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‘Something was stirring in the valley, something powerful and old.
Something which had no place in the rational modern world…’

I’ve become slightly obsessed with ‘The Owl Service’ by Alan Garner and have read the first chapter to just about any child who will sit still long enough this week. I have been taken over by the same magic that causes Alison is obsess about the flowery ‘owl’ pattern  on an old dinner service which Gwyn discovers after she hears scatching in the loft.

At the Story Room in Muswell Hill (South Friern Library) on October 4th 2014 2.00pm to 4.00pm I will introducing more children to this haunting, tense novel… and we will be attempting to make our own owls!

“If you take the design off the plate and fit it together it makes a complete owl. See. I’ve traced the two parts of the design, and all you do is turn the head right round till it’s the other way up, and then join it to the top of the main pattern where it follows the rim of the plate. There you are. It’s an owl – head, wings and all”.

To find out more contact helena@storyroom.co.uk

We have had great fun this week already with our ‘Picture This… ‘ Workshop. The children didn’t want to go home and were asking to come the next day, which is always a good sign. I love to see the enjoyment that children get from writing, to hear them laugh out loud when their stories are read out and to see the pride they have in their writer’s noteboook! Some children come reluctantly to the workshops, either because their parents have booked them on or because they think they ‘can’t write stories’ and these are the very ones that don’t want to leave. The devilment that shines in their eyes, when they realise they have the freedom to write what they want when they put pen to paper is such a delight to witness. So many children ask ‘Can I write…?’, ‘Can this happen..?.’ and my answer is always ‘It’s your story. You are in charge of what happens in your story.’ This gives them a freedom they rarely have in our modern world. I feel privileged to share in the experience with them and hope they continue to write when they leave our doors.

So it’s Monsters Vs Aliens on Thursday… so exciting. Who knows what monsters and aliens will be invading Winchmore Hill?

We have a limited number of spaces left on our workshops this summer. If you would like to know more about what we do, please visit the website www.storyroom.co.uk

Have a great summer!

Helena

Children love a treasure hunt, especially if they can dress up as pirates! We regularly run them at The Story Room (any excuse to get dressed up!). 

If you have some friends over this summer, try doing a treasure hunt of your own (around the house, in the garden – or both! or even on the campsite…) Ask your children to write their own clues and hide them around your chosen area, leading to the HIDDEN TREASURE. The clues should be descriptive, imagnative and  cryptic (but not impossible to figure out) .

Here are some examples of the clues our creative Story Room participants have written in the past:

• Follow the magical pathway, through the tall wired arch. Hop like a kangaroo to see your first clue. It is hidden under somewhere to relax and see the view.
• Look at your pirates’ compass and head north east to the lair of the fearsome woodcutter and his beast. Your clue is hidden near the third log.
• Take 25 steps to the creature that shadows the forest. Look underneath its lowest arm and there you will find the final clue.

HAVE FUN!

A great way to create a keepsake of your Summer Holiday 2014  is to write a journal of your holiday.

Scrapbooks, unlike photo albums tell a story and  are something to look back on, bringing back happy memories of day-trips and holidays. Even if you are not going on holiday this summer, you can create a scrapbook of the new adventures you have had and the places you have visited, even if they are local. The ideas are endless. Here are some to get you started:

Write a Travel Diary. For each visit, even if it is local, collect mementoes and souvenirs of your time there e.g. postcards, entrance tickets, leaflets, brochures, postage stamps etc. Cut out pictures from tourist brochures to decorate your page and write down the highlights of your visit, adding photos of the trip.

Holiday Soundtrack. What song were you listening to on the journey on the way to your destination?  You could add quotes of  some of the lyrics on your pages. You can list the soundtrack to your holdiay in your scrapbook.

Write a Holiday Newspaper. Your scrapbook could be newspaper style with captions and photos for noteable holiday events and trips. If you are visiting historical sites you can challenge yourself and write in the style of that time.

Food Diary. For food lovers out there, take photos of menus you have chosen form and  meals and desserts you have eaten. Some restaurants don’t like you taking photos of food, so ask first! Write as if you were a food critic, giving ratings and reviews for each meal. Look for styles of writing in newspapers and magazines for inspiration.

Scrapbooks are the perfect way to express yourself creatively. Can you think of any other ideas to share? send them to me at helena@storyroom.co.uk and I will share your ideas with others. Have fun!