Using props to tell a story is like playing a game, reading a book, and watching a play all at once. Storytelling toys are great because they don’t really have an age limit; they can spark creativity in kids as much as adults and make telling a story easier for everyone. They’re also perfect toys to travel with. If you lose or break one, they’re simple to replace. Here are 10 ways you can use toys to tell a story, whether it’s an old familiar tale or a new one improvised on the spot.
1. Storytelling dice – roll the blocks and try to make a story out of the pictures that appear
2. Finger puppets made from felt, paper or yarn
3. Small felt figures on a play scape, like a theater.
4. Wooden spools with pictures and words
via Story Forest
5. Shadow puppets on sticks or on a tabletop stage
6. Drawings printed on wooden discs – doubles as a memory game
via Apple ‘n Amos
7. Painted storytelling stones
8. Flat story boards with felt animals or with cut-out pictures on magnets
9. ‘Storytelling basket’ – put characters from different fairy tales in a basket, then mix and match the toys to create silly combinations of the stories. Goldilocks climbing the beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood going into the three bears’ cottage, etc.
10. Magnetic wallpaper – so you can create stories on the walls of your home
via Sian Zeng