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Celebrity mum Gail Porter is supporting calls for a 21st Century makeover of the art of storytelling as a new report shows it is an essential part of child development.

The study by kids’ yogurt brand Munch Bunch and child psychologist Dr Richard Woolfson, reveals that 75% of the nation’s mums and dads believe they must tell stories to children to help their development, with 65% saying it helps fuel youngsters creative imagination and 51% see it as a way to calm them.

However, despite a fifth of today’s parents claiming that they are creative storytellers because they were read to when they were younger, figures show that more than half struggle to stay awake when reading to their own children at bedtime. The affects of a demanding working day are clearly impacting on the amount of time parents are setting aside to story time, so Munch Bunch is going back to its roots , by encouraging parents to get creative and think beyond bedtime stories to ensure kids don’t miss out.

Storytelling is an important part of growing up, according to child psychologist Dr Richard Woolfson. “There’s something special about the creative moment of storytelling. It’s an integral part of a child’s development on so many levels; it involves creativity, an exchange of information, an emotional connection and has a calming influence on children.”

Together with Gail Porter, Munch Bunch - a brand inspired by the iconic Munch Bunch stories and TV series of the 70s and 80s – is launching a nationwide search for budding authors to help reinvent storytelling.

Going back to its storytelling roots the initiative will see six winning stories for children published online as audio podcasts for families to enjoy any time of day. The podcasts will be read by celebrity mum Gail Porter, as the voice of Munch Bunch’s newest character, Munch the Cow, and will then be made available for parents across the country to download and listen to with their children. The campaign aims to create that unique moment, where parents can take time to enjoy storytelling with their children so the stories will also be available to print out from the Munch Bunch website.

Gail Porter said: “The Munch Bunch story search is a fantastic way to get more mums and dads involved in telling stories. As a parent myself, I know there is nothing more pleasing than capturing the imagination of little ones through something you have created yourself. You don’t need to be a literary scholar, all that’s required is a bit of imagination and the desire to inspire young minds!”

Michael Inpong from Munch Bunch said: “Our products were inspired by books in the beginning and we’re going back to our storytelling roots but reinventing it for a new generation. With the search we’re giving mums the chance to show off their creative flair and help make storytime more flexible.”