Grow & PlayREADY FOR TIME TOGETHER
Stories by lamplight
Invent a three-picture story, act one scene and settle into Nora’s quiet evening.
7+ years · 25 minutes of play · +6 min of optional reading
Choose this adventure for our plan →
Choose a little wish for a character. This is a shared story, not a performance to get right; the child can tell it while the grown-up writes.
Our two play stops
- 10 min
Three-word story
Choose three pictures in the story workshop. Give the hero a wish, add one gentle problem and decide on an ending. Keep the child’s exact words; saving or downloading is optional.
Three-word story →Gather before playing
- the three-picture story workshop on this device
- paper and a pencil for an adult scribe, optional
The grown-up’s role
Accept the wildest ideas and take turns adding one sentence at a time.
- 15 min
Shadow theatre
Pick just one scene to act in Shadow theatre. Use a hand shape or a large paper shape and a steady light. Swap narrator and puppet-maker, then try a different ending.
Shadow theatre →Gather before playing
- a stable battery-powered light, set up by a grown-up
- a clear wall
- a hand or a large paper shape for a puppet
The grown-up’s role
Secure the lamp and cords, then follow the story your child invents.
Read or listen · optional
Nora and the Book of Small Sounds
Read Nora’s sound book together, or choose one chapter. Listen for the pauses in the story rather than trying to act every line.
Nora and the Book of Small Sounds →A gentle finish
Turn the theatre light off and put the props away. Each person can name one story moment they would like to keep.
One question to share
What changed when the same story became a shadow scene?
Change the pace
Use two spoken sentences instead of writing. For a challenge, tell the scene from a different character’s point of view.