What are the benefits of story sacks?
Using story sacks in your Early Years Setting is an excellent way to create and sustain an interest in books. Children enjoy fun and interactive activities, and this is a perfect way to allow children to be more hands on during story time, stimulating their minds and imagination by bringing stories to life. It creates another dimension to the book and really allows children to make sense of what is going on in the story. Not only does a story sack encourage children to play and explore, it allows them to think creatively and provides them with opportunities to create and think critically.
Story sacks are a great opportunity for children to consider the characters and locations of the story, taking the lead of a main character in a story and express themselves as the character throughout the story, helping them to develop and improve their social and communication and language skills. Children are able to express different emotions and think about how the characters in the story feel, helping to develop their understanding of emotions and how to express their own emotions. Alongside this, Story Sacks encourage children to listen to stories together in a group, and promote turn taking and sharing.
Story sacks are a great way to build parent partnerships, by allowing children to take the sacks home. By doing this you are creating a way to engage with families and open up effective communication between the setting and parents. You are also allowing parents to support children’s speaking and listening skills at home which is essential within the EYFS.
Story Sack Resources
Below are some fantastic story sack resources full of useful materials and activities to support the learning and engagement of each story.