Fairy Tale Inventors

Length of Session: 1 week camp session

By the end of this one week engineering camp, children will explore: 

• the engineering process, 

• simple machines, 

• building a variety of inventions that solve problems, 

• fairy tales through books, art projects, dramatic play, sensory experiences and outdoor play. 

Overview of the Session

Day 1: Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin /Introduce the engineering process (ramp)

Day 2: Rapunzel by Rachel Isador/ Brainstorm alternate solutions to solve the problem (zipline)

Day 3: Rapunzel by Chloe Perkins/ Brainstorm alternate solutions (pulley)

Day 4: Jack and the Beanstalk/paper airplanes

Day 5: Jack and the Baked Beanstalk by Colin Stimpson /parachute. CELEBRATION DAY!

End of Week Celebration: During circle time, have kids show one another what they have built this week. They might show photos (that the teacher has printed), examples (that the teacher has saved) or their drawings/plans (that the teacher has saved). This celebration requires the teacher to save samples throughout the week, but gives kids something to get excited about and bring home to their families on the final day! 

Materials for the Teacher to Prep: 

1. • Building center: A variety of blocks should be available on the shelves as well as figurines. Also: grid paper, clipboards, paper, markers/colored pencils, tape, recyclables, pipe cleaners, fishing line, paper clips, craft sticks, 

   • Sensory bin: liquid watercolors, pipettes, various jars/containers, playdoh, glitter, cookie cutters

   • Dramatic play: large cardboard box turned into a castle, magic wands, dress-up clothing (non-COVID), stuffed animals (non-COVID)

   • Library: Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin, Rapunzel by Rachel Isadora

   • Art center: finger paints, paper, sponges cut into various shapes, different items to paint with (string, etc.)

   • Outdoor Materials: chalk, mallets, spray bottles with water, large sheet, 

Day 1

Circle time:

1. • Read Rapunzel by Bethan Woollvin. Discuss the main events in the story. 

   • During large group time, introduce the small group engineering activity: Rapunzel had a problem! She was stuck in a tower, with no stairs, ramp, or elevator to get down. Can we engineer a way for her to get down from the tower (that doesn’t involve climbing down her own hair!)?

   • Begin to brainstorm solutions together: a ramp, stairs, an airplane, a jet pack?! Accept all answers and draw pictures of them on the whiteboard.

   • Begin to talk about how we can build the tower as well as these inventions, as the Building Center. Maybe we can make a ramp from a piece of cardboard? I wonder how we could build stairs…?

   • Kids who want to continue this investigation and design a solution to this problem should meet at the Block Center during Center Time. 

Centers:

1. • Building Center: 

     1. Variety of blocks, small figurines, grid paper, clipboards, markers/colored pencils, tape, recyclables, pipe cleaners, etc.)

     2. One teacher should plan to be in the Building Center to facilitate the first few stages of the Engineering Process: Identifying the problem, brainstorming solutions, designing the solution/invention and starting to build.

     3. **Be sure to save children’s engineering plans and “work-in-progress” each day so that they can continue it the next day**

     4. Teacher note: The possibilities to get Rapunzel down from the tower are endless, but kids may choose to build a ramp or stairs. Those seem to be the solutions that kids have the most background knowledge about. 

   • Sensory Bins: Mixing “magic potions” with colored water, glitter and, pipettes, various shapes of cups, as well as small figurines. Ex: Mix a potion and exclaim, “I will turn a frog into a cow!”. 

   • Dramatic Play: Large cardboard box that is turned into a castle, magic wands, dress-up clothing, lots of silks/cloth (non-COVID) 

   • Library: Lots fairy tales 

   • Art Center: Sponges cut into different shapes with paint. Kids can make castles, or anything else they would like with the shapes. 

Outdoor Experiences:

1. • Art/Science: Bring chalk and mallets to the park. Children can use chalk to draw on the sidewalk or rocks. They can also use the mallets to smash the chalk, then combine the chalk powder to make new colors and possibly “magic potions”. 

   • Movement: Bring a sheet so that kids can pull each other on a "magic carpet". 

Additional songs/stories/games:

Day 2

Circle time: 

1. • Read Rapunzel by Rachel Isadora. Discuss the main events in the story again, but compare this version of the story with yesterday's version. How are they similar and different?  

   • Showcase the engineering that kids did yesterday: “Wow, Keith build a fantastic ramp to help Rapunzel get down! Kelsie made a jet pack from popsicle sticks to help Rapunzel. These are so cool!” 

   • If kids have additional ideas to solve Rapunzel's problem, allow them to share. Otherwise, introduce a new way for Rapunzel to get down—a zipline! Show kids the zipline that you built and let a few kids try it out! Suggest that kids continue their inventions from yesterday, try out a zipline or build something new during Center Time! (Build the zipline with fishing line and masking tape. Use a paper clip attached to a craft stick for the load. *photo far below)

   • Kids who want to continue this investigation should meet at the Block Center during Center Time. 

Centers: 

1. • Building Center: 

     1. Variety of blocks, small figurines, grid paper, clipboards, markers/colored pencils, tape, recyclables, pipe cleaners, etc.)

     2. One teacher should plan to be in the Building Center to facilitate engineering. The teacher will also need fishing line, tape, craft sticks and paper clips, in case kids want to build ziplines.

     3. **Be sure to save children’s engineering plans and “work-in-progress” each day so that they can continue their project throughout the week**

   • Sensory Bins:  Play Doh, glitter and cookie cutters. These can also be used as a prop in making magic potions. “I turned this play doh pumpkin into a rock!”

   • Dramatic Play: Large cardboard box that is turned into a castle, magic wands, dress-up clothing, lots of silks/cloth (non-COVID) 

   • Library: Lots of fairy tales 

   • Art Center: Painting with paint brushes made from various objects: string, sponges, etc.

   • Rug: Magna-tiles and figurines

Outdoor Experiences: 

1. • Art/Science: Bring chalk and mallets to the park. Children can use chalk to draw on the sidewalk or rocks. They can also use the mallets to smash the chalk, then combine the chalk powder to make new colors and possibly “magic potions”. Add small spray bottles of water as well as paint brushes. Kids can turn their “chalk powder” into paint. 

   • Movement: Variations on freeze-tag

Additional songs/stories/games:

Day 3

Circle time: 

1. • Read Rapunzel by Chloe Perkins. Discuss the main event in this story, but compare this version with the previous two versions.

   • At this point, kids are familiar with the engineering projects that we’ve been working on. Ask kids if they have any other ways for Rapunzel to get down from this tower?!

   • Suggest that Rapunzel might use an “elevator” or a pulley! Show kids the yogurt cup and string pulley and how to use it. *Photo far below. Let kids try it out! Suggest that kids continue their projects from yesterday, try out a pulley or making something new! 

Centers: 

1. • Building Center: 

     1. Blocks, small figurines, grid paper, clipboards, markers/colored pencils, tape, recyclables, pipe cleaners, etc.)

     2. One teacher should plan to be in the Building Center to facilitate engineering. The teacher will also need yarn, tape and recyclables to help kids make pulleys, if they would like to include that in their building!

     3. **Be sure to save children’s engineering plans and “work-in-progress” each day so that they can continue their project throughout the week**

   • Sensory Bins:  Baking soda and vinegar magic potions

   • Dramatic Play: Cardboard box, magic wands, dress-up clothing (non-COVID)

   • Library: Lots of fairy tales into the library.

   • Art Center: Washi Tape, paper and colored pencil 

   • Rug: Lego/Duplos and figurines

Outdoor Experiences: 

1. • Art/Science: Bring chalk and mallets to the park. Children can use chalk to draw on the sidewalk or rocks. They can also use the mallets to smash the chalk, then combine the chalk powder to make new colors and possibly “magic potions”. Add small spray bottles of water as well as paint brushes. Kids can turn their “chalk powder” into paint. 

   • Movement: Obstacle course

Additional songs/stories/games:

Day 4

Circle time: 

1. • During circle time, read Jack and the Beanstalk. Any version works, but it should be simple. I like the “My First Fairy Tales” Pop-Up version.

   • Discuss this new fairy tale together. There are new characters, setting, problems and solutions.

   • Jack has a big problem: He needs to get down from the clouds quickly, because the giant is after him! Can we help him? What can we build?

   • Accept all answers and begin to discuss the Building Station for center time: paper airplanes! 

Centers: 

1. • Building Center: 

     1. Blocks, small figurines, grid paper, clipboards, markers/colored pencils, tape, recyclables, pipe cleaners, etc.)

     2. One teacher should plan to be in the Building Center to facilitate engineering. The teacher will also need yarn, tape and recyclables to help kids make pulleys, if they would like to include that in their building!

     3. **Be sure to save children’s engineering plans and “work-in-progress” each day so that they can continue their project throughout the week**

   • Sensory Bins:  Baking soda and vinegar magic potions

   • Dramatic Play: Cardboard box, magic wands, dress-up clothing (non-COVID)

   • Library: Lots of fairy tales into the library.

   • Art Center: Washi Tape, paper and colored pencil 

   • Rug: Lego/Duplos and figurines

Outdoor Experiences: 

1. • Art/Science: Bring chalk and mallets to the park. Children can use chalk to draw on the sidewalk or rocks. They can also use the mallets to smash the chalk, then combine the chalk powder to make new colors and possibly “magic potions”. Add small spray bottles of water as well as paint brushes. Kids can turn their “chalk powder” into paint. 

   • Movement: Obstacle course

Additional songs/stories/games:

Day 5

Circle time: 

1. • During circle time, read Jack and the Baked Beanstalk by Colin Stimpson.

   • In this fairy tale, the giant is really kind and just wants to be with his friends. Our challenge today is to find a way for him to get gently down from the clouds without falling.

   • Accept all ideas from the kids. Suggest that we make a parachute for him!

   • Show kids my example of a parachute made with foam and pipe cleaners. *Photo far below. 

Centers: 

1. • Building Center: 

     1. Blocks, small figurines, grid paper, clipboards, markers/colored pencils, tape, recyclables, pipe cleaners, etc.)

     2. One teacher should plan to be in the Building Center to facilitate engineering. The teacher will also need She will need sheets of foam, pipe cleaners and small figurines to make the parachutes with the kids!  if they would like to include that in their project. 

     3. *We can hold a special celebration after lunch or at the end of class today. Kids can share the projects that they built this week. Then all projects can go home.*

   • Sensory Bins:  Shaving cream and foam blocks to make “cloud castles”. Repeated today: add pipettes with liquid water colors so that kids can add colors to the shaving cream.

   • Dramatic Play: Cardboard box, magic wands, dress-up clothing (non-COVID)

   • Library: Lots of fairy tales into the library.

   • Art Center: Washi Tape, paper and colored pencil 

   • Rug: Lego/Duplos and figurines

Outdoor Experiences: 

1. • Art/Science: Take the kids' parachute inventions outside to test them. Possibly take parachute making materials outside if the kids seem interested in making more. 

   • Movement: Large play parachute with parachute games and songs. 

Additional songs/stories/games: