{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"Clarissa Frigerio, Programme Delivery Executive (Early Years)","standfirst":"To celebrate the 25th anniversary of World Book Day, here are our ideas and tips on how to read stories with Squirrels.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s no secret that children (and adults) love a good story. When we hear stories, we\u2019re transported to new worlds, or join in on wonderful adventures.\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/17353/dsc_5472_mmp.jpg","width":7360,"height":4912,"altText":"Squirrels reading","caption":"Squirrels in Portsmouth enjoying a storytelling session","link":null}]}],"config":null},{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EWhy are stories important for Squirrels?\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor young people aged 4 and 5 (our Squirrels), stories help develop empathy, and boost confidence and trust.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThrough stories, children can explore and make sense of the world around them, while learning new words and vocabulary.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis is why stories are so important in the Squirrels programme, and why Squirrels have their own\u00A0\u003Ca href=\u0022/squirrels/activity-badges/story-time/\u0022 title=\u0022Story Time\u0022\u003ESquirrels Story Time Activity Badge.\u003C/a\u003E\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne volunteer told us they were struggling with reading stories. They said \u2018the trickiest part was getting them to sit still in the early days, whilst they got used to the routine\u2019.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo help with this, and to celebrate storytelling with Squirrels, we shared new, creative ideas for engaging young people in stories.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn the\u00A0\u003Ca rel=\u0022noopener\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.facebook.com/groups/269160274967827\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EWelcome to Squirrels Facebook group\u003C/a\u003E, we\u2019ve included tips and tricks to help volunteers bring stories to life.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EOur storytelling tips for Squirrels\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOur tips encourage volunteers to read stories to their Dreys, and use \u2018story maps\u2019, toys, and props to spark magic and enthusiasm during story time. To bring your stories to life, you could:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EDraw pictures\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EFind pictures online using a computer or tablet\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EAct your story out\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EUse toys\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EMake costumes or props\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo keep Squirrels focused, we suggested:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EBuilding stories into their routine\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ELetting them \u2018buddy up\u2019 while listening to the story\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003ESitting them next to a volunteer\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne volunteer wasn\u2019t sure how to link stories to activities or badges. For this, we\u2019d suggest reading a story like \u2019The Colour Monster\u2019, as it encourages children to talk about their feelings and emotions, and will help them earn their \u003Ca href=\u0022/squirrels/activity-badges/feel-good/\u0022 title=\u0022Feel Good\u0022\u003ESquirrels Feel Good Badge\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome volunteers wondered what other books they could read to their Squirrels, and how to access them. We\u2019ve \u003Ca href=\u0022/volunteers/running-your-section/running-a-squirrel-drey/programme-planning/reading-stories-with-squirrels/stories-for-activity-badges/\u0022 title=\u0022Stories for Activity Badges\u0022\u003Ecreated a recommended list of the most loved children\u2019s stories\u003C/a\u003E, and encouraged families to donate books to build a Squirrels library.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWe loved seeing engagement from the volunteers. Over 25 days, we reached 939 leaders, and received 135 \u2018likes\u2019 and 88 comments on our posts. Volunteers commented saying how useful the tips were, and that they\u2019ll be able to tell stories in new ways.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EDiscover our Secrets of Sensational Storytelling\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll our advice for telling stories with Squirrels can be found on our \u003Ca href=\u0022#\u0022 title=\u0022The secrets of sensational storytelling\u0022\u003EThe Secrets of Sensational Storytelling \u003C/a\u003Eweb page. Anyone can be a storyteller, and now it\u2019s your turn to be in charge!\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"type":"Promo","cta":"Submit your story suggestions","body":"\u003Cp\u003EIf you know any inspiring stories that\u2019d be great to read with Squirrels, we\u2019d love to hear from you. Please send us your story suggestions, so we can share them with our Squirrels volunteers.\u003C/p\u003E","link":{"name":"Submit a story recommendation","id":null,"url":"https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/f4ac158c1f7f448496f2a41816606f5e","newWindow":false,"target":"_blank"},"colour":"#f1f1f1","title":"Got any story suggestions?","image":null,"imageFocus":"","imageId":0,"imageKey":"00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000","imageCrop":"","gridType":"card","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""}]}],"config":null}]},"searchDescription":null,"pageType":null,"location":null,"versionDate":"22 April 2022","reviewDate":null,"furtherReading":[{"caption":"","title":"Reading stories with Squirrels","url":"#","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Reading stories with Squirrels","url":"/volunteers/running-your-section/running-a-squirrel-drey/programme-planning/reading-stories-with-squirrels/","newWindow":false}],"relatedLinks":[{"caption":"","title":"Submit a story recommendation","url":"https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/f4ac158c1f7f448496f2a41816606f5e","newWindow":true},{"caption":"","title":"Squirrels","url":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/squirrels/","newWindow":false},{"caption":"","title":"Story Time Activity Badge","url":"/squirrels/activity-badges/story-time/","newWindow":false}],"id":48704,"nodeName":"The secrets of sensational storytelling for Squirrels","title":"The secrets of sensational storytelling for Squirrels","type":"blogEntry","image":{"url":"/media/17353/dsc_5472_mmp.jpg?width=800\u0026height=450\u0026v=1d9becd1cc3afe0","caption":"DSC 5472 MMP","type":"jpg","size":6765775,"width":7360,"height":4912,"altText":""},"assets":null,"headerOptions":{"headerTitle":"The secrets of sensational storytelling for Squirrels","headerSubTitle":null,"headerCta":null,"headerCtaText":null,"headerCtaLink":null,"headerBackgroundColour":null,"showSEOImage":false,"headerBackgroundImage":null,"quickLinks":null},"subHeader":"From using props to linking with activities, discover the secrets for telling great stories with your Squirrels.","browserTitle":null,"silktide":"eyJjbXMiOiJVbWJyYWNvIiwiZWRpdG9yVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly9wcm9kLWNtcy5zY291dHMub3JnLnVrLy91bWJyYWNvIy9jb250ZW50L2NvbnRlbnQvZWRpdC80ODcwNCJ9","canonicalUrl":"https://www.scouts.org.uk/news/2022/april/the-secrets-of-sensational-storytelling-for-squirrels/"}