Story Sacks

**Helen Dempster** · 16-02-2010, 02:18 PM

Hi all - hope you're all ok and eating lots of pancakes...mmmmm, can't wait til hubby gets home tonight, that's when we're having ours (no mindee today).

Anyway, just looking for some advice re: story sacks. I love the idea of these and am about to attempt to make one - I'm probably going to start with a 'simple' one. What I was wondering is (a) what sort of things do you put inside, and (b) how do you actually use them - what I mean is, do you read the story and get the kiddies to feel in the bag for something and then talk about it, or find it in the story etc...?

Hope that makes sense?!

**green puppy** · 16-02-2010, 02:30 PM

Hi, I have the hungry caterpillar story sack. In mine we have the book, audio cd, caterpillar soft toy, butterfly hand puppet, life cycles of a butterfly book, felt food pieces that I cut out and put velcro onto so the children can stick them onto our felt board as we read the story. We use the props alongside the story and then talk about different parts of it after.

**emile1973** · 16-02-2010, 02:36 PM

Hello there

I have story sacks that I have put together myself and collect bits and pieces as I go!

I have a sack out at the moment for The Tiger WHo Came To Tea. I have things that I gather from the toy boxes I have but also specific things for that book. So, into the sack goes the tea set, a tiger costume, pictures of tigers and printouts to talk about, play food,tiger colouring masks, the book, story sequencing cards (homemade), tiger puppets.
I have used this sack this week as it is the Chinese Year of the Tiger and I read the story yesterday and the children chose pictures to hold whilst reading. Afterwards they talked about the story and used the props and sequenced the story so good for my whole age range- yesterday was 0-4.
Today we went to a cafe for lunch like in the book and we went to the shops like Sophie in the book! We came home and made sure we put a tin of tiger food in the cupboard! So all this and more from a collection of bits and pieces I already had.

Another one I have is Handa's Suprise sack. In that I have plastic fruit, a basket, a hat (from Ikea) with fruit all over it, a box with compartments for sorting the fruit, a small African dressing up costume that I made, animal book and pictures etc etc

They are much easier than they first seem to put together and I use copyright free images of animals etc etc

I have put together a few -The Hungry Caterpillar is a useful one as most children and parents know it! I get them out about once every 4 weeks and find that if you tell the parents your looking at this book this week they sometimes get a bit more involved.

I love story sacks..lol

If you want any help just shout xxx

**caz3007** · 16-02-2010, 02:49 PM

I am also looking at making up some story sacks and was wondering how you used them. So you sort of make it book of the week and bring out a bag and read it and do the activities.

**green puppy** · 16-02-2010, 02:54 PM

Definately make your own though as the ready made ones are so expensive! I found some great drawstring canvas bags for 60p each, I use fabric pens to write the title and add pictures. I also made a song bag which the lo's love. It has song books, cd's, scarves for dancing and finger puppets and toy items that are associated with a song or rhyme. It's great to promote sharing aswell as the children have to take turns to put their hand in and pull out a prop, they then name the song or rhyme that it goes with.

**Helen Dempster** · 16-02-2010, 02:58 PM

thanks for this

They always seem to be so much fun, and the kids get so much out of them don't they, alot more than 'just reading a story'. I'm definitely going to make one - I think I'll start with the Very Hungry Caterpillar and see how I get on.

Thanks Emile1973 for the offer of more help, you might wish you'd not offered LOL

**emile1973** · 16-02-2010, 03:08 PM

Originally Posted by Helen Dempster

thanks for this

They always seem to be so much fun, and the kids get so much out of them don't they, alot more than 'just reading a story'. I'm definitely going to make one - I think I'll start with the Very Hungry Caterpillar and see how I get on.

Thanks Emile1973 for the offer of more help, you might wish you'd not offered LOL

Lol...my pleasure but I'm sure you will be great at putting a couple together.
I also have song bags. I got some knitted hot cross buns from ebay and printed pictures of pennies and Voila a '5 Current Buns in a Bakers Shop' song bag! Ofsted love these

Emma x

**Chell** · 17-02-2010, 09:00 PM

Story sack ideas - this might help.

**caz3007** · 19-02-2010, 04:51 PM

Just been in 'The Works' and got the 'I love Owls' book, that was in a suggested sack for Owl Babies and an 'I love Bugs' book, on their 4 for £5 offer.

Thought it may be of interest to someone

**Minstrel** · 19-02-2010, 04:55 PM

I love the idea of these story sacks. i don't quite feel confident enough to try and make one but i'm so intrigued by all your ideas and i'm taking notes!

**Monkey1** · 19-02-2010, 06:33 PM

I have been making up the tiger who came to tea story sack this week as we have been doing this for chinese new year too.Love the idea of the cafe and tiger food too! thats fab!

I love having a root round at charity shops and car boots for things to go in them........just need another shed to store them in!

**caz3007** · 19-02-2010, 07:34 PM

I had a look in the charity shops and managed to get two lovely puppets today, one is a tiger and one a mouse. Will use these on future story sacks or just general play

**green puppy** · 19-02-2010, 07:50 PM

I have just made one for " The Big Hungry Bear ". It's a sweet little story encouraging the little mouse to share the strawberry before the bear finds it. The story sack ready made on amazon is £25! I found the props- soft toy mouse, big soft strawberry that is two halves with velcro so can be cut in half and shared, an audio tape and snap cards- on ebay for £5. I am going to add other resources to encourage healthy eating and sharing ie; making strawberry smoothies-sharing equipment etc... fruit salads and so on.

**ChocolateChip** · 19-02-2010, 08:16 PM

These ideas all sound great- you are all very creative!
Don't forget that you can borrow them for free from your library aswell.

**green puppy** · 19-02-2010, 08:40 PM

My local library doesn't have them they just have book and audio book sets.

Plus the advantage to doing your own is that you can add more as your mindees get older to suit ages and stages etc... and mindees can help make/find the items to go in them.

**caz3007** · 19-02-2010, 09:07 PM

Originally Posted by ChocolateChip

These ideas all sound great- you are all very creative!
Don't forget that you can borrow them for free from your library aswell.

I had bought the Owl baby story as its one we have had from the library and loved it, so nice to have a copy for us. The Hungry Caterpillar was given to me by one of my much older mindies.

My local library doesnt do story sacks, or I would borrow them