Spinning Yarns

Story Starters

The age-old art of being able to tell a story is a gift.

I can read a book, but tell a story? It is a true art form that takes a bit of practice for me.

Sitting down to write a story is one thing; telling one on the spot (that actually has some sense to it!) is another. Projecting a story or just going with the flow are real brain exercises!

For these reasons, our Story Jar came into play.

Included are:

~quirky titles that might make for a great story (and help adults and children offer different perspectives)

~Aesop's Fables; these quick stories with a moral are fabulous for conversation and contemplation

~myths; my hubby is a whiz at telling actual tales from ancient Greek & Roman times re: gods & wars

~snippets from the lives of famous artists: my highschool art teacher had a knack for telling us the most interesting tidbits about masters of  the art world

~quotes/titles from the books of famous authors (read: A.A Milne,  Lewis Carrol, Judy Blume, Eric Carle, Roald Dahl, Ezra Jack Keats, Jack London, L.M Montgomery, Robert Munsch, Tolkien, Mark Twain)
Note: Read AA Milne's marvelousness! http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/81466.A_A_Milne

~nursery rhymes; so easy to change names and circumstances

Then I found a great article on the amazing website Simple Kids; Simple Storytelling and added the authors ideas to our jar. http://simplekids.net/storytelling/?doing_wp_cron=1327377730

With a few more quick searches on the internet, I found a couple of interesting ways to introduce storytelling:

~Story Boxes

Cut & paste pictures/photos on each side of a box. Have storyteller roll the box & tell a story about the picture it lands on. Can be used again and again or change pictures for fresh ideas.

~Spinning Yarns

This involves a group of people to start and finish a story together. 

Cut random lengths of yarn in different colours. Tie each piece to the next to make a long strand. Roll in a ball. The person holding the yarn has to continue telling a story until their strand makes it to the next colour. Pass along and continue.

Though O is still content listening to just about anything I read or make up, I can get some practice in before she gets a little older, more interested in the content and drawn to helping me create.

As for good, old plain reading to your child, a great list of must-read classics can be found in the Dangerous Book for Boys, by Conn & Hal Iggulden. Adam owns the Iggulden brothers' collection of Books for Boys. I would have NEVER looked in this book to find such an amazing and thorough list of quality reading for the family!