She Took Beloved Children's Book Character ‘Flat Stanley’ on a Wild Miami Night, and It Struck a Wave of Nostalgia on Social Media (Exclusive)
She Took Beloved Children's Book Character ‘Flat Stanley’ on a Wild Miami Night, and It Struck a Wave of Nostalgia on Social Media (Exclusive)
Staff AuthorThu, April 23, 2026 at 10:10 PM UTC
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Flat Stanley in MiamiCredit: Courtesy Kirsten Kim -
Kirsten Kim brought her mom's students' Flat Stanley on a Miami weekend, sparking a viral TikTok moment
The video, showing Flat Stanley at dinners and dancing, gained over 1 million views and nostalgic reactions
Fans shared their own Flat Stanley stories and photos, creating a wave of connection and childhood memories
When Kirsten Kim tucked a paper cutout into her purse for a weekend in Miami, she didn't expect it to take the internet back in time.
But after bringing her mom's students' “Flat Stanley” along for a night out — complete with dinner, dancing and a few unexpected adventures — the 27-year-old content creator quickly found herself at the center of a viral moment that struck a chord far beyond the joke.
Flat Stanley is a character from the eponymously titled 1964 children's book series by Jeff Brown.
“My mom is a special education teacher in New Jersey,” Kim tells PEOPLE exclusively. “She and her students had created a flat Stanley and wanted to send him to me so he could experience Florida!”
“I was so excited because I remember doing a flat Stanley in elementary school,” she adds. “I saw how hard they had worked to put him together along with the letter so I knew I wanted to make this special for them.”
Flat Stanley on the planeCredit: Courtesy Kirsten Kim
At first, her plan was simple: capture a few wholesome moments for the students.
But as the weekend unfolded, the idea evolved.
Kim, who is based in Miami, had already planned what she describes as a “typical Miami weekend” — beach time, dinners and nights out with friends. On a whim, she decided to bring Flat Stanley along.
“I figured it might be funny to capture him at a dinner at one of Miami's famous restaurants,” she says. “So I decided to bring him along with me in my purse and see where the night took us.”
Where it took them, she admits, was far beyond what she initially imagined.
“It started with flat Stanley pregaming with a beer before dinner,” she says. “When we got to dinner we ended up doing bottle service and taking shots and dancing and of course flat Stanley had to be apart of that!!”
As the night went on, the bit quickly took on a life of its own.
“We decided flat Stanley needed the whole realistic Miami experience,” Kim says. “Flat Stanley ended up having a wild night!”
At the time, she says, she wasn't thinking about going viral — she had only been recording the moments to send to her mom. But when she watched the clips back, they felt too funny not to share.
So, she posted the video on TikTok hoping it would make people smile.
“And maybe even remember when they were a child doing flat Stanley,” she adds.
That's exactly what happened.
As the video gained traction — racking up more than 1 million views and hundreds of comments — the response quickly became something more than just laughs. It turned into a shared experience.
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"in the same clothes the next morning," Dunkin' commented.
"Flat Stanley having more experiences than me," Clorox chimed in.
"a truly authentic experience," Instacart added.
Flat Stanley in MiamiCredit: Courtesy Kirsten Kim
“I never would have thought so many people would love to see flat Stanley having a wild Miami night out, but I'm glad it put a smile on so many faces,” she says.
“Everyone's comments about their flat Stanley's were my favorite!” Kim adds. “So many people have added pictures in the comments of where they have taken their flat Stanley.”
“Some also taking their flat Stanley's on a night out with them too! sharing pictures of their flat Stanley also drinking a beer or a cocktail!” she says. “That made me laugh the most.”
For Kim, it was the flood of personal stories that stood out most.
“I also loved reading all the comments of people sharing where they have brought a flat Stanley or sent a flat Stanley,” she adds. “Who knew flat Stanley was STILL such a big thing!”
“After reading through a lot of comments I realized so many people grew up with a flat Stanley project!” she says. “So I think this video brought back that memory for them.”
Flat Stanley in Miami at the clubCredit: Courtesy Kirsten Kim
Seeing it through an adult lens, she adds, made the moment even more entertaining.
“Now seeing flat Stanley from an adult perspective after doing it in childhood, makes it funnier and nostalgic,” she says. “It's funny to imagine flat Stanley growing up with us and participating in adult activity with us.”
Even for Kim, the experience brought her back — if only briefly.
“I kinda remember doing a flat Stanley but can't really remember where I sent him or if he ever made it back,” she says. “So I hope my pictures and adventures are memorable for my mom's students.”
Flat Stanley in Miami at the clubCredit: Courtesy Kirsten Kim
But more than anything, she says, the moment has been about connection.
“I love videos that bring people together!!” she says. “And I think this is definitely one of those videos.”
“People playing into the joke, people sharing their own personal stories, people sharing their own pictures… it's been so wholesome to see people come together about flat Stanley on this video!”
For Kim, that shared sense of joy is what made it all worthwhile.
“I hope this video reminds people to never take life too seriously!” she says. “And if they are ever sent a flat Stanley that they should just bring him with them wherever they go because flat Stanley clearly appreciates any adventure he goes on.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
