Stories don’t just belong in books or on TV. You can bring stories to life for your child by playing games. We’ll show you how using the popular children’s story Whatever Next by Jill Murphy.
Have a look in your local library and borrow a copy of the book or watch a video of the story being read aloud here: National Literacy Trust Facebook lives.
This book is about a baby bear who goes on an imaginary adventure to the moon. He uses household objects to create a rocket (cardboard box), space helmet (colander) and space boots (wellies). You could use these objects to support your child to go on a similar imaginary adventure, or maybe your adventure will be slightly different... your box might become a submarine or an aeroplane!
Let your child take the lead, encourage them to use their imaginations by prompting them or asking questions such as:
- ‘I wonder where we could go ..’
- 'What else shall we pack for the journey?'
- ‘We don’t have a big box, I wonder what we could use instead?’ (see if your child can think of an alternative idea... a laundry basket, pillow or sofa cushion would work just as well!)
If your child has a teddy bear, it could come with you on the adventure.
Try bringing another story to life, maybe choose one of your child's favourites. Or if you'd like some more ideas, take a look at this page for tips on how to bring ‘We’re Gong on a Bear Hunt’ to life: Going on a bear hunt
Good to know
Bringing stories to life through real experiences helps children process the meaning of new words.
