Some say that storytelling is what makes us human. Whether or not you believe that, you cannot deny that stories form an integral part of any human culture. From myths and legends to folk tales and fairy tales, novels to classical literature; there’s no doubt that people love stories.
However, not all of us are very good at telling stories. This can be a noticeable disadvantage, as so many professions rely on telling stories. Salespeople, lawyers, and teachers (in addition to the obvious writers, actors, and singers) all have to tell stories on a regular basis.
This is where storytelling games come into play. These games can help us bridge the gap and provide the scaffolding needed for us to develop our storytelling muscles. From frameworks to pictures, the following games help story-challenged people like myself tell stories.
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Dungeons and Dragons is a fantastic storytelling game. Actually, any tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) or even any role-playing game. D&D just happens to be the most famous, but I mention several other options in our post on D&D.
Tell Tale is perfect for non-readers, as it is just a bunch of cards with pictures.
Story Lines: Fairy Tales is a hilarious combination of a storytelling game and a game like Apples to Apples. As a bonus, all the cards have pictures, so nonreaders can play, too!
If you have a reluctant writer, these Roll-and-Write a Story sheets may be just what you need to get their creative juices flowing.
Benefits of Storytelling Games
Far more than just storytelling, these games can also help with both reading and writing. Various TTRPGs require a fair amount of writing from players (as well as math!). Even my reluctant-writer son can be coaxed to write a back story for his DnD character.
After a child’s story is written down (either by themselves or an adult), some love to go back and read it again. My son can’t get enough of our DnD books, either.
At the end of the day, storytelling games also encourage reading and writing and improve familial connections. Even if you don’t have a master storyteller at home, your family can take advantage of storytelling games, too!