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Story-telling and Story-making
- Our Early Years work programmes are led by professional storytellers and drama facilitators, with expertise and experience at working with this age group.
- Each programme is inter-active and child-focused, and planned with Early Years advisors to meet the Foundation Years & Every Child Matters Guidelines.
- We place an emphasis on developing children’s emotional literacy and cognitive skills through enjoyable and stimulating play.
“Thank you for the fantastic drama …it was wonderful – the children were enthralled for the whole time they were with you"
- Reception Class Teachers, Pokesdown Primary School
Programmes for children
Traditional, oral storytelling, combined with carefully structured dramatic play activities for children, often including singing and music-making.
Focused on accessible and popular topics, our inputs will stimulate creative learning, develop skills in listening, thinking & speaking, promote emotional literacy and offer accompanying practitioners a wealth of ideas for creative follow up work.
“Fantastic! Great fun…All children got involved…Very inclusive and entertaining for all. It raised children’s confidence and explored feelings and senses”
Programmes for staff
Practical, illustrated workshops for conferences and training days,
teaching practitioners skills in developing story-telling and structured dramatic play.
“Gave me lots of ideas and encouragement…inspired me in my practice”
(comments by pre-school practitioners on our Bournemouth Borough Council Early Years Project, 2009).
Programmes include:
Hot Hippo
Based on the multi-cultural story by Mwenye Hadithi, this drama combines storytelling with African percussion, singing and a very cuddly hippo puppet. Children work together to help Hot Hippo persuade the fierce Ngai, Lord of Everything and Everywhere, to let him go and swim in the water. They also learn to listen and take turns in speaking out and moving, while role- playing as fishes swimming under water and as their favourite creatures in the air, on land and underground.
The Hungry Caterpillar
Drawing on the popular children’s picture book, this fun-packed programme involves children sharing some of their favourite foods before helping to tell the story using a caterpillar puppet. The action stops at the point where the caterpillar eats just one too many cakes – a ‘doctor’ asks the children to help diagnose the patient and prescribe something to make him feel better. In this way, the children draw on their knowledge and experience to learn an important lesson about over eating while problem-solving and working as a member of an important team. Finally, they listen to beautiful, floaty music and get the chance to explore beautiful butterfly movement.
Who Made the Three Bears Sad?
One of our most popular programmes, this features a full set and one of Baby Bear’s parents, trying to cheer him up after the visit of Goldilocks. After hearing the story told after the event, the children are invited to help mend Baby Bear’s broken chair and think up ways of making him smile again – a chance for them to think creatively and come up with jokes, cuddles, songs and ‘porridge-making’. Finally, they travel through the magic woods to Goldilocks’ cottage – and help her learn to say sorry.
Queen of Hearts (Castles)
This programme has been devised to support Year 1 (5-6 year olds) curriculum work on the Castles topic, though it can also be enjoyed by any group as a story drama in its own right. After work on shape-making – castle walls, battlements, port cullises – children meet the Queen of Hearts, who asks them to make some special tarts for an important visitor. They then cook the tarts and leave them to cool over night. Next morning they discover the tarts have been stolen, and have to search for the Knave of Hearts and persuade him to return them before the guests arrive. With colourful props and costumes, this is an adventure story that engages and stimulates children’s imagination and capacity for problem-solving.
Programme Information
- Programmes can be performed by two actor/teachers or one - to suit your budget and particular needs. The two actor version includes a short, prepared performance, giving children an exciting cultural experience of live theatre.
- Most programmes last for one hour although some may be combined with other creative play forms to last up to two hours.
Costs
- Storytelling/drama workshops from £250 per day; £175 per half day (1 actor/teacher).
- Short theatre performance and drama workshops by 2 actor/teachers from £350 a day; £250 half day
- plus travel for bookings over 10 miles
How To Book
Contact us to discuss any of the projects – or to discuss your particular requirements.
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