In need of some inspiring educational activities to do with kids at home? We’ve been scouring the web and put together 10 creative storytelling activities for you.
1) Spot on Stories can be enjoyed by all the family, from den building to music making to big adventures, these 10-minute stories are created to inspire big and small grown-ups to spend time together, listening and creating. Spot on Stories are made by writers, poets, theatre makers, puppeteers, and musicians in partnership with Spot on Lancashire and Lancashire Libraires.
New Videos are posted every Monday at 10am.
Meet Ogg and Ugg as they take you on a prehistoric journey. Learn their song and dance whilst you go out hunting with them in search of tea. Find out more here
Further Spot on Lancashire stories can be tracked down here.
2)Wednesday 3rd March is a date to put in your diary as we, at Settle Stories, celebrate World Book Day with a Storytelling extravaganza.] Prepare yourselves to be transported to faraway lands on your magic carpets and listen to Professional Storyteller Alia Alzougbi as she regales us with some of the lesser-known tales of the Arabian Nights. Who will you meet on your travels, giant beasts, singing trees, sneaky thieves, or devilish ghouls?
Booking is free from the Settle Stories website with 2 performances on the day aimed at KS1 and KS2 children.
Available to watch until the 10th of March if you miss the live performance.
To book your place, click here.
3) The Book Trust website is a treasure trove of Storytime resources. Choose from family favourites like Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy by Lynley Dodd or Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson, to newer favourites such as Chris Haughton’s Oh No, George! and Everybunny Dance! by Ellie Sandall. Not only can you find many interactive books to read or watch online, you can also view their story time playlist on YouTube read by stars such as Ore Oduba, Adam Buxton, and Fearne Cotton. There are many free games to enjoy online too.
Find out more by clicking here.
4) How to Train Your Dragon fans can listen to author, illustrator and children’s Laureate Cressida Cowell read her bestselling book from cover to cover, with each chapter in its own self-contained video. With her personable story telling style Cressida effortlessly transports you into the Viking world where teenager Hiccup aspires to follow in his tribe’s tradition of becoming a dragon slayer.
Grab your sword and shield and follow this link
5) The imagination tree is a fun resource offering parents 12 opportunities to engage their children in creative play to further explore characters and bringing their story to life. From making a very hungry caterpillar sensory tub, or playdough Gruffalo to making and dishing out Goldilocks’s porridge, these activities are bound to captivate the younger audience and take them on a magical journey. Discover more here.
6) This is story time with an intergalactic twist! Your children can watch and listen to astronauts reading books from the International Space Station, which is currently orbiting the Earth. How cool is that? Take your pick from several space-themed stories (which vary in length), including the pre-school picture book Mousetronaut (8 minutes) or Ada Lace Take Me to Your Leader which is split into 3 parts and suitable for 7 years+. You get an incredible glimpse inside the International Space Station from where the astronauts are reading – and floating – in zero gravity. Look outside the windows in some of the videos, and you may even be able to spot the Earth orbiting outside.
Lift off by clicking here.
7) Another delight from our very own Settle Stories is the wonderful ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ experience, a digital story where you are transformed into Lorna, Alice in Wonderland’s sister, and embark on an interactive story where you decide who you meet and where you go. The question is can you find Alice? You can visit anytime from the comfort of your home.
Click here to head down the rabbit hole!
8) Save the Children has teamed up with a whole host of Hollywood celebs for their Save with Stories scheme, where you can watch and listen to them read some fantastic children’s books on Instagram. Your kids might even recognise some of the famous faces, including Lily James who played Cinderella, model Winnie Harlow or Chris Pratt who starred in the Marvel films. Whether you are a Julia Donaldson fan (read by Eddie Redmayne) or Dr Seuss is more your thing, there are so many readings to choose from. And each one is no longer than 10 minutes, so are perfect for a short activity or a break in the day. Check them out on Instagram.
9) It used to be very difficult to find children’s stories in British Sign Language, but the school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many organisations that work with Deaf children to upload excellent signed stories for anyone to enjoy.
Watch BSL Storyteller, Wayne Sharples reading the Very Hungry Caterpillar here. Further BSL story link resources can be found here.
10) Create, explore, play, and read with Mrs P’s magic library. Mrs P and her friends take children on unforgettable story telling adventures as far as their imaginations allow whilst helping them exercise their creativity muscles. A whole host of imaginative adventures await young audiences. Mrs P believes that all children deserve a good book to read or be read to, which is why she and her partners co-created this site to pep up the magic and joy of hearing timeless stories online. Activities, online learning, and teachers resource packs are also available from her website. Click here to give your imagination muscles a workout!
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Blog written by Jane Corbett
