Oct 13, 2021

NEW Story Sacks have arrived

We are delighted to announce our new toy category called Story Sacks.

What is a Story Sack?

A Story Sack is a large bag containing a children’s picture book and supporting materials, such as toys, games or puzzles which link to the story. The idea behind a story sack is to help bring the story to life for you and your child. You can read the story together, and act it out using the toys and objects provided. A story sack is fantastic activity for you and your child to to have fun playing with the animals/characters featured in the story whilst contributing to their learning and literacy. Some of our story sacks also include related games and puzzles.

How do you use a Story Sack?

Firstly, remember that you are helping to build imagination and conﬁdence so try not to have too many ‘rules’, the activity should be fun! Depending on the age and nature of your child, you can be more structured, with questions and supporting activities. There is no right or wrong when using a story sack and they can used in different ways. At the beginning of the story all the items will be contained within the sack, including the book. Your child may like to get all the items out of the bag individually as the story plays out, or may lay out all the props at once from the start. Sometimes, whilst they are getting used to the idea of what story sacks are all about, your child may want you to lead the activity and handle the props, but once they become more established they will soon want to lead the story telling! Create a safe environment for your child to explore the story, characters and themes by listening and repeating ideas but try not to correct them.

What skills am I helping my child to develop?

Conﬁdence – You will probably notice an increase in conﬁdence as your child embraces story sacks. It gives the opportunity to speak a story aloud, describe their ideas and feelings long before they are able to read. They can ‘tell the story’ purely from what is remembered or take it in a direction they feel more suitable at that moment in time.

Empathy – When acting out characters in the story, your child will have a deeper understanding of the emotion that individual may be feeling during the plot of the story. It also aids understanding of the relationships between characters within the book. You can stimulate their thinking by asking questions such as ‘how do think think that made … feel?’ or ‘what do you think … was feeling?’.

Storytelling skills – The ability to share and express your thoughts through role play is a fantastic life skill. Your child will enjoy being given the opportunity to be creative and express their ideas.