LEARN: Storytelling with Children Through Bookish Play

Maileg Princess and Prince mouse in the hands of a you girl, playing out a fairytale story in an outdoor setting

Story Telling with Children through Bookish Play

Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have for helping children make sense of the world - and bookish play is where that storytelling truly comes alive. By acting out a book with figures, props, and a little imagination, children move from simply hearing a story to actually inhabiting it.

Bookish play helps children build a deeper understanding of a story, expand their vocabulary, and practise sequencing and retelling events in order. It's especially valuable for reluctant readers, supports comprehension, and is, importantly, lots of fun

Follow the principles in this guide and apply to any story you and your child love, from picture books to fairy tales to your own family's favourites

What is Bookish Play?

Bookish play is any play-based activity built around a book. It's that simple - and that's exactly why it works so well for children of all ages

Definition - taking the characters, setting, or events of a story and bringing them into hands-on, open-ended play
Why it matters - children process stories more deeply when they can touch, move, and retell them, rather than only listening
Who it's for - works beautifully for reluctant readers, visual and tactile learners, and children who simply love to act things out
What you need - a favourite book, a handful of figures or props, and an open space to play (a Small World Play setup works perfectly)

Find a Story

A miniature Maileg dollhouse tower with a small princess mouse doll in a bed on top, set outdoors on green grass with coloruful wooden blocks - The Princess and the Pea bookish play setup.

A hand holds a children's board book titled 'Dear Zoo' by Rod Campbell. In the background is a bookish play setup with wooden toy animal figures and a tractor toy from Oskar's Wooden Ark.

How to Set Up Bookish Play at Home

Getting started is simpler than it looks - most of the magic comes from the story itself

Choose your story - pick something your child already loves and knows well, since familiarity builds confidence for retelling
Gather your props - figures, animals, landscapes, or even loose parts from nature can stand in for characters and settings
Create the scene - set up a simple stage or backdrop, like a wooden theatre or a cleared corner of the floor, to anchor the play
Read first - always read the story aloud together before play begins, so the sequence of events is fresh in their mind
Step back and observe - let your child lead the retelling; resist the urge to correct small details, since the goal is engagement, not accuracy
Extend with a story basket - keep a basket of book-specific props on hand so children can return to the story independently, any time

Small World Play

Learning Outcomes & Where to Go Next

Bookish play might look simple, but it supports a wide range of developmental skills, often without children realising they're learning at all

Vocabulary development - new words encountered in the story become real through use in play
Comprehension - acting out events helps cement understanding of cause and effect
Sequencing - retelling a story in order builds an early sense of narrative structure
Problem solving - children often improvise solutions when they forget "what happens next"
Character and setting awareness - props help children separate who, where, and what is happening in a story
Language and social development - especially valuable when bookish play happens with a sibling, friend, or parent taking turns

Keep the story going - once you've tried bookish play with one book, it's easy to build a small library of favourites to return to again and again. Explore our Story Time collection for more books perfect for retelling, and browse Small World Play for figures, landscapes, and scenery to bring any story to life - not just the Gruffalo

What will your little learners discover today?

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