Celebrating National Storytelling Week all year long

National Storytelling Week is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the magic of stories, but storytelling should be embraced in the classroom all year round. Some of my favourite memories from school as a child are either listening to stories, or getting the chance to write them myself! There is so much onus on the mechanics of writing (and rightly so), but we mustn’t let that overshadow the importance of letting a child’s imagination run away with them without worrying whether each idea needs separating by a semi-colon!

What is National Storytelling Week?

National Storytelling Week is an annual event that typically takes place in the first week of February. It is organised by the Society for Storytelling and aims to celebrate the art of storytelling across the country. The week encourages people of all ages to engage in storytelling, whether through oral traditions, written stories or performances. It is a time to raise awareness about the importance of storytelling in preserving culture, fostering imagination, enhancing communication skills, and so much more!

Whilst National Storytelling Week is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate storytelling, it’s important to remember that the power of stories should be nurtured throughout the entire year, not just during this special week. Storytelling (by the children and the adults) is a vital skill that supports creativity, language development and communication, making it essential to incorporate it into everyday learning. 

Here are some ways to keep the magic of storytelling alive in the classroom all year round!

1. Storytelling dice

Storytelling dice are a fun and imaginative tool that help children create their own stories using random prompts. Each die (physical or digital) features pictures or words such as characters, settings, objects or actions. When rolled, they generate unexpected combinations that children use to build a narrative and can be used to encourage both oral and written storytelling. Pupils might work in pairs or small groups to take turns rolling the dice and developing a shared story, helping them practise speaking, listening and sequencing ideas. Teachers can also use them in whole-class sessions to model how to turn simple prompts into rich, creative tales. For writing tasks, children can roll a few dice and use the results as a starting point for their own story. 

2. Story Stick

This simple but powerful activity encourages oral storytelling and active listening. Gather the class in a circle and introduce a special stick or object that becomes the 'story stick'. The person holding it is the storyteller, and they either begin a new story or add to one that the group is creating together. To help get things started, you might suggest a setting, a character or a problem for the story to explore. If a child feels unsure about what to say, you can gently prompt them with open-ended questions such as “What happens next?” or “What did you see?” The story continues as the stick is passed around the circle, giving everyone a chance to contribute. This activity supports storytelling by building confidence in speaking, encouraging imagination, and showing how stories can grow through collaboration.

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3. Book round robin

Storytelling doesn’t just have to come from the children! The more widely a child reads, the better their imagination will become. It can be easy for children to get stuck in a bit of a reading rut. To break them out of this, encourage peer recommendations by organising a lively book-sharing activity. Ask students to bring in a book they’ve recently enjoyed. Split them into pairs and label them A and B. Each student takes a minute to explain what their book is about and why they recommend it.

After both have shared, student B moves to the next partner, forming a new pair. Repeat the process until every student has rotated. By the end, each child will have heard a wide range of book suggestions. It’s a fast-paced and fun way to discover new reading material and build enthusiasm for independent reading!

4. Story bag

This is a lively and imaginative group activity that gets children excited about telling stories. Begin by gathering a selection of toys or small classroom objects and placing them into an opaque bag or box. Sit the children in a circle and explain that each person will take a turn pulling out one object and using it to add to a shared story. The first child begins with “Once upon a time…” and introduces the item they’ve drawn, setting the scene and starting the adventure. The story is then passed along, with each pupil adding their own twist as they reveal a new object. For reluctant storytellers, encourage them with simple questions like “Where did it come from?” or “What happens next?” You can also use this activity as a calming transition while still nurturing creative thinking. It’s a brilliant way to build oral storytelling skills, develop imagination, and help children listen and respond to one another’s ideas. For a variation, one child can tell the whole story, drawing items one at a time to keep things unpredictable and engaging.

5. Bingo challenge

Start up a fun, interactive reading challenge! Collaboratively design a "reading bingo" grid with your class, filled with quirky and creative reading prompts to complete at home over the first few weeks. Ideas could include:

• Read to a pet or toy

• Use a silly voice while reading

• Wear a costume or a funny hat while reading

• Read to a small audience (family or friends)

• Read in an unusual spot, like under the table or lying down

• Read non-stop for a set time (e.g. 45 minutes)

• Share a story over a video or phone call

Students often enjoy suggesting their own fun challenges too. For an extra layer of engagement, ask them to snap photos completing their tasks and create a colourful display or a post on the school website.

6. Vote for a class story

Rather than diving into a pre-selected book, why not let your students decide what story to begin with? Hold off on any texts closely tied to your curriculum theme until later in the term - this gives students time to build the knowledge needed to fully appreciate them, echoing Doug Lemov's approach to background-building before complex reading. Instead, offer a curated list of 5-6 compelling books. Share the covers, blurbs, and maybe the opening paragraphs. After exploring the options together, let the children vote for the one they’d most like to read as a class. 

7. Doodling

Texts play a central role in most English lessons, whether the focus is reading comprehension or writing techniques. I like to keep two books going at the same time: one used directly in English lessons, often linked to a previous topic or chosen for its rich language features, and another used purely for enjoyment as our daily class story. This second book is read aloud at the end of the day or whenever there’s a spare few minutes. While listening to stories, I’ve found that allowing pupils to doodle can actually help them stay more focused. Personally, I find that keeping my hands busy helps me listen more intently, and the same seems to apply to children. Rather than sitting still with wandering minds, they engage more actively with the story when they are free to draw. This quiet activity has become a favourite part of our routine, helping pupils wind down while still absorbing language and narrative structure, both of which feed into their own storytelling skills over time.

8. The Story Scroll

This fun group activity is a brilliant way to get children thinking creatively and working together to build a story. All you need is a sheet of paper and a pencil or pen. One pupil starts things off by writing the opening few lines of a story. Once they've finished, they fold the paper so that only the last line is visible and pass it on. The next person reads that final line and adds their own part to the story, before folding the paper again to hide everything but their last sentence. This continues around the group until everyone has contributed, with the final person writing the ending. When the paper is unfolded and the full story is read aloud, the results are often completely unexpected and very entertaining. It’s a great way to promote storytelling in a relaxed and humorous setting, showing children how ideas can grow and change with each new voice.

9. Learning by Questions

LbQ offers a brilliant selection of texts aimed at developing reading for pleasure and depth across Years 2 to 6. The collection includes a mix of original stories and well-known classics, all written or adapted by teachers on the LbQ team. Each text comes with a carefully designed set of questions that encourage pupils to practise key skills such as retrieval, inference, language analysis and written interpretation. The included lexile scores help teachers pitch the challenge at the right level for their class. These texts work particularly well when shared on the board for whole-class reading and discussion, making it easy to explore language and meaning together. As children engage more deeply with characters, plot and language, they begin to internalise the patterns of effective storytelling - something that will support them when crafting their own stories, both orally and in writing. You can try one of these sample texts to see how they might fit into your own classroom practice.

You can trial Wayfinder from LbQ for free, where you’ll get access to all of their reading, maths and GPS resources with no obligation. 

Incorporating storytelling into everyday classroom activities not only helps children develop their communication skills but also ignites their imagination. By making storytelling a regular part of your teaching practice, you can create a fun and engaging environment where creativity thrives throughout the year - because, after all, we can teach children both how to use a semi-colon and how to tell a decent story!