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Why write stories? For «storytellers» — this is a comprehension of life, self-expression, like any kind of creative activity.
We, writing fairy tales for children and with children, also pursue pragmatic goals :-).
- We develop creative thinking and imagination in children (and parents).
- We strengthen contact with children through interesting joint activities.
- Through the metaphor of a fairy tale, we carry out suggestion or help to deal with current life situations.
All children love fairy tales, stories, they love to invent stories themselves. When we come up with a fairy tale together, this is our own unique World. And the common World, only our Common World is our closeness, belonging, kinship of souls.
This world can be pure magic and fantasy, or maybe there are heroes in this world who are close to us at the moment, there are situations in which you need to overcome obstacles, solve some problems. And this is fairy tale therapy.
What is good fairy tale therapy?
- It is easy to involve a child in writing a fairy tale (that is, to focus on solving a problem).
- In the course of solving the problem, we avoid open moralizing and pressure.
- Due to the “hypothetical nature” of fairy-tale incidents, the child is more open and inclined to express himself (now it is “not about him”, which means that everything is possible).
- Confidence is formed that the problem can always be solved, that there is always a way out.
- The fairy tale implicitly teaches to solve real life problems.
What stories can we make up?
1 option. «What I see, I sing.»
Not therapeutic, but purely fantasy tales. You can just make up stories like «The Greek rode across the river.» Such stories are closer to poetry, they do not have the notorious “fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it”, often they do not make sense at all (“nonsense”). For example, the well-known «Telephone» of Chukovsky — well, what’s the point? By the way, in English children’s poetry the principle of «nonsense» (absurdity, nonsense) is very common. Alice in Wonderland is a complete joke. And kids love stuff like this!
A fantasy tale can have a certain descriptive character, it does not contain an idea, moralizing, but simply a description of life as it is (the life of a leaf, an ant or a river).
2 option. A story with meaning.
Most fairy tales teach to be kind and brave, resourceful and hardworking. These are fairy tales that form certain values and beliefs.
3 option. Therapeutic stories.
We take an actual task and offer (we are looking for together) various ways to solve it. For example, a wonderful collection of «educational» fairy tales — «Masha and Oyka» for girls 2 — 4 years old. Now there is a large selection of such literature. For example (to feel the influence of a therapeutic fairy tale) — Fairy tales from Elfika. Also, please read and analyze two of Elfika’s tales from the point of view of suggestions: A bulk apple, a Zoo ().
How to compose fairy tales for children and with children?
1. Spontaneously and on a whim.
2. Revitalization of the inanimate — in itself a fairy tale (for example, «Linen», «Spruce» Andersen).
3. Based on an already existing fairy tale (replacement of characters, «decorations», time, etc.).
Fairy tales can be combined (for example, Masha does not end up in the house of three bears, but on a visit to three piglets; old Hottabych does not appear at Volka’s, but at our house). Fairy tales can be “added on” (which happened later with Cinderella and the prince, Harry Potter and his family).
4. According to the template.
- Time of action.
- Scene.
- The main character.
- The main enemy.
- A situation that needs to be resolved.
- main event.
- protagonist’s assistants
- Assistants of the main enemy.
- The denouement (the triumph of the hero). As a rule, this is the victory of good over evil due to … ingenuity / strength / courage / responsiveness, etc.
5. Word games. Come up with several unrelated words and combine them in one plot (for example, two in each sentence). This is how fairy tales are born — absurdities that can be left «as is», or you can come up with meaningful stories.
Even simply expressive storytelling is a lesson in empathy and oratory.
Wonderful fairy tales are not just inventing, but also arranging. You can “draw” fairy tales (make illustrations), and not necessarily “highly artistic”, but both schematically and associatively. Fairy tales can be printed (preferably, in fresh footsteps, until they are forgotten). You can illustrate fairy tales with ready-made pictures. If the child is being taught the basics of computer literacy, you can master the Word, Paint, Power Point programs (and others at your discretion) during the design of the fairy tale. Using printing services, these works can be printed in the form of a real book. Here is such a creative project with a bright, beautiful result.
Fairy tales can be turned into theatrical performances and adventures, played out. We will mold the heroes from plasticine, draw and cut them out, sew them from fabric or make them from improvised material, arrange a shadow theater. We transform anything! And this is also the development of a fairy tale into a large creative project.
You can choose associative music for the fairy tale, compose poems and songs. Let’s create!