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Tell Me a Story
Grab
Timer or stopwatch
Car keys
Money
Go
Take a timer and your imaginations to your daughter’s favorite ice cream shop. Get ready to create a wild story together! Choose a story opener, such as “Once upon a time there was a girl who loved ice cream. However, every time she ate some she became invisible!” Or, “Once upon a time there was a girl who loved ice cream so much, she decided to build her whole house out of it!” Decide who will begin the story, then set the timer for 45 seconds. Once the timer runs out, even if it’s midsentence, trade roles and let the other person add to the story for 45 seconds. Continue taking turns with the story until you’re ready for “The End.” If you’re having a great time, you can start over with a whole new story. And if you get stuck without ideas, just say, “And then the girl called her mother. Her mother said . . .”
I’m sure your story took off in directions you never expected! The story’s silly twists and turns are what make it so funny.
Would it have been as much fun to make up the story if only one of you was talking? Storytelling can be great practice in both speaking and listening. It was putting your separate ideas together that made the story entertaining. Sometimes we can get carried away with our own thoughts and take over a conversation. When we do that, we miss out on the great ideas of others and make them feel like they’re unimportant.
The Bible says we should be “quick to listen [and] slow to speak” (James 1:19).
Proverbs 10:19 warns us, “Sin is unavoidable when there is much talk, but whoever seals his lips is wise” (GW). We have a wonderful promise in Proverbs 19:20: “Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.” God knows best: we learn the most when our mouths are closed and our ears are open!
Dear Lord,
Thank you for this time to use our imaginations together. It is so fun to share our ideas and laugh. Thank you so much for offering us the gift of wisdom! Teach us the talent of listening so we don’t miss out on what you want to teach us. Help us to memorize the verses we read so we can become quick to listen, slow to speak, and wise! Amen.