A range of activities celebrating National Storytelling Week were offered in Walton’s Learning Resources Centre (LRC) each day last week (3-10 February 2020).

Exciting book openings were read aloud to tempt potential borrowers, while a ‘consequences’ sheet provided the opportunity for groups to have fun making stories together.  The most popular activity of the week, however, was ‘story stick’ making.

Story sticks are visual prompts which may be used to inspire oral storytelling, with each showing a key element of a story (a character, a setting or a ‘prop’, for example). Our creative students drafted a wide range of designs, capable of aiding the telling of stories from a variety of genres.

Bats, spiders and snakes represented an interest in Gothic horror, while mermaids, flying carpets and a witch’s cat opened doors to a fantasy world.  The modern world featured too, with a mobile phone, tent and hockey stick perhaps suggesting some favourite teenage pastimes, and a multitude of ‘heart’ sticks possibly hinting that some might be hoping for a Valentine’s Day card!

National Storytelling Week culminated in 37 story sticks being available for a lunch time story-creation session, held on Friday 10th February.

Well done to everyone who took part in the week’s activities