September 11, 2023
September 11, 2023
Reading a story to your child before bed is a wonderful way to set them up for a good night’s sleep. It’s also a great opportunity to bond with your child before they hit the hay. Some of their fondest childhood memories are likely to revolve around listening to you read as they doze off. There’s no limit to the shared adventures you can go on together with a good story – and you can make sure that this precious time is as magical as it can be with our list of the best storytelling tips for parents.
Storytelling can be an effective way to inspire creativity, confidence, and even independence in your child, by teaching them life lessons in an engaging way. However, we know that sometimes it can be difficult to do it right, especially at the end of a long day. So what are some storytelling tips? How can I make my storytelling more fun? These are all questions we’ll answer below, so read on!
Storytelling Tips And Tricks
1. Focus on a specific time of day
One of our favorite tips for effective storytelling is to carve out a special time of day that is specific to storytime. Perhaps you want to have half an hour at the end of the day that’s dedicated to storytelling only and sets your child up for a good night’s sleep.
It can often be nice to have a routine like this in place to allow your child to wind down in the evening. Storytelling then becomes something that your child looks forward to – and nothing improves storytime like a captive audience!
2. Create a magical storytelling environment
Whether you choose to read to your child in bed or to create some other special spot for storytelling, the details matter. One of the most overlooked tips for good storytelling is ensuring your child feels comfortable and relaxed so that they can make the most of the story.
If you choose to read to your child at bedtime, make sure they’re in their pajamas and dim the lights so that they can get sleepy. For a special treat, why not build a fort out of sheets and have storytelling in there, for maximum coziness?
3. Have unique voices for each character
It goes without saying that children are more likely to be engaged in a story if you are yourself as the narrator! Rather than simply reading in monotone, try to create different accents or tones of voice for each specific character.
This helps your children identify with the characters in the story and makes the entire tale more interesting overall. Plus, it’s much more fun for you as the storyteller! Whether you’re skilled at imitating different accents or you choose to be as silly as possible, your children are bound to appreciate the effort.
4. Get your children involved
Next on our list of engaging ways to tell stories to your kids, we recommend asking your children for some input. Allow them to tell you what they like and dislike, and which parts of a story appeal to them most so that you can alter future storytelling sessions to suit them better.
Ask them to share their thoughts as you read and encourage them to get as involved as possible to keep them engaged.
5. Choose a story that resonates with them
Allow your child to choose a book that they really like the sound of (if they have strong opinions on this). If you’re selecting the next book to read to your child, consider choosing a tale that is likely to mean something to them.
Of course, there’s always space for a good piece of fiction! But you could always try to tell a true tale about family members and their past adventures, or a real event that took place when they were younger.
6. Use body language to engage them
One of the best storytelling tips for bringing a tale to life is to involve body movements too. Perhaps you choose to change your facial expression to capture the essence of a particular character, or maybe you do a happy dance when one of their favorite characters experiences something positive.
Little changes in your body language can be super effective in keeping your child’s interest piqued.
7. Have a post-story chat
At the end of storytime, have a discussion with your child about what they have learned from the tale. Most stories have an underlying lesson, and it can be really interesting to see what your child has picked up on.
Not only can this help to inform your future book choices, but you might even learn a thing or two as well!
8. Read a book series
There are so many storytelling tips and tricks that help to make storytime fun for your child. One that we’re particularly fond of is choosing a good book series. Not only does this really help with engagement, but it can help to make storytelling a beloved feature of your child’s daily routine.
Book series that detail the lifecycles of younger characters or that involve character development over time – even those which a magical touch like Harry Potter – can actually be incredibly beneficial in teaching your child about growing up.
Storytelling really is a special gift to give your children. Make the most of it with our eight best storytelling tips and enjoy every moment.