Tales

CIRCLE TIME

Animated discussion

(Open picture game-Tales) Print and laminate the pictures in the format you prefer. Use them to spark a conversation with your group and introduce the theme. Ask children questions to see what they know about tales. Present several different books to your group and encourage children to manipulate them.

Suggested circle time questions:

• What is your favorite storybook or tale?
• Which popular tales would you like me to read?
• Which popular tales are you familiar with? Can you name the titles?
• Have you ever watched a tale on television?
• Who reads to you at home? 

Puppets-Tales
(Open puppets-Tales) Print the models on heavy paper. Ask children to cut them out and decorate them with various arts & crafts materials. Glue a Popsicle stick behind the models to complete your puppets. Use the puppets to present books to your group.

Let me read a tale

Gather all the popular tales that you have and arrange them in a circle in your circle time area. Let children observe and manipulate the books for a few minutes. Next, ask them if they know what kind of stories these books are about. Guide them to say that they are tales or fairy tales. Explore the types of details that are often found in tales. For example, they may say that they begin with the words “Once upon a time…” They may also say that there is always a happy ending and that the characters “live happily ever after”. Other interesting details are that tales are often about princes and princesses, that they often contain a magical item (bean, apple, etc.), that animals often act like humans (wear clothes, speak, etc.), and that they frequently are about fantastic characters (genie, fairy godmother, etc.).

AREA SETUP

Thematic poster-Tales

Print various posters related to your theme and use them to decorate your daycare. (Open thematic poster-Tales)

Stickers-Tales

(Open stickers-Tales) Print the illustrations on adhesive paper and use them to create a collection of original stickers.

Educa-theme-Tales
(Open educa-theme-Tales) Print and laminate the elements representing your theme. Use them to present your theme to children (and their parents) while decorating your daycare.

Educa-decorate-Tales
(Open educa-decorate-Tales) Print, laminate, and cut out the items. Use them to decorate the walls of your daycare and set the mood for your theme. 

Decorating the ceiling

Purchase a giant poster that children are sure to like. Press it on your ceiling, over your changing table or over a popular play mat. Let children discover it as they go about their day. 

Your daycare becomes a library

Display the hours when your library will be open to your group. Add to your library decor with cushions, a sofa, bean bag chairs, stuffed animals, etc.

Highlight your reading corner for the duration of the theme. Add posters on the walls along with comfortable armchairs and cushions. For the purpose of this theme, you could expand your reading area. You could also use a large appliance box to create a special reading area. Hang a string of lights to make it attractive and magical. 

Display posters representing popular tales on your daycare walls. Set a storybook on your head to greet children in the morning or dress up according to the tale you have chosen to explore with your group each day. For example, for Little Red Riding Hood, you could wear a red cape and greet children with a small basket filled with cookies. 

PICTURE GAME

The picture game may be used as a memory game or to spark a conversation with the group. The pictures may also be used simply to decorate the daycare or a specific thematic corner. (Open picture game-Tales) Print and laminate. Store the game in a "Ziploc" bag or in your thematic bin. 

Memory game-Tales
(Open picture game-Tales) Print the series of illustrations twice and use them for a traditional memory game.

ACTIVITY AND WRITING SHEETS

Activity sheets - Tales

Activity sheets are suggested for each theme. Print and follow instructions. (Open activity sheets-Tales)

Writing activities-T like tale
(Open writing activities-T like tale) Print for each child or laminate for use with a dry-erase marker. 

LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES

Word flashacards
The flashcards may be used during circle time to spark a conversation with the group or in your reading and writing area. They may also be used to identify your thematic bins. (Open word flashcards-Tales) (Open giant word flashcards-Tales) The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks, Cinderella, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast, Jack and the Beanstalk, The Princess and the Pea, Snow White. 

ACTIVITIES FOR DIFFERENT POPULAR TALES

This week, we suggest a wide range of activities for different popular tales. We have chosen to sort them by storybook to simplify your activity planning. Have fun!

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

Thematic poster-Popular tales

(Open thematic poster-Popular tales) Print and laminate the poster.

Interactive activity planning-The Three Little Pigs

(Open interactive planning-The Three Little Pigs) Type your planned activities in the document, save it, and print it. Use the document as a guide for the presentation of the educational activities you have chosen for The Three Little Pigs theme. 

My tale bracelet

Give each child a pipe cleaner. Set a bowl filled with different colors of necklace beads on the table. Read the Three Little Pigs story. Children use the beads to represent various parts of the story. For example, they can begin by sliding three pink beads on their pipe cleaner to represent the three pigs. Next, when you read about the first pig’s home that is made of straw, they could add a yellow bead. In the same way, they could add a brown bead to represent the wooden house and a red one to represent the brick house. A black bead could represent the wolf. Help children twist both ends of their pipe cleaner together. They will enjoy using their tale bracelet to retell the Three Little Pigs story. Of course, this activity can be repeated for any popular tale.

Modeling dough activity placemats-Tales

(Open modeling dough activity placemats-Tales) Print and laminate. Let children pick a placemat and provide modeling dough. Encourage them to use the dough to fill or reproduce the shapes that are on their placemat.

Pick, search, and color-Tales

(Open pick search and color-Tales) Print and laminate the cards. Children pick a card. They must search for the corresponding item and color it.

Oh the pigs!
Challenge children to find words that rhyme with “pig”.  

Dancing pigs
Set three hula hoops on the floor, leaving a certain distance between them. One hula hoop will represent the house made of straw, another one will represent the house made of wood, and the last one will represent the house made of bricks. If you have an odd number of children in your group, one child can be the wolf. Play music and invite children to dance with a partner. When the music stops, the pigs (children) must quickly seek shelter in one of the houses before the wolf catches them.

Moody pig
(Open emotions characters) Print, laminate, and cut out. Set all the emotions in a bag or container. Children take turns picking an emotion and acting it out. The other children must identify the emotion.

Dress-up dolls-Tales
(Open dress-up dolls-Tales) Print and laminate. Set the various accessories on a table and let children dress the doll as they see fit.

My piggy bank
Give each child an empty 500 ml bottle with a cap. Cut a slit at the top of the bottle, in the center, big enough so that children can insert coins. Also cut a small hole in the bottom of each child’s bottle (when it’s standing up). Have children insert a pipe cleaner in the hole to represent their pig’s tail. Children can paint their bottle with pink poster paint. Once the paint is dry, they can add wiggly eyes on the cap and draw 2 tiny dots (snout). Use hot glue to attach 2 corks to the bottom of the bottle to represent their pig’s feet. 

The forest
Use colored adhesive tape to draw a start and finish line on the floor. Set 2 leaves approximately 10 cm apart, behind the start line. Give 2 children a drinking straw or an empty toilet paper roll. When you give the signal, they must blow through their straw or cardboard tube to move their leaf across the finish line using only their breath.  

The Three Little Pigs-Illustrated

Collect several pictures and illustrations representing the Three Little Pigs tale and press them on your daycare walls, cupboards, floor, etc. Children will love discovering them as they move around the daycare throughout the day.

The pink pig game
(Open game-Pink pig) Print, laminate, and press the large pink pig on a wall. Give each child a laminated pig tail. Blindfold one child at a time and invite chidlren to try to press their tail as close to the correct spot as possible.

Tiny houses
Provide a wide range of arts & crafts materials such as Popsicle sticks (wood), raffia (straw), and foam blocks (bricks). Encourage children to use the material to represent the houses in the Three Little Pigs story.

Three Little Pigs
(Open craft three little pigs) Make pig, house, and wolf puppets with your group. Cut them out and glue them on Popsicle sticks.

Pig snout
Cut an empty toilet paper roll in half and paint it using pink poster paint. Punch a hole on either side and insert and knot either end of a piece of string. Tie each child’s pig snout behind their head.

A day with the Three Little Pigs

(Open perpetual calendar-Three Little Pigs Day) Print and display. Plan a special day related to this popular tale.

• Have fun with farm animal figurines.
• Make your own bricks using empty tissue boxes.
• Build a straw house, a wooden house, and a brick house.
• Have fun blowing on things to explore the concept of weight.
• Use straw to paint (wrap adhesive tape around a stack of straw or raffia and use it as you would a paintbrush).
• Invite children to make and decorate their very own pig costume.
• Make wolf masks.
• Play pig-themed games.
• Explore blowing on straw, feathers, ping pong balls, bubbles, etc.
• Reproduce this well-known tale with puppets.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

Thematic poster-Popular tales

(Open thematic poster-Popular tales) Print and laminate the poster. Add the Little Red Riding Hood card.

Interactive activity planning-Little Red Riding Hood

(Open interactive planning-Little Red Riding Hood) Type your planned activities in the document, save it, and print it. Use the document as a guide for the presentation of the educational activities you have chosen for The Little Red Riding Hood theme. 

Homemade building blocks

Create your own original building blocks by setting the bottom of 2 milk cartons one inside the other. Decorate your blocks with pictures of characters that are found in the Little Red Riding Hood tale.

Modeling dough activity placemats-Tales

(Open modeling dough activity placemats-Tales) Print and laminate. Let children pick a placemat and provide modeling dough. Encourage them to use the dough to fill or reproduce the shapes that are on their placemat.

Little Red Riding Hood-Illustrated

Collect several pictures and illustrations representing the Little Red Riding Hood tale and press them on your daycare walls, cupboards, floor, etc. Children will love discovering them as they move around the daycare throughout the day.

Tell me the end of the story
Read the tale to your group, but let them invent the ending as they see fit.

Dress-up dolls-Tales
(Open dress-up dolls-Tales) Print and laminate. Set the various accessories on a table and let children dress the doll as they see fit.

Pick, search, and color-Tales

(Open pick search and color-Tales) Print and laminate the cards. Children pick a card. They must search for the corresponding item and color it.

Butter jar
Pour 35% cream in a Mason jar or in a jam jar and shake it until tiny clumps of butter form. Encourage children to take turns shaking the jar. Once the butter forms a ball, remove it from the jar and rinse it under cold water. Drain it. Divide the butter among the children in your group so that they can each take home enough to butter a slice of bread or a bun.

Cookies

• ²/³ cup of margarine
• ½ cup of brown sugar
• ½ cup of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons of milk
• 2 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 3 cups of oats 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat margarine, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and milk in a bowl using an electric mixer. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon (previously combined) and continue to beat until mixture is homogeneous. Using a spatula, add the oats. Form small balls of dough and flatten them on a baking sheet. Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Serve the cookies as a snack and let children add one to a basket that they can take home along with their portion of butter. 

Red
Prepare red Jell-O. Let children manipulate the powder and water. Pour the mixture into Styrofoam glasses and place them in the fridge until preparation sets. Let children tear the Styrofoam off their Jell-O and serve it as dessert. 

Red walk
Go for a walk in your daycare’s neigbourhood. Call upon children’s imagination and pretend that you are walking in the forest, just like Little Red Riding Hood. Look for items that are red, like Little Red Riding Hood’s cape.  

Little Red Riding Hood basket

You will need a clean 1-liter milk carton for each child. Cut and keep only the bottom of each milk carton. Using a hole-punch, punch a hole out of 2 sides of each carton and have children thread either end of a pipe cleaner through the holes and twist them in place to create a handle. Have children decorate their basket using fabric, paint, and paper. Use pretty ribbon to tie a bow on each basket handle. If you wish, you can add Easter straw in the bottom of each child’s basket.  

A day with Little Red Riding Hood

(Open perpetual calendar-Little Red Riding Hood Day) Print and display. Plan a special day related to this popular tale.

• Integrate as many red items as possible.
• Provide clothing items that children can use to dress up like a grandmother.
• Provide straw baskets.
• If possible, offer wolf costumes.
• Plan to have a red cape, a red scarf, a red coat, and red boots.
• Bake different kinds of cookies and have fun tasting them to determine which ones are your group’s favorite.
• Use a tiny house and figurines to reproduce the story.
• Go for a walk in the woods (and recreate the story with your group).
• Explore the subject of grandmothers.
• Plan a treasure hunt that leads children to the Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother’s house!

GOLDILOCKS

Thematic poster-Popular tales

(Open thematic poster-Popular tales) Print and laminate the poster. Add the Goldilocks card.

Interactive activity planning-Goldilocks

(Open interactive planning-Goldilocks) Type your planned activities in the document, save it, and print it. Use the document as a guide for the presentation of the educational activities you have chosen for the Goldilocks theme.  

Small, medium, big
(Open size game-Goldilocks) Print and laminate. Ask children to arrange objects from smallest to biggest or from biggest to smallest. Have them identify the smallest item, the biggest item, the medium-sized item…

Modeling dough activity placemats-Tales

(Open modeling dough activity placemats-Tales) Print and laminate. Let children pick a placemat and provide modeling dough. Encourage them to use the dough to fill or reproduce the shapes that are on their placemat.

Pick, search, and color-Tales

(Open pick search and color-Tales) Print and laminate the cards. Children pick a card. They must search for the corresponding item and color it.

Goldilocks-Illustrated

Collect several pictures and illustrations representing the Goldilocks tale and press them on your daycare walls, cupboards, floor, etc. Children will love discovering them as they move around the daycare throughout the day.

Bear walk

With your group, have fun walking like Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and Baby
Bear. 

Tell me the end of the story
Read the tale to your group, but let them invent the ending as they see fit.

Dress-up dolls-Tales

(Open dress-up dolls-Tales) Print and laminate. Set the various accessories on a table and let children dress the doll as they see fit. 

Small, medium, big music jars

Collect several glass jars and pour a different amount of water in each one. Encourage children to tap the jars with a spoon to create music. Help them notice how each jar produces a different sound, depending on its water level. Add jars, change the water levels, and have fun singing songs and making music with your group.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears mobile

(Open mobile-Goldilocks and the Three Bears) Print for each child and have them cut out the characters. They can color them. If they wish, they can even glue a soft material on the bears to represent their coat. They can also add long pieces of yellow yarn to represent Goldilocks’ hair. Hang the items from a clothes hanger using fishing wire.

One, two, three bears
Pick a child who will be a bear. He chases his peers. Once he has captured 2 other children, another child becomes the chasing bear.

Variation: When the bear touches a child, the latter can be asked to stop in his tracks and hold his arms out to each side. He can resume running if another child runs under his arms.

Goldilocks’ house

Reproduce the Goldilocks and the Three Bears story in your role play area. All you need is a few accessories and children’s imagination.  

A day with Goldilocks

(Open perpetual calendar-Goldilocks Day) Print and display. Plan a special day related to this popular tale.

• Integrate as many gold-colored items as possible.
• Gather costumes that children can wear to represent this popular tale.
• Provide stuffed bears and accessories such as chairs and bowls.
• Have three sizes of stuffed bears, chairs, bowls, etc.
• Explore the concept of size.
• Gather all the dolls that you own that have long, curly blonde hair.
• Prepare soup (porridge) with your group.
• Fill a manipulation bin with oats to represent porridge. Add different sizes of bowls.
• Build a bed that is the right size for each of your stuffed bears using recycled material (cardboard boxes, cardboard tubes, scraps of paper and fabric, etc.).
• Curl children’s hair (or doll hair).

CINDERELLA

Thematic poster-Popular tales

(Open thematic poster-Popular tales) Print and laminate the poster. Add the Cinderella card.

Interactive activity planning-Cinderella

(Open interactive planning-Cinderella) Type your planned activities in the document, save it, and print it. Use the document as a guide for the presentation of the educational activities you have chosen for the Cinderella theme.  

Cinderella-Illustrated

Collect several pictures and illustrations representing the Cinderella tale and press them on your daycare walls, cupboards, floor, etc. Children will love discovering them as they move around the daycare throughout the day.

Our castle

Here, you will need a large quantity of silver-colored paper drinking glasses. Prior to the activity, cut some of the glasses. Cut triangles and squares out of the edges of other glasses. They will be used to represent the top of your castle towers. Let children stack the glasses to build a castle. Add figurines and let them play freely! If they wish, they could simply use the glasses to draw the outline of a giant castle that they can play inside. 

Modeling dough activity placemats-Tales

(Open modeling dough activity placemats-Tales) Print and laminate. Let children pick a placemat and provide modeling dough. Encourage them to use the dough to fill or reproduce the shapes that are on their placemat.

Pick, search, and color-Tales

(Open pick search and color-Tales) Print and laminate the cards. Children pick a card. They must search for the corresponding item and color it.

The grand ball
Like in the Cinderella story, organize a grand ball. Dress up with fancy clothing. Play classical music and dance with your group. 

Dress-up dolls-Tales

(Open dress-up dolls-Tales) Print and laminate. Set the various accessories on a table and let children dress the doll as they see fit. 

Glass slipper
Have children take their shoes off. Have them set all their shoes in a pile. Add one special shoe (Cinderella’s shoe). When you give the signal, children run to the pile of shoes and try to find their shoes as quickly as possible. Once they have their shoes on their feet, they can try to be the first to find Cinderella’s shoe. 

The fairy godmother
Give one child a magic wand. He or she will be the fairy godmother who will give the rest of the group instructions, much like in “Simon says…”. The fairy godmother points the magic wand at his or her peers and says, “I transform you into...” (example: a mouse, a carriage, Cinderella, etc.). Select characters and things related to the Cinderella story. The other children must act out the different roles. After a few tranformations, select another fairy godmother.  

Magic powder
Set a bin filled with flour on the table and add small plastic stars. Give each child a drinking straw and show them how they can blow the flour around to discover the stars. If you wish, you can also add glitter to the flour. 

Magic wand
(Open model-Magic wand) Print on heavy cardboard. Have children cut out the star and wrap it in aluminum paper. Once this is done, they can glue a wooden skewer behind their star to complete their magic wand.

Cinderella’s carriage

Cut a large pumpkin shape out of a piece of adhesive paper. Have them press tissue paper all over the shape.  

A day with Cinderella

(Open perpetual calendar-Cinderella Day) Print and display. Plan a special day related to this popular tale.

• Decorate carriages.
• Provide clothing items that children can use to represent the different characters in this story.
• Decorate magic wands and pumpkins.
• Make prince or princess crowns.
• Organize a grand ball.
• Transform a large appliance box to represent a castle.
• Provide jewellery and dresses that children can use to dress up like Cinderella. Don’t forget crowns and high-heeled shoes!
• Invite children to wear their fanciest clothing items.
• Colorful necklace beads that children can use to make princess necklaces.

ALADDIN

Thematic poster-Popular tales

(Open thematic poster-Popular tales) Print and laminate the poster. Add the Aladdin card.

Interactive activity planning-Aladdin

(Open interactive planning-Aladdin) Type your planned activities in the document, save it, and print it. Use the document as a guide for the presentation of the educational activities you have chosen for Aladdin theme.  

Modeling dough activity placemats-Tales

(Open modeling dough activity placemats-Tales) Print and laminate. Let children pick a placemat and provide modeling dough. Encourage them to use the dough to fill or reproduce the shapes that are on their placemat.

Pick, search, and color-Tales

(Open pick search and color-Tales) Print and laminate the cards. Children pick a card. They must search for the corresponding item and color it.

Aladdin and the Magic Lamp-Illustrated

Collect several pictures and illustrations representing the Aladdin tale and press them on your daycare walls, cupboards, floor, etc. Children will love discovering them as they move around the daycare throughout the day.

Dress-up dolls-Tales

(Open dress-up dolls-Tales) Print and laminate. Set the various accessories on a table and let children dress the doll as they see fit. 

A day with Aladdin

(Open perpetual calendar-Aladdin Day) Print and display. Plan a special day related to this popular tale.

• Building blocks that children can use to build a castle.
• Costumes for dress-up play related to the tale.
• Accessories for magic tricks.
• Create your own magic lamp.
• Provide glitter and sequins for arts & crafts.
• Explore creating magic carpets with construction paper, tissue paper, different types of fabric, etc.
• Build castles, your very own magical kingdom.
• Offer jewellery that children can manipulate and observe with magnifying glasses.
• A Lite-Brite game, simply because it shines like precious stones.
• Have fun going on imaginary trips on magic carpets (blankets set on the floor).

THE LITTLE MERMAID

Thematic poster-Popular tales

(Open thematic poster-Popular tales) Print and laminate the poster. Add the Little Mermaid card.

Interactive activity planning-The Little Mermaid

(Open interactive planning-The Little Mermaid) Type your planned activities in the document, save it, and print it. Use the document as a guide for the presentation of the educational activities you have chosen for the Little Mermaid theme.  

Modeling dough activity placemats-Tales

(Open modeling dough activity placemats-Tales) Print and laminate. Let children pick a placemat and provide modeling dough. Encourage them to use the dough to fill or reproduce the shapes that are on their placemat.

Pick, search, and color-Tales

(Open pick search and color-Tales) Print and laminate the cards. Children pick a card. They must search for the corresponding item and color it.

The Little Mermaid-Illustrated

Collect several pictures and illustrations representing the Little Mermaid tale and press them on your daycare walls, cupboards, floor, etc. Children will love discovering them as they move around the daycare throughout the day.

Dress-up dolls-Tales

(Open dress-up dolls-Tales) Print and laminate. Set the various accessories on a table and let children dress the doll as they see fit. 

A day with the Little Mermaid

(Open perpetual calendar-The Little Mermaid Day) Print and display. Plan a special day related to this popular tale.

• Building blocks that children can use to represent a castle.
• Tie children’s feet together using shiny fabric and encourage them to move about like a mermaid.
• Explore different types of seashells.
• Go to your local grocery store to observe live lobsters.
• Hang plastic fish from your daycare ceiling.
• Create paper seaweed.
• Add fish to your role play area.
• Serve fish for lunch.
• Create fancy hairstyles or explore wigs.
• Make paper mache seashells.
• Jewellery items that children can manipulate and observe, for example with magnifying glasses.

THE LION KING

Thematic poster-Popular tales

(Open thematic poster-Popular tales) Print and laminate the poster. Add the Lion King card.

Interactive activity planning-The Lion King

(Open interactive planning-The Lion King) Type your planned activities in the document, save it, and print it. Use the document as a guide for the presentation of the educational activities you have chosen for the Lion King theme.  

Modeling dough activity placemats-Tales

(Open modeling dough activity placemats-Tales) Print and laminate. Let children pick a placemat and provide modeling dough. Encourage them to use the dough to fill or reproduce the shapes that are on their placemat.

Pick, search, and color-Tales

(Open pick search and color-Tales) Print and laminate the cards. Children pick a card. They must search for the corresponding item and color it.

The Lion King-Illustrated

Collect several pictures and illustrations representing the Lion King tale and press them on your daycare walls, cupboards, floor, etc. Children will love discovering them as they move around the daycare throughout the day.

Dress-up dolls-Tales

(Open dress-up dolls-Tales) Print and laminate. Set the various accessories on a table and let children dress the doll as they see fit. 

The lion’s roar

Encourage children to roar like a lion and record the sounds they make. Play with soft and loud sounds. Use a variety of items to create different types of sounds. Explore the sounds that different animals make with your group.

Little lions

Tease children’s hair to represent a lion’s mane and paint their face.

Lion masks

Paint paper plates and remove the center portion. Glue pieces of yellow and brown yarn all the way around the paper plate to represent a lion’s mane.

A day with the Lion King

(Open perpetual calendar-The Lion King) Print and display. Plan a special day related to this popular tale.

• Set lion costumes in your role play area.
• Offer forest and jungle animal figurines.
• Compare fur, feathers, and scales.
• Imitate the sounds that different animals make.
• Strut around like the Lion King.
• Paint children’s faces to make them look like the Lion King.
• Make lion crowns.
• Offer forest and jungle animal puzzles.

PETER PAN

Thematic poster-Popular tales

(Open thematic poster-Popular tales) Print and laminate the poster. Add the Peter Pan card.

Interactive activity planning-Peter Pan

(Open interactive planning-Peter Pan) Type your planned activities in the document, save it, and print it. Use the document as a guide for the presentation of the educational activities you have chosen for the Peter Pan theme.  

Modeling dough activity placemats-Tales

(Open modeling dough activity placemats-Tales) Print and laminate. Let children pick a placemat and provide modeling dough. Encourage them to use the dough to fill or reproduce the shapes that are on their placemat.

Pick, search, and color-Tales

(Open pick search and color-Tales) Print and laminate the cards. Children pick a card. They must search for the corresponding item and color it.

Peter Pan-Illustrated

Collect several pictures and illustrations representing the Peter Pan tale and press them on your daycare walls, cupboards, floor, etc. Children will love discovering them as they move around the daycare throughout the day.

Tinkerbell

Blindfold one child. Give another child a small bell. The blindfolded child must try to identify the child holding the bell among the children who are moving around the daycare. When he succeeds, the child who had the bell wears the blindfold for the next round.

The wand 
Touch a child’s sweater, pants, or shoes with a wand... The child must name the clothing item that you touched. To increase the level of difficulty, encourage the child to name the color of the corresponding clothing item.

Dress-up dolls-Tales

(Open dress-up dolls-Tales) Print and laminate. Set the various accessories on a table and let children dress the doll as they see fit. 

A day with Peter Pan

(Open perpetual calendar-Peter Pan Day) Print and display. Plan a special day related to this popular tale.

• A tent or a large appliance box can become a fairy home.  
• Tulle wings, a variety of jewellery items, colorful high-heeled shoes, crowns, etc.
• A ballerina costume (tutu, ballerina shoes, and tights) that can be used as a fairy costume.
• Magician hats and wands.
• Elf costumes.
• Books about Peter Pan.
• A picture book containing fantastic characters.
• A miniature bell that children can jingle.
• A sand table…in which you can hide tiny treasures.  
• Pirate costumes, shovels, jewellery, maps, eye patches, bandanas, stuffed parrots, a mop and bucket, rope, a compass, gold pieces, binoculars, etc.

THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Thematic poster-Popular tales

(Open thematic poster-Popular tales) Print and laminate the poster. Add the Beauty and the Beast card.

Interactive activity planning-Beauty and the Beast

(Open interactive planning-Beauty and the Beast) Type your planned activities in the document, save it, and print it. Use the document as a guide for the presentation of the educational activities you have chosen for the Beauty and the Beast theme.  

Modeling dough activity placemats-Tales

(Open modeling dough activity placemats-Tales) Print and laminate. Let children pick a placemat and provide modeling dough. Encourage them to use the dough to fill or reproduce the shapes that are on their placemat.

Pick, search, and color-Tales

(Open pick search and color-Tales) Print and laminate the cards. Children pick a card. They must search for the corresponding item and color it.

The Beauty and the Beast-Illustrated

Collect several pictures and illustrations representing the Beauty and the Beast tale and press them on your daycare walls, cupboards, floor, etc. Children will love discovering them as they move around the daycare throughout the day.

Dress-up dolls-Tales

(Open dress-up dolls-Tales) Print and laminate. Set the various accessories on a table and let children dress the doll as they see fit. 

A day with the Beauty and the Beast

(Open perpetual calendar-The Beauty and the Beast Day) Print and display. Plan a special day related to this popular tale.

• Set a large piece of tulle or veiling on the floor.
• Hang ribbons from the ceiling in your construction area to represent a canopy.
• Offer a variety of figurines that can be used to represent the Beauty and the Beast characters.
• Provide fabric flowers in a variety of colors and shapes.
• Easter straw and golden eggs.
• Serve “tea”.

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

Thematic poster-Popular tales

(Open thematic poster-Popular tales) Print and laminate the poster. Add the Jack and the Beanstalk card.

Interactive activity planning-Jack and the Beanstalk

(Open interactive planning-Jack and the Beanstalk) Type your planned activities in the document, save it, and print it. Use the document as a guide for the presentation of the educational activities you have chosen for the Jack and the Beanstalk theme.  

My magical bean

(Open project magical bean) Print a castle for each child and have them color it. Give each child a few bean seeds and encourage them to wrap them in a paper towel. Once this is done, they can use a spray bottle to moisten the paper before setting the seeds in a Ziploc bag. They can glue cotton balls on the top of their bag to represent clouds and glue the bottom portion of their castle over it. Tape the bags on a sunny window. Children will love watching their magical bean grow and reach their castle.

Jack and the Beanstalk-Illustrated

Collect several pictures and illustrations representing the Jack and the Beanstalk tale and press them on your daycare walls, cupboards, floor, etc. Children will love discovering them as they move around the daycare throughout the day.

Modeling dough activity placemats-Tales

(Open modeling dough activity placemats-Tales) Print and laminate. Let children pick a placemat and provide modeling dough. Encourage them to use the dough to fill or reproduce the shapes that are on their placemat.

Pick, search, and color-Tales

(Open pick search and color-Tales) Print and laminate the cards. Children pick a card. They must search for the corresponding item and color it.

Grow your own magical beanstalk

For this activity, you will need several empty toilet paper rolls that you have taken the time to paint using green poster paint. You will also have to have cut several large leaf shaps out of green Fun Foam sheets and 3 large clouds out of white Fun Foam. Press the clouds on a wall, approximately 1 meter above the floor. Challenge children to “grow” a magical beanstalk by stacking the cardboard tubes and the leaves. This will test both their patience and their manipulation skills. If you wish, you can divide your group into 2 teams and have them compete to see who will reach the clouds first.

Numbered leaves

(Open numbered leaves) Print, laminate, and cut out the leaves. Glue each leaf on a green Popsicle stick. You will need a large cardboard tube (wrapping paper). Write numbers 1 to 20 all the way around your tube using a marker. Using a knife, cut a slit over each number. Each slit must be just big enough to insert the tip of a Popsicle stick. Set your tube upright in a bucket filled with sand. If you wish, you can glue cotton balls and a printed castle at the top of your tube. Children must insert the leaves in the tube, associating the numbers. When they are done, they can climb the beanstalk with a figurine, counting the leaves as they climb towards the castle.

A giant’s hand, a child’s hand

(Open giant’s hand-child’s hand) Print twice for each child. Children trace their hand inside the giant’s hand on one copy. Laminate both pages. Provide a variety of items (erasers, pompoms, plastic stones, buttons, beads, etc.). Invite children to fill the giant’s hand with one type of item and to do the same on their hand outline. Have them count how many objects each hand contains for a fun counting exercise. Older children can write the corresponding numbers where indicated. Simply erase the numbers with a moist towel before repeating with a different type of item.

Dress-up dolls-Tales

(Open dress-up dolls-Tales) Print and laminate. Set the various accessories on a table and let children dress the doll as they see fit. 

A day with Jack and the Beanstalk

(Open perpetual calendar-Jack and the Beanstalk Day) Print and display. Plan a special day related to this popular tale.

• Grow beans. Simply plant seeds and observe with your group.
• Pretend you are giants.
• Taste test various types of beans.
• Build a house out of a cardboard box and pretend that it is in the sky (glue cloud shapes on the floor around it).
• Provide adult clothing items and pretend that they belong to a giant.

THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA

Thematic poster-Popular tales

(Open thematic poster-Popular tales) Print and laminate the poster. Add the Princess and the Pea card.

Interactive activity planning-The Princess and the Pea

(Open interactive planning-The Princess and the Pea) Type your planned activities in the document, save it, and print it. Use the document as a guide for the presentation of the educational activities you have chosen for the Princess and the Pea theme.  

Game-The Princess and the Pea

(Open game-The Princess and the Pea) Print, laminate, and cut out the cards. Beforehand, cut several rectangular pieces of felt (select colors that correspond to the colors of the mattresses on the cards). Each child must have a figurine representing a princess. They pick a card and stack felt pieces to represent mattresses and reproduce the illustrated pattern. When they are done, they lie their princess on the stacked mattresses. Encourage children to name the different colors.

Colors with the Princess and the Pea

(Open bed Princess and the Pea) Print, laminate, and cut out the bed. Press it near the bottom of a wall. Cut several colorful construction paper rectangles measuring approximately 25 cm x 15 cm above the bed. Glue them horizontally one on top of the other on the bed, layering them somewhat in a way that they can be lifted. Cut a small round pea shape out of green Fun Foam. Have children turn around and, using adhesive putty, press the pea under one of the mattresses. Children take turns naming a color and lifting the corresponding mattress to see if they found the pea. The child who finds the pea can hide it for the following round.

The Princess and the Pea-Illustrated

Collect several pictures and illustrations representing the Princess and the Pea tale and press them on your daycare walls, cupboards, floor, etc. Children will love discovering them as they move around the daycare throughout the day.

Modeling dough activity placemats-Tales

(Open modeling dough activity placemats-Tales) Print and laminate. Let children pick a placemat and provide modeling dough. Encourage them to use the dough to fill or reproduce the shapes that are on their placemat.

Pick, search, and color-Tales

(Open pick search and color-Tales) Print and laminate the cards. Children pick a card. They must search for the corresponding item and color it.

Dress-up dolls-Tales

(Open dress-up dolls-Tales) Print and laminate. Set the various accessories on a table and let children dress the doll as they see fit. 

A day with the Princess and the Pea

(Open perpetual calendar-The Princess and the Pea Day) Print and display. Plan a special day related to this popular tale.

• Stack books.
• Build beds using recycled material (boxes, cardboard tubes, scraps of paper and fabric, etc.).
• Fill a sensory bin with dried peas.
• Play on exercise mats or small mattresses.
• Build cabins.
• Hide a small green ball in your daycare and invite children to search for the “pea”.
• Serve peas for lunch.
• Decorate a crown by gluing dried peas on it.
• Invite children to glue dried peas on the contour of printed items to “color” them.
• Form tiny balls with green modeling dough to represent peas.
• Inflate green balloons and have fun tossing them up in the air.

SNOW WHITE

Thematic poster-Popular tales

(Open thematic poster-Popular tales) Print and laminate the poster. Add the Snow White card.

Interactive activity planning-Snow White

(Open interactive planning-Snow White) Type your planned activities in the document, save it, and print it. Use the document as a guide for the presentation of the educational activities you have chosen for the Snow White theme.  

Do not pick the witch-apple

(Open game-witch apple) Print, laminate, and cut out the apples. When they aren’t looking, press a witch sticker (Halloween sticker) behind an apple. Behind all the other apples, press a sticker related to the theme (princess, forest, frog, pig, castle, prince, magician, etc.). Slide all the apples in your pocket chart (or spread them out on a table). Children take turns picking an apple. They must name the number as well as the element behind it. For example, a child could say, “I pick apple 5. Behind it, I see a castle.” Children must try to avoid picking the apple that has a witch behind it!

Seven dwarfs manipulation bin

Fill a manipulation bin with dried black beans to represent coal. Hide a variety of plastic precious stones among the “coal”. Add 7 figurines to represent dwarfs along with tongs and spatulas. Provide tiny tulle bags that children can use to collect the precious stones that they find.

Modeling dough activity placemats-Tales

(Open modeling dough activity placemats-Tales) Print and laminate. Let children pick a placemat and provide modeling dough. Encourage them to use the dough to fill or reproduce the shapes that are on their placemat.

Pick, search, and color-Tales

(Open pick search and color-Tales) Print and laminate the cards. Children pick a card. They must search for the corresponding item and color it.

Seven dwarfs game

(Open game-Seven dwarfs) Print and glue the pictures on the floor throughout your daycare. Children walk around to the sound of music. When the music stops, name a dwarf. Children must find the corresponding character.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs-Illustrated

Collect several pictures and illustrations representing the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs tale and press them on your daycare walls, cupboards, floor, etc. Children will love discovering them as they move around the daycare throughout the day.

Dress-up dolls-Tales

(Open dress-up dolls-Tales) Print and laminate. Set the various accessories on a table and let children dress the doll as they see fit. 

White as snow
Provide a bin filled with sugar, flour, or rice. Let children play in it with figurines to explore a different texture.  

Kiss tag
Play tag as you normally do. When a child is touched, he must remain perfectly still until one of his peers kisses his cheek.

Mirror, mirror
Each child finds a partner. They sit facing each other. One child from each pair is the leader of the game. He must execute different actions. The child in front of him must reproduce his every move.

The seven dwarfs at work

With the children in your group, paint several rocks with gold paint. Once they are dry, hide them in a sand table. Children will have fun digging them out. Encourage them to whistle as they work, just like Snow White’s dwarfs.

Magic potion
Go on a treasure hunt with your group. Ask them to find a rock, 10 blades of grass, a pinecone, a flower petal, etc. Have them set all the items in a large pot and stir them clockwise repeating, “Smelling this potion will cancel the apple’s poison!”

Poisoned apple
Give each child a Styrofoam ball. Have them insert a cut piece of a brown pipe cleaner in their ball to represent a peduncle. Next, they can apply white glue all over their ball using a paintbrush and then press red tissue paper all over it. Help them sprinkle glitter all over their apple to make it even more attractive, like the one Snow White ate.  

Snow White dough

Ingredients :

• 1 cup of cornstarch
• 1 cup of water
• 2 cups of baking soda

Set all the ingredients in a pot over low heat and mix until the dough detaches itself from the edges of the pot. Allow to cool and divide it among the children in your group. They can use the dough to represent one of Snow White’s dwarfs.

Whistle as you work
Have children try to sing the popular song from the Snow White movie and encourage them to try to whistle. Record them and have fun listening to the recording as a group.

A day with Snow White

(Open perpetual calendar-Snow White Day) Print and display. Plan a special day related to this popular tale.

• Fill a sensory bin with snow.
• Build tiny houses.  
• Create groups of 7 figurines to represent Snow White’s dwarfs.
• Provide old clothing items that children can use to dress up like witches.
• All games containing apples.
• Provide small unbreakable mirrors that children can use to admire their reflection.
• Act out the different characteristics of each of Snow White’s dwarfs.
• Serve apples at snack time.
• Pretend to bake pies in your play kitchen area.
• Gather stuffed animals representing different forest animals.
• Go for a walk in the forest.

ARTS & CRAFTS

Cork characters

Provide several corks and invite children to draw a face at the top of each one. Provide Washi tape that children can wrap around the corks to represent clothing items. They can add tiny pieces of yarn to represent hair. Let them recreate various tales with these homemade figurines. 

Our pumpkin carriage

(Open pumpkin carriage) Print and cut out the different elements. You will need a real pumpkin. Set it on a table and let chidlren press the elements on it to turn it into a carriage…like magic. They can draw horses on a Fun Foam sheet and attach them to the front of the carriage with ribbon or yarn. 

Blow like the Big Bad Wolf

(Open painting Big Bad Wolf) Print for each child. Set each child’s sheet in a shallow container and add a few drops of poster paint that you diluted with water. Invite them to blow on the paint, and blow harder and harder, like the Big Bad Wolf, to spread the paint.

COLORING PAGES

(Open coloring pages theme-Tales) Print.

Have fun!

The educatall team