Story Stones and How to Use Them
What you need:
Smooth flat river stones
Small pictures or stickers (Amazon Affiliate Link)
White glue
Paintbrush
Box
Learning Goals:
Oral language, vocabulary, uses imagination in play and social skills in interactions with others
What you do:
Story stones are great as story-telling prompts and are easy to make. To make the story stones, look for smooth, flat stones which can be found in river beds, at the beach, or at craft stores.
To make the story stones, let children choose two pictures. Then, brush white glue on the stone and stick the picture on top. Use the fingers to smooth the picture glue over the top and around the picture. You can also use stickers you can find at any craft store. When dry, add another layer of white glue on top and around the sticker.
How to use the story stones
Story stones can be use for storytelling prompts for re-telling or to invent new stories. Story stones are great teaching tools for developing children's communication skills, promoting language skills, and encouraging their imagination and creativity. They're particularly wonderful for creating collaborative stories.
Story Setting
Where will the story take place? Let children choose a story setting picture. Ask: What does the place look like? How does it smell? What sounds can you hear there? Who lives there?
Story Character
Ask children who lives there. Let children choose one or two main characters. What is his/her/their name(s)? What does he/she/they look like? What are they wearing? What are the character(s) doing?
Story Problem
Ask children what is the character's problem.
Solution
Ask children about different solutions for the story's problem.
Story Telling (oral language)
Small Group
Place the stones in a nice basket or container. Together with children, choose a story setting picture and one to two story characters. Next, choose a child to pick a stone from the basket to start the story. Then, invite another child to pick another stone from the basket to continue the story, incorporating the picture on the stone into it.
Variation: One child can be telling the story to the other children.
Sorting (early math skill)
Let children sort the story stones in to different groups (people, animals, etc.)
Reusable Sticker Activity Pad - Under The Sea (Amazon Affiliate Link)
Sticker Collection (Amazon Affiliate Link)
