The Whimsical Classroom: The Magic of Using Props During Storytime!

Hello, dear friends! Today, I want to share about the magic of using props with young children during Storytime! What better way to help students practice retelling and sequencing a story than with props. Props help bring the story to life and create an interactive Storytime for the children. They sit at the edge of their seats waiting to see what you'll pull out of the bag next! Later, the bag of props and the story can be placed into a center so students can practice retelling and sequencing the story with friends. It truly is amazing to see how detailed the students' account of the story is while pulling each item out of the bag.

Here are two of my favorite fall stories that I use to teach retelling and sequencing with, while using some wonderful props!

The Apple Cake by Nienke van Hichtum is a beautiful story of thankfulness and giving! It's the story of an old woman who would like to make an apple cake, but does not have any apples. We follow her on her adventure as she gives and receives until she finally ends up with a beautiful bushel of red, shiny apples.

Props Needed for The Apple Cake:

Plum (I used a crocheted apple that was dark purple)
Feathers
Flower
Gold chain or necklace
Stuffed animal dog
Apple

The Scarecrow's Hat by Ken Brown is one of my students' and my own children's favorite stories! It is a great story to connect to The Apple Cake -as it is a similar story of giving and receiving. In this story, hen would love nothing more than scarecrow's old tattered hat and he would like nothing more than a walking stick to rest his weary arms on. Hen sets off on a journey finding animals who have something she can make a trade with. The repetitive text is wonderful, allowing students to engage while listening to the story!