Rainy Day Projects

Paper Chain Story Garland

A paper chain is simple enough for a five-year-old to cut and loop independently, but layering a story onto each link gives it the staying power a snow day demands. The child decides on a character and an adventure — entirely their own — and each ring becomes one moment in the plot. By the time they run out of paper strips, they have something that stretches across a room and tells a complete story.

Ages
5–8
Time
60 min
Adult help
Light adult help
Mess
Low mess

Before you start

Before you call the child over, cut or tear your scrap paper into strips roughly an inch wide and six inches long — aim for twenty strips to start, with more available if needed. Line up a washable marker, a glue stick or clear tape, and lay everything on a clear table. The activity most often stalls at the very beginning, when the child can't decide on a story: have a starter prompt ready, like 'a small animal wakes up and the whole world is white outside' and let them take it wherever they want. Around link ten, some kids lose momentum — that is a good moment to ask 'what happens next to your character?' rather than suggesting the chain is done. Wind down naturally when they run out of ideas or strips; hang it across a doorway together as a closing ritual.

You will need

  • Scrap paper or old printer paperPre-cut into strips about 1 inch wide and 6 inches long
  • Washable markersOne or two colors; black shows up best on white strips
  • Clear tape or glue stickTape is faster and more reliable for looping links
  • ScissorsChild-safe scissors for ages 5–7; standard scissors fine for 8
  • RuleroptionalOptional; for a child who wants even strips

Steps

  1. 1

    Introduce the story idea

    Sit with the child for a minute and say, 'Each ring in this chain is going to be one thing that happens in a story you make up. The longer the chain, the more adventures.' Ask them who the main character is and write or draw it on the first strip together.

    Tip: Letting them pick any character — real, imaginary, or an object — removes the biggest early obstacle.

  2. 2

    Show how to loop and link

    Curve the first strip into a ring and tape or glue the ends together. Thread the second strip through it before closing it. Hand over the tape from this point — most kids can manage the looping with just occasional help.

    Tip: Tape is forgiving; glue needs a thirty-second hold. Tell them which you're using so they know to wait.

  3. 3

    Draw or write before linking

    The routine becomes: draw or write one story moment on a flat strip, then loop and link it. Remind them to keep the drawing on the outside of the curve, or it ends up facing inward. You can check in every few links without hovering.

    Tip: For a child who isn't writing yet, a single drawn picture per link works just as well.

  4. 4

    Keep the story moving

    If they stall, ask one question: 'What goes wrong for your character?' or 'Who does your character meet?' Avoid suggesting plot details — their chain, their story. Step back once they're moving again.

    Tip: A chain of fifteen links is a satisfying length; don't push past the child's natural stopping point.

  5. 5

    Hang the finished chain

    Ask the child to count the links before you hang it. Drape it across a doorway or along a wall with a small piece of tape at each end. Standing back and looking at it together is a natural, unhurried ending.

    Tip: They can read the story back by walking the chain — a satisfying recap that extends the activity a few more minutes.

Try it another way

  • For two siblings, each builds their own chain and then they trade a single strip to link the two stories together at the midpoint.
  • A child closer to eight can write a sentence per link rather than drawing, making it a visible first draft of a short story.
  • For a quieter version, skip the story framing and let the child simply decorate each strip with patterns before linking — the chain is the goal, not the narrative.

Keep in mind

  • Child-safe scissors are appropriate through age seven; check that blades are not too dull to cut cleanly, as excessive force with dull scissors causes slipping.

What they get out of it

Children practice putting a sequence of events in order, learn that a story needs things to happen one after another, and finish with something physical that shows how long their thinking went.

Take it to the table

Materials checklist, the steps and the variations on one Letter page.

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