I am a huge fan of story sacks and the potential that they provide for learning. We often make our own story sacks but you can also buy ready made story sacks 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
by Neil Griffiths [Red Robin Books]
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$9.50
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
Order the Itchy Bear Storysack here.
Storysack have lots of story sacks to choose from and include many of our favourite picture books – Peace at Last, Owl Babies, Handa’s Surprise, Winnie the Witch and Room on the Broom. They make such a great addition to a classroom or school library but they can also provide lots of learning opportunities and imaginative play at home.
Thank you so much to Storysack for sending us the Itchy Bear Storysack.
Interesting idea of the story sack. Thanks for having the simple to enter giveaway
You’re welcome – it’s a lovely prize 🙂
Oh yes, such a wonderful idea. Anything that extends the story (and learning) is great I think.
We love storysacks, they can engage even the most reluctant reader 🙂
The nursery my little one attends uses story sacks, such a great idea to get them engaging. thanks for sharing with #readwithme
Story sacks are brilliant for bringing a story to life 🙂
I’ve never come across story sacks. What a fab idea #readwithme
Story sacks are a fantastic way of extending a child’s experience and understanding of a picture book – and great for simply playing with too 🙂
I’ve never used story sacks with my two, keep thinking it’s something I should do. I like the idea of being able to buy them ready made!
thanks for sharing
#readwithme
This Itchy Bear Storysack is such good value for money – the quality of the resources is brilliant.
What a great idea. It looks like this story sack has everything you need to recreate the story.love that there is an audio cd too
The story sack is a really fun way of bringing Itchy Bear’s story to life 🙂
I’ve never come across the term story stack before…where have I been?!
I totally agree about layering the learning with different activities, such a good idea
Popping across from #TriedTested
Story sacks are fabulous resources – it’s fun to make your own too 🙂
Love this!
What an awesome idea to be able to bring the story to life 🙂
#TriedTested
There’s lots of fun to be had with this story sack 🙂
The story sack sounds great fun #triedtested
It is, it brings the Itchy Bear story to life 🙂
What a lovely product! I think my toddler would adore this! #TriedandTested
Itchy Bear is extremely adorable 🙂
We also make our own story sacks – its great that you can buy them too when you don’t have the energy 🙂 thank you for bringing this company to my attention. #TriedTested
They have a huge range of story sacks, also several books I’ve never heard of.
I love story sacks, we get them from the library, it would be great to own one, have entered! #triedtested
Good Luck Jenny!
We love story sacks, we used them a lot at the nursery I worked and we often make our own at home too. Thanks for linking up with #TriedTested
We love storysacks too, I’m still surprised that many people haven’t heard of them.
I haven’t heard of Story Sacks until now, but I love the idea! Itchy Bear is actually a book I’ve had my eye on 🙂
It’s a lovely story, especially for this time of year. The Itchy Bear in the sack is absolutely gorgeous as are the other puppets and resources 🙂
What a lovely package to celebrate the book! Thanks for sharing at the Kid Lit Blog Hop Catherine!!!
It’s a fantastic prize 🙂
What a really wonderful idea – it really does help to boost the engagement of the book too. I will definitely nip over and enter the giveaway. Thanks for linking to #PoCoLo x
Good Luck in the giveaway and thank you for sharing the post 🙂