We need stories now more than ever. Why not book me for an online storytelling event?
My storytelling incorporates music, art and drama. I tell interactive stories for all ages at birthday parties, corporate events, schools, festivals, nurseries, parks and museums. And yes, it’s the best job in the world!
Scroll down to see my previous work, email h@helentozer.uk to book an event or view my story options by age group.
How’s your sense of direction? Birds, butterflies and other creatures travel thousands of miles each year without as much as a map. How do they do it? At this migration themed workshop we learnt about all the different ways migrant creatures navigate, made our own sundials and helped feed our tired new visitors
Children at Chilmington Green Primary school enjoyed a storytelling morning courtesy of local housebuilder Barratt Homes, who is building new homes at Chilmington Green on Hedgers Way.
We slipped on some boots and searched for newts! At a Brockwell Park workshop we learnt about their life cycle, their camouflage and how to spot the males with their crests. We made some leaf inspired newt artwork and played our camouflage challenge! Sadly the newts were hiding from us but we did find some…
Have you ever wondered what the garden looks like to our bees? How do they know which flowers to visit? How can they see even very tiny flowers blowing about on windy days? At Brockwell Park I lead a craft and storytelling session. We made UV-like lenses, a bee collage, we played planted some bee…
I recently visited two Kids Caper Day Nurseries for some early years storytelling. Puppets, music, dinosaurs and sensory crafts galore! ‘The session was all day and all ages of children had a good amount of Helen’s time and there was always something going on whether it be an activity, story or singing. I feel the…
I had so much fun performing Rainforest storytelling with Imperial College and the Natural History Museum for The Great Road Exhibition Festival! Families worked together to create safe routes for the spider monkeys, whilst learning all about deforestation, biodiversity and how they can help species all over the world.
Read more Rainforest storytelling: The Great Exhibition Road Festival
Children at Chilmington Green Primary school enjoyed a storytelling morning courtesy of local housebuilder Barratt Homes, who is building new homes at Chilmington Green on Hedgers Way.
The sun shone on our storytelling walk in Haysden Country Park. It was in partnership with the Walk Tonbridge Festival and we raised £45 funds for our local community bank Sustain! It was wonderful to explore the park with families whilst listening to stories and making up our own. We finished by creating our own…
This series of online lessons focuses on building creativity and confidence through storytelling. I have been combining performance with practical activities to bring out the natural storyteller within each year 3 pupil from Walthamstow Hall. We’re having so much fun, it’s brilliant to see the children connect from afar.
I had so much fun sharing Anansi tales, spider facts and singing songs with The Invention Rooms, Imperial College. Anansi tales were first told in Ghana by the Ashanti people. In time the stories spread across Ghana, throughout West Africa, the Caribbean and the world. I love how the stories reflect the cunning nature of…
The William Morris Society invited me to Kelmscott House in Hammersmith, London to tell traditional Icelandic Sagas and celebrate the life of the prolific multimedia artist, author and social activist. William Morris loved Iceland and Icelandic sagas. He visited the country twice in the 1870s and wrote his own version of an Icelandic epic, Sigurd…
Stories have heroes and villains and they’re distinct. Right? Wrong! At Garden House School in Sloane Square, pupils and I set off to explore and debunk our preconceptions about heroes and villains. We discovered a murderous, hunt-crazy little red riding hood, a starving wolf, a hard working giantess charmed by a Jack-the-lad and Roald Dahl’s…
I’m certainly feeling the autumn vibes after storytelling at this gorgeously put together event for Panini’s new Frozen 2 sticker collection. Sadly Idina Menzel wasn’t there, next time? Thanks Mum’s the Word for the invite and for making the space look so beautiful.
I recently spent a wonderful day at Emmanuel Community School in Walthamstow to celebrate their art week! Inspired by Kente cloth, beautiful woven fabric native to Ghana, year 2 pupils decorated and interweaved paper strips. Legend has is that the first Kente artists created the cloth after watching spiders weave webs. Our creations helped us…
Many schools I work with are keen to spread out the storytelling excitement throughout the school, which can make for a busy but fun day! However, I was recently able to spend a whole day focusing solely on engaging and inspiring early years classrooms. This meant that there was time to get messy, as well…
Did you know I offer birthday party sessions? Well, I do! When I first started storytelling back in 2014 I was terrified at the thought of entertaining extremely excitable toddlers and young children but as my confidence has grown I’ve really come to love being involved with such a special day. I feel very privileged…
I was honoured to open the glorious new Hextable Primary school library with some storytelling for the whole school! It was wonderful to witness the pupil’s excitement as they cast their eyes around the new space for the first time. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of libraries. The book tree is particularly apt since…
I’m so happy to be back in the U.K., reunited with my craft cupboard again! I’m back to running storytelling and art sessions, particularly aimed at children with additional needs and any visual or kinesthetic learners aged 4 months to 104 years! Email me on h@helentozer.uk to find out more.
Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses and I teamed up to develop a new weekly preschoolers’ group! Every week the children got stuck into storytelling, natural play and craft – whatever the weather. We focused on engaging 2-4 year-olds with the natural world around them, but our younger friends often got involved too! Muddy hands and happy…
I love the magic of halloween! Flickering candle lights, pumpkin carving, and the excitement in the air. I joined the fantastic event organisers Mums The Word events for a spooktacular halloween children’s party at the gorgeous and imposing Salomon’s Estate in Tunbridge Wells. There was a wide range of ages present but I enjoyed creating spine-tingling,…
Where did you go for Open House weekend? So many secret nooks and crannies opening up over London. I was lucky enough to do some zany storytelling at Battersea Power Station and even managed to peak inside the building itself! Check out Battersea Power Station for future family events, including the October half term.
I recently visited the reception classes of a local primary school for some storytelling workshops in London. Pupils heard a number of traditional oral tales from various cultures before creating their own animal fossils and footprints. Other classes also grew their own basil and decorated crowns to remind them of key elements of the stories. A…
I spent a busy day at the end of World Book Week in the glorious North Yorkshire countryside leading storytelling workshops accompanied by art, drama and movement. The pupils heard tall tales of dinosaurs, emperors, village chiefs and South American legends. Each year group, from Nursery to Year 6, had a tailor made activity to help them remember…
‘Why, Mr Gingerbread Man, aren’t you too clever to be stopped by a mere river?’ asked the sly fox. I spent World Book Day 2017 in East Acton, London where nursery and key stage 1 pupils helped me to tell various traditional oral folktales. Each session was tailored to the age group and abilities of the class.
During World Book Week I retold a collection of interactive oral folktales and songs from different cultures, including West Africa and the Aztecs, at an academy in Kent. The Key Stage 2 children showed imaginative flair and great comic timing in their subsequent short dramas inspired by the storytelling!
My favourite African folktales are energetic, interactive, succinct and full of laughter. I got to tell some of these to key stage 1 pupils in Solihull during World Book Week. Pupils were engaged throughout the storytelling session, busy learning songs, rhymes, dances and even some African drumming! Those interested in learning more about African Oral Storytelling…
I’ve just completed another wonderful term of a weekly after-school interactive storytelling club. Pupils learnt about the basic structure, origins and techniques of the art of storytelling. They accompanied storytelling with dance, puppetry, singing and art, culminating in an interactive performance to parents!
Hold on to your spacesuits – we’re off to the moon! I spent a wonderful day in East London taking a group of key stage 1 pupils to the moon. Children were kept busy at every step, learning what to pack, the science of blast off, how to move around the rocket and the difficulty of the…
I’ve been developing some sensory rich storytelling workshops for children who have learning difficulties or developmental delays. Here are some of our recent fruit creations!
The man-eating predatory beast Nian has been terrorising the villagers for centuries. Every year, on Chinese New Year eve, it crawls out of the sea to wreck havoc and feast. Year after year, the villagers retreat with their old and young deep into the mountains to hide. One New Year’s Eve a strange old man…
Dressed as Belle, from Beauty and The Beast, I told traditional tales at The Victoria Shopping Centre in Southend-on-Sea with Moo & Goo. Thanks to all who came and joined in the Beauty and Beast themed fun! I told some of my favourite fairy tales, including Cinderella, Rumpelstiltskin, The Twelve Dancing Princesses and The Three Little Pigs.…
December 14, 1912. Douglas Mawson, a seasoned explorer, was leading a team across a 2,000-mile-long swath of Antarctica to further the fields of geology, meteorology, magnetism and biology. Suddenly one sledge crashes down into a hundred and fifty foot deep crevasse, taking with it essential supplies, huskies and 25-year-old Englishman, Belgrave Ninnis. How will the rest…
The parrots were squawking, the cicadas were calling and the air was hot and heavy with sweet smelling food. To celebrate the harvesting of Brockwell Park Community Garden‘s luscious jungle I told some appropriately tropical tales in the warmth of the lush greenhouse. Through the stories children learnt about the various vegetables and fruit grown on…
In a watery fantasy world in a garage far, far away I told tales of mythical underwater creatures from the rivers and the seas. This storytelling project was part of Thamesmead Arts Festival and The Brick Box‘s ongoing work in the Thamesmead area. Just wish I’d also had time to learn to BMX! Photo by the…
Oh I do love to be beside the seaside! I had a lovely day telling Beatrix Potter tales along the promenade in Bognor Regis. Tiddily on pom pom. The stories were interactive, including audience participation, puppets, dance, music and games. The children helped to bring the stories of Peter Rabbit and Miss Moppet to life!…
In honour of Roald Dahl’s marvolumptuous centenary a party was thrown at the Besson Street Community Garden in New Cross. Hosted by the New Cross Gate Trust the event included jokes, fun and games, competitions, prizes, films and CAKE! I told revolting rhymes alongside the wonderful storyteller Vanessa Woolf. A grandiose day out it was!
I was lucky enough to work with students from the Language Unit of John Ruskin School to devise a story for the Gnomes Unearthed Project at Hampton Court Palace. The project involves a number of gnomes hidden around the gardens of Hampton Court Palace and was unveiled in July 2016. Each gnome has been commissioned by Wild…
I returned to Camp Mohawk for some storymaking during the Easter 2016 break. We explored the local woodland, learning about the folklore of various native trees. The young people then choose a tree each and, using clay and nearby natural elements, each created a woodland spirit character of their own. The young people were then…
I visited a nursery for a Dinosaur themed morning of storytelling and yoga. As they arrived the children looked at replica fossils – dinosaur footprints, teeth and claws! We began with some dinosaur yoga to help us warm our bodies and calm our minds for the story ahead. Then we heard a short action story…
I celebrated World Book Day 2016 with a collection of interactive stories and songs about the love of reading at Petham primary school in school in Kent. Songs, actions, rhymes and warm up activities all helped ignite the imagination of pupils and demonstrated the transformative power of literacy. Key Stage Two pupils gained a deeper understanding of…
I focused on stories celebrating uniqueness and difference for the early years classes at St Paul’s Way Trust, London. Tales included The Enchanting Song of the Magical Bird, The Cracked Pot and The Emperor and the Seed story. The session ended with a seed planting activity so that the children could take home a reminder of their uniqueness and value.
Superheros, princesses, pirates, Disney characters, animals and princes all joined in with a variety of folktales at Ark Academy in Wembley. The school was transformed for the day and it was brilliant to be able to tell interactive fairy tales such as Lazy Jack, The Gingerbread Man, The Little Red Hen, The Little Mermaid, 12…
I brought the poems of Robert Burns to life to celebrate Burns Night at The Talbot Public House in Brockley.
As Princess Leia I brought interactive storytelling to The O2 Centre in order to promote Star Wars: A Force Awakens. I whisked listeners off into a galaxy far, far away to tell of the nail-biting rescue of Princess Leia from the Death Star. The children and parents learnt how to impersonate a variety of characters including the lovable Chewbacca!
Ever wondered what lurks in the wood at night? When Teeny-Tiny, In-The-Middle and Big-One linger too long after dark they find shelter in a cosy cottage. But all is not as it seems. Can sharp eyed Teeny-Tiny save his brothers from the Witch’s clutches? This well-loved tale was followed by forest craft activities at Tower…
I had a blast telling tall tales in Neverland for the Pan Movie Storytelling and Activity Tent at Leicester Square! As Pirate Smee, I recounted dastardly tales of that dratted Peter Pan, held pirate auditions and arranged impromptu percussion lessons.
I have devised a number of storytelling and story creating workshops for high functioning autistic children in the beautiful woodland setting of Camp Mohawk. The young people and I tell each other tales, create and performing stories with shadow puppets, clay figures, painting and acting.
I told a range of woodland inspired tales at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park’s Summer Fair on June 6th. This included a custom written story involving the park’s latest arrivals: hedgehogs. Stories were told with passion in a beautiful outdoor session and children were active participants. http://www.fothcp.org/events
West African folklore is so rich in humour and heart. I tell a wide range of tales, from the cheeky How Monkeys Got their Red Bottoms to The Chief Who Was No Fool. Many have accompanying visual aids for working with teeny tots or children with additional needs. These spoons were created for Camp Mohawk, a multi-functional day centre for…
If Walls Could Talk: Brockley Max: May 2015 I unearthed and retold some of London’s darkest secret tales as part of Brockley Max festival. Children were immersed in the stories through the use of props, actions and music. I also allowed the children in the audience to choose the direction of the story at a…
I devised interactive storytelling sessions for year 6 classes with the aim of igniting their imagination and enabling them to enact their own short dramatic pieces. In the process pupils gained a deeper understanding of Aztec mythology, enjoyment of the storytelling element and confidence in their own creative ability. The sessions were delivered in the…
Dressed in character, I approached this year 6 group from St Margaret’s Church of England Junior School with a mission. My purpose: to discover once and for all whether children are imaginative. After reading a passage from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the children were encouraged to devise their own ideas for…
I adapted the tale Saving Spring: A Scandinavian legend to add local geographical references and animals commonly found in the UK, in order to approach Easter Storytelling from a fresh perspective. Children were encouraged to venture north to save Spring, completing various activities and challenges along the way such as hunting for handpainted hardboiled eggs,…
I wrote and performed a London folktale in verse which incorporated some of the Woodcraft Folk’s core aims: equality, co-operation and respect for the environment. The content was designed specifically for these 6-9 year-olds. The story was enacted with passion and the children remained engaged throughout and discussed the themes of the tale in depth…
I loved being able to share a stories with the Nature Garden play group at Oasis, Stockwell. A beautiful setting and brilliant company!
Helen Tozer Storytelling 