We’ve been learning how to not only read stories around here, but how to tell them. Of course, the best way to engage toddlers in stories is to appeal to their funny bones in the form of silly stories. (My son has been telling a few silly stories of his own lately!)
We have been utilizing eeBoo company’s Creative Story Cards to engage with the art of story telling and we’ve been having a marvelous time! Specifically, we’ve been using the Mystery in the Forest cards to make up stories that produce laughter and guffaws.
These cards are part of eeBoo’s Literary series and are created for toddlers on up to spark imagination and prompt children to think on the fly with little picture promptings. There are 36 flash cards in each of the Creative Story Card packages (and there are several themes to choose from). What we’ve done with our set, is to take the stack, shuffle the deck and lay the cards out one by one, trying to create a full story out of all 36 cards. Many of the cards carry a similar theme throughout. For example, in the Mystery in the Forest pack, there is a spool of thread and a lock and key which appear on many of the cards. It is fairly easy to craft a good story, even though the images on each card are different.
There are many ways to weave a good story with these cards. YOU can tell a story with them, your child can tell a story or you can play the Silly Story Game where you take turns choosing cards and adding to your tall tales. Being that the pictures are on 3×4 cards, it feels more like a game than “a learning activity.” These cards are warmly inviting, drawing children in with princesses, raccoons holding maps, birds, keys and presents. They are very fun and my 2 1/2 year old has had a ball playing with them! He refers to the cards as the “Silly Story Game” and asks to play it frequently. The best thing? Each time we play it, the story is different! There is a lot of variety packed into these 36 cards and I love them for that!
I think these are fabulous in their own right, but I’m also pretty pleased with pretty much ANYthing that eeBoo has to offer. All of their products are well-made and of high quality. I’ve been incredibly impressed with them. My admiration would seem to know no bounds as I am happy to tell you that not only are they are quality company, but also a generous one.
They have offered a package of the Mystery in the Forest Story Cards to one of you readers. In order to win? Take a peek at their Tell Me a Story Cards and come back here and leave a comment. That’s it. Take a peek. Leave a comment. (U.S. Residents only, please.)
If you are interested in learning the art of creative story telling with these cards, you will also be happy to note that they have Write Me a Story creative writing pads which match the theme of their card packs. This way, your children can craft and write down stories along with the cards and use the matching stickers to illustrate their personally made lores and legends. Not only is it cute – it’s quite fun. And FUN is what story-telling is all about, right?!
Congrats to Debbie, commenter #19. She is the winner of last week’s giveaway Blue Like Play Dough. Thanks to all who entered!
Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know.
This is part of the 2009 Back-to-School Giveaway. We’d love it if you helped spread the word!
- Leave a comment on this post as your entry (per the instructions above).
- One entry per person. This contest is open to U.S. shipping addresses only.
- New giveaways will be posted through August 26. Winners will be announced August 31.
- Check out the list of the other giveaways in the 2009 Back-to-School Giveaway at the main post.
These look like fun! The fairy tale mix-up set would also be a fun one for my three girls.
We love eeboo’s Life on Earth & Butterflies memory cards. And my daughter’s room is darling with the Flowers wall cards.
Haven’t seen the tell me a story cards. So fun!
Oh, my story-writing girl would LOVE these. How fun!
reading with my daughter is one of my greatest joys and recently she has started telling me stories of her own. I would LOVE these.
These look like fun! My girls would love them. Thanks!
These are adorable! They would make reading fun for all my grandkids. Thank you!
I took a peek and I am putting the icon in my sidebar. Thanks.
These look like great tools to promote creative thinking! I especially like the Circus Animal Adventures pack, and I think that my daughter would love them! Thanks so much
This would be wonderful. The 1st one I clicked on was the circus one, and we just went to the circus last weekend, so that would so inspire them! What a great product!
Love these! These cards would be perfect for my younger co-op students when we do our unit on writing from pictures that I will be covering this year. Hope to win a set!
What a great concept. I love the artwork.
Thank you for introducing me to eeboo!
I was drawn to the set titled Little Robot’s Mission, because grandpa is mentor for a robotics team.
I, grandma, signed up immediately for the SmartBaby newsletter. Next grandboy coming in Nov. will be a genius.
And grandma could benefit from the joint imagination-exercise of creating/writing a story!
I’d love the Circus Animal Adventures.
mj.coward[at]gmail.com
This is great! I love their alphabet cards – used them to make a border for my nursery. What a great next step for story telling!
These would be great for elementary kids of all ages! When kids are past the point of “telling” a story, the cards could be used as writing prompts and story starters!
Cute cards at an excellent price. (I like the “click pie to buy” button on the site, too!)
As a doting-grandma-to-be, who is sorely lacking in the creativity dept, these would be very helpful to me!
My boys would LOVE the robot story book! Thanks;)
These cards look great. As a person who believes in the importance of oral storytelling these cards would be great to help teach kids how to tell their own stories.
These look so cool. I would love to have a set of these for my daughter.
Looks fun!! My girls would enjoy these.
I love this idea! The illustrations are beautiful too.
Oh wow – I LOVE Eeboo! One of my favorite companies. That would be amazing to win these — thanks for the chance!
I would love any of them but my favorite is the Circus Adventure.
These are fun and also the best to encourage a child’s imagination! Fairy Tale mix up is my favorite!
Definately the fairy tale mix up!
Love the fairy tale artwork! Thanks for the chance!
This looks like SO much fun! I would have loved this as a kid. 🙂
The books look so good. Would love to have them. I also have my eye on the Travel Memory Games.
What a neat thing! My kids would love this. Thanks for all the great giveaway opportunities!
The fairy tale pack looks great too!! Thank you!
Definitely the fairy tale mixup
i love to read with my grandson [email protected]
Those are very neat. Would stir any childs imagination.
I like the Little Robot’s Mission.
I love the idea of being able to make-up stories with your child. I also like that they have old fashion paper dolls.
I need these in my classroom!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen story cards before, but I really like the idea of helping a child use their imagination like this.
These are cool! I love the fairy tale mix-up set. I love that they promote creativity and let the child make up their own story!
I think my boys would love this, what a great concept!
A great idea…sign me up.
I would love to win
Thank you for the chance
[email protected]
The circus ones look like fun!
Thanks!
What a unique idea
I have added the robot tell me a story to my christmas list for stocking stuffers that we will actually use.
These are fabulous…my daughter would really enjoy them.
I took “a peek,” and these are so cute!
roseinthemorning [at] gmail [dot] com
These would be wonderful for my blossoming reader and storyteller.
My daughter would love this. This looks a lot of fun!
I found several things on the web site I would love to get. The cards should be able to get my childs creative juices going.