C.S. Lewis' classic Chronicles of Narnia, lately a Disney movie project, continue to capture the imaginations of children young and old nearly fifty years after Clive Staples Lewis, a history professor and devoted godfather, began the series.
Today, for children who get through the chapter book on their own or with help, the end of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is only the beginning with some fun activities that keep the magic of Narnia alive. Suitable for children under twelve, the following projects are designed for small group use but can be adapted based on the program needs.
Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe Art Activity
Supplies needed:
- Paper, preferably large white sheets
- Markers, pencils or crayons or anything to offer color (paints if messiness is not a problem)
Invite children to think about their favorite character from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Encourage them to draw a picture of themselves with that character. If some finish before others, encourage them to add Aslan to their picture or help with clean-up.
When everyone has finished, go around the group offering each child the opportunity to explain why he or she selected the character on the page.
If the conversation gets out of hand, employ a talking device such as the White Witch's magic wand. Become the White Witch and point a wand at a talking child. The child must then turn into stone until the wand is pointed at him or her again.
Lion, Witch and Wardrobe Writing Activity
Supplies Needed:
- Writing paper, with lines suitable for child's age and writing ability
- Pencils and/or pens to write
- Markers, crayons, colored pencils to color
Distribute the paper and writing utensils to children. Invite them to imagine what it would be like if they, like Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, met Aslan the Lion. What would they ask Aslan? What might Aslan say?
Encourage them to write the event down on paper, giving them a half hour or so to finish. For those who finish first, suggest they decorate their writing like a valuable page from a book in the royal library at Cair Paravel, the castle of the Kings and Queens of Narnia.
When all the children have finished, ask for volunteers to read their story. Give all the children time to read, if they desire.
Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe Game- Narnia Tag
Supplies Needed:
- 1 magic wand (as used as talking piece in other activities)
- 1 crown, preferably tall and silver like the White Witch's
- 1 lion's mask or stuffed lion (can also make a quick lion's mask from a brown paper grocery sack, but be careful to make eye holes large, as child will be chasing other children in mask)
Explain that Narnia tag is just like freeze tag, except that the child with the wand and crown plays the White Witch, and the child with the lion plays Aslan.
The White Witch turns people to stone. Aslan roars on the stone people to turn them back to life again.
To begin, appoint a child the White Witch and encourage the other children to run and freeze if the White Witch turns them to stone. Suggest the other children be their favorite Narnia characters- fauns, centuars, giants or others- if they choose.
Give the White Witch several minutes lead on Aslan, then let Aslan roar people back to life.
Switch roles every five minutes or so, giving all participating the opportunity to be the White Witch or Aslan.
Narnia Tea- A Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe Snack
Supplies Needed:
- black tea
- milk
- sugar cubes
- Turkish Delight (available from an imports store or specialty store in U.S.)
- tea biscuits (available from an imports store or speciality store in U.S.)
- cups and plates for serving
- spoons for stirring tea
Arrange Turkish Delight, cut into small chunks, on a decorative plate with other tea biscuits. Prepare tea as directed on package.
Allow children to sample the Turkish Delight, biscuits, and tea. Encourage children to add milk and sugar to the tea as Lucy did when she had tea with Mr. Tumnus the Fawn in his cave.
After everyone has snacked for a while, ask the children what they think of the Turkish Delight, Edmund's favorite food in the world. Do they like the Turkish Delight as much as Edmund does? Why or why not? Would they betray their friends for more of it from the White Witch?
Go around the group, and see what food the White Witch might choose for each child if she invited them into her sled and wanted answers from them. Would they eat that food if the White Witch offered it? Why or why not?
Indeed, Narnia can excite the imaginations of children young and old with these and other activities based on C.S. Lewis' classic. With some effort, creativity, and sharing, children may enter Narnia by another route-their imagination- even after the door of reading the novel has closed behind them.
For more activities based on a children's literary classic, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin Children's Activities may be of interest.
Melissa Roberts - A trained hospital chaplain, Melissa is a freelance writer, teacher, retreat leader, and spiritual director.
