Around the World Fairytales Part 2

Our guest blogger,Tricia Weyhrenberg who works at the Amery Public Library in northern Wisconsin, continues her description of her Hour of Enchantment program. Today's post explores crafts and games she would use as story extension stations.

Crafts and Games

I’d have three separate crafts set up. One would be the traditional idea of Cinderella, which would be to make crowns out of glitter glue, markers, and cardstock.

The second would be to make beaded bracelets with different colored beads. I’d explain that in Caribbean culture, custom holds that certain colors can affect your destiny. There are usually seven beads, but whoever makes the bracelet has the choice of wearing seven of one color for concentrated wishing or all seven colors for a general wish for good luck in all categories. I’d let them know what each color means, depending on what colors of beads I had, and then set them loose.

For the third craft, I’d want something a little bit easier so that if a smaller child comes, they’d be able to do something too. In order to keep with the Caribbean theme, I’d like something bright and colorful, so I’d have cut up pieces of crepe paper available to glue as a little collage onto a picture of Cinderella to decorate her dress.

For the games, I’d have one table set up with a bunch of different areas for large scale tic-tac-toe. In the Caribbean, they play as “the Panman” and the “palm tree.” So I’d have cards precut with both of those pictures on them for each of the four stations of tic-tac-toe I have set up.

Another game would be a traditional Jamaican game called Punchinella Little Fella, which is generally done with at least five people but can absolutely be done with less. The children surround one child, who is in the center of the ring. The kids making the ring sing the Punchinella Little Fella song, which is either “What can you do Punchinella Little Fella?” or “What can you do Puchinella Little Dear?” With each line, the child in the middle responds with any dance move he or she likes. The kids forming the circle have to copy the moves. The kids decide who is next in the middle and the game continues with children singing as they all change places.  I think it’d be even more fun if the kids got their parents to join in. I’m absolutely jumping in on that from time to time!

The children can decide to play the games or they can do the crafts or they can do both! I’ll have some Caribbean music playing to keep it going and to help with the dancing for Punchinella.

I think this program will be really fun because children love fairytales, and it will also give them a chance to experience other cultural activities and crafts under the guise of traditional fairytales. In addition, it allows me to push the nonfiction section more, which is a fairly underutilized section compared to picture books and chapter books.

This program would be very active and fun and participatory, but wouldn’t require me to painstakingly plan out all the details and present in front of a group for an hour.  All in all, I think it is a fun group activity that also allows me to showcase nonfiction. It’s a win-win!