The Hairy Toe is one of those books kids request to hear over and over again. Not only is the book a favorite for children, but a favorite among adults as well. My niece and nephew (ages 3 and 7) enjoy having the book read to them. Sit in a circle with friends and/or family to make up your own scary stories. You can build a scary atmosphere by sitting in the dark with torches. Draw the scariest monster As you read and reread the book, encourage children to join in, especially with the repeated phrases. They will be able to read more by themselves as you reread the book together. Talk about the story

Talk together about what makes something scary. Children can draw and label their own scariest monster using pens, crayons, charcoal or paints. Scary stories help children to cope with their fears within the safety of a fictional world. Talk together about which part of the story children like best and why. What scares them and why? Tell the story Children can dress up and make a hairy toe storyprop to act out the story as they tell it. Play it to friends and upload to YouTube! Make a story box

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Children can practise telling the story and make a recording, with sound effects to make it really scary. They can play it to their friends and family at night by torchlight. Act the story

Using a shoebox, children can decorate the inside to make a scary scene, such as a creepy old house, a castle dungeon, a dark forest. Add objects which have scary potential and use to tell scary stories, eg toy cat or wolf/monster/hat/mask/fang/ghost/a pretend toe or finger, potion or candle/a key. Children can add or remove objects to make different stories. Tell a scary story Find out more Find more books by Daniel Postgate, author/illustrator: Big Mum Plum Smelly Bill Kevin Saves the World Find other scary stories: As well as the scary stories in this section you might like to look out for: A Dark, Dark Tale, Ruth Brown In the Night Kitchen, Maurice Sendak The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams Fairy tales by Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen Older children might enjoy The Witches, Roald Dahl

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