In these winter months of staying inside storytelling is one very effective way for opening up a young child’s imagination, feelings, and fun.

Children love to hear, and respond beautifully to a vital, creative and involved storyteller. Through storytelling, children can experience many skills, emotions and possibilities such as: mastery of listening skills, use of comprehension skills, extension of verbal language, practice of sequencing skills, expression of feelings and emotions, opportunities for role-playing, provision of independent thinking, encouraging creative expression, and providing growth of constructive socialization skills.

Young children love a variety of techniques for storytelling of their favorite books as well as allowing your child to dictate their own stories. Visit your local library and ask the librarian for books appropriate for your child’s age.

You don’t need a lot of fancy props or anything when you do verbal storytelling. As you tell or read the story use your voice, mannerisms, and body movements to convey emphasis and emotion.  Children are so quiet and spellbound when you show excitement in the story you are reading or telling.

Children get really excited and want mom or dad to repeat over and over simple finger plays.  When you are riding in the car or having to wait on a meal in a restaurant children love to do short rhyming stories.  

Simple home-made flannel boards are priceless in illustrating childrens’ favorite stories. Children love to interact with the stories by moving the pieces, taking the pieces down and replacing them, sequencing the events in the story on the flannel board, and just feeling the pieces as you tell the story.

Puppets are a huge favorite with young children in telling a story. Simple finger puppets, hand puppets, sock puppets, glove puppets, puppet masks, wooden puppets, clothespin puppets, the possibilities for creativity are endless!

Young children love to dramatize stories as they interact with the story. Simple costumes can be made from what you have around the house from sheets, towels and brown paper bags, to old materials. Childrens’ imaginations are awesome on what they can come up with.

Storytelling for your young child becomes an avenue for your child to learn and appreciate the world around them.

During these cold days when we have to remain inside why not interact with your young child through storytelling. A memory maker for both of you.

Beth Pinyerd lives in Daphne and serves as director of younger children at Faith Family Fellowship in Spanish Fort.

Her column appears every other week in the Daphne Bulletin and Spanish Fort Sun.