Celebrity mum Gail Porter is supporting calls for a 21st Century makeover of the
art of storytelling as a new report shows it is an essential part of child
development.
The study by kids’ yogurt brand Munch Bunch and child psychologist Dr Richard
Woolfson, reveals that 75% of the nation’s mums and dads believe they must tell
stories to children to help their development, with 65% saying it helps fuel
youngsters creative imagination and 51% see it as a way to calm them.
However, despite a fifth of today’s parents claiming that they are creative
storytellers because they were read to when they were younger, figures show that
more than half struggle to stay awake when reading to their own children at
bedtime. The affects of a demanding working day are clearly impacting on the
amount of time parents are setting aside to story time, so Munch Bunch is going
back to its roots , by encouraging parents to get creative and think beyond
bedtime stories to ensure kids don’t miss out.
Storytelling is an important part of growing up, according to child psychologist
Dr Richard Woolfson. “There’s something special about the creative moment of
storytelling. It’s an integral part of a child’s development on so many levels;
it involves creativity, an exchange of information, an emotional connection and
has a calming influence on children.”
Together with Gail Porter, Munch Bunch - a brand inspired by the iconic Munch
Bunch stories and TV series of the 70s and 80s – is launching a nationwide
search for budding authors to help reinvent storytelling.
Going back to its storytelling roots the initiative will see six winning stories
for children published online as audio podcasts for families to enjoy any time
of day. The podcasts will be read by celebrity mum Gail Porter, as the voice of
Munch Bunch’s newest character, Munch the Cow, and will then be made available
for parents across the country to download and listen to with their children.
The campaign aims to create that unique moment, where parents can take time to
enjoy storytelling with their children so the stories will also be available to
print out from the Munch Bunch website.
Gail Porter said: “The Munch Bunch story search is a fantastic way to get more
mums and dads involved in telling stories. As a parent myself, I know there is
nothing more pleasing than capturing the imagination of little ones through
something you have created yourself. You don’t need to be a literary scholar,
all that’s required is a bit of imagination and the desire to inspire young
minds!”
Michael Inpong from Munch Bunch said: “Our products were inspired by books in
the beginning and we’re going back to our storytelling roots but reinventing it
for a new generation. With the search we’re giving mums the chance to show off
their creative flair and help make storytime more flexible.”
The six winners of the Munch Time Storytelling Competition will receive the
following:
• An all expenses paid day-trip to Lapland for you and your family to meet
Santa Claus and take a magical husky-led sleigh ride by a frozen lake
• An overnight stay in a central London hotel for two
• The chance to meet celebrity mum Gail Porter
• A day in a London recording studio seeing your story come to life as a podcast
• Your winning story published online as a podcast on
www.munchbunch.co.uk
for other mums and their kids to download.
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