Healing Fairytales: Create your own fairytale

Topic
- Identity & emotions
Learning skills
- Creative thinking
- Communication & expression
Activity type
- Group discussion
Materials
- Basic
- Printable downloads
Age
- 6 - 11 years
- 12 - 14 years
5 - 15 minutes
2 - 4 players
Intermediate
Calm
Small (office, pavement)

Contributors

Mobile School

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Everything you need to play this game

Healing Fairytales Poster (HEALTH F2) Download healing-fairytales.pdf (19.8mb)
Blank sheets of paper
Art supplies (crayons, markers, coloured pencils)
Dice (optional)
Attachment with fairy tale elements (see variations)
Elements - 'Healing Fairytales' poster Download fairytale-elements.pdf (4mb)
Background - 'Healing Fairytales' poster Download mobile-school-causes-of-trauma-fairytales-without-input-small.jpg (20mb)

A step-by-step guide to play the game

Start by discussing what fairy tales are and how they often mirror real-life challenges and obstacles. Explain that the poster depicts how people can be affected by difficult experiences, similar to characters in fairy tales.

Show the players the poster and encourage them to identify elements from familiar fairy tales (e.g., dragons, dark forests, wicked stepmothers). Discuss how these elements make them feel and relate to their own experiences.

Now it's time to introduce the bookmark which you can find on the poster. The bookmark serves as a tool for constructing fairy tales. Explain that players will use the bookmark to select elements such as the setting, hero, friend, talent, obstacle/enemy, magical tools and an end for their stories. Using the colours of the bookmark can help them identify the elements on the poster. Of course, there is also the option to invent your own character or to use an element of a different category.

Have each of the players construct their own fairy tale by choosing one element from each category. If they want, they can write down or draw their story. When they have finished, they can tell their story to each other.

Conclude the game with a group discussion on how storytelling and creativity can be healing. Reflect on the importance of discussing challenges and finding ways to feel better, like the characters in their fairy tales.

Extra game information

On the bookmark you can find the following elements, referring to:

Location = brown: forest (1), mushroom (2), village (3), castle (4), mountains (5), cave (6), haunted house (7), palace (8), desert (9), tower (10), gravestone (11), ? (12).
Hero = green: puss in boots (1), lumberjack (2), knight (3), pirate (4), farm girl and boy (5), Tom Thumb (6), frog (7), princess (8), sultan (9), mermaid (10), Little Red Riding Hood (11), ? (12).
Friend = blue: gingerbread cookie (1), unicorn (2), fairy (3), grandmother (4), swan (5), hodja (6), lackey (7), camel (8), dwarfs (9), genie (10), dog (11), ? (12).
Talent = red: running shoes (1), spinning wheel (2), swords (3), bricks and trowel (4), blow-dryer and comb (5), bow and arrow (6), axe (7), microphone (8), climbing gear (9), fishing rod (10), flute (11), ? (12).
Obstacle/enemy = yellow: fire-breathing dragon (1), wizard (2), giant (3), goblin (4), vampire (5), tornado (6), wolf (7), angry stepsisters (8), lightening (9), witch (10), angry queen (11), ? (12).
Magical tools = orange: cape (1), ring (2), magic spell book (3), wand (4), potion (5), flying carpet (6), magical lamp (7), kettle (8), rose (9), key (10), mirror (11), ? (12).
Ending = purple: crown (1), party table (2), rainbow (3), magical transformation (4), hot air balloon (5), medal (6), gift (7), leaving for adventure (8), love (9), treasure chest (10), group hug (11), ? (12).

The following games can also be played with this educational poster:

This game is part of the toolkit ‘Facing trauma - A toolkit on trauma-informed support for children and youth’. This toolkit is a cooperation between StreetSmart, Minor-Ndako, Save the Children Romania & SolidarityNow, co-financed by the European Union. It provides simple tools to explore important topics like trauma, stress, self-care and emotions in a way that’s easy to use with different target groups.

For the StreetSmart Wheels partners: HEALTH F2

Variations

All elements on the poster have a specific number. You can use two dice to let faith decide which element you should use for each category. Roll the first dice, if it is 1, choose the element numbered 1. If it is not 1, you may roll the dice for a second time.
You can also set a fixed start or end for the story and let the players continue from there.
You can randomly choose the order of the elements for narrating the fairytale.
Print the fairytale elements on cards and let the players determine an order for their story by placing the cards on the table.

Specific learning objectives

Storytelling skills

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