A storytelling mat a day makes me happy and want to play.

I am fizzing about the moveable storytelling mat I have made.

I have been wanting to make a felt storytelling mat for a couple of years but every time I went to make one I didn’t because I thought I would need to make several for different scenes. A couple of months ago I came up with the idea of making a moveable one and I was EXCITED!

No sewing or glue is required on the mat (except the trees)! I did add some embellishment with stitches but you don’t need them.

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I made the base and then added layers BUT best of all a ‘peek-a-boo’ shape to add different texture like hessian for a dirt or a yellow scarf for sand and silk blue one for the sea or waves.

I aimed to make a storytelling mat a day to make teachers and children happy and want to play, so in December that meant 31 storytelling mats. I didn't quite make it with just 26 made and shared. I made a moveable storytelling mat which meant so many more possibilities like green field or blue seas to caves and mountains.

1. We’re going on a bear hunt

2. We’re going on a moa hunt

3. Gruffalo

4. Jack and the beanstalk

5. The 3 little pigs

6. Little blue truck

7. Red riding hood

8. Giraffes can’t dance

9. The Pout-pout fish

10. The teddy bears’ picnic

11. Shark in the park (new e-pattern)

12. Piranhas don’t eat bananas

13. The rainbow fish

14. Piranhas don’t eat bananas

15. Pee wee the lonely kiwi

16. 10 little rubber ducks

17. The singing mermaid

18. 2 little monkeys

19. Te Ika A Māui

20. Baby shark

21. Tangaroa’s gift

22. Where’s my teddy

23. The big honey hunt

24. The pirate’s night before Christmas

25. Jungle bells

26. We’re going on a Santa hunt

I have 10+ books waiting for the storytelling mat! Why only 26? I was being ambitious AND the children wanted to retell stories and play with some for longer than a day. The most popular storytelling mats early in December were for the books The Gruffalo and We're going on a Moa hunt. As we got closer to Christmas it was the Christmas books and in particular Jungle Bells which is a great all year round book but I added individual and sleigh bells.

I could have left many of the storytelling mats out for a week or two and will revisit them in 2023.

I started with We’re going on a bear hunt and then a Moa hunt. Making a snow mountain for the bear hunt and adding a shingle mountain for the Moa hunt book. I have We’re going on a leaf hunt but autumn is a little way off.

Having used it for 26 books I can see how VERSATILE it is! Not to mention using it for small world play and an invitation to ‘tell me a story’.

The storytelling mat add another dimension to the stories told by the children. Lee used the blue or sea storytelling mat to ‘tell me a story’ and 4 other children about a trip to the beach with his Dad and how they saw a mermaid. A tall tale but the other children joined in and the storyline was rich and complex.

I always have next to my storytelling suitcase, small world and invitation to ‘tell me a story’ a bag or basket of loose parts and did the same for the storytelling mat.

The moveable storytelling mat is now available as an e-pattern , in it there are moveable 3D trees, a cave and mountains to make. Plus moveable sand, sea, mud and snow areas. The trees were the only part that required sewing (but glued could be used) but I add some straight stitches for extra details and texture. The e-pattern is only $7 and the materials used were around $15 as I made 3 base colours- green, brown and blue.

I have also used the storytelling mat with my e-a patterns and created an EARTH and SEA e-pattern BUNDLE to save you time and money. Buying the e-patterns individually would cost you more and buying them as a bundle means you SAVE. If you have one of the e-patterns let me know and I will send you a coupon to take more off it (not including the FREE ones 😉).

The EARTH storytelling mat bundle e-patterns are for:

Gruffalo

Jack and the beanstalk

The 3 little pigs

Little blue truck

Red riding hood

Giraffes can’t dance

The SEA storytelling mat bundle:

The rainbow fish

The Pout-pout fish

Piranhas don’t eat bananas

Te Ika A Māui

Baby shark

Tangaroa’s gift (exclusive and not sold individually)

The moveable storytelling mat has been a natural extension on a story basket BUT what I have loved the most is that it provides more space for children to join in and co-construct stories or play.

I am looking forward to using my moveable storytelling mat with MORE books and play! I hope looking at them makes you happy and want to PLAY!!

Until next time.

M

P.S. there are some affliate links and if you use them I may get some$$ at no extra cost to you