Today, we arrived a little early at the local high school for my daughter’s science summer camp. Sitting on chairs in the hallway right outside the classroom door waiting for the camp to open, we had some time to spare. To pass the time, we started another round of our turn-based storytelling game.

Taking turns one sentence at a time, we built a funny, whimsical fairy tale that turned into an unexpected “dream within a dream” adventure:

Sleeping Beauty and the Dream Within a Dream

Daughter: “Once upon a time, there was a very pretty girl named Beauty.”

Me: “One day, Beauty was walking under a big apple tree. She saw a lovely, ripe apple that had fallen to the ground. She took a bite—and immediately fell fast asleep.”

Daughter: “Suddenly, she woke up in another world. In that world, there was an adorable little kitten.”

Me: “The kitten was so overwhelmingly cute that Beauty couldn’t resist its charms—and she dozed off again!”

Daughter: “When she opened her eyes a little later, she found herself sitting inside the kitten’s lovely, cozy cottage. The kitten looked up at her and asked, ‘Why do you fall asleep so easily? Are you Sleeping Beauty?’”

Me: “Beauty rubbed her eyes and realized that ever since landing in this world, she had forgotten her own name. The kitten purred and said, ‘Don’t worry, let me give you a nickname. From now on, you’re Sleeping Beauty!’”

Daughter: “Beauty smiled and agreed, ‘Sounds good!’ Then she suggested to the kitten, ‘Why don’t we go outside for a walk?’”

Me: “As they strolled down a country path, an elderly lady walked up carrying a basket with a bright red apple. She asked, ‘Beauty, would you like an apple?’ But Beauty quickly waved her hand, saying that the last time she ate an apple, she passed out immediately, so she didn’t dare touch another one.”

Daughter: “The old lady smiled kindly and said, ‘Oh, you must just be allergic to apples! No worries at all. Look, I have this delicious golden pear—would you like to try it instead?’ Beauty accepted the pear, took a juicy bite, and found that it tasted wonderful.”

Me: “Shortly after finishing the pear, Beauty felt dizzy once more and collapsed into yet another world. There, she encountered a playful little dog wagging its tail.”

Daughter: “Beauty stared at the dog and asked, ‘Who are you?’ At that moment, she realized she had completely forgotten who she was again.”

Me: “The little dog tilted its head and said, ‘You’re inside a dream, of course!’ Hearing that, Beauty suddenly realized: ‘Wait, I’ve been dreaming this entire time!’ She pinched her own cheek with all her might—and instantly woke up.”

Daughter: “As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw her best friend standing right beside her bed with a warm smile, saying, ‘Good morning!’”

Me (The Ending): “Beauty couldn’t wait to tell her friend everything: ‘That was the strangest experience! I had a dream inside another dream. I had to pinch myself awake through each layer just to finally make it back to the real world!’ The End.”

Waiting in front of a classroom can feel long for a kid, but all it takes is a simple creative game to turn an ordinary hallway into a magical, laughter-filled storytelling session.