Playwriting Prompt: Stories About Stuffies

Stories about cherished toys and stuffed animals (plush toys, stuffies, cuddly toys, soft toys, etc.) are abundant: Winnie the Pooh, The Velveteen Rabbit, Paddington, Corduroy, Calvin and Hobbes, the Toy Story series, Knuffle Bunny, and more. Stuffies bring people joy, comfort, security, and calm. They also provide a common thread for us when we get older — who hasn’t shared a story about a special stuffed animal from their childhood?

The following 20 prompts are all centred around cuddly toys. Students can base their writings on a toy that they owned/currently own, or invent a new cuddly character. These scenes and monologues can have any tone or mood, but must be either from the perspective of a stuffy or feature the stuffy as the main character.

Instruction

Choose one of the prompts. Write a monologue or scene (minimum length: one page) based on the prompt.

1. A very old stuffed animal that has been well loved.
2. A brand new stuffed animal.
3. A lone stuffed animal in a sea of different animals. For example, a stuffed pig who is a gift to a child who only has stuffed bunnies.
4. A lost stuffy.
5. A stuffy who is a prize waiting to be won from a game at a carnival.
6. A very small stuffy (pocket-sized, or one that could be clipped to a backpack).
7. A very large stuffy (one of those giants from the fair or an oversized Valentine’s Day stuffy).
8. A stuffy that needs/needed “surgery” (mending or patching).
9. A stuffy whose kid is all grown up.
10. A character sketch of a famous stuffed animal (Winnie the Pooh, Paddington, etc.).
11. A stuffy that is allergic to something (dust, lint, other stuffies, etc.).
12. A stuffy that feels lonely.
13. A stuffy that has been given away to someone else.
14. A stuffy that finds another stuffy that looks just like them.
15. The perspective of another toy (a fashion doll, action figure, toy vehicle, etc.) that wishes they were a stuffy or feels jealous of a stuffy.
16. A group of stuffies in a store.
17. A stuffy that is granted a wish.
18. A stuffy in the midst of a wash in the washing machine.
19. A stuffy that becomes famous.
20. A stuffy that is currently being cuddled.