Stories surround us. We find them in books, in plays, and in movies. But we also find stories in our lives everyday. So, what is the connection between stories that are written—like in books—and stories that are told or acted—like in plays or movies? What is the best way to “bring a story to life?” The following ideas will help you have fun with stories.

• Get a library card! And use it! You’ll find stories in all forms are right there for you—picture books, novels, music, movies and more.



• Read a book or play that has a movie adaptation. How were the two versions different? What changed? Why do you think things were changed? Which one told a fuller story? Which version did you most enjoy?



• Take a very short, familiar story or rhyme (like “The Three Little Pigs” or “Jack and Jill”) and tell the story without using any words. Use your body and movement to show what is happening.



• Take a very short story or tale (one half to one page long) and read through it silently. Now, instead of reading the story—SING IT! If the story has more than one character, have a friend SING the different characters with you. Try singing fast and upbeat in some areas, slow and deep in others. Can you do this without laughing?!



• Go see a play with a parent or friend. Afterward, talk about what you liked and disliked about the play. Think about these: costumes, sets, colors, lighting, actors. Could you tell or even write down the story you saw in your own words?



• Find an interesting picture in a book or magazine. Make up a story that tells what is going on in the picture. If there are people in the picture, give them names. What would the place be called? Tell your story to a friend. If you really like the tale you made up, write it down!



• Tell the story of an ordinary morning, afternoon, or night. As you are talking, act out what you are saying (brushing your teeth, tying your shoes, playing with your dog, falling asleep, etc.). You can also tell about your day and have a friend acting it out as you speak.



• Read a book aloud.



• Reader’s Theatre: divide a book or short story into parts. Assign different parts to different readers (or, if reading alone, read each part in a different voice). Read through the story at least once silently. Now, read through the story with different readers (or voices) reading their assigned parts.



• Learn to tell one of your favorite stories by heart (without looking at a book). This way, you’ll be able to share the story wherever you are and whenever you want! Remember, with storytelling, you can use your own words—you don’t have to “memorize” the story word for word.



• Write your own play version of a favorite story. Yes, you can be a playwright!



• Ask an adult to tell you a story he or she was told as a child. Do you know the story? Now you tell them one that was told to you!



• The next time you are in a crowd of people (such as at a restaurant or shopping mall), stand quietly for several minutes. See how many different voices you hear. How are the voices different? Can you tell how people are feeling by the tone of their voices? Would you be able to tell a little bit about someone by hearing just a part of their conversation?



• Learn to say “hello” in at least three other languages. (You can check books and tapes about learning different languages from the Library). Practice saying these with your friends and family.



• Make your body become like a rag doll or puppet on strings. One by one the strings are cut and the body part connected to the string is relaxed. This continues until all of your body parts are relaxed. This is a great physical warm-up for your body. Physical warm-up is very important to theatre. The body is like an instrument that is used to express ideas and emotions. This instrument works better when it is relaxed and ready to move.



• Make up an incredible tall tale about an event that happened to you. Share this tale with a friend or a group. See who can tell the tallest tale!



• Talk about the books you really love. Ask friends for titles of their favorite stories or books. Ask them to tell you why they like them so much.



• Make up a simple scene from a story or just from an everyday event. Act out this scene alone or with friends. Make sure that your scene has three main parts: a beginning, a middle, and an end.



• Check out a book about American Sign Language. Learn to sign at least three phrases. Remember, there are many ways to share ideas.



• Take a well-known story and change the ending!



• Try speaking or telling a story in a variety of ways: very quietly, loudly, quickly, very slowly, using a deep voice, using a very high voice.



• Stories that are very familiar to you are brand new to younger kids. Sharing these stories with younger kids is a lot of fun!



• Talk about your experience with your friends and family: tell them about your day, a movie you really like, a book you can’t wait to read, a song you can’t stop singing. When you do this you’re bringing your own story to life!