StorytellingTell it with heart

You need: Nothing, just a cuddle at bedtime

1. Sit or lie close together in a quiet moment, such as before sleep.
2. Tell the day in a slow, soft voice, in three or four short sentences.
3. Include a feeling: “You were so excited at the park. Then you felt tired.”
4. End the same way each night: “And then it was time for bed. The end.”

“Today you went to the park. You were happy. Then you were tired. The end.”

You need: Your hands and a soft toy

1. Choose a short rhyme you know or make up two lines, and add finger actions.
2. Say it slowly with a smiling face, and let your toddler copy any part.
3. Do the rhyme again, using a soft toy as the main character.
4. Stay close, and keep toys soft and large, without small parts.

“Here is Teddy. Teddy is sleepy. Teddy says good night.”

You need: A few family photos, a phone or a photo book

1. Sit together and look at one photo of a person your toddler knows.
2. Say who it is and tell a short story: “This is Gran. She is smiling. She gave you a hug.”
3. Pause so your toddler can point or babble.
4. Look at two or three pictures, then stop while it is still fun.

“This is Gran. Gran is happy. Gran loves you.”

You need: Two puppets, socks or soft toys

1. Introduce two characters and one small problem, such as “Bunny cannot find her blanket.”
2. Act it out with silly voices. Ask your child, “How does Bunny feel?”
3. Ask, “What could Fox do to help?” and act out the idea.
4. End with a happy or calm ending, and a hug between the puppets.

“Bunny is sad. What could Fox do to help?”

You need: Paper and a crayon

1. Ask your child to draw a picture of anything they like.
2. Say, “Tell me about your picture,” and listen without correcting.
3. Write their words underneath exactly as they say them.
4. Read it back, and put it somewhere you can both see.

“Tell me about your picture. What is happening?”

You need: A bag and three large, safe objects from around the home, such as a spoon, a scarf and a cup

1. Put the objects in the bag. Take turns pulling one out at a time.
2. Make up a story using each object, one sentence each: “Once there was a scarf. It was cold. A spoon came to help.”
3. Ask, “How did the scarf feel at the end?”
4. Finish with, “The end,” and a clap.

“Once there was a… and then… and in the end…”

You need: A group or family, sitting in a circle

1. One person starts a story with one sentence: “One rainy morning, a small dog heard a noise.”
2. Go round the circle. Each person adds one sentence.
3. Agree that the story must include a feeling and a problem.
4. End by asking, “What was the kindest moment in our story?”

“Add one sentence. Include a feeling or a problem.”

You need: A short, familiar story, paper and pencils

1. Choose a story where one character does something that affects another, such as a child taking a toy.
2. Retell it as the other character: “I was playing quietly, then someone took my toy.”
3. Ask, “What did this character feel? What did they want?”
4. Draw one picture of that character’s moment.

“Tell it again as the other character. How did the day look to them?”

You need: Paper and pencils

1. Fold a paper into three. Label the sections: problem, feeling, kind next step.
2. Make up a character and fill in the three parts, in words or pictures.
3. Tell the story aloud to a friend or a grown-up.
4. Ask your listener, “Was there another kind step?”

“What is the problem? How does the character feel? What is one kind next step?”

You need: Paper, a pen and a willing relative or older friend

1. Choose a family member, neighbour or older friend, and ask if they would share a story.
2. Ask: “What was a day that changed things? How did you feel? What helped?”
3. Write down the story in their words, and read it back to check it is right.
4. Share one thing you learned, and say thank you.

“Tell me about a time you remember well. How did you feel?”

You need: Paper and pens

1. Choose a short scene from a book or film where two people disagree.
2. Write it as the first person, from one character’s view, in a paragraph.
3. Write the same scene from the other character’s view.
4. Read both aloud and talk about what changed.

“How does the same moment sound from the other person’s side?”

You need: Pairs, paper and pens

1. Together, make up a character with a problem, such as a friend left out of a group chat.
2. Write what the character feels, using precise words, not only the Five Feelings.
3. Each partner writes a different kind next step.
4. Read them aloud and discuss which feels right and why.

“What does the character feel, and what is a kind next step?”

You need: Paper and pens

1. Choose a situation from a book, film, school or the news where a person is misunderstood.
2. Write a short first-person monologue from that person’s view.
3. Read it aloud, or to a partner, in the voice of the person.
4. Discuss what changed in how you understood the situation.

“What does the world look like from inside this person’s head?”

You need: Paper and pens

1. Write a story in exactly six words that includes a feeling and a turning point.
2. Write three versions about three different feelings.
3. Share them in a circle, and let others say what they imagine in each one.
4. Pick one and expand it to a paragraph, with a kind next step.

“Six words, one feeling, one turning point.”

You need: A partner and somewhere to walk or sit

1. Agree that one person tells a true story from their life, and the other only listens.
2. The listener does not give advice or tell a matching story. They only say back what they heard.
3. The teller says what it felt like to be listened to in this way.
4. Swap roles, and decide one thing you will do to listen better.

“I heard you say… Is there more?”