Use these cute Australian animal writing prompts and puppets to explore Australian animals and write a short story.
Australian Animals Writing Prompts for the Win!
This playful, hands‑on resource is the perfect extension activity after reading the 2026 National Simultaneous Storytime book. Students can choose from a variety of Australian animal character heads, complete a fun writing prompt, and use matching finger puppets to bring their ideas to life.
Whether they pick a koala, kangaroo, cockatoo or any of the other uniquely Aussie creatures, students will have the chance to imagine, write, create and play. It’s an ideal way to keep the excitement of National Simultaneous Storytime going while helping children connect with the story in meaningful (and super fun!) ways.
Perfect for literacy rotations, after‑reading tasks, art activities, dramatic play or whole‑class displays, this resource encourages kids to explore characters, develop their storytelling skills and enjoy imaginative play with their chosen animal.
Extend Your National Simultaneous Storytime 2026 Experience
National Simultaneous Storytime is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate reading, and this resource makes it easy to keep the momentum going. Designed as a post‑book activity, it gives students a chance to explore the characters in their own creative way — through drawing, writing and play.
Here’s how these Australian animal writing prompts and finger puppets can help extend NSS in your classroom:
- Encourage Creative Writing and Imaginative Thinking – After the shared reading of the book, students can use the writing prompt to create their own mini‑story or response featuring their chosen Australian animal. They might invent a new adventure, imagine what the character does next, or describe the animal’s personality. It’s a great way to strengthen writing skills while keeping the story alive.
- Keep the Story Alive Beyond One Day – Use the animal puppets and writing pieces to create class puppet shows, partner storytelling sessions, dramatic play corners or a colourful display wall. This helps extend the energy and enthusiasm of National Simultaneous Storytime throughout the week and reinforces a love of reading and story creation.
- Support All Learners Through Playful Engagement This resource includes:
- Animal character heads for visual inspiration
- Writing prompts for structured yet creative responses
- Finger puppets for hands‑on storytelling and dramatic play
Ready to Keep the Fun Going After National Simultaneous Storytime?
Use the dropdown menu to choose between the easy‑to‑print PDF or the editable Google Slides version, and help your students dive deeper into Australian animals, creativity and storytelling.
More Resources for National Simultaneous Storytime 2026
Looking for more activities to pair with this year’s NSS book? Explore additional literacy, craft and storytelling projects here:
Promote teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship with our National Simultaneous Storytime 2026 colouring pages.
Use these Shields of Courage Australian Animal Templates to learn about courage and explore book characters Support classroom learning with teamwork and resilience role-play scenarios that help students build confidence, empathy, and strong social‑emotional skills.
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National Simultaneous Storytime 2026 Colouring Pages
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Australian Animal Templates - Shield of Courage
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Teamwork and Resilience Role-Play Task Cards
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