Story Massage, imagination and fun for all

Story Massage...... a wonderful massage therapy based activity that can be shared by the whole family. Wether we are singing songs, nursery rhymes or just telling stories for the last two years Story massage has given my children so much joy for the spoken language as well as becoming the staple relaxation method used in our house. 


Story massage was created by its founders Mary Atkinson and Sandra Hooper since 2007 to promote activities using positive touch within the home, school and wider field. These two amazing ladies run a training course which is where I first learnt how to blend 10 simple massage moves with stories. Story massage is used within some schools curriculum, care homes, respite, therapy session's and by parents all over the world. Being such an adaptive skill set to have it can be used in any language and is especially wonderful to use with special needs and disabilities. 

•  Two daughters who have a mild sensorineural hearing loss and as such the positive touch used in story massage and the contact means that they are able to hear and feel the story. 
• Another of my other daughters has a hearing loss and ADHD and I find that the end of the day s a great way of using story massage to wind down and aide with calming ready for sleep. 
• I also have a daughter with no hearing impairments or disabilities who is just a teenager and she loves to make up stories and show her skill's.

There is no age limit, no discrimination just respect, relaxation and fun. A great activity that can be shared by all.
For me story massage has enable my children to not only learn to positively interact with each other but to also aide their speech and language skills, phonic's, writing and story telling skills, their concentration,  the ability to relax and focus, being able to learn about the environment around them and it is a skill that they will go on to use with their own children one day in the very distant future.....
I also find story massage is great to use as a rainy day activity, while waiting in queues, car journeys, talking about new and exciting subjects and at bedtime there is nothing like settling down to bed with a soothing massage to my off key tones of Lavenders blue, twinkle twinkle and other favourites. 


With stories in mind there are some days when my daughter is a little more restless than usual and needs idea's for a new and interesting story. We have the wonderful book from storymassage.co.uk which has nursery rhymes and stories with something for everyone and the massage moves are there for you which is a fantastic book to take out and about with you. Our's travelled to Scotland last year where we enjoyed story massage camping style.  
So always on the look out for innovative idea's that I can use I was approached by a wonderful lady at Ignite Imagination's . This lovely lady create's wooden story cubes. I was sent a lovely bundle of 6 cubes, hand decorated with a picture on all 6 sides. Well my daughters love them!!!

• they came in a handy drawstring bag
• 3cm cubed perfect for slipping in your handbag and don't take up to much room
• you are able to choose which themed cubes you would like
• they are colourful and robust
• provide endless material for fun stories

We have fairy tale characters, clothes, food and then three cubes with various object's on them such as a ballon, car, shield, chair. 
When I took them out of the bag my daughters aged 7 and 10 were there within minutes finding pen and paper, rolling the cubes and coming up with lovely stories to share. Here's a story they made up using the cubes....
A unicorn imagined an egg (circle)
But she magicked a fried egg instead (drums)
Then she magicked some trouser's and top (wave)
And decided to go pick some flowers ( sprinkle)
When it got dark, she magicked a light (fan)
And sat down to eat her egg ( calm)
Eliza Age 7
Using story massage as a daytime activity with the cubes has been great fun and something that I hope to share with other parent's and children when sharing Story massage with them.
Leanne