coloring sheet is fine. Leave it as it is, or invite your child to add a detail later: a door, a puddle, a hat or a friend.

Keep the invitation small: “Shall we make up something about this rabbit?” If your child picks another animal, follow that choice. If they would rather look at the picture with you, start there.

For another animal-picture game, Nemours’ Who Am I? activity suggests using familiar animals, describing their features and, for an extra challenge, making up a story about a picture. Here, the focus is a shared pretend adventure rather than guessing the correct animal.

If you want a printable animal picture, the Cute Animals Adventures coloring pack contains 19 coloring pages featuring 10 animal characters for ages 3–7, supplied as a US Letter PDF. It is an optional source of pictures; the storytelling prompts below are part of this guide, not cards included in the pack.

Already have a PDF but need help getting it onto paper? Use our A4 and US Letter printing guide. Otherwise, begin with a picture already within reach.

Try one short story together

Sit where you can both look at the picture. You might start while your child colors, after they stop, or without bringing out any crayons. There is no page to complete before the story can begin.

Give the animal one small wish. Ask what it would like to do. A rabbit could visit a friend, find a hat or have a picnic. If the question feels too wide, offer two possibilities: “Is Rabbit going to the pond or the playground?” Your child can choose either, or invent something else.

Add one thing that happens. Take a brief turn yourself, then leave room for a response. “Rabbit packed a picnic, but the blanket was missing.” Your child might supply an idea, make a surprised face, or point at a place where the blanket could be.

Let your child decide the next move. Use their contribution rather than replacing it with a tidier plot. If they say the blanket flew to the moon, you can ask how Rabbit will reach it. You do not need to bring the story back to a realistic picnic.

Offer an ending when it feels useful. Try “Where shall Rabbit stop?” or “Do we want one more thing to happen?” A one-sentence story can be enough. You can also leave an adventure unfinished and come back another day, if your child wants to.

Keep your own additions short enough that your child still has choices to make. If you notice that you are asking question after question, pause and simply respond to the last idea: “A moon picnic! I wonder what Rabbit packed.”

An animal story you can change

Here is an invented example to show how small answers can become a shared story. It is a model conversation, not a report of an activity tested with a child.

• Adult: “This rabbit has a bag. What shall we put in it?”
• Child: “A hat.”
• Adult: “Rabbit took a hat to the pond. Who was there?”
• Child: “A duck.”
• Adult: “Duck wanted to try it on. Did the hat fit?”
• Child: “No! Too big!”
• Adult: “What could Duck do with a very big hat?”
• Child: “Sleep in it.”

You could finish with: “Rabbit brought a hat to the pond, and Duck made it into a bed.” Or your child might decide that the hat becomes a boat. Follow the version they choose.

The useful part of this example is the handover. The adult supplies just enough to keep the scene moving; the child supplies the bag’s contents, the visitor and the surprising use for the hat. There is no correct answer to check.

If your child only says “duck,” try accepting that as the whole contribution: “Duck came too.” You do not need to ask for a longer sentence. If your child wants to tell the entire adventure, become the listener instead.

Six prompts to keep beside the picture

Choose one prompt when the story needs a nudge. You do not need to work through all six, in order or at all. Offer a choice if an open question leaves your child stuck.

1. Who is our animal? “Does Rabbit have a name, or shall we call it Rabbit?” A name is optional.
2. Where will it go? “To a pond, a house, or somewhere you choose?” A familiar place gives you something concrete to talk about.
3. What does it want? “Is it looking for a friend or somewhere to sit?” Keep the first wish small if that suits your child.
4. What gets in the way? “The hat is too big. What now?” Skip a problem entirely if your child prefers a peaceful visit.
5. What will it try? “Could the hat become something else?” Accept an unexpected solution without correcting the pretend idea.
6. How shall we finish? “Does Duck stay at the pond or go home?” Your child can also choose to leave the ending for later.

A prompt is an invitation, not a test. “I don’t know” can mean it is your turn to add an idea, time to offer two choices, or time to put the picture away.

When your child wants a different way to play

Choose the adjustment that fits the moment. These are ways to change the game, not age targets or a checklist your child has to pass.

For a quieter version, let your child point while you tell the story. For a more active version, invite an animal sound or a gesture while you stay with the picture. There is no need to turn the whole room into a stage.

If your child wants a bigger challenge, ask them to change one decision and imagine a new ending. What if Duck returned the hat instead? What if Rabbit had packed a tiny umbrella? Keep the original version too; one does not replace the other.

If the activity is not appealing today, stop. Our screen-free activity ideas for preschoolers include movement, building and other choices for a different kind of moment.

Keep the story, or leave it on the page

Ask whether your child wants you to write down a line from the story. Write the words they choose, then read them back and check whether they want to change anything. You could add the date on the reverse and keep the picture with their drawings.

Sesame Workshop’s Silly Storytelling activity also invites adults and children to invent a story from a picture and suggests writing down children’s words to read aloud afterward. You can use that simple idea without making a finished book.

You might tell the adventure to another family member if your child wants an audience. You can also enjoy the story once and leave it there. A saved page, written record or performance is optional.

For another day, set aside just one picture instead of preparing a stack. If you are deciding which kinds of pages your child might enjoy, our guide to choosing printable activity books can help. You can also browse the KidsColorsBook Free Printables library for a different starting point.

Frequently asked questions

Does my child need to finish coloring before telling the story?

No. Use an uncolored picture, a partly colored page or a drawing already finished. Your child can talk while coloring, stop coloring to tell the story, or skip coloring altogether.

What if my preschooler only gives one-word answers?

Use the word as their contribution and add a short line around it. If they say “pond,” you might say, “Rabbit went to the pond.” Then pause or offer a simple choice. This game does not require full sentences.

Do I need special storytelling cards or a printable pack?

No. Start with a picture in a book, a drawing or an animal coloring page you already have. Read the prompts aloud if you use them. There is no separate card set needed for this activity.

How long should we play?

Keep the first invitation to one tiny adventure, and follow your child’s interest. Finish after one sentence, continue with another choice, or stop when they want to move on. There is no required session length.