The days are shorter, the bad weather is coming and the children are stir crazy- what’s a parent to do? My six year old daughter frequently keeps herself busy writing and illustrating books on construction paper, so I was thrilled to find out about a website called Storybird. Storybird is a unique site filled with artwork of all kinds- funny animals, princesses, monsters, and many others. Some of the pictures are silly, others are breathtaking- they certainly have a talented pool of artists! (I’ve looked at a lot of the art, and I haven’t come across any picture unsuitable for my kids.) Using the artwork, children (and adults) can write stories of any length which are available to view online (but should be available to print in the future). Here’s the description from Storybird:

What’s Storybird?

Storybird is a service that uses collaborative storytelling to connect kids and families. Two (or more) people author a Storybird—one with words, one with pictures—and then share it with their network. The final product can be printed (coming soon), watched on screen, played with like a toy, or shared through a worldwide library.

How does Storybird work?

It’s simple: someone starts a Storybird by writing a few words or grabbing a few images. Then the other person takes a turn, adding more words and pictures. In one or two turns they can finish and share a Storybird. It’s that easy. And they can do it sitting side-by-side or across the country from each other.

To start out, search either the artwork or the themes available, pick a picture and start the story. Once you have selected the first picture, Storybird gives you a great selection of thumbnails by the same artist to work with. My daughter (with a little typing help from Mom) wrote two stories in about an hour and had a great time doing it! She is currently collaborating on a story with a friend of ours in Washington D.C. We started the story with three pages (but you can do as much or as little as you want), then used the “Invite” option to send it to our friend to add to. It’s a great way to connect and “play” with people you don’t get to see very often, and would be a great activity for friends who have moved apart. Next, I think she’s going to try one with her cousin on the east coast- he’s three and loves to tell stories already! The site is great fun, and any kid can benefit from some creative thinking. And as a parent, it’s fascinating and exciting (and impressive!) to see what your kids come up with.

The next time you’re stuck inside searching for something for the kids to do, give Storybird a try. It’s free, fun, and educational. Who knows what your kids will be inspired to create?