Story Activities

Story Activities

To encourage creative thinking, ask your child:

Who is your favourite character and why? Can you describe what you think that character looks like?

Because there is no physical book, every child will describe a completely different person, depending on the image they visualize.

Can you draw a picture of your favourite character or favourite part in the story?

Provide a variety of art supplies such as crayons, coloured pencils, markers, or watercolours along with large pieces of paper, and have your child draw a favourite character or scene from the story.

Can you act out your favourite part of a story, alone, with a sibling or a friend?

Improvisation means to be spontaneous and to speak, think or act quickly, on the spot. This is a great technique for children to learn as they begin to tell their own stories. It builds confidence and self esteem as they retell an experience they are excited to share. Make a habit of asking your child specific questions throughout the day to encourage dialogue.
Depending on your child’s age, “acting” can be as simple as making the action for a specific part of the story, such as blowing up a big bubble and then having it pop! For a more elaborate and inventive skit, character voices, simple props and costumes may be added. This will enchance the storytelling experience. Kids may want to practice and perform for friends or family. Try using an old suitcase or trunk to stash items like scarves, hats, vests, or jewellery. A trip to a second-hand store with your kids can be a fun and inexpensive adventure and in the end, provide hours of entertainment!
Using expression when telling a story is so important. You don’t have to be a great actor to teach children how to be expressive and create various character voices. Just have fun with it and demonstrate different tones that are easy to imitate, such as high and squeaky like a mouse or low and slow for an elephant. Trust me, your kids will think you’re a rock star!

Can you draw what you remember from the story?

Have your child draw a series of illustrations to depict the order of the story. Together you can make a simple picture book and staple the pages together. Ask your child to include a description of the drawing and help with spelling, when needed.
If you have a large group of kids have them create a giant mural with key images from the story. Get a large roll of paper and spread it out on the floor. All you need are some craft supplies and an open space. Each child can contribute to the collage in some way, for example: drawing the back ground or making cut out characters. Use materials such as wallpaper samples, fun fur, cotton balls, string, and scraps of construction paper to provide texture and variety. The possibilities are endless. Your kids will probably want to display the mural on a wall and describe their story creation to everyone!

Puppets

Using puppets to act out a story is another way to stimulate creative thinking. A puppet can introduce a story, be the narrator or act as the characters within the story. Puppet-play also builds confidence in young children who may be shy or uncomfortable when expected to speak out loud. Using a puppet is a perfect prop to help your child retell a story, without the pressure of speaking directly to an adult. You can provide prompts and questions to move the story along and speak directly to the ‘puppet.’

To keep your child engaged you can both use a puppet. If there’s a pause, you keep the dialogue going. Model different voice inflections and encourage your child to do the same. Telling stories with puppets can help new storytellers relax and have fun performing a story. You can purchase realistic looking puppets at toy stores and start your own collection. Have your child decorate a cardboard box to store the puppets in.

For an additional creative experience, kids can make their own puppets. Here are some simple examples:

  • Toilet roll puppets are perfect for a young child to make. The toilet roll just needs to be coloured, but other options can include using stickers, string, buttons, or other craft items. Tape a popsicle stick inside the roll so your child can hold onto it, and you’re done.
  • Paper puppets on a stick are another simple choice. Your child can draw and colour two favourite characters, cut them out and tape the back to a popsicle stick to hold onto.
  • Sock puppets can be easily made by using a child’s old sock and gluing eyes and a nose or drawing a face with markers. Likewise, use an adult sock for your puppet.
  • Paper bag puppets of various sizes are great for young children and can be coloured and decorated with a variety of craft materials. Draw or glue eyes and a nose on the folded flap of the bag. Your child’s hand will fit in that fold to create a “mouth.”