Past Simple for Kids: Tell Your Weekend Story with Three Pictures
Start with three small memories, not a long verb list. Help your child explain what happened, who was there and one detail that matters to them.
Quick answer: The past simple is used to talk about past events. Choose three small weekend moments, make a sentence for each and put them in order with “first, then, finally”. A few useful verbs are enough to start. This activity suits children who can already build short English sentences; simplify it according to their language skills rather than age alone.
2026-10-23 · Stayeng parent guide
Key points
- Choose the event first, then find the verb needed to tell it.
- Regular past forms often end in -ed; irregular forms need separate learning.
- After did in a question and after didn’t, use the base form of the main verb.
- Add a listener’s question so the story becomes a conversation.
Put this guide into practice
- We chose or drew three small weekend moments.
- We made one short past-tense sentence for each picture.
- We asked each other a “Did you…?” question.
- We chose one sentence to share in the next lesson.
Complete the weekend sentence
Choose the useful form in each sentence. Then say a similar sentence about your own weekend.
On Saturday, I ___ cookies with my dad.
- make
- maked
- made
Answer and explanation
made: The past form of make is made: “On Saturday, I made cookies with my dad.”
___ you play a board game yesterday?
- Did
- Were
- Does
Answer and explanation
Did: Use Did for this question about a past action, and keep play in its base form: “Did you play…?”
We didn’t ___ to the park because it rained.
- went
- go
- goed
Answer and explanation
go: After didn’t, use the base form: didn’t go. A positive sentence uses went instead.
Who is this activity for?
A child who can already make short sentences about themselves can try describing a past event. If they are still learning object names, let them choose a picture and contribute one word while an adult models a sentence. The topic often works for ages 8–15, but age is not a prerequisite or a level measure.
The pictures do not need to be photographs. Stick figures or simple symbols are enough, and private family photographs do not need to be uploaded anywhere. An ordinary weekend is fine: having breakfast or playing a game is still something to describe.
A short starting point for the past simple
The British Council’s explanation for children distinguishes regular past forms from irregular verbs with their own forms. For this activity, choose the verbs needed for the child’s three events instead of learning an entire list first.
- Regular example: visit → visited; “I visited my cousin.”
- Irregular example: make → made; “I made a sandwich.”
- Negative: “I didn’t visit my cousin.” Keep the verb in its base form after didn’t.
Step 1: Choose small moments, not an impressive story
Divide a piece of paper into three boxes. Draw one event in each: making cookies, visiting a cousin and playing a board game. Your child can describe only one event if that is enough. The boxes are an organising tool, not a quota.
You can first answer “What happened?” in your shared language, then find the English verb you need. Do not change the child’s event to fit a prepared sentence; keep the story theirs.
One picture and one short sentence can be a better starting point than a long script the child does not want to tell.
Step 2: Build one sentence for one event
Try this model: “I made cookies with my dad. I visited my cousin. We played a board game.” Change the details to match your child’s events. Move to the next picture when a sentence is ready; every detail does not need to be included.
A more comfortable learner can add one detail: “We played a board game after lunch.” Choose a person, place or time. Add only one new demand instead of combining an unfamiliar verb, connector and vocabulary all at once.
Step 3: Put the story in order and ask a question
Arrange the pictures and try “First…”, “Then…” and “Finally…”. If these connectors are difficult, point to each picture and use short sentences. A clear order matters more than an elaborate performance.
Add a listener’s question: “Did you enjoy the game?” The child can reply “Yes, I did” or “No, I didn’t”. The British Council’s question pattern uses did, the subject and the base form of the verb: “Where did you go?”, not “Where did you went?”
If you hear “goed” or “didn’t went”
The child may be trying to apply a pattern to a new verb. Instead of explaining every irregular verb in the middle of the story, return to one example afterwards: “You went to the park.” Offer another chance to use it in a different sentence.
This activity does not cover was/were or every past-tense rule. If the child wants to add “I was happy”, offer a separate model; the did pattern for main action verbs does not apply to every sentence.
Bring the story into a one-to-one lesson
Your child can show the drawings in a lesson, or you can send the teacher one example from the activity. The teacher can add a detail or follow-up question at the child’s level. A prepared idea then becomes a real conversation.
Look beyond the number of memorised verbs. Can the child describe a new event in their own sentence? Answer a simple question from a listener? How many reminders are needed? Compare those observations on a later week.
Want to bring this practice into a one-to-one lesson?
Choose an activity from this guide to discuss with your teacher. For regular lessons, compare package lesson counts, lesson lengths and total prices. If you would like to meet a teacher first, choose a free trial.
Frequently asked questions
How many past-tense verbs should my child memorise first?
There is no required number for this activity. Start with a few verbs needed for the chosen events, then add new events and verbs as the child becomes more comfortable.
Why is “Did you went?” incorrect?
Did already marks the past in this question pattern, so the main verb stays in its base form: “Did you go?” A positive statement uses “You went”.
What if my child can say only one sentence?
Start with one picture and one sentence. An adult can ask a brief question or model a phrase. Completing all three pictures does not need to be compulsory.
Is this exam preparation?
No. It is practice in describing an everyday event. If your child is preparing for a particular exam, plan its specific skills and tasks separately with the teacher.