Felt Board Stories

For decades, preschool teachers have understood the importance of felt board stories, which is why they're still around today. Manipulation of felt board activities refines listening and speaking skills, as well as hand/eye coordination, imagination, and even problem-solving skills.  Last year, I created my own felt board by applying a felt background to a piece of cardboard.  Actually, one of my current moms created it for me at our annual Mom's Material-Making party.  However, after a year of wear and tear, I was ready to replace it.  I came up with a solution to the problem of flimsy felt boards.  The back of one of the math shelving units was exposed and irritating me last summer- I loved the way the classroom looked, but I would not start the year with a bare shelving unit back jutting out into the classroom like that (is it a Montessori thing?).  So, I brainstormed and applied nine adhesive-backed felt sheets from AC Moore to the back of the unit. 

I made a few felt story sets and gave it a try.  The pieces stick on to the felt perfectly and the children love it.  I have several homemade sets and one purchased set (The Three Little Pigs).  In college, they told us to scan and print the pages of a favorite children's book, cut out the characters, laminate, and add little velcro dots to the back.  Instead, I've always just found realistic-looking pictures online and printed them.  I've made the following sets:

• fruits/vegetables sorting
• frogs/toads sorting
• Pumpkin life cycle
• Butterfly life cycle
• Brown Bear, Brown Bear

Believe it or not, the homemade sets work much better than the store bought, so save your money if you plan to make some.  Below are some pictures of a child working with the store bought set.  He enjoyed the activity, but the pieces kept falling off the board.

Here are some links to help you get started:
Printable templates
Felt Board Stories to purchase