Teddy Bear's Picnic

Today I spent lunchtime at a Teddy Bear's Picnic, in a woodland near Castleford. The weather was (at times) pretty rubbish, and by 1110, ten minutes after the official start time, there were...wait for it...a grand total of TWO children. However, more and more came to investigate what was going on, and by the time storytime arrived, there were a good number of children of various ages. However, gathering them all together to stay still in one place looked as if it was going to be a challenge. Until nature intervened with a downpour. Everyone rushed to the gazebo, and with some quick thinking we managed to wrap a tarpaulin around the sides. The effect, therefore, was to get all the kids in one, small space, turn everyone's faces blue (the tarp was blue), and have a ready made story area.

And the kids really liked the stories. I was really chuffed with some of the older, 'I'm too cool for this' type kids, who in the end went away with their 'gift' of a teddy bear, proudly clutching it whilst also still trying to look cool. Their love of my stories felt great. One of the most 'cool' dudes piped up suddenly and said 'he' been to my school. He tells mint stories.' And that just made me want to tell him another 'mint' story. Which I did. Masha and the Bear, in fact. A brilliant, Russian based, teddy bear story, with a bear that isn't very teddy like. The children joined in with gusto and we had a brill time.

Once again, I realised how even older children still have a love and a longing inside for stories. Pure and simple, no props, no devices, just stories. And what a privilege to be the one who can give them to these kids. I am LOVING storytelling just now. LOVING it!