Yarn

  • Give your kids the precious gift of making up stories with you.
  • Makes bed times super special.
  • Be part of transforming story times around the world, away from Alexa and Siri – and towards togetherness.
  • More than six million different stories in every box.

Family edition:

Ages: 3-10 years (with a grownup)

Play time: 30-60 minutes

Players: 2-6 (7-45+ with the large group version)

Type of game: family, co-operative, storytelling

Ever had someone make up and tell a story just for you? One where you get to pick the baddies, the heroes and challenges they face – and where you get to shape the story as it is told? This game is for kids and parents who want to build skills and confidence in creating and collaborating together, through the age-old bonding process of storytelling.

The game draws on both ancient and modern wisdom on what makes a compelling-story structure (powerful ideas, based on research, scholarship and insight, that are great to know for anyone who wants to be a better creative writer or storyteller – and to have the confidence to tell more and better stories with others, in any situation). It involves picking the 11 different parts of a unique story for each game (with the exact number of cards depending whether you want a short or a more involved story). Players pick a card to represent each step (e.g., the hero, where the story starts, the baddie). Each step has 2-8 inspirational illustrated cards – a potential of more than six million different stories. Then, the storyteller and the players tell the story together – with the structure that has been created providing a foundation for a creative, meaningful and compelling story.

Author/designer: Mark Gawlinski, practising psychotherapist, former executive producer of BAFTA (Interactive) nominated ITN Online, former head of innovation at BBC Resources and former programme manager at The Storytellers management consultancy. See: https://www.cambridgecounsellingservice.co.uk/who/mark-gawlinski/

Illustrator: Dave Shelton, author, illustrator, comic-maker and cover designer for books for children ranging from middle grade to young adult. Dave Shelton is the author and illustrator of A Boy and a Bear in a Boat (winner of the 2013 Branford Boase Award), Thirteen Chairs, and two books featuring Emily Lime, Librarian Detective: The Book Case, and The Pencil Case. He also created the canine comedy noir comic strip Good Dog, Bad Dog, as seen in The DFC, The Guardian and The Phoenix, and collected in book form in two volumes from David Fickling Books: The Golden Bone and Double Identity. His latest book is Monster in the Woods, available from all good book shops. See: https://www.davidficklingbooks.com/shop/AuthorDetails.php?authorID=40

Dave Shelton illustrated all the THE HERO IS cards in the prototype, plus one card in each category (At the swimming pool, An alien called…, Appearing unexpectedly, Help to retrieve a stolen thing, A mysterious island called…, Magic carpet, Getting past a sleeping monster, A monster called…, Working together to defeat the baddie, Medals or trophies are given).

The remaining art work in the prototype is from artists who have made their work available copyright free on Pixaby.com.