Telling Stories Through Art: Combining Writing and Drawing for Kids

Discover new ideas to get your kids started on their storytelling journey, helping them create stories that reach new heights!

A child’s imagination is full of wonderful things like dragons, enchanted forests, friendly creatures, and endless adventures. But how can kids bring these stories to life? One creative way is by combining writing and drawing. By blending pictures with words, kids can create stories that feel vivid and real. Here are some fun ways to help kids share their stories through art and storytelling!

1. Picture First, Words Later

Start with a drawing! This can be anything—a favorite animal, a character, a place, or a feeling. Once the picture is finished, kids can add words to describe what’s happening. Maybe the picture shows a cat in a magical forest. Now, they can write about why the cat is there. Did it lose something? Is it on an adventure? Let the drawing be the guide, and words will follow.

2. Mystery Bag of Story Prompts

Fill a bag with little items or pictures, like a feather, a button, a seashell, or a toy car. Kids can pull out an item and start drawing and writing a story inspired by it. If they pull out a feather, maybe they’ll draw a bird with magical powers, and then write about its secret journey to the clouds. This helps spark creativity, and each story is unique to what they find.

3. Mixing Words with Colors and Shapes

Kids can paint or color their feelings—bright colors for happiness, dark colors for mystery, swirling lines for excitement. After they finish, they can write down words or phrases to match the emotions in the artwork. This way, kids get to explore how art and words together can show how they feel.

4. Designing a Story Map

Maps are great for exploring big adventures! Help kids create a map of an imaginary world they’d like to write about. They can draw mountains, rivers, castles, or secret caves. Then, they can write a story that travels across their map. The character could start by the river and end up at the mountain peak! This method helps kids think about how stories move from place to place, making their ideas come alive.

5. Make Your Own Comic Strip

Kids love comics because they’re short, fun, and full of action. Start by folding a sheet of paper into four or six boxes. In each box, kids can draw a scene of their story. They can add speech bubbles, sound effects, and small sentences to show what’s going on. A comic strip is like a tiny movie that tells a story in just a few scenes. It’s perfect for big imaginations and kiddos who already love comic books!

When kids combine drawing with writing they’re not just creating stories but rather bringing their ideas to life in a way that’s fun and personal. They’re learning to express themselves, to make something that’s truly their own, and to see that their thoughts, drawings, and words can all work together to tell a story that’s one-of-a-kind. With these ideas, there’s no end to the tales they can create!

Additional Links for You:
Online Creating with Kids Courses
10 Creative Writing Prompts For Kids, by @whitney_ryan