Story-telling and Story-making
Our Early Years 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 to offer infants a strong dramatic play framework.
This inspires them to respond creatively, while developing their emotional literacy and cognitive skills.
Our inputs also offer EY practitioners a wealth of ideas for creative follow up work after our visit.
“Fantastic! Great fun…All children got involved…Very inclusive and entertaining for all. It raised children’s confidence and explored feelings and senses”
“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 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 programme involves children meeting an colourful scientist called Mr. Green, who has a new discovery to share with them. After finding out what they know about caterpillars – through sharing the story of the Very Hungry Caterpillar – Mr. Green shows them the giant caterpillar he has discovered in the woods! To find out where it comes from and what it’s called, the children climb inside the Giant Caterpillar and move about the hall. Finally they become giant butterflies, dancing with shiny scarves and music.
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.
Jack and the Beanstalk
Traditional oral storytelling and colourful props help bring to life all the lively characters in this traditional tale of bravery, adventure and fun. The children join in playing the beanstalk, various magical objects (from an oven to a golden harp) and four volunteers get to play Jack, guided by our master-storyteller!
