Playtime Felts — Little pieces. Big storytelling.

Hands-on storytime

Preschool storytime ideas

Find quick, hands-on activities for circle time or storytime at home.

Find a storytime activity
Three Little Pigs printable characters and straw house arranged on a wooden desk

Felt board teaching guides

Set up a story corner, get more out of circle time, or find a good book to read next.

Browse storytime activities

Classic tales · Sequencing · 5-minute prep

Three Little Pigs sequencing activity

Put the straw, stick, and brick houses in order and let little storytellers retell what happened first, next, and last.

Try the Three Little Pigs activity

Classic tales · Early math

Goldilocks size sorting activity

Which bowl belongs to Baby Bear? Compare three sizes and give each bear a bowl that’s just right.

Try the Goldilocks activity

Animals & seasons · Listening and language

Farm animal sounds and matching activity

Who says moo? Listen for the clue, match it to a farm animal, and take turns making sounds.

Try the farm animal activity

Classic tales · Oral storytelling

Jack and the Beanstalk retelling activity

Trade, plant, climb! Act out three moments and use them to retell Jack and the Beanstalk.

Try the Jack activity

Classic tales · Listening and speaking

Little Red Hen call-and-response activity

“Who will help me?” Give everyone a line in this preschool retelling of The Little Red Hen.

Try the Little Red Hen activity

Classic tales · Position words

Little Red Riding Hood story map activity

Make a simple path to Grandma’s house and practice position words as Little Red moves through the story.

Try the Little Red Riding Hood activity

Classic tales · Size order and retelling

Three Billy Goats Gruff sequencing activity

Send the goats across the bridge from smallest to biggest and retell each crossing.

Try the Three Billy Goats Gruff activity

Nursery rhymes · Movement and sequencing

Itsy Bitsy Spider hand motions and sequencing

Climb, rain, sunshine! Use three hand motions to retell the rhyme in order.

Try the Itsy Bitsy Spider activity

Nursery rhymes · Counting and matching

Baa Baa Black Sheep counting activity

Give each character one bag of wool, then count how many bags you used.

Try the Baa Baa Black Sheep activity

Nursery rhymes · Direction words

Jack and Jill up and down activity

Move Jack and Jill up and down a paper hill as you retell the rhyme.

Try the Jack and Jill activity

Animals & seasons · Sorting and retelling

Apple harvest sorting activity for preschool

Pick pretend apples, sort them, and tell how they got from the orchard to the basket.

Try the Apple Harvest activity

Animals & seasons · Listening and movement

Ocean animal movement clues for preschool

Hide a sea animal behind a paper wave and let children guess it from a movement clue.

Try the Ocean Animals activity

Fairy tales · Story sequencing

Cinderella story sequencing activity for preschool

Put Cinderella’s story in three scenes, then use the glass slipper as a clue to the ending.

Try the Cinderella activity

Animal habitats · Listening and movement

Arctic animal movement activity for preschool

Pick an Arctic animal from a movement clue, then move like a polar bear, harp seal, or snowy owl.

Try the Arctic Animals activity

Animal habitats · Story sequencing

Desert animal story trail for preschool

Move a desert animal along a picture trail and tell what happened first, next, and last.

Try the Desert Animals activity

Seasons · Patterns and oral storytelling

Fall leaf pattern activity for preschool

Tell a windy-day story and make a pattern with the leaves that fall.

Try the Fall Leaves activity

Fairy tales · Story retelling

The Princess and the Frog promise retelling activity

Act out the princess’s promise and tell what happens when she keeps it.

Try The Princess and the Frog activity

Animals · Picture clues and storytelling

Bird picture clues and nest story for preschool

Guess the bird from a picture clue, then tell a short story about building a nest.

Try the Birds activity

Nursery rhymes · Listening and matching

Hey Diddle Diddle matching activity for preschool

Match each character to its action, then move the felt pieces as you say the rhyme.

Try the Hey Diddle Diddle activity

Nursery rhymes · Counting and movement

Hickory Dickory Dock counting activity for preschool

Move the mouse up the clock and count each chime as you retell the rhyme.

Try the Hickory Dickory Dock activity

Nursery rhymes · Position words

Little Miss Muffet position words activity for preschool

Move the spider and use position words to tell where it goes.

Try the Little Miss Muffet activity

Nursery rhymes · Sequencing and retelling

Humpty Dumpty sequencing activity for preschool

Build a pretend wall, act out the fall, and tell the rhyme in order.

Try the Humpty Dumpty activity

Fairy tales · Feelings and picture clues

Beauty and the Beast feelings activity for preschool

Pick a feeling for a character and find a picture or story clue that explains it.

Try the Beauty and the Beast activity

Nursery rhymes · Action words and turn-taking

Polly Put the Kettle On action-word activity for preschool

Move a paper kettle on and off the stove while Polly and Suki take turns.

Try the Polly Put the Kettle On activity