The Lost Princess - activities
For a change of pace this summer we are hosting a book club at our church. The kids read the book with their families ahead of time, and then we get together at the end for about 45 minutes to chat and reinforce the story.
In pulling together ideas for our time together discussing The Lost Princess, I found next to nothing online as far as classroom activities or crafts for this phenomenal classic. (there is a literary analysis guide that I know is amazing, but I'm looking for something for early elementary kiddos that do not want to spend the hour just writing or discussing). So, I started digging through my bookshelves.
This is geared toward kids in grades K-4 grade and is designed to last a little under an hour. I decided to center in on the themes of pride, obedience, and gratitude, and building on those I borrowed some ideas from books I had around include the curriculum from the Character Training Institute and For Instruction in Righteousness from Doorposts.
Ice breaker:
- Make a list of everything you have/own
Read - I Corinthians 4:6-7
6 Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. 7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
All we have received is from God - both the physical and the immaterial. What should our attitude be about what we have and who we are?
The two girls in the story were in some ways very different and in other ways very much the same.
Describe Rosamond.
Describe Agnes.
This could be done as a Venn diagram and compare and contrast the two characters.
They both were prideful and not grateful. Let’s read a story about an animal that can teach us something about being grateful (porcupine story from Character Training Institute)
Discuss: How can we show gratitude?
- (say/write thank you, be content, count benefits, take care of belongings)
Blindfold game
Stand with your back to the students’ backs They should be facing a table with something to write with and on.
Draw a house as you describe the steps and students try to follow without seeing your drawing, knowing the end result, or looking at others’ papers
Draw and instruct them to draw:
· a line going up from each side of the line
· a large triangle at the top of the two lines
· a rectangle in the middle of the bottom line
· two squares in each side of the rectangle
· a plus sign inside each square
· a rectangle on top of the triangle
· a spiral line coming out of the rectangle
· a flower growing on both sides of the middle rectangle
Now draw a stick family while facing students and while they listen and copy your steps.
Lessons to highlight: Eyesight is a benefit, without seeing what I’m doing, it is challenging to copy it. Also, careful obedience can create something beautiful. Rosamond and Agnes both disobeyed at times and their lives were not beautiful because of it.
Discuss Praise vs. flattery – "flattery is an exaggerated compliment, usually given with an ulterior motive" (Character Training Institute)
Pride is like a (look up the verses and see what Scripture compares pride to) :
Psalm 73:6, Psalm 119:69-70; Proverbs 18:11; Isaiah 10:5-16; Obadiah 3-4; Romans 11:16-21; James 1:10; Proverbs 25:27
Wrap up verse on pride:
Proverbs 25:6-7 New International Version
6 Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
and do not claim a place among his great men;
7 it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”
than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.
What you have seen with your eyes
Simple way to express humility (and gratefulness): “You before me”
Did the wise woman live this out?
How was the wise woman similar to God in this story? She clearly was not God, but the author uses her to reveal some beautiful subtleties about God's character that we might not have understood as fully.
Other possible questions:
How are you sometimes like Rosamond or Agnes?
What else did you learn from the story?
Do you have a favorite part?
Was there a part of the story that seemed confusing or strange to you?
How can we take what we have learned today and honor God more because of it?
Close in prayer for humility and obedience.
Comments