I am a huge fan of storysacks and the potential that they provide for learning. We often make our own storysacks but you can also buy ready made storysacks which are a wonderful resource to have either at home or in a school classroom or library.
Storysack is a company that advocates reading for pleasure. They sell a range of resources, including story sacks, and they very kindly sent us an Itchy Bear Storysack to look at. I am really impressed with the quality of the resources and both my daughter and I love big, cuddly Itchy Bear!
The Story: Bear has an itch so he tries to find ways of scratching it. His attempts to find a solution to his problem annoy various woodland animals and insects but he finally finds a deserted tree and settles down for a good scratch. Bear’s movements shake the tree and he gets a surprise when apples rain down on him!
The Itchy Bear book comes in a big green sack which also includes Itchy Bear, squirrel, mole and owl hand puppets and butterfly and millipede finger puppets (some puppets are made by The Puppet Company). We love them all and they are really well made to withstand lots of imaginative play.
The Itchy Bear Storysack also includes felt apples and a sturdy card backdrop which inspired my daughter and a friend to put on a puppet show. After a walk in the woods to collect sticks and logs for the puppet show stage they used Itchy Bear and the puppets to act out the story as I read the book aloud.
Itchy Bear is a perfect story for autumn and the Itchy Bear Storysack includes an information pack for teachers and parents (including a pictorial frieze about apples) and a set of Itchy Bear cards which gives you four different game opportunities. A CD Rom provides an audio version of the story as well as information about story sacks and a really useful set of learning goals and activity suggestions for teachers working in the Foundation Stage. There are also two posters and a PDF of activities which includes making animal masks, making hand and finger puppets, colouring your own jigsaws and making your own Itchy Bear card game.
I love the resources in this Storysack and I’m really impressed with the thought that has been taken into including so many activity ideas for teachers. Activities for all curriculum areas are included as well as suggestions for further reading. There are hours of fun and learning to be had in this big green bag!
Author: Neil Griffiths / Illustrator: Judith Blake
Age Range: 3 +
Contents of the Itchy Bear Storysack:
- Itchy Bear picture book
- Plush bear
- Squirrel handpuppet
- Mole handpuppet
- Owl handpuppet
- Butterfly fingerpuppet
- Millipede fingerpuppet
- Three felt apples
- Sturdy card backdrop
- CD Rom
- Playing cards
- Apples information pack
Thank you so much to Storysack for sending us the Itchy Bear Storysack.
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