Telling Tales, Celebrating Stories

Here are some fun ways we like to spend time at RBG:

Bring a pad and paper and get inspired to write a story

We are so fortunate to be able to experience beautiful art in the gardens and they make a great inspiration for your next story. Visit the Dan Lawrie International Sculpture Collection installations and reflect on the story behind the sculpture. What does it make you feel? Can you turn that into a story?

Need a little help? Here is a writing prompt from the Telling Tales Creativity Club:
Tell us the story behind the five rabbits in Veggie Garden. How did they get their names? What are they up to?

If you can’t get to the gardens, we’ve got you covered with this cool video from last year’s event.

Grab your paints, crayons, pastels and get ready to draw

RBG is home to many beautiful gardens. Find out what’s in bloom if flora and flowers are your inspiration or head to the trails and look for the friendly chickadees, reptiles, and more that inhabit this area. Just pick a time to visit, bring your art supplies and create your own masterpiece.

Please remember to look and take photos but leave everything as you left it and don’t head off the paths/trails.

Here’s a fun video from Ruth Ohi, a Canadian Children’s Illustrator with tips for drawing:

Bring your favourite book and enjoy reading outdoors

Find a bench or a chair to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature while reading your favourite book.

Need some help finding your next great read? Visit the Telling Tales reading list for suggestions by age and category.

While we can’t be with you in person, Telling Tales has partnered with RBG to bring Nature Tales to you for the 3^rd year! On September 29^th, we’ll bring Nature Tales to your home with our virtual event from the RBG Bloom Stage.

Join us as we learn from our elders with David. A. Robertson, brush up on your bat-facts and sing songs with Mr Ben and Becky Han and experience nature with our headliner, Survivorman, Les Stroud as he presents his latest adventure, Wild Outside.

Did you miss the 2020 Nature Tales event?

Join Canadian children’s authors, illustrators, and performers for Nature Tales episodes:

Land & Water:

Earth & Sky:

“If you ask me what I care about, the answer is simple. Nature. The Earth. The creatures big and small. The insects and oceans. The birds and forests. This is why my artistic endeavors; filmmaking, writing, composing and performing have always and will always seek to connect the audience to nature. It’s the only true artistic mission I have ever had. Making you all fall in love with Mother Earth” – Les Stroud.

Are you feeling inspired?

Be sure to share all your works of art and stories to the Telling Tales creativity club for a chance to be featured on the website and/or social media.

We can’t wait to see you in person in 2022, when we return to Hendrie Park at RBG to share awe-inspiring stories about nature.

About Telling Tales:

Telling Tales is a charitable not for profit organization whose mission is to deliver outstanding literary programming for children and youth that raises awareness of the importance of literacy.   We work to inspire a love of reading by connecting children and youth with leading Canadian authors, illustrators, storytellers and performing artists.