Today’s blog post, Star Wars Storytelling for Kids, is brought to you by the famous Google Doodle, which is another story. This doodle is for Charles Perrault, the writer of some well-known fairy stories. Why would a storyteller deserve a day? Another question could be why these stories have been popular for centuries in the first place.
All these questions have the same answer: because the human brain is wired for story. The power of our brains is based on connections. These connections make pathways. Fairy stories not only have pathways thru the forests, but, like all stories, they are a marvel of connecting. Emotions, actions, characters, and consequences are all woven together in a story. So much so, that there are movies of fairy tales seen by millions of people more than 300 years after they were written down. The movie and entertainment industries are all about stories. So is book publishing and news reporting. To say there are billions of dollars involved is no fairy tale.
Considering this, it’s not so strange to have a Google doodle about storytelling. Stories make it easier for brains to understand and remember. They condense vast banquets of information into smaller bites. Stories can be effective for teaching and learning and have been used as a tool for centuries.
When it comes to kids, stories are a super strategy. Kids get their knowledge about dinosaurs and outer space from stories, not from experience. We read books to kids about monsters, animals, faraway places, feelings, bodies, adventures, and more. Imagination takes kids all around the world and beyond. And grownups too.
For a play-of-the-day, take some time for stories with your kids. Instead of reading, make up your own. Maybe Yoda comes to your house for lunch. Then what happens? Perhaps the car transforms into a space ship. Where does it go? Does your child have a concern or worry about something? A favorite Star Wars character might have a solution. Can your imagination play some Star Wars storytelling for kids too?