Invent your own story

Invent your own story

Few things have the power to stimulate creativity and children's imagination as much as inventing stories.

Whether they are written in storybooks or the product of an early childhood educator's imagination, stories have the power to capture children's attention.

As we all know, stories, and the way we use them, help children develop their vocabulary. Their language skills are called upon when we ask questions related to illustrations and when they are asked to name various items and feelings.

Here is a simple activity that will make it possible for children to invent stories of their own using illustrations as inspiration. They will build their vocabulary because they will be asked to name various items and build complete sentences.

What you will need:

• Pictures of characters (dog, cat, boy, girl, mother, father, teacher, etc.)
• Illustrations that can be linked to the pictures (anything and everything you can imagine)
• A board (8.5 in x 11 in) on which the pictures and illustrations can be arranged

You can use magazines, coloring books, the Internet, or old storybooks to find interesting pictures and illustrations. Simply cut them out and laminate them for durability.

Different ways to play:

• With very young children, have them take turns picking a card and naming what they see. You may also choose to ask them to describe what the picture or illustration reminds them of.
• With somewhat older children, have them pick two cards and create sentences containing both words.
• With 4 or 5 year olds, let the story evolve according to their imagination. Children can pick a specified number of cards, arrange them on your board, and invent a story related to the illustrated items.
• Children can take turns inventing a short story (a few sentences) related to an illustration or picture. The next child picks a card and continues the story.

If you wish, you can record or write down the stories invented by the children in your group. They will enjoy listening to their stories over and over again... What a great way to make story time even more fun!

Maude Dubé
Specialized child educator