The “What If?” Story Game: A Simple Creative Writing Activity for Kids

A perfectly ordinary sentence can become an extraordinary story with just two words:

What if?

“A girl walked to school” describes an everyday event.

But what if her backpack started talking? What if the moon followed her home? What if the school doors opened into a jungle?

Suddenly, the child is no longer simply describing what happens. They are imagining possibilities, creating problems, and deciding where a story should go next.

In this Taroo Tip, Librarian Lucy introduces The “What If?” Story Game, a quick storytelling activity for kids ages 6–10.

TL;DR

Begin with a simple sentence, such as:

“A boy opened the front door.”

Then ask one “what if?” question:

“What if there was a penguin waiting outside?”

Invite your child to continue the story. There are no predetermined answers. The activity helps children practice imagination, narrative thinking, cause and effect, and creative confidence.

How to Play the “What If?” Story Game

Start with an ordinary sentence that gives your child a character and an action.

For example:

• A girl walked to school.

• A boy looked under his bed.

• A dog waited beside the window.

• Two friends found an old box.

• A family sat down for dinner.

• A child opened a library book.

Now introduce one unexpected possibility.

• What if the girl’s backpack started talking?

• What if a tiny city was hidden under the bed?

• What if the dog was waiting for a spaceship?

• What if the old box contained tomorrow’s newspaper?

• What if every item of food began singing?

• What if the library book knew the child’s name?

Then ask:

“What could happen next?”

That is enough to begin a story.

Your child can tell it aloud, write the next sentence, draw the next scene, or take turns developing it with you.

Why “What If?” Is Such a Powerful Story Prompt

Children sometimes struggle with creative writing because they think they need to invent an entire story before they begin.

They imagine a blank page waiting for a brilliant idea.

A “what if?” prompt makes the task smaller. The child begins with something familiar and changes only one part of it.

The school is normal, but the backpack talks.

The house is normal, but the door leads to a jungle.

The dog is normal, but it can read.

That one change creates a question the story now needs to explore. What does the backpack say? Why is there a jungle behind the door? What books does the dog enjoy?

Instead of asking a child to “be creative,” the game gives their imagination a specific place to start.

From Description to Imagination

Description helps children explain what they can already see or know.

Imagination asks them to consider what might be possible.

Both are important storytelling skills, but they are not the same.

Consider this sentence:

“A boy found a key in the garden.”

A child could describe the key’s size, color, and shape. That develops observation and descriptive language.

A “what if?” question takes the idea in another direction:

“What if the key could open any door in the world?”

Now the child has decisions to make:

• Which door will the boy open?

• Where will it lead?

• Was the key left there deliberately?

• Is someone trying to get it back?

• What happens if the key is used twice?

The child begins creating a story world rather than only describing an object.

How the Game Develops Cause-and-Effect Thinking

A good “what if?” changes the situation. The child then has to imagine the consequences.

If a backpack starts talking, does the girl hide it? Does she ask it questions? Does it reveal that she packed the wrong homework? Does it get her into trouble during class?

Each new event creates another decision or consequence.

This helps children practice cause-and-effect thinking:

Something changes → the character reacts → the reaction creates a new situation.

Children do not need to know formal storytelling terminology to experiment with this structure. They learn it naturally by deciding what happens next.

Five Ways to Play

1. Take turns adding sentences

One person begins with a normal sentence. The next person introduces the “what if?” idea. Continue alternating, one sentence at a time.

This removes the pressure to create the whole story alone.

2. Create three different stories

Use the same opening sentence but add three different twists.

Opening: “A girl missed the school bus.”

• What if the bus disappeared every Tuesday?

• What if her bicycle could fly?

• What if she discovered a baby dragon at the bus stop?

This shows children that the same beginning can lead to many possible stories.

3. Ask what happens before and after

A “what if?” prompt does not always have to begin the story.

Show your child an unusual situation and ask:

• “What if this happened in the middle of the story?”

• “What might have happened before it?”

• “What could happen afterward?”

This helps children think about story sequence.

4. Turn the idea into a drawing

If your child does not want to write, ask them to draw the moment when the ordinary situation becomes surprising.

They can explain the drawing afterward or add speech bubbles and captions.

5. Keep a “what if?” jar

Write simple characters, places, and strange events on separate slips of paper.

For example:

• A sleepy astronaut

• A neighborhood park

• A map that changes every hour

Choose one from each group and combine them into a story prompt.

Helpful Follow-Up Questions

Once your child has an idea, resist the urge to take over the story. Use questions that help them develop their own version.

Try asking:

• “What happens next?”

• “How does the character react?”

• “What problem does this create?”

• “What does the character decide to do?”

• “Who else knows about it?”

• “What is the funniest thing that could happen?”

• “What could go wrong?”

• “How might the story end?”

The goal is not to lead the child toward the answer you would choose. It is to help them explore the consequences of their own idea.

What If My Child Says, “I Don’t Know”?

“I don’t know” does not necessarily mean a child lacks imagination. The prompt may simply feel too broad.

Offer two possible directions without completing the story for them.

For example:

“Do you think the talking backpack is friendly, or is it trying to cause trouble?”

Once the child chooses, ask what happens because of that choice.

You can also make the task smaller:

• What does the backpack say first?

• How does its voice sound?

• Who hears it?

• How does the girl feel?

A story can grow from one small answer at a time.

Why There Are No Wrong Answers

Open-ended storytelling gives children something many school activities cannot always provide: the freedom to make a choice without searching for the expected response.

The backpack can be friendly, grumpy, frightened, or secretly in charge of a spy mission. Each answer can work if the child develops it into a story.

This freedom helps build creative confidence. Children learn that an original idea does not need to match somebody else’s idea to be worth exploring.

Parents can still encourage clearer thinking by asking children to explain what happens next or how one event leads to another. The story remains open-ended while the child practices developing ideas coherently.

Try Collaborative Storytelling in Taroo’s Pass the Pen

Taroo’s Pass the Pen lets kids build playful stories one line at a time.

Instead of facing a blank page and creating an entire narrative alone, children respond to what has already been written and decide where the story should go next. Each new line can introduce a character, complication, decision, or surprising turn.

It brings the same spirit as the “What If?” Story Game to screen time: children are not simply watching a story unfold. They are helping create it.

The Takeaway

Creative writing does not have to begin with a complicated lesson or a long writing assignment.

Start with an ordinary sentence. Add one unexpected “what if?” Then ask your child what could happen next.

One small change can open an entire story world.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the “What If?” Story Game?

It is an open-ended storytelling activity in which a child begins with a normal situation and adds an unexpected possibility. They then imagine how the change affects the characters and what happens next.

How do “what if?” questions help children write stories?

“What if?” questions give children a specific creative starting point. They introduce a change, problem, or unusual possibility that the child can develop into a narrative.

What are some good “what if?” questions for kids?

Try prompts such as “What if your pet could talk?”, “What if your school floated into space?”, “What if you woke up one inch tall?” or “What if every door led to a different world?”

What skills does this storytelling activity develop?

The activity can help children practice imagination, narrative sequencing, cause and effect, problem creation, decision-making, verbal communication, and creative writing.

What age is the “What If?” Story Game suitable for?

The activity works especially well for children ages 6–10, but it can be simplified for younger children or made more complex for older children.

Does my child need to write the story?

No. Children can tell the story aloud, act it out, draw it as a comic, record it, or take turns adding sentences with another person.

How can I help a child who struggles to continue the story?

Ask smaller questions about what the character sees, wants, feels, or decides. Offering two possible directions can also help the child get started without taking control of the story.

How long should the activity take?

It can work as a five-minute storytelling game or expand into a longer writing, drawing, or collaborative storytelling activity.