Celebrating the wonderf ul world of H e len Oxenbury Joint Winner of the 2018 BookTrust Lifetim e Achievem ent Award A cti vity Pack
STORYTELLING FUN WITH This book is gentle and humorous with a contagious rhythm and a warm heart. There is plenty of space for actions and props. Above all, relax, take your time and have fun with it your guests will have a wonderful time! 9781406377873 5.99 Board Book 6 months + 9781406319569 6.99 Paperback 1 year + THE STORYTELLING SPACE A cosy enclosed storytelling space will make your guests feel comfortable. Beware of distractions, whether a basket of toys or an interesting chair to crawl under. If there is a window in the room with a view onto the street, aim to have it behind the audience, not behind the storyteller! BEFORE YOU START It s nice to interact with the group before the formal start. Welcome people, seat them comfortably. You could ask parents if they d like to take off their children s socks and shoes because this storytime is all about fingers and toes! You may find putting the book on a music stand is easier than holding it. Even better, an assistant can sit beside you, hold the book, turn the pages and show it around to the audience. This will leave your hands free for actions and help you keep eye contact. WARMING UP Toddlers experience the world through their adult so the key is getting the adults to join in and interact along with their children! Start off with a strong hello and encourage everyone to wave and say hello back. (If you have a hello song, even better!) Warm everyone up with a joining-in action song, for example I have ten little fingers and they all belong to me and One, two, three-four-five, once I caught a fish alive! You can also play some simple finger and toe games. Try This little piggy went to market and Round and round the garden like a teddy bear.
READING THE STORY Actions Use as many actions as possible and take your time with each one. e.g. There was one little baby who was born far away (hand shading eyes looking into the distance) another who was born on the very next day (rock a baby in your arms.) ten little fingers (say something like let s see your fingers everyone! and encourage audience to wiggle their fingers) and ten little toes! ( let s see your toes! There they are! ) Don t forget the ending of the book: and three little kisses on the tip of its nose is an opportunity for a lovely moment between parent/carer and their children! Props Consider a large (but lightweight) eiderdown or blanket. Get it out as you say the line another who was wrapped in an eiderdown and wrap it around the children. Take a few minutes to enjoy the cosy feeling. You can use it again on the line another in a tent who was just as nice. Get the adults to hold the edges of the blanket to create the roof of a tent and take a few minutes to allow the children to stand or explore inside it. Kids who don t like it Of course all the above is very good, but no matter how brilliant the book or the storyteller, sometimes a child won t respond. They might be over-tired, hungry or just plain grumpy! When this happens, it can be good to have an out for them. Is there a nearby room or hallway where a noisy child can be taken to calm down so their yells don t disturb everyone else? Often they will quieten down in just a few minutes and they can come back in. (Sometimes they won t, but hey, that s toddlers!) SAYING GOODBYE Another joining-in song can be good to finish the storytime. If you have a goodbye song, that s great. Otherwise a few choruses of sleeping bunnies is always popular! Text Vanessa Woolf Storyteller 2018 www.londondreamtime.com Illustrations 2008 Helen Oxenbury from Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox.
Clap Hands by Helen Oxenbury 9781406382372 5.99 Board Book Celebrating the wonderf ul world of Helen Oxenbury COLOURING IN Illustration 1987 Helen Oxenbury from Clap Hands
MAKE YOUR OWN BEAR EARS 1 Ask an adult to cut out a strip of paper that is at least 50 cm long and 5 cm wide. 2 Print out and colour in the Bear ears on this page and ask an adult to cut them out along the white line. 3 Centre the Bear ears on the strip of paper and attach with tape or with glue. 4 Tape or glue the ends of the strip together to fit your head. The Bear ears should face front. We re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury 9781406363074 6.99 Board Book Illustration 1989 Helen Oxenbury from We re Going on a Bear Hunt written by Michael Rosen.
COLOURING IN We re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury 9781406363074 6.99 Board Book Illustration 1989 Helen Oxenbury from We re Going on a Bear Hunt written by Michael Rosen.
MAZE We re going on a bear hunt. We re going to catch a big one. Can you help the family find their way as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear? We re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury 9781406363074 6.99 Board Book Illustration 1989 Helen Oxenbury from We re Going on a Bear Hunt written by Michael Rosen. Stumble trip! Stumble trip! Stumble trip! Swishy swashy! Swishy swashy! Swishy swashy! Splash splosh! Splash splosh! Splash splosh!
COLOURING IN We re Going on a Bear Hunt We re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury 9781406363074 6.99 Board Book Illustration 1989 Helen Oxenbury from We re Going on a Bear Hunt written by Michael Rosen.
C elebrating the wonderf ul world of H elen O xenbury WONDERLAND WORDSEARCH Curiouser and curiouser! Can you find the following words amongst this scramble of letters? They go forwards, backwards, horizontally, vertically and diagonally. ALICE FLAMINGO CATERPILLAR HATTER CROQUET HEARTS CURIOUSER QUEEN DODO RABBIT DORMOUSE TARTS DUCHESS WONDERLAND Alice s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and Helen Oxenbury 9781406360431 8.99 Paperback Illustration 1999 Helen Oxenbury from Alice Adventures in Wonderland illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
JOIN THE MAD HATTER S TEA PARTY Draw a picture of your favourite cake and then colour it in. Alice s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and Helen Oxenbury 9781406360431 8.99 Paperback Illustration 1999 Helen Oxenbury from Alice Adventures in Wonderland illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
MAKE YOUR OWN BOOKMARK Using safety scissors carefully cut out your bookmark along the dotted lines. Colour in the picture of Alice and the White Rabbit with pencils, crayons or markers. FRONT (colour-in) BACK (your design) Alice s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and Helen Oxenbury 9781406360431 8.99 Paperback Illustration 1999 Helen Oxenbury from Alice Adventures in Wonderland illustrated by Helen Oxenbury