Cloud Shape Story Time

What you need

• Blanket, 1, to lie on (optional)
• Flashlight, 1, to make ceiling shadows indoors (optional)

How to do it

Grown-up prep: Find a comfy spot to lie down together: grass outside on a cloudy day, or the floor indoors where you can see shadows on the ceiling. If you're outside, remind everyone to look at the clouds, never straight at the sun. That's it, no setup needed!

1. Lie down on your back on the grass or floor, side by side.
2. Look up at the clouds or ceiling shadows. Keep your eyes away from the sun! Ask for help if you need it
3. Take turns pointing at a shape and saying what it looks like.
4. Give one shape a feeling, like sleepy, grumpy, or super excited.
5. Pick your three favorite shapes together.
6. Pick a story starter from Ollie's ideas, or make up your own.
7. Make up a short story using all three shapes, one sentence each. Ask for help if you need it
   Ask: What happens next? How does the story end?
8. Lie quietly for one more minute and watch your shapes slowly change.
9. Tell your story to a friend, or hunt new shapes! What will Ollie spot next?
   Ask: Who would love to hear our story?

Ideas to try

• Once upon a time, a sleepy dragon floated over the hills and...
• What if that cloud was really a giant fish swimming through the sky?
• Where is your cloud animal going on its big trip?
• What does your shape eat for breakfast?
• Who is your shape's best friend up in the sky?
• What sound does your cloud make when it moves?
• Pretend your shape lost its hat. How does it find it?
• One day, a cloud came down to play at our house, and then...
• What is your shape afraid of, and how does it feel brave?
• If your shape could talk, what is the first thing it would say?
• Where does your shape sleep at night?
• What secret is hiding inside that fluffy cloud?
• Your shape finds a treasure map. What does it show?
• What would happen if the cloud sneezed?
• Which shape is the hero of the story, and what is its superpower?
• How does your story change when the wind blows the shape away?
• What would you say to your shape if you met it face to face?

Play it again

• Backward tale: start with the ending, then tell how it all began.
• Problem solvers: every story needs a big problem and a clever fix.
• Whisper story: tell the whole tale in a tiny, quiet voice.