This activity supports the development of your child’s early language and communication, storytelling and their imagination. It will also support their thinking skills and memory.
What you will do
This holiday activity is designed to document and recall a fun event (outing, movie, or story) enjoyed during the holiday period. These story boards are best completed with the whole family. Be as creative as you can be — clear space to make lots of room!
Consider using big sheets of white paper or cardboard on the floor (old large boxes flattened are terrific) with a drop sheet underneath. Decide what your story board will be about, for instance your trip to the beach yesterday.
Together think about what props might you need to support your story telling. For instance, if you went to the beach, did you collect any shells, a seagull feather or perhaps sand? Do you have any toys or other objects that could also be used as props — teddy as the life guard.
Each family member is to document the experience from their perspective. Dad might draw a picture of the car trip — and the orange Ford Mustang he noticed on the way that had 007 number plates. Your oldest child might draw the sea worms she noticed in the sand between the flags, and your toddler might be interested to draw and tell the story of the chocolate ice cream. You may wish to add the other features that were included in the day — the water, lifeguard, seeing an amusement park on the way from the car.
When you have finished your story board talk about this shared experience. Value each child’s highlight of the day and the things that he or she found interesting. Ensure to encourage older children to provide more detail about their interests. Young children may need you to prompt them to support their recount and sequencing. If possible, keep your story board for the holiday period as your children are likely to revisit this experience over again.
Keywords to use
- As you walk, wonder about and explore nature with children. Encourage your child to use all of his or her senses while exploring– encourage your child to smell, listen, observe, and touch.
- Stop to pick up – look, smell and feel seed pods, leaves and to feel and look closely at feathers. Look under the bark of trees and under leaves for interesting insects.
- Stop and listen… quietly see how many different bird noises you can hear. Can you count all the birds you can see?
- Stop and look up. Who else is living in the trees?
Talk with your child about respecting and caring for the environment so that we protect it for others to experience, for many years to come.
Questions to ask
- Tell me how the… started
- What happened next?
- What was your favourite part? Why?
- Gosh, what’s going on here?
- How did you feel when…?
- Tell me about…