We love stories in all forms – written, illustrated, painted, musical, etc.
Help your child develop his or her own story with this activity from Gallery Educator, Noelle. She shows us the 5 elements of a story – from our Art of the Story exhibition in the video below.
Download the activity PDF mentioned to start your story by clicking here.
Start your story
1. First, gather your materials:
- Activity PDF or plain paper
- Pencil
- Bag of assorted props (toys, household items, instruments)
- Artwork to view (at home or online)
2. Next, read through the PDF to read through the 5 elements – settings, characters, plot/action, conflict/problem and resolution – to help you shape your story. Also, pick a prop you’d like for your story.
3. Then, look at the art you picked for inspiration and to think about your story. We used an illustration – Cat Island (featured above) by Esme Shapiro, who is in the Art of the Story exhibition – to shape our story.
4. Finally, start writing your story. Let your imagination (and your props) lead the way – keeping the 5 elements in mind.
FYI
Please take a moment to share your stories with us via email or social media. We’re at @ideaMuseum on Facebook and @ideaMuseumMesa on Twitter and Instagram.