From Storytime to Social Skills: Using Nature-Based Stories to Build Empathy, Kindness, and Confidence
If you were to close your eyes and think back to your own childhood, I'm willing to bet that some of your most imaginative, adventurous memories happened outdoors.
The stories you imagined as you carefully tip-toed through the woods.
The forts you and your friends built to hide from the monsters you 100% knew were there.
And the little animals you'd stop and watch as they went about their lives.
The coolest part about nature is that we get to pause, watch, and wonder.
There's no phone screen thinking for us.
Our minds are free to create anything we can imagine.
All while the nature we stand in remains perfectly quiet and still.
As the writer of a new children's series, Brudders Books, there is no doubt in my mind that nature is the #1 pressure-free place for children (and adults!) to learn.
Because social emotional skills first develop in the imagination, not the playground.
Think about plopping your child in the middle of a play circle when they haven’t yet learned the dos and don’ts of social interactions. They'd learn purely through your reaction - whether positive or negative.
But immersing children in social emotional themed stories first, well before they can read, allows them to learn to the dos and don'ts of friendship in a gentle and safe setting. It allows their minds to wonder.
Illustrations Matter
Even if your child can't read, or seems too young to understand words, he or she is still absorbing what’s on the page and mirroring the characters' actions and expressions.
So many books these days illustrate characters as bright, bold, and flat. And while yes, a child can clearly see the characters’ expressions, it leaves no room for their mind to wonder, “why?”
High quality illustrations, on the other hand, will fill the page with context clues. The change in colors, character composition, and of course expression will all come together so the child can understand the whole scene and conclude why a character might feel a certain way.
This is how children begin to build empathy and awareness.
And most importantly? Quality illustrations should not overstimulate the child.
In the Brudders® series, when a character gets upset, the child doesn't get upset. Instead, they watch from their own perspective and begin to develop empathy.
In the book, Brudders Learns How to Make Friends, Brudders gets stung in the eye after disrupting a beehive. “Oh no!” you might say. But rather than get upset, kids feel sorry for Brudders and are able to understand his sadness. Some even give Brudders a little kiss on the page to help him feel better.
Turn Storytime Into Real-Life Social Skills
Brudders the bear was created to be just like a little child - innocent, stumbling around, and curious to learn. Children relate with him.
And in each story, kids get to experience a new challenge with Brudders - whether it's making friends, learning to share, showing gratitude, or building confidence.
Kids experience the emotional highs and lows with Brudders. And as a result, they can conclude for themselves the cause and effect behind each emotion or situation that Brudders finds himself in.
From there, our children will enter real-world social circles with much greater awareness of each other's emotions, and their own.
So how do we extend social-emotional stories into meaningful play-based learning?
Start by selecting high quality books that encourage creative thinking and interactions with its readers.
Brudders Learns the Power of Confidence comes with a whole spread of discussion questions for parents and children to enjoy together.
Implement your child's love for the characters into their everyday learning.
Brudders and his best friend, Zeke, come in character plushies so kids can act out and understand each character's emotions. They can also comfort kids in scary moments and even help littles feel more confident.
One of the sweetest notes from a mom we received was about her daughter who was struggling with nightmares. No matter how much the mom tried to console her daughter, it didn't seem to work. Until one day, the mom heard her daughter in the other room talking to someone, repeating the same thing the mom had been trying to her daughter for weeks.
Turns out, the mom found her daughter talking to her stuffed Brudders, saying "It's ok to be scared, Brudders. It's just a dream, it isn't real, and I'm right here to protect you."
Talk about one proud, tear-filled moment for this author. This is why we do what we do.
Select books with expertly-crafted, hands-on learning activities that allow your child to continue practicing the themes at home.
The Brudders series offers Digital Learning Packs that complement each book. You'll be excited to know that Ms. Kaiia from Our Little Peas created these packs. Her years of experience in early learning and literacy allowed us to create something truly valuable for parents - actual curriculum-aligned activities that strengthen your child's social, emotional and behavioral development.
These have been game-changers for parents, and the kiddies have so much fun with them. You can check out the Digital Learning Packs here.
We’re Kristin & Derek, the husband-wife author-illustrator team behind Brudders Books. Our mission in creating the Brudders® series is to help children develop into the best versions of themselves and create meaningful long-lasting relationships with others. Each book has a lesson that helps children build their social emotional foundation organically.
Forest friends and whimsical hand-painted illustrations are infused throughout all of our stories to allow children's minds to explore, while maintaining the calming, peace-filled feelings from nature.
We can't wait for you to meet Brudders and his forest crew. You can learn more and shop the series at www.BruddersBooks.com.
Use code LITTLEPEAS to enjoy 10% off your first purchase.
