Today, we’re diving into the wonderful world of felt boards and exploring how they can transform storytelling for young children. Felt boards are engaging, versatile tools that can spark creativity, boost learning, and make storytelling come alive!

Making your felt board

Making a felt board is a breeze. You’ll need some felt or flannel fabric, a picture frame, and some staples or glue. Simply cut the felt to fit the frame size, secure it in place, and voila – your felt board is ready for storytelling. I buy felt in Spotlight, but you can also get some cheaper offcuts in the opportunity shops – as second-hand stores are called in Australia.

For an extra touch, use markers, stickers, or construction paper to create fun felt cutouts of various shapes and characters. You can also download cool stories on Etsy.

Tales with Felt

Now comes the magic part: using your felt board to weave captivating stories. Here’s how:

• Introduce your felt characters and set the scene by placing them on the board.
• As your story unfolds, move the felt cutouts around to illustrate the action. This visual element keeps young minds engaged and following along.
• Felt boards are fantastic for incorporating songs and fingerplays into your storytelling sessions.

Storytime Example: Five Little Speckled Frogs

Let’s use the classic song “Five Little Speckled Frogs” to illustrate the storytelling magic of felt boards. Here are the felt cutouts you’ll need:

• A tree
• Leaves
• Bushes
• Rocks
• Mushrooms
• Five frogs (of course!)

Sing the first verse and place all five frogs on the felt board. As you sing about the frogs jumping in the pool, one by one, remove the corresponding frog cutouts. When all the frogs have made their splash, sing the final verse.

The Power of Felt Board Storytelling

Felt boards are important tools of early childhood education for a reason.

• They grab children’s attention and keep them actively involved in the story.
• Felt boards can be used to teach children about counting, colours, shapes, and letters in a fun and interactive way.
• They foster storytelling and language development, allowing children to explore their creativity and express themselves.
• Felt boards are portable and easy to make, perfect for teachers, parents, and caregivers to use at home, in classrooms, or anywhere! I always have a felt board when I teach the class.

Happy crafting and storytelling,