"Hey! I know who you are! Why are you dressed up as a pig and she’s an elephant? wait, I've read the Elephant and Piggie stories! Why are you dressed as a pirate? Oh, I bet I know what the story is about today! "
These were the comments as we walked the halls of the Elementary school last month. If you want a mood boost, read stories to children. There is not much I love more than watching children’s faces as they come alive through a good story. Whether it is putting on a pirate hat, adding movement, or bringing a simple puppet along, it doesn't take much to change an ordinary story time into an extraordinary, memorable experience.. Below are 5 secrets to create fun, memorable story times for kids.
1. The Power of Puppets –
1, 2,3, "wake up Sally!!" I think she might still be asleep, can you try 1 more time?
1, 2, 3, wake up Sally! Out of a vintage suitcase pops Sally Sidesaddle, our library mascot puppet. We knew that Sally and her side kick Bart the pirate were popular with preschoolers, but we were excited to see that the older children still loved to see puppets too. Puppets can act out parts of the story, tell jokes, or just introduce the story time. Puppets inspire even older children to use their imagination. They are also great for role playing emotional situations and soliciting language from children who may be too shy to respond to adults. For more ideas and benefits of using puppets in story time read our blog post – “The Power of Puppets”.
2. Oral storytelling with props-
"Once upon a time there were three bears, A mama bear, a papa bear and a wee baby bear. . ." these words were like magic when my youngest son was irritable and fussy. He didn't respond to lullabies, but the three bears was our "go to" soothing story.
I am always amazed at the magic of telling stories directly to children. When you look the children in the eyes and begin with the words "Once upon a time" . . . there is a power that holds their attention.
Adding props or flannel board figures to the story extends their attention and connects with real life. Bringing a story basket for props increases the suspense and sparks children’s curiosity to wonder what will come next. You can ask the children to help you tell the story or hold props as you go. Changing up familiar stories by having the children pull out whatever prop they want adds to the fun and creates silly moments to be enjoyed together.
3. Connect with games- Most children have a limit to their attention span and ability to “sit still”. Adding a game to your story that goes along with the theme extends their understanding and helps kids remember what they have learned by creating new neural pathways in the brain.
4. Go for Drama! – Simple costumes, such as a pirate hat, a word on a popsicle stick that the children can wave at certain times of the story, or just acting out the actions of a story can keep the children’s attention and make the story fun. Dressing up as book characters, using different voices for different characters, or having a dress up box with relevant costumes, can extend their imaginative play and cause even more learning as they make up new endings to books or imagine what it would be like to be the book character.
"Open, shut them, open, shut them, give a little clap, open shut them, open, shut them, time for craft and snack."
In our Tales for Tots programs, after the customary ½ hour of stories and rhymes, we say, "everyone put their hands up". Instantly the attention comes and excited energy fills the room. Food and fun are great ways to extend children's understanding of what they read.
A simple snack like gold fish in a cup with a pretzel "fishing rod" with cream cheese or peanut butter stuck on to “catch“ the fish, can extend the kid’s understanding of a book about fishing, or the ocean.
One of my sons' favorite lunch time snacks was to make a face on their plate, with cucumber eyes, red pepper mouth, nose shaped cheese, cracker ears. (it changed depending on the lunch). Reading Todd Parr's "The Feelings Book", would be great with this, and the kids could change the faces to match the "feelings" in the book.
Centers or crafts that give the children a chance to have a sensory experience, all help to increase the excitement and create a literacy rich learning environment. Read Savannah's post for more ideas on crafts and snacks.
Creating a fun literary experience doesn't have to be expensive or complicated. When it comes to children, a little creativity and a large dose of undivided attention goes a long way. What will you add to your stories today?
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