Creating an Original Story With Your Child Can Be the Perfect Cure for the Winter Blues

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Story-telling with your child can be the perfect cure for the winter blues

This winter try something different with your children to cure the winter blues. Instead of simply reading to them from the books on their shelf, why not come up with your own story? Storytelling is a time-honored tradition, handed down from generation to generation. In some cases, handed-down stories turn into beautifully written-down tales, decades later as in case of the Lima Bear Stories.

You too, can create stories either on your own or with the help of your family. The result will not only be entertaining but a source of family memories as palpable as any family vacation photo album.

How to get started in creating your own family stories

To get started in creating your family story-telling memories keep these tips in mind:

  1. Do not be intimidated; anything you have to share is going to be interesting to your children.
  2. Use what is important to you. If you are super clean, for example, create a character who learns the hard way why cleaning up is important.
  3. Use humor. Goofy=Happy Children
  4. Create catchy character names. Catchy names make the story come alive and easily remembered.

Child with parent writingHave the family join in with pieces of the story

Another way to create terrific tales is to let the story unravel by having your family add the content along with you. For example, why not turn the television off on a cold winter’s night and simply start a story much like the old children’s game “whisper down the lane?” Start with a funny scene using material that is obvious to you. Let each family member add to the story and take the story over for a while.

Enjoy as you witness the creative juices flowing. Each family member gets a chance to add and embellish until finally a completed story is created. After you get to the end of the story see if family members can repeat the story back. Did the story change? Try the story again using the new embellishments to see if the changes may become permanent changes.

Examples of  story beginnings to get you started

One of the hardest tasks in creating any story is coming up with a beginning to the story. Below are some ideas of story-starters to get you on your story-telling way:

  1. Is a holiday near or around a corner? Make your story a holiday tale.
  2. Put a twist on a famous fairy tale. If the writers of Shrek and Enchanted can do it, you can too!
  3. Use a topic from the news. A young hero story, for example.
  4. A famous writer instructor once said “write what you know,” in this case, “tell what you know.” Use what interests you: a football story, a yoga story, a story about your favorite animal, etc.
  5. Tell a story based, loosely or closely on a relative who your children may have never met – what a wonderful way to teach them about someone special who is actually a part of them.

No matter what you decided to base your story on or how you choose to create it, remember that by storytelling you are sharing not only time with your child but a part of yourself. Enjoy making your very own story-telling memories!  Let us know your successes!

Children Can Learn More Through Reading Than You May Think

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Lima Bear_sleeping plus logo_copyLearning While Reading Is Easy Once You Get Started

The key to learning while reading is to include your child in the reading process.  You are not simply reading to your child, you are reading with your child.  Enjoy watching your child’s excitement as he/she figures out the answers to your questions.  For example, after reading the whole book through one time, go back a re-read the book, asking your child to reason out how a picture on the page relates to the story.  On the very first page of  How Back-Back Got His Name, Lima Bear is shown asleep with a candle next to his bed.  The wax has dripped down the sides of his end table (a thimble – too cute, I know). You could ask your child, “why do you think the candle wax is drooping?” Could it be that before it was blown out that it was burning for a long time?

Additional Activities Stem From the Questions that Pop Up While You Read 

While you are talking about candles, why not create a little project where you both research how the first candles were made. You could try to make your own candle or visit a candle making shop.  See how easy it is? We’ve read just one page of one book and we’ve come up with several great questions and activities already!  You can do it too!

Lima Bear Resources to Keep the Learning Going

“Extend the learning” pages, found in the back of each Lima Bear Book, are available to give you a jump start! Interactive reading ideas are also for you in the back of each book.  With a little practice, you and your child will be coming up with your own great ideas for additional learning.  Feel free to share your own tricks to help your child learn as he reads.

 

Read Interactively With Your Child | Take Reading to the Next Level

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Reading to Your Child Interactively

Page4_Cave MonsterReading a book to your child is a great way to help your child to learn. Sometimes, though, simply reading the words on the page may not be stimulating enough for your little one. Sometimes your child might be perfectly content to sit and listen but on other days, he may not be able to keep one foot still! Do not fret. Your child can still learn and keep his energy at a high level, too.

The trick is to read to your child interactively.

How to Begin Reading to Your Child interactively 

Start by going with the old standby. Find a cozy corner, grab a blanket and start to read. Once the story has begun to unfold, come up with some questions before moving to the next page. Use questions that will encourage interaction. For example:

Point to some of the pictures on the page and see if your child can describe what the illustrations are. In How Back-Back Got His Name, for example, the 1st page has some terrific illustrations. You could ask, “Why do YOU think the dime in the picture is so big?” If stumped, you could point out to your child that maybe the dime is so big because Lima Bear is so small?

Are you getting a sense for how easy reading interactively can be?

Lima Bear Resources to Keep the Learning Going

If you are ever stuck, remember that in The Lima Bear Series, interactive reading ideas have been provided for you in the back of each book to get you started.  “Extend the learning” pages ideas are available to give you a jump start!

We will have more ideas for you as well in the next post.  Please share any interactive ideas that have worked for you and your child as well.