Practicing the art of Imagining with the wooden fellows
- Frédérique and the Wooden Fellows
The wooden Fellows have lived at the Petit Refuge for over a year now, and they have enjoyed sharing their discovery of our world, with pictures in the snow, at the beach, Chicago, France, etc. We have all become more familiar with Maurice and his love for rocks, Mme Rigolotte and her bright colors, Petite Clothilde and her head in puffy clouds, and Pierre Qui Roule, our nature advocate.
But this February, as we focused on imagination, I thought it might be time to add to their story, and the Lands they came from, before joining the Petit Refuge.
Haven’t met the wooden Fellows yet?
Discover who they are here and where they come from!
So I let my imagination pour, Maurice‘s Land of Lumps and Bumps, where the sun only breaks through the clouds for a few minutes a day, Mme Rigolotte‘s Land of Seven Colors, where everything is bright and joyful, Petite Clothilde‘s Land of Smooth and Mellows, with edible pink clouds, and Pierre Qui Roule‘s Land of Leaves and Bushes, where snails have the right of way and Racines whisper forest secrets.
I just let imagination take the wheel.
And that’s what this month has been all about: giving ourselves (and the young children around us) permission to imagine.
Why invent stories? Why unleashing our imagination?
With the wooden Fellows, we strongly believe that when you invent stories with a child, with a friend, or by yourself, something magical happens, something beyond entertaining. You unleash creativity without judgment, solve problems that may never happen in real life, and hence develop stronger bonds with whoever is next to you. You are modeling that ideas can come from anywhere, and you are practicing the courage to create without knowing exactly where you are going. How brave!
First, let's assess where we are!
Similarly to what we did last month, and before we offer tools and tips, we would like you to jump right in.
Invent a story.
Any story. It can be short; it can be long; it can be about a character you make up on the spot, or a bird you see outside; it can be about something you see around you, a coffee cup or a book on the floor.
Just start with “Once upon a time…” (or any starter you may be more comfortable with) and see what happens.
How did that feel?
Easy? Awkward? Fun? Stressful? Freeing? Silly?
There’s no wrong answer. But noticing how you feel about inventing stories can only help you take a step further, and assess what works best for YOU.
How to invent a story
So how do you actually invent a story? With the wooden Fellows, we keep things simple, the goal is to have fun, not to write the next Pulitzer (yet : )
The first thing, we think about is characters. Who is in your story?
Then, we think of an overall plot. What is going to happen?
Finally, we try to include an element of surprise, something that makes us giggle or scare. And Mme Rigolotte loves making a big deal of it.
That’s our start: characters, plot, surprise, and then, we unleash our imagination to add details.
How to use our Unleash Our Imagination guide (also called I am stuck! Guide)
Still, we want to acknowledge, and that’s why we invited you to jump in and create a story, unleashing our imagination can be intimidating for some, for many.
That’s why we created a guide, called an Unleash Your Imagination guide, or I am stuck! Guide.
–> download it here: Unleash Your Imagination Guide
The first page includes tips to add details to your story: think about senses, feelings, play with time, etc.
The second page includes a table to provide some ideas. Close your eyes and point randomly at the table or just look at the options and choose one. We included five categories: Location, Characters, Problems, Time Period, and Magical Objects.
The third page is our story Loop, to help structure your story, and decide if it ends or keeps going. The Loop has five stations: everything is normal, then a problem appears, so your character takes action, the problem is solved, but then a surprise twist appears.
You can end your story there, or use that surprise to start another story, and the adventure continues.
Finally, we encourage you to roll some dice throughout your story and work those numbers into your tale.
Why Imagination Matters (For All of Us)
If there is one message we truly want to emphasize is that imagination is good for everyone.
For young children, imagination is how they make sense of experiences they may not fully understand yet, explore possibilities in a safe space, build the courage to try new things, while of course, developing language (and mathematical thinking when you add a die : )
For adults, reconnecting with imagination can gently soften our thinking, help us connect with children on their terms, or simply better understand who they are.
It reminds us that creativity is not just “for artists”, story telling is not just “for storytellers”. and it models children that imagination does not have to end in childhood.
When we invent stories with a young child, we are showing them that adults can still dream and create. What a gift growing up knowing that?
Your Homework before we wrap up!
1 . We invite you to return to the story you invented earlier. Or start a fresh one. This time, add on using our Guide, looking at tips, pointing at the table, or rolling a die.
How are you feeling now? Does it feel easier? Do you surprise yourself?
Feel free to share in the comment section: the wooden Fellows are always listening!
2 . Maurice and I created a YouTube video showing how to use our Guide. We will post new ones regularly, where we invent stories on the spot.
3 . We are also launching a new radio program, called Building Stories on Air, where pairs of adults and young children invent stories live across generations
You can listen live every Sunday, 4 pm to 5 pm.
Wrapping up and introducing next month!
We hope that February taught us all that imagination is not something we have or do not have, it is something to practice. Stories can live anywhere, in spoons in your kitchen or lost buttons in a drawer. The best stories are the ones you have the courage to start.
Next Month: Finding Math Everywhere
March will explore early math, and no, do not be scared! Continue to trust the woden Fellows, and by the end of March, if it is not the case yet, we promise you that you will see that math is everywhere, and something quite fun to embrace with young children : )
Stay tuned!
