Here are three fun and engaging follow-up story based activities for child care centres and parents to do with young children.
1. Change of Seasons Activity: Observing Fall to Winter
- Activity: Go on a “North Wind Walk” with the children. Encourage them to observe how nature is changing from fall to winter. Look for signs like bare trees, frost on leaves, or the way the wind feels colder. Discuss how these changes might have influenced the story, imagining how the boy felt when the North Wind blew his oatmeal away.
- Extension: Collect small natural items like twigs, leaves, or pinecones to create a seasonal collage, symbolizing the shift from fall to winter.
2. Art Activity: Creating Magical Objects
- Activity: Have the children draw or craft their interpretations of the three magical gifts from the story: the food-producing cloth, the gold coin-spitting lamb, and the protecting stick. Use materials like fabric scraps, glitter, and colored paper to make the items look magical.
- Extension: Add a storytelling element where each child explains how their magical object might be used to solve a problem, fostering creativity and problem-solving.
3. Acting Activity: Reenacting the Story
- Activity: Organize a small play where the children act out key scenes from the story. Assign roles like the boy, the North Wind, the greedy innkeeper, and even the magical objects! Encourage the children to use their voices and gestures to bring the characters to life.
- Extension: Discuss how the boy showed resourcefulness and courage, and ask the children to share times when they solved a problem creatively or stood up for fairness. This reflection helps connect the story’s values to their personal experiences.
These activities help reinforce the story’s themes while engaging children in hands-on, imaginative learning.