Described by creator Melanie Smith as “a world of imagination in a single box”, a walk-in-book is a book that has been pulled apart so you're left with just the important bits – the character, a map, a mask (to become a character!) and STORY beginnings to get you started.
The first walk-in-book, Adventure to the Woods, has just been successfully funded via Kickstarter surpassing the funding goal by over £1,000.
A simple spark can fire up imaginations; with a series of simple beginnings, and the map of an imaginary world, children – especially those who are less confident with the written word – can become authors of their own stories.
STORY cards give children the beginnings of different stories, acting as the launchpad for them to create their own adventures. For children who might find the open-ended nature of STORY more challenging, there are five ‘quest’ cards, which provide additional prompts to help the child on their way to amazing adventures.
Award-winning designer and creator of STORY, Melanie Smith, said: “Spaces and places that foster young children’s creativity and imagination go against the grain of modern life – they no longer occur naturally; they need to be designed.”
Walk-in-books aim to encourage children to read and write more by teaching them the thrill and joy of creating their very own stories. Despite the literacy drive in primary schools, literacy continues to be a problem in the UK and around the world.
STORY’s walk-in-books address the decline in creative thinking and free play amongst children by combining storytelling with play – making literacy and self discovery fun for children, especially those who struggle with traditional learning techniques.
www.wearestory.co.uk.