Story Telling in the Early Years

Telling stories always gives me that hygge feeling of joy and being cosy. It's also such a lovely way of celebrating coming together and sharing a love for storying!

Here are some of my favourite book recommendations;

• How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers
• Four Seasons in One Day by Jessica Courtney- Tickle 
• Lost Words by Jackie Morris
• I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree - A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year: National Trust 
• We're Going On a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen
• Little Red Hen

Classic books 

• Not now Bernard 
• Where the wild things are 
• Hansel and Gretel 
• Goldilocks and the Three Bears 
• Gruffalo 
• Bear Hunt 
• Little Red Riding Hood 
• Dear Zoo 
• Mr Gumpys Outing 
• Whatever Next 
• Peace at Last

Ideas to support practice 

• Get outside to story tell 
• Listen to music and move to the story it creates (Four Seasons in One Day) 
• Tell a story with just props 
• Tell a story in the forest 
• Sit around the fire pit with hot chocolate and tell stories from memory
• Tell a story with a torch in the dark 
• Tell a story through movement (Going on a Bear Hunt) 
• Link your small world area to a story. 
• Hold a bedtime story night (Think Pjs, Hot chocolate, a roaring fire on the smartboard and a cosy atmosphere) 
• Use nature to make story characters (Stickman) outside
• Make up your own group story and retell it to an audience 
• Make your own books up using zigzag books
• Set up a puppet theatre role play area 
• Invite staff in to share their favourite books 
• Create a story telling den with a password to get in 
• Create magic story maps wit UV pens that can only be read with a torch 
• Use your smartboard to set different story scenes as a background 
• Set up a shared hygge book nook in your setting with sheepskin rugs, cushions,  
• Record the stories that children tell in play and share these with your group.  
• Set up a stage in your provision to allow children to tell their own stories 
• Create a special story tellers chair in provision with a wonderful hat to wear 
• Create baskets with themed books in (Magic, Fairy Tales, Adventure stories) 
• Hide some props from a favourite story around your provision for children to find and then retell their story. 
• Make a display of all your favourite stories to tell
• Visit a theatre

Professional Books to supporting practice

Helicopter Stories

Talk for Writing in the Early Years