Year 2 Tell Me A Story Activities

Unleash Imagination with Six Creative Storytelling Activities

Transform your Year 2 English lessons with this engaging storytelling resource featuring six hands-on activities that develop narrative skills, creative writing, and oral storytelling abilities through play, art, and imagination.

Six Complete Activities Included:

1. Story Games: Make storytelling fun and interactive! Engage children in collaborative story-building games that develop narrative structure, sequencing, and creative thinking through play
2. Story Map: Visualize story journeys by creating story maps that plot characters' adventures, helping children understand story structure, settings, and the flow of events from beginning to end
3. Story Timeline: Develop understanding of chronological order by creating timelines of story events, building sequencing skills and comprehension of how stories unfold over time
4. Prompt Cards: Spark creativity with story prompt cards featuring characters, settings, and problems! Children use these visual prompts to generate original stories and overcome writer's block
5. Speech Bubbles: Bring characters to life by adding speech bubbles to story illustrations, developing dialogue writing skills and understanding of how characters communicate in narratives
6. Sliding Puppet Show: Create and perform stories using handmade sliding puppets! This Design & Technology activity combines craft skills with storytelling, allowing children to act out their narratives in a creative, memorable way

Why Teachers Choose This Resource:

• Curriculum-Aligned: Fully supports Year 2 English objectives for narrative writing and spoken language in the National Curriculum
• Multi-Sensory Approach: Combines visual, kinaesthetic, and oral storytelling methods to engage all learners
• Develops Key Skills: Builds story structure understanding, sequencing, dialogue writing, and creative expression
• Ready to Use: Complete lesson plans with learning objectives, templates, and step-by-step instructions
• Encourages Creativity: Activities that inspire original thinking and imaginative storytelling
• Cross-Curricular Links: Connects to KS1 Design & Technology (puppet making) and Drama (performance)
• Builds Confidence: Varied approaches help all children find their storytelling voice

Perfect For:

• Year 2 English narrative writing lessons
• Developing story structure and sequencing skills
• Homeschool English and creative writing curriculum
• Building confidence in oral storytelling
• Drama and performance activities
• Encouraging reluctant writers through creative approaches

Learning Outcomes:

Through these activities, children will understand story structure (beginning, middle, end), develop sequencing and chronological ordering skills, create original narratives using prompts and imagination, write dialogue and character speech, perform and retell stories orally, and build confidence in creative expression and storytelling.

What Makes This Resource Special:

Not all children find writing easy, but every child has stories to tell. These activities provide multiple entry points into storytelling—through games, maps, puppets, and prompts—ensuring every child can access narrative learning and discover the joy of creating and sharing stories in ways that suit their strengths.

Building Narrative Skills:

Understanding how stories work is fundamental to both reading comprehension and creative writing. By exploring stories through mapping, sequencing, performing, and creating, children develop deep understanding of narrative structure that supports their development as both readers and writers.

Bring storytelling to life in your Year 2 classroom! These engaging activities help children discover their inner storyteller through creative, hands-on approaches that make narrative learning fun, accessible, and memorable—building the skills and confidence they need to become successful writers and communicators.