The Memory Palace is a collaborative storytelling game from Peaceable Kingdom for ages 5+ that builds memory and imagination. It encourages communication, creativity, storytelling, and memory. The Memory Palace: Collaborative Storytelling Game First players set out the picture cards in any position. Randomly put three of the monster tokens face down in three rooms. Then players take … [Read more...]
Spark Creative Writing with Storybird
Storybird provides artwork and templates for children to write picture books, longform books, and poetry. It's a cool community site with lots of opportunities to spark creative writing. Teachers can use the site with students. Or parents and children can use it on their own at home. Spark Creative Writing with Storybird Click on CREATE to get started. The artwork is provided. Scroll … [Read more...]
Incredible Storytelling Lessons for Kids from Pixar and Khan Academy
Pixar in a Box and Khan Academy recently launched "The Art of Storytelling," a series of interactive storytelling lessons for kids. It accompanies previous lessons on subjects such as color science, virtual cameras, animation, character modeling, rendering, and more. This new storytelling tutorial gives kids a behind-the-scenes understanding of how Pixar artists come up with ideas and tell a … [Read more...]
Story Stones for Your Garden Classroom
The Garden Classroom: Hands-On Activities in Math, Science, Literacy & Art offers children ages four to eight creative garden activities in play & imagination, reading & writing, science & math, arts & crafts, and recipes. The ideas are age-appropriate, fun, and informative including the one we created, story stones. It's written by Cathy James, the U.K. creator of the popular … [Read more...]
Storytelling Activities for Kids
Storytelling activities allows children to stretch their thinking and imaginations. Here are more storytelling activities and ideas to inspire word play, storytelling, and writing. Storytelling Play Activities for Kids 1. Haikubes Haikubes are meant to inspire haiku but we use them to make silly sentences and start stories. They make a great centerpiece for the dinner table. Then you can … [Read more...]
Storytelling Games That Will Get Your Kids Thinking Out of the Box
Here are three delightfully engaging storytelling games to try with your kids: The Storymatic Kids!, Rory's Story Cubes, and StoryPlay Cards. When I teach kids how to write stories, we generally start out loud. In other words, we think, plan, and share orally before writing silently. Of course, not all kids are oral processers but sharing out loud helps organize our thoughts and gives us … [Read more...]
The LEGO Pigeon Builds a Story Contest
If you are a 2nd - 5th grade student or classroom, love the Pigeon books by Mo Willems, and like to build with LEGOs, then you are going to love this totally cool contest. You could WIN a 2-foot LEGO brick Pigeon from LEGO® Education by retelling any Pigeon story with bricks! The LEGO Pigeon Builds a Story Contest The LEGO Pigeon Builds a Story is a creative storytelling contest for kids. … [Read more...]
My Favorite Audio Books for Kids from Greathall
You know how great audio books are for kids, especially reluctant readers. Now I want to tell you the absolute best audio book stories that my kids, actually the whole family, enjoys both in the car and at home. My Favorite Audio Books for Kids from Jim Weiss Jim Weiss' storytelling is so engaging. He's gifted, and so brilliant with voices. Throughout the narration, he uses a multitude of … [Read more...]
Halloween Storytelling with DIY Shadow Puppets
Tell scary or not-so-scary stories this Halloween using homemade shadow puppets. I saw a beautiful shadow puppet idea on Pinterest (that I can't find again) which inspired our Halloween shadow puppet storytelling. Halloween Storytelling DIY Shadow Puppets Supplies: thick cardstock (old granola bar boxes), tape, scissors, sticks, flashlight Directions: 1. Use stencils or free draw … [Read more...]
Storytelling with Kids
by children’s author Tina McFadden. According to my mother, as a toddler, I would sit down, open up a book and start babbling to myself. When I had finished “reading” a page, I would flip the page and continue. It didn’t matter if the book was turned upside down – I was making up the whole thing! My mother never stopped me or tried to correct me, and I’m glad she didn’t. Those early … [Read more...]
Writing Idea: Say It, Play It, Write It
Sometimes your kids need help with writing idea development. So grab a stuffed animal, tell a story, pretend play the story, then write it down! Writing Idea Development It's the best way to get young writers writing fluently because once they've said and played the story, they're primed to write it . . . already knowing what they want to say. SAY IT So, pick a favorite stuffed animal or … [Read more...]
Story Play Game Encourages Collaborative Storytelling (& Reading)
Looking for more ways to build vocabulary and storytelling? Check out Story Play Game, a new game from Briarpatch with 125 double-sided word tiles to encourage both reading and storytelling. Story Play Game Stories Players work together to create story sentences using as many tiles as possible from the 6 tiles each player draws. Try to make a funny story! Story Play Name It & Draw … [Read more...]