It’s National Library Week, everybody! The theme of the week-long celebration here at Heights Library is Create Your Own Story @ Your Library. There are events each night this week. The Children’s Department kicked things off with a storytime last Sunday (part of our special Sunday Storytime series, call for details).
Telling stories is so fun and I am always amazed when I realize that a story makes me laugh out loud, or I’m so interested in what happens that I become completely unaware that time passes. Stories are all about imagination and saying something about ourselves. Of the myriad ways to tell a story, here are a few places online for kids to create their own story:
“Draw” your own story on the Toronto Public Library’s website. Choose a background, place characters, and make them speak and act out your story idea.
MADLIBS fill in the blanks from the Columbus Public Library. Write in the type of word (noun, verb, adjective) and then read a story with those words in it. It gets pretty crazy since you have no idea what the story is about before you have to give the words.
Direct your own movie with Xtranormal’s movie making site. Here you pick animation styles, backgrounds, characters, motions and expressions, and then write dialogue that the computer will read out loud!
PBSkids has very simple site where you make your own story strip. Choose a scenario and dialogue for the characters (who look kind of ill).
You might enjoy creating a story in the style of Dr. Seuss on the Seussville website.
For older kids, you can get more options and control of story elements when you try out Marvel’s create a comic book, or if you prefer lots of 8-bit fun times, create-o your own stinko man comic at homestarrunner.
I hope you have a lot of fun with these sites. I would love to see or read your story if you post a link in the comments of this post.
Happy telling, and please visit us during National Library Week.
