I was working on a batch of Stone Soup today, and thought it might be time to dig up, dust off, update, and reshare my favorite Stone Soup lesson from three years ago. It’s a great way to start a discussion about the importance of sharing. And who couldn’t use some nice, warm soup this time of year?
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
I try to fit a nursery rhyme, fable, or fairy tale into each unit. As I’ve mentioned before, these are the literary classics of childhood! When talking about the arts and the senses, I like to introduce the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin!
You can check out a book to read out loud, create a flannel board story, or use the coloring pages from this website. Whatever your method, get familiar with the story and bring it to life in your storytelling. After the story, talk about whether or not the children think it could really happen. Probably not….at least not exactly (though the story’s historical roots are actually debated). Nonetheless, listening to music can make us want to move in different ways, depending upon the way it sounds. Play a few samples and have the children suggest what type of movement the music makes them think of. Choose samples that remind you of a lullaby, a dancing tune, a quiet tip-toe song, etc. End with a march and have the children march, parade style, to your next activity!
Soup from a Stone?
The story of Stone Soup is a popular old fable that has been retold countless ways. (If you need to brush up on the tale, you can find books at the library or online, and can even find online versions here and here.) You can help your children be a part of this timeless story as you do some story acting and then share some soup together!