Today is World Storytelling Day!

Do you have a story to share? Tell it today on World Storytelling Day!

World Storytelling Day started in Sweden in 1992 as 'Alla berättares dag', which means 'All storytellers day'. Since then, it's spread around the word and serves as a global celebration of the art of oral storytelling. It is celebrated every year on the Spring equinox in the northern hemisphere, the first day of Autumn equinox in the southern. On World Storytelling Day, as many people as possible tell and listen to stories in as many languages and at as many places as possible, during the same day and night!

We all love to hear or tell a good story, and no one loves stories more than young children. From the role-plays they perform to the books you read together and the pictures they draw, children are fascinated by telling tales.

This year's World Storytelling Day is themed around 'Building Bridges', so why not think about how you can add a little extra panache to your storytelling?

• Put on voices for the different characters in your story - do your best impressions!
• Set the scene properly with costumes and props. If it’s a scary story, do you need to tell it in the dark?
• Be sure to include lots of details and be very descriptive to make your story engaging and help your audience picture what you're describing.
• As a family, you could even play a game of storytelling to show how everyone’s unique perspective can change a story over time. One person can start by setting the scene, and the next can build on the story from there. Keep going until everyone has added to the story at least three times. The results will likely be hilarious!

Whether they're bedtime stories, campfire stories or old family stories, today is the perfect day to celebrate stories!