Storytelling can be a very powerful educational tool for our children. Not only does it encourage creativity, but it also introduces vocabulary skills, improves listening skills, encourages communication skills, and inspires creativity.
There are so many ways to use storytelling with your child(ren).
*Puppets: you can use traditional puppets, finger puppets, glove puppets, craft stick puppets, sock puppets, you name it! Limited only by your own creativity! These can be simple or elaborate. As an added bonus, making puppets with your child could be a really fun activity! You could make general puppets(king, queen, princess, etc), or try to make them characters from a specific beloved book or TV show or movie, or themed(sea creatures, camping items, dinosaurs, etc).
*Stuffed Animals: Grab some stuffed animals that are lying around your house and put them all in a basket. Take turns using them to act out different stories or situations.
*Flannel/Felt Boards: These can be made by you or purchased! Pinterest is full of ideas for creating your own felt boards!
This is an adorable one available on Amazon:
*Story Stones: This is a favorite of mine. Gather a bunch of stones(smooth work best), and some paint pens or acrylic paints, a piece of paper, and a pen. I start with choosing a theme(or letting the child(ren)) and start naming items that are associated with this theme. The themes are endless–holidays, seasons, solar system, under the sea, veterinary office, etc.
One of my favorite posts that I’ve read about story stones is this one:
*Story Cards: I ordered these this summer, and we absolutely fell in love with them!! The kids had so much fun with them(so did I), and there are so many different ways to use them!
https://store.barefootbooks.com/magic-castle-build-a-story-cards.html?bf_affiliate_code=000-2j0p
So, whichever method you choose to use, step inside the art of storytelling! Whether it’s to test your child’s understanding of a subject, an activity for a rainy day, or just to have fun with your child, you won’t be sorry you did it!! Who knows what fun activities it will lead to next!?!
