Everyone is a story teller – they just need an opportunity to play and create. 

Earlier this year, The Book Tree helped facilitate a story telling and play-based workshop with the wonderful team at Bini Birdies.

The premise was: What happens when two everyday objects meet and begin to talk? What new ways of seeing emerge when we start to notice that stories are all around us, hidden in the most ordinary places?

It was fascinating and very entertaining to watch the children create and act their own stories.  To get the creative juices flowing, author Refiloe Moahloli read her book Let’s Play and then the fun began. First we brainstormed lots of inanimate words to give them ideas, then each child was asked to write a word down on a piece of paper. They were then challenged to make up a story from the point of view of these words. Divided into groups, the children at first felt unsure of themselves.  How could they write a story and bring together such unrelated words like guitar, pen and bed?  The beauty of collaboration and facilitation is watching the stories come out as the children began to trust themselves and have fun.  

 “Play is a vital mode of learning, meaning-making and exploration.”  

Binie Birdies

Using simple props of big sheets of paper, coloured pens and then paper bags, the children wrote their story collaboratively and then acted them out. 

 

As Bini Birdies explain: “The session drew from our (Play)cemaking approach: designing spaces and moments that encourage children to explore their surroundings with curiosity, take the lead in shaping narratives and develop cognitive and social skills through open-ended play. By transforming everyday materials into story-rich prompts, children were supported to shift perspective and build confidence in expressing their ideas.

Rooted in the research that learning through play supports emotional development, language acquisition and problem-solving, the workshop also aimed to cultivate wonder by encouraging children to slow down, observe and imagine differently.”

If you or your company are interested in funding a play and literacy activation, contact us on hello@thebooktree.co.za​

The workshop was hosted at the Alex Education Committee’s Saturday School.