Roald Dahl Story Day

Posted: 9th September 2025

We all know the magical feeling of a good story, don’t we? That moment when our children’s eyes light up as we open a book, ready to journey to a faraway land or meet a mischievous character. Well, what if I told you there’s a whole day dedicated to one of the most brilliant storytellers of all time?

Mark your calendars, because September 13th is Roald Dahl Story Day! It’s a day to celebrate the wonderful world of Willy Wonka, Matilda, The BFG, and so many more. Roald Dahl had a gift for writing stories that are not only fun but also a little bit “gloriumptious” and full of “whizzpopping” wonder. His books are perfect for igniting that spark of imagination in your preschoolers. Even if they’re not reading chapter books just yet, there are picture book versions of many of his classics, and just talking about the characters and their amazing adventures is a great way to introduce them to his world.

There are lots of creative ideas in this Guide from Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity!

So, how can you celebrate with your little ones? You could cozy up on the sofa and read one of his delightful tales. Perhaps you could get creative and dress up as your favourite character, or even try making a “whizzpopping” treat together in the kitchen! Think of it as a day to step into a world of pure imagination, just like Charlie Bucket discovering the golden ticket.

At Gymboree Play & Music, reading is a huge part of our classes. Story time is a key feature of our Pre-schooler classes. Storytelling develops literacy and communication skills, encouraging children to ask questions and develop their vocabulary. Stories also help to transport children beyond their immediate environment. They do this by feeding their imagination and help them to build better understanding around real-life situations. Storytelling can develop a better understanding of other people, helping them to develop empathy. It’s the perfect way to wind down after a fun-filled session. Our curriculum is designed to gently guide children toward school readiness, challenging them as they grow. But most importantly, it’s about coming together to learn and have fun.

Let’s encourage our children to dream big, laugh loudly, and imagine a world where anything is possible – a world Roald Dahl knew so well. Happy Roald Dahl Story Day, everyone! Let the adventures begin!

art, reading

Reviews

Both of my children (3.5 years and 11 months) go to Gymboree Play & Music and love it. My toddler goes to their drop-off Lego class which she raves about. It's very creative, working not only on Lego skills but also painting, drawing etc. My infant son loves his Gymboree Play & Music Crawlers class - particularly loves crawling all over their props, through the tunnels, etc. Great way to get the infant crawling over obstacles! Gymboree Play & Music is part of our weekly schedule for both kids and we look forward to participating every week. Invaluable!

Natalia

Gymboree Play & Music was a lovely and positive experience for my son Leo. We started when he was 9 months and he is now 3 years old, I wish we had started sooner.
He loves the songs (which is part of our daily singing at home), the freedom to explore and he was happy there. He looks forward to class every week and once class is over he will tell everyone about Gymbo and what he did.
For me, I liked that it taught him how to get down safely from a height, how to learn to use his body, and touching on different topics every 2 weeks. It gave me confidence in other environments to trust that he has the ability that he learned from Gymboree Play & Music and to trust him.

Sheena

I’ve been taking both my newborn and toddler to Gymboree Play & Music for a couple of months now and both boys are really loving the classes and open gym sessions. It’s a great way to meet other mums, entertain toddlers at witching hour(!) and get ideas for sensory play with babies. Sophie and Cat are fantastic and have so much energy and loads of different ideas for the classes, plus make sure the activities it’s help children meet their development milestones as well. Highly recommend this if you’re thinking about joining!! Thanks so much Sophie, Cat and the wider team :-)

Pippa