Creative Storytelling With Magical Story Jars

Reading and sharing stories for the Fraser’s is akin to breathing, however my personal favourites are those enjoyed before bed. From being tiny I have always shared a Bedtime Story with the kids before snuggling them up in bed with a big sloppy kiss– I hasten to add I no longer read them to the teens! Thank goodness then that I still have Leo who loves nothing more than settling down for a story before drifting off dreaming of his own fun adventures. It’s this bedtime settling down routine that became the inspiration for the De Nobrega Family to create Magical Story Jars.

When their daughter decided one evening that instead of a regular book from her shelf she wanted to make up her own unique story, Daddy realised his own storytelling capacity was lacking somewhat! Hoping to help, Mummy Beth decided to look online and see if there was anything available to assist the pair in their creative storytelling. When she drew a blank Beth realised she had discovered a gap in the market and as a family they set to work to design something to help with their conundrum. Together with the all-important input of their daughter, and lots of hard work Magical Story Jars were born!

Despite the problem Magical Story Jars were created to solve their use is by no means limited to bedtime, not by a long way. Small and portable these jars are fun to share anytime of the day and ideal for taking on long journeys to keep the kids from citing boredom! Each Magical Story Jar provides three sets of prompts printed onto colour coded cards. Using specially created characters, places and adventures they help to spark children’s imaginations and creativity whilst building their own unique tale. Containing 45 cards in total they even include a set of blank cards allowing kids to create their own scenarios and give their stories a personal touch.

How to use the Magical Story Jar:

• Sprinkle the cards with a little magic dust to wake them up
• Select 3 cards – one of each colour
• Let your imagination run wild
• Create your story

The prompt cards are purposefully designed to raise discussion points including morals, dilemmas and emotions helping to engage parents and children in thoughtful conversation about the direction of the story. There are so many different card combinations that can be selected and when you mix that with the limitless imagination of a child the possibilities of the Magical Story Jar are simply endless. The cards also easily lend themselves to being utilised as drawing, acting and imaginary play prompts stretching the fun even further.

For me Magical Story Jars are the perfect alternative to a regular book and are reminiscent of the books of my youth which allowed you to choose the course of the story along the way – I hope you know the kind I mean and I’m not just showing my age!

Magical Story Jars are a beacon of light in a world filled with technology, offering a fun, engaging and educational way for kids to develop their imagination and language skills away from the draw of a screen. They have been perfectly designed with faultless attention to detail and have a wonderful whimsical feel.

The jars are currently available to buy in two themes, Once Upon A Rainbow and Bright Star and offer the option of adding a personalised label – they would make wonderful gifts!

Jars can be purchased from the Magical Story Jar Website, Etsy Store and from selected Independent Retailers. They will also be available to purchase from their pop-up shops across North West England this Summer – check the website for updates. Online orders can be shipped to UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

The De Nobrega Family have kindly offered Fun House readers an exclusive 15% discount code; simply quote FFH18 at the checkout*

*Discount is only available on purchases made through the Magical Story Jar Website and can only be used once. Code expires 31/12/2018

**All pictures used in this post were provided by Magical Story Jars.