← Speeches & Workshops

Storytelling Activity

Over the holiday, talk to an older relative of yours, or if you have a special friend whose old, talk to them. Your goal: To Discover a Story!

Sometimes the very best stories are about real things that have happened to real people, and I’ll bet your family is a gold mine of great stories…all you have to do is do a little “digging.”

You can use a voice recorder if you like, but this isn’t necessary. Just pay close attention to what your relative or friend is saying and as soon as you get a little time, scribble down a few notes to help you remember what the person said.

Take your choice of these things to ask them. (They might not have an answer to the question you choose, so be sure to have a back-up question…or two…or five…just in case.)

Can you tell me about a really wild day you once had in school? Do you know any ghost stories? Do you remember a time when you were young and you were really, really scared? Did your own parent of grandparent ever tell you any wild stories? What kind of things scared you most when you were young? Did your parent or grandparent ever tell you a really big lie just to be funny?

Then when we come together as a class, you’ll get a chance to retell the story. And by the way, it’s okay for storytellers to change the story a little. DON’T WRITE THE STORY OUT AND READ IT TO US! That’s not storytelling…That’s reading!

Tips on great storytelling… Move around! Use your body! Use your hands! Use your feet! If you need some sound effects, tell your audience how to make them then have them join in as you tell the story. Remember: Don’t memorize the story…just make sure it has a beginning, middle, and ending. Why have people told stories for thousands of years? To pass along information, to entertain each others, to have fun. So…..tell us the story, entertain us, and have fun….Then watch what happens…We’ll have fun, too!