Today is Darwin Day 2019. What does this mean exactly? Well, today sees the 210 anniversary of the birth of the naturalist and biologist Charles Darwin, whose revolutionary discoveries have shaped the way science, and the theory of evolution has been taught ever since.
And from the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, to the state universities across the United States, to European science institutions, events are taking place throughout February and March to mark this special day.
So here at Discovering Days we thought it would be a great idea to mark this auspicious day also, and pay homage to the great man himself by telling some Darwin related stories in our extra special Story Telling Chair.
Want to find out more about Charles Darwin? Well grab a coffee, get comfortable in your favourite chair and read on!
Who was Charles Darwin?
Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 12th 1809 in Shropshire, (Shrewsbury to be precise), England. He was born in to a wealthy family; his father being a well respected society doctor, and his mother coming from the Wedgewood Pottery family. His upbringing was influenced by abolitionists, freethinkers and the Unitarian faith, and by 8 years old, Charles Darwin was already a keen collector and interested in natural history.
He became an apprentice doctor at the age of 16, and attended the University of Edinburgh Medical School, he became interested in taxidermy and joined a student natural history group before leaving Edinburgh to join Christ’s College Cambridge under the instruction of his father due to the young Charles neglecting his medical studies!
He left University in 1831, and finally his travels began in earnest, which took him to all corners of the globe on research missions that have had a lasting impact on the natural world research ever since.
The Beagle Voyage 
The most famous of Charles Darwin’s expeditions, was The Beagle Voyage. This epic journey saw Darwin circumnavigate the globe over a five year period, and took him to far flung destinations such as the Brazilian rain forests and the Andes Mountains, the remote Falkland Islands and Argentina, and of course, to the Galapagos Islands.
All along his journey, he discovered new species, cataloging each discovery, which resulted in 770 diary pages, 1750 pages of notes, and no less than 12 catalogues of literally thousands of skins, bones and carcasses collected along the way.
This was the beginnings of his seminal work, On the Origins of Species, published in 1859; work that put Charles Darwin in to the very highest echelons of scientists, in particular biologists, and which now sees Darwin considered to be the ‘Father of Evolution’ thanks to his scientific theory. This theory is the concept that all life is related and has descended from one common ancestor.
And that the process of natural selection is one of the most basic instruments of evolution.
To sum up the Theory of Evolution is no easy task, and certainly not one that we are going to attempt, it would need far better story tellers! We can however tell you a little bit about our Story Telling Chair…
Story Telling Chair 
We’ve clearly crammed an awful lot in to our short blog about Charles Darwin, and hopefully some of it was of interest to you! That’s the thing about telling a good story, you need to capture your audiences’ attention, connect with their imagination, and promote inspiration and creativity for your listener to be able to take that story and run with it!
Another top tip for story telling is to create the right sort of atmosphere, and for children, this is especially important!
And who wouldn’t want to have their story teller sat on a fabulous and inspiring piece of furniture, such as our Story Telling Chair?
This enchanting, hand crafted wooden chair, requires no assembly, and is health and safety checked to be ‘splinter free’, to ensure story time is guaranteed to bring joy and wonder to children of all ages.
Made from Scandinavian Red Wood, we only use timber from sustainable sources, which means that the wood is particularly supple and grows quickly, and once treated, is ideal for making play equipment that will last for many years after you make your purchase.
And of course, the benefits of story telling go far beyond getting the children sat quietly listening!
Telling stories to children improves their literacy skills, stimulates their imagination and fundamentally fosters understanding of different cultures and people who we form bonds with through each new story.
The impact on children’s mental capacity is also quite unique, benefiting their vocabulary, their memory, their ability to solve problems, and comprehension.
And it doesn’t just have to be the teacher telling the story! Children will love to climb up and take their seat on this magnificent Story Telling Chair, filling them with awe and wonder, and feeding their creative skills as they take it in turns to express their own imaginative tales and just like Darwin, record their own daily findings by sharing them with their classroom friends.
Contact Us
So if you believe you have a budding Charles Darwin amongst your classroom, or you just want to encourage imaginative story-telling to stimulate their creative thoughts and minds, then why not contact us here, or call 01282 416 755 to speak to one of our dedicated team who might not be able to elaborate on the Theory of Evolution, but will certainly be able to offer expert advice on our Story Telling Chair, or any of our delightful wooden toys.
And on Darwin Day 2019, what better way to celebrate this extraordinary scientist then to tell children of all ages about his heroic voyages, his amazing discoveries and his significant place in science history?
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