Storytelling with Kids

I'm starting a new storytelling community - and I couldn't be more excited and also more terrified! Excited - because it's in my native Russian language, and because my youngest (he's 2.8yo) will be a part of it. Terrified - because it's the youngest group I've ever worked with, toddlers and young preschoolers: ages 3-5yo. Also it's probably the most diverse age category, since older siblings (5-7yo) will also join. I've written elsewhere how to start a storytelling community , and also what's in my portable classroom . Now, for this young and diverse audience, I'm adding more items to my portable classroom. Every activity needs a time and a place, and the items in our portable classroom will help to define these. Place: we're meeting at the local park. In order to "define" our little corner of the world, we'll bring: - Picnic blanket - to sit on and talk and read and play  - Garland - to make the space prettier a...

I love love love having story circle outside. True, there might be more distractions. But there's much more freedom. And freedom is great for any creative activity, including storytelling. Pippi Longstocking, arguably one of the freest and open-minded characters in children literature, is often portrayed upside down. “[Pippi] always slept with her feet on the pillow and her head far down under the covers. ‘That’s the way they sleep in Guatemala,’ she explained. ‘And it’s the only right way to do it. This way, I can wiggle my toes while I’m sleeping, too.‘” Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking (translated by Florence Lamborn).

When my oldest kiddo was a toddler, I've tried to have an art activitiy in our local mommy and me group. I've brought finger paints and a big roll of paper. Couple of kids in the group were so eager to participate, they had a blast. They painted with their hands and feet. They got undressed to their diapers and got all arty and messy. Not my kid! He remained fully dressed, spot clean as he refused to touch the paint, and mounted on his tricycle. He calmly observed all the fun and partook absolutely no part of it. I was bitterly disappointed. That day I learned that beautiful messy art activities aren't for everyone. However, if you are consistent and keep art activities in your kids life, eventually they'll find some form of art that is right for them (for example, my kid's favorite art activitiy is playdough. *Not* messy painting). Storytelling with toddlers is really similar in this aspect. Not every kid will be eager to participate in a storytelling c...