‘If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales’ – Albert Einstein.
That is the motto on which Shalini Bansal founded Under The Magic Tree in 2013.
2 years later, Under The Magic Tree specializes in Parent & child programs and early learning through stories. We spoke to Shalini about her love for stories and kids.
Tell us a little about yourself?
Armed with a management degree and IT specialization as my educational background, I started my career as an IT professional and worked with various leading organizations for over 10 years.
I gave that story a happy ending when my little princess was born. Since then I’ve been playing a mom, a teacher, a little baby, tooth fairy, Santa, a referee for my two little monsters. The one thing common between my life now and during my corporate stint is my fondness and affability for children.
Starting as a bonding activity with my kids, storytelling evolved as a passion and then into a profession over the years. During my stay in The US, I was exposed to new methods & techniques and gained experience in conducting storytelling sessions and Parent & child programs.
Leveraging my interest and expertise, I have currently been designing special curriculum for Early Childhood Education, conducting Parent & child programs and story-telling sessions.
[color-box color=” customcolorpicker=” rounded=false dropshadow=false]Like every child I was fascinated with stories ever since I was a little girl but as I grew up, the story books got replaced with text books and reading just got associated with education and curriculum. [/color-box]
What influenced you to become a storyteller?
Like every child, I was fascinated with stories ever since I was a little girl but as I grew up, the story books got replaced with text books and reading just got associated with education and curriculum. When my daughter was born, the first gift I bought for her was a picture book and I started reading to her at the age of 4 months. People around me used to call me funny when I used to read with all the dramatization and voice modulation to my child, but this was something that was coming naturally to me and I was totally enjoying it. Then we had to move to The US and there I was exposed to a structured program for story times for kids at the libraries. I was so inspired by those sessions and the joyful learning children get from those sessions, that I started assisting at the library and learned the art of storytelling.
Tell us more about ‘Under the Magic Tree’ and the audiences it works with.
My love for books, children, teaching and helping other parents sparked the idea of “Under the Magic Tree”. We work with children from 6 months to 7 years of age, conduct storytelling sessions and Parent & child programs for infants and toddlers. Since starting this center in early 2013, I have had this opportunity to work with wonderful brands like Maple Bear School, G.D.Goenka, LaPetite, Global Genesis School and many more where I conduct storytelling sessions, teacher training programs, write curriculum for Parent & child programs and have catered to more than 500 families.
[color-box color=” customcolorpicker=” rounded=false dropshadow=false]The connection with children and how I can have endless conversations with them, has always helped in creating an immediate bond in my sessions. [/color-box]
Tell us about your academic and work background and how that helps in your storytelling activities?
Having born and brought up in Dehra Dun, I pursued professional studies in computer science followed by a management program. I started my career as a computer science faculty and later moved on to the corporate world. Having worked with different IT companies for over a decade, I’ve had always found my solace in playing with children.
The connection with children and how I can have endless conversations with them has always helped in creating an immediate bond in my sessions.
How do you think storytelling as an art form can be made more popular?
Storytelling is the most powerful tool to put ideas into the world because stories have power. They inspire, teach, recreate a picture in our minds. There are many ways in which we can make this art form popular and making people aware of this powerful tool is just one of them. I think all storytellers following all forms of storytelling, be it oral, musical, puppetry, shadow, drama, visual arts, should come together to form a network and collectively conduct events and workshops to keep it alive!
Any suggestions to our readers and budding storytellers on how they can help in keeping stories alive?
Charity begins at home! Start from your own house, society, and neighbourhood! Read to your children and children around you every day, even when they have learned to read on their own. Reading stories is just one of the forms, maybe you’d like to explore other forms as well.
About Under The Magic Tree:
Stories come alive Under the Magic Tree! We Imagine, Experience, Love, Explore and Recreate Stories!
Under the Magic Tree offers Story time, Parent & child Programs, and Family Programs for children from the age of 6 months to 7 Years. All the programs are created to foster critical development; which includes fine & gross motor skills, language, Sensory, music & rhythm. We offer a playful and creative approach to movement education in the early years. These programs are based on current best practices and recommendations in early childhood development and education.
Don’t Miss: We love storytellers as much as we love storytelling. On Tell-a-Tale, we’ve featured a lot of talented storytellers, in the past.
Are you a Storyteller? If you’re a storyteller who is actively pursuing storytelling and would like to be featured in this column, drop us a mail at contact AT tell-a-tale.com or reach out to us via Facebook.