We spend some time in nature every day. I like to talk about the birds, creatures, flowers and trees, and how they can be related to human characteristics.
I try to read as much about flower or plant species before strorytelling, then when I start a story I have all the factual knowledge.
A famous story I talk about is the violet. A violet is very small and insignificant at a certain times of year, when it hides behind the moss. Yet when the time is right, the violet shines and blossoms beautifully. As with life, us humans are the same, when the conditions are right for us we will blossom.
I like to present these kinds of similarities of nature and humankind. I also try to find a poem about violets and mosses, to share with the children too.
Sometimes I enjoy expanding the story. Here is an example of the contents of the story :- there was a little violet and a there was a dog who was very mean to the little violet, but there was soft lamb who was gentle and kind who helped to support the violet. I would expand the story, according to the child’s age.
Storytelling in this kind of way relates to a young child, it teaches them that although there’s are dangerous and mean people in the world, there are also kind and loving people in the world too.
Find a topic you are going to talk about, some factual information, a poem, and think how you can relate a plant or animal personality to the human traits you want to discuss, in a storytelling manner.
To create a story, is all about getting back in tune with your childhood and your imagination. Personify the topic your discussing, give it people’s names, which makes it so much easier for the child to comprehend, rather than lists of facts and figures they have in school.
Make the beauty of nature an adventure, a flower opens its petals for the first time, everyone is so excited they all turn to look at what the flower has to show. Humans stop to smell it’s fragrance, how the flower feels etc. It’s all about learning to be childlike in how you talk. You can make this adventure as long or short as you like.
When we get home we put our story into form drawing, it can be spread over two pages, the child can spend around quarter of an hour or so to practice this, it is great for concentration.