Make a big book to use at story time! I’m always looking for a new idea for story time. I like something visual and easy to use. I think it’s important to have props that help children and adults listen to the story and enjoy story time. We’ve completed a Bible Alphabet (a story for every letter of the alphabet). It was great having a long story series. So for the next series we are going to think about ‘What’s in God’s Book’. We will start with creation and then tell stories in chronological order as we go through the Bible. Characters will appear, big events will happen and although every story will stand alone they will also fit together as the story of God’s book.
We will have storybags and props each week but we will also have a big book. And each week a picture or page will appear out of the big book.
How we made the big book
We used blue mount board and yellow paper (150g) and pritt stick (a great glue for this as you can move the paper around just after you have glued it. It’s very forgiving)
The book is actually more of a pocket or pouch. The yellow paper is folded and then glued to the mount board which will make it easy to take pictures out of the big book.
It’s definitely a big book but it will be a great size for our toddler group story time as we have a big group!
Big Book Story Ideas
We are starting with Creation but will then do the following stories
Story Bag Ideas that are easy to find and use! If you tell Bible Stories in a Toddler Group setting or with young children in Sunday School you will probably have used a Story Bag. (It’s slightly different from providing a Story Bag for sharing in a small group or one to one as you will probably be telling the story rather than reading it from a book. In a large group the storyteller should be in charge of the props, make sure everyone can see them. Also there is no need to include a copy of a book!)
A Story Bag is a very useful tool in keeping children engaged with a story. Items appear from the bag throughout the story. These items can aid understanding; an unfamiliar object is often easier to show than to explain.
Easy Story Bag Ideas for the beginning of the story
Taking things out of a bag can build excitement and anticipation. When I begin a story I often start by introducing the main character…for example
I’ve bought someone with me today who is in our story. Are you ready to say hello to Mary? Let’s practice.. ‘Hello Mary’. I’m not sure she can hear you! Let’s try again, ‘Hello Mary’. (I take Mary from the story bag)
This makes a good start to the story. Everyone has joined in with saying hello to the main character. Children (and adults) are waiting to see what happens next.
Another way to begin is by taking an object out of the bag that is central to your story such as a model of a Bible time house or a boat. You could begin story time like this…
Today in our story bag is somewhere that Jesus often visited! Let’s find out where? (Take the house from the bag) It’s a house! It’s where his friends Mary and Martha lived. One day they invited Jesus to come and see them…
Story bag Ideas for the middle of the story
If you have started your story by introducing the main character or place then the next items in the story bag should help the story move along.
For example – having said hello to Mary you could help the children think about what she was doing..
Mary was having an ordinary day – she might have been cleaning (take a duster from the bag and pretend to dust and a brush and brushpan and pretend to sweep)..
There are lots of things that people in Bible Stories do that are ordinary and every day like cooking and eating so you can include everyday items in the story bag to help children understand the story.
Here’s a list of items I’ve used
Bread rolls
Purple cloth (Story about Lydia)
Large blue cloth (Sea, lake)
Play boat
Pans
Bowls
Dusters/Cloths
Sewing supplies (Tabitha/Dorcas)
Fruit/Veg (Harvest)
Pringle carton characters
Knitted dolls
Toy camels
Knitted donkey
Toy sheep
Model of flat roofed house (Make your own from a cardboard box or use duplo)
Mat – for man to lie on (Man with four friends)
Toy animals
Model of Noah’s Ark
Rock/Stone
Sand
Coins
Large leaves (Palm Sunday)
An apple
A toy snake
A crown
Toy boat
Toy building tools (useful for lots of stories – Tower of Babel, Noah, Building the Temple, Nehemiah, Parable of the Builders)
Red cord/yarn (Rahab rescues the spies)
Cushion/Pillow (Jesus asleep in the storm)
Characters made from wooden spoons
Concertina people (great for crowds – Feeding of 5,000)
Paper plate faces (use to explain feelings)
Puppets – bought or make your own by adding a lollipop stick to a cut out character
There are so many things you can use in a story bag to help bring the story to life.
At the end of the story
Finishing a story well can be more difficult than getting started. So it’s worth thinking through an ending that is clear. If you know how to finish your story it won’t just trail off…
A Story bag is really useful at the end of a story. If you have used a character then you can end with ..
Mary had an amazing day. Let’s say goodbye .. (and everyone joins in with )’Goodbye Mary’, as you place her in the story bag
If you have used an object like a model of a house you could end the story something like this..
Jesus had been to visit the house. (Put it back in the bag) I wonder where he will go next?
You don’t have to use a story bag every week but it is a great way to keep children and adults listening to your story. Choose a bag that you like and that will be easy to take items from. A basket works well – you can cover items with a cloth to hide them.
My Story Basket!
My Story Bags!
Here’s a Bible Story using props –
Here’s a collection of Story bag Prop Ideas on Pinterest
Say hello to my trusty Bible people. My mum knitted all of these from an Alan Dart pattern for a nativity Available from Amazon set. They are perfect for telling stories at Toddler Group. Although I don’t use them every week (as variety is good), I wouldn’t want to be without them! They are very versatile and a good size – 31cm/12in tall. They can easily fit in a story bag and everyone can see them during story time. All of these knitted dolls were make with Stylecraft Special DK which comes in loads of colours and is a reasonably priced acrylic yarn.Â
It’s worth noting that these knitted dolls aren’t toys and so it’s advisable to let toddlers look but not touch. I’ve never had any problem with this rule.
I like to use a story bag at toddler group story time. I find it holds the interest of the children and adults better than a picture. My mum is a great knitter and made some Bible characters for me.
If you are able to have a go at making some then the pattern is here. They are a good size and can be adapted by adding different clothes. A lovely reader of this blog asked about the pattern so as well as replying in the comments I thought I would share the info here too.
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