| It's fun to read child stories to your kids, but it's even | | | | PeriodIt's always exciting to go back in time and |
| MORE fun to make up your own. You don't need to | | | | imagine how people lived. This can be educational, too. |
| be a creative genius to do so. All it takes is a little | | | | You could make up a story about a Viking boy who |
| imagination and patience (with yourself). Follow these | | | | becomes a great warrior and philosopher king.8. Bring |
| 10 suggestions, and you'll find that making up | | | | them to LifeWhat if all the objects in your life suddenly |
| entertaining child stories is as easy as talking with a | | | | SPRANG TO LIFE? What would your car say? What |
| good friend.1. A Picture's Worth a Thousand | | | | would your TV do?9. BorrowIf you're really "stuck", |
| WordsSelect a picture or series of pictures from a | | | | you can always borrow (but don't steal) ideas from |
| magazine, book, newspaper or wherever. Then | | | | other people's stories or get inspiration from folktales, |
| describe what's happening in the picture or pictures.2. | | | | parables, legend or myth. Just put your own ideas and |
| Truth is Stranger than FictionDraw in events from your | | | | names into the stories to personalize them. For |
| everyday life and then embellish them. For example, | | | | example, you could take the Greek "Myth of Icarus" |
| instead of "Jason played in the basketball game last | | | | and update it for the 21st century. Instead of wings |
| Saturday," you could say "when Jason played in the | | | | make from feathers and wax, Icarus has a |
| basketball game last Saturday, he put on his magic | | | | solar-powered, artificial exoskeleton made from |
| shoes and scored 50 points!"3. Look at the Larger | | | | composite materials. With his hi-tech exoskeleton, he's |
| WorldChoose a story from the newspaper (nothing | | | | actually able to land on the sun, but then he gets so |
| too heavy) and make up a story around it. You can | | | | hot that he plunges back to earth, drinks up half of |
| personalize the news this way so that your child sees | | | | Lake Ontario, and gets a terrible tummy ache.10. Let |
| that real people are behind the events. This has the | | | | Your Kids Tell YOU a StoryKids are often more |
| added benefit of being highly educational.Just to prove | | | | creative than adults, probably because they don't |
| that this can be done with even a "dry" topic, here's a | | | | engage in self-censorship as much. They're not |
| headline from The Financial Times (the British business | | | | embarrassed to let their imaginations run wild! So, you |
| daily): "Crop Resistance - Why a Transatlantic Split | | | | could have your kids make up stories, too. They'll love |
| Persists Over Genetically Modified Food." Depending | | | | getting involved and having the chance to express |
| upon your political views on this issue, you could make | | | | themselves.You can combine any of the tips here with |
| up a story that London is threatened by gigantic ears | | | | that approach. With tip #1, for example, you could take |
| of corn, that soybeans morph into aliens or that | | | | turns describing what's happening in a picture. It's fun to |
| wonderful new species of flora and fauna evolve in a | | | | see how different people interpret a picture |
| genetically modified jungle that springs up outside New | | | | differently.Another approach that I use with my own |
| Orleans.4. Get Back to NatureNature is a rich source | | | | kids is the "story round robin". We take turns telling a |
| of ideas. You can make up a story about the animal | | | | single story, passing it on from one person to the next. |
| kingdom (e.g. an ant colony). You might imagine what it | | | | The plot can get very intricate, indeed!ConclusionThese |
| would be like to become an ant and see the world | | | | are just a few ways you can get inspired to make up |
| from that perspective. Or you could make up a story | | | | child stories. I'm sure you'll think of more. Above all, I |
| about the elements. Did you know that each element | | | | hope you'll have a lot of fun with your storytelling!P.S. If |
| has a concept associated with it? Air = Thought, Fire = | | | | you record or write down any of your stories, you can |
| Desire, Water = Emotions, Earth = Stability. The | | | | send them to me and I'll publish them on my website |
| universe or astronomy (sun, moon, planets, stars, etc.) | | | | with your name (and copyright) on them.P.P.S. Here is |
| is another possible source of inspiration.5. Help from | | | | a very interesting website that I discovered (not |
| Your HobbiesWhy not make up a story centered | | | | affiliated with me in any way) about the elements, |
| around one of your hobbies? If you're an avid golfer, a | | | | astrology, dragons, etc.: You'll find this a rich source of |
| story could be about how you got your golf ball back | | | | ideas.Paul Arinaga is founder of the Child Stories Bank. |
| from a talking alligator in Florida.6. Famous PeopleYou | | | | |
| could make up a story about a famous person (either | | | | The Child Stories Bank provides FREE original |
| deceased or still living) such as Jesus Christ, Alexander | | | | children's stories as well as resources to help writers |
| the Great or Justin Timberlake (might be best to try to | | | | create and get their stories published, and a directory |
| stick roughly to known facts).7. Choose a Time | | | | of child storybook illustrators. |