Inside: Are your kids familiar with all the classic fairy tales? If not, this fun 30-day Fairy Tale Challenge will give you a boost of inspiration.
A fairytale is a short story that typically (but not always) features a young hero, a princess, and an evil villain – as well as magic enchantments, elves, mermaids, gnomes, dragons, dwarfs, witches, and an optimistic ending (hence: fairy tale endings).
Undoubtedly, you know that classic fairy tales have been around for a very long time. In fact, historians trace Cinderella to the 9th century AD and Sleeping Beauty to 1654.
But did you ever wonder why fairy tales endure through time?
After pondering this question during our morning walk yesterday, I came to this conclusion: the basic drive to find a place in the world, a partner, a cozy abode, and stability is always the same across cultures, places, and times (even if people use different means of going about acquiring it all).
Furthermore, it’s simply profoundly reassuring to hear that kindness wins the day, evil doesn’t go unpunished, and characters who are smart, resourceful, and hardworking come out on top.
Should We Teach Fairy Tales in the Age of TikTok?
At first glance, one might think that fairy tales are outdated. They promote stereotypes (girls sweep the house, boys slay dragons), helplessness (Wait for the hero to save you, my dear), and unrealistic expectations (obstacles are overcome by generosity, love, and/or a sprinkle of magic).
But I think there are a few good reasons to read fairy tales with our kids.
First, fairy tales show us the sheer immensity of possibilities. Everybody knows what can be done. How about imagining what’s never been imagined and doing that? Albert Einstein was the one to say that knowledge is okay, but it’s imagination that holds the true power – the power of new ideas and transformations.
Next, fairy tales often demonstrate the value of positive decision-making skills. The bad guys often come up with pretty creative solutions to their problems. How about that wolf getting dressed up as a grandma or learning how to sing like a mamma goat? Pretty creative, huh? But if the problem-solving strategy is disrespectful, mean, or outright evil, we know it’s not going to work (and we’re secretly pleased that it is so).
Finally, our culture is full of fairy tale references, and in order to be an educated person, one needs to understand what they mean and how accurate they are. Quickly, tell me, without thinking much about it, what fairy tale is the Disney movie Frozen based on? You simply don’t want your child’s fairy tale education to come from Disney movies. Movies are fun, and there’s nothing wrong with watching them, but one needs to know the original source to get in touch with all the depths of meaning it holds, as well as its importance to the cultures of our past.
The Birth of the Fairy Tale Challenge
I always had this vague conviction that I had already read all the fairy tales with my older kids. Didn’t we read fairy tales like all the time when they were little?
But then. through bits of conversations and things that came up here and there, I started to realize “oh, I guess, we didn’t read that one” and “I cannot believe my kids don’t know this one!”
Things were actually even worse with my youngest one, despite getting through the whole Fiction, Fairy Tale, and Fun preschool curriculum. Wait, we didn’t read Pinocchio? Or the Snow Queen?!
Call it parenting fatigue or anything you wish, but once I became aware of the problem I was determined to come up with a way to fix it, and that’s how our thirty-day fairytale challenge was born.
Fairytale Challenge
It’s pretty simple!
I made a list of 30 fairy tales that I feel my kids absolutely, positively are not allowed to grow up without knowing. I checked our bookshelves to see what we had handy and made a run to the library to get the rest.
Then, I made a printable with all the fairy tales, cut them into strips, and put them in the pretty jar in the living room. If you are going to be printing our list and feel it’s incomplete, don’t worry: I included a blank page for you to write in your own particular fairy tale selections.
And then for 30 days, usually somewhere mid-morning (but a few times late in the afternoon) we took turns pulling a strip of paper from the jar to find out the fairy tale of the day. It was exciting to choose our reading this way! And much easier than having to choose one by ourselves. I definitely recommend this strategy to put some mystery and chance into the reading game.
So… did this challenge go smoothly?
Nope! As they say, life happens.
We came down with an annoying cold somewhere in the middle of the challenge. On the first day of the cold, I actually went on YouTube and found someone reading The Princess and the Frog because my throat was too sore to read out loud and I just didn’t like the idea of not doing it at all. But my kids said that they hated it, so we just waited a week and picked up the challenge after I could read again.
Then, we suddenly decided to go on vacation, and since we travel very light (carry on only), we ended up bringing only two books with us. I’m telling you this, so you know that if you miss a day or two, it’s okay, and you can always get back on track and keep going.
I think in the end it was more like two months to finish our fairy tale challenge. But hey, whatever it takes, right? Having the challenge kept the goal fresh and focused the effort. I felt so stinking proud when we finished that I actually went ahead and made each one of us a medal. Why not, right?!
What Fairytales to Include?
Start by sitting down with a piece of paper (and a cup of tea because tea makes everything more fun) and ask yourself what fairy tales come to mind.
Something from your own childhood, old-time favorites, tales you consider important from a cultural standpoint, Disney movies that made you so mad that you want your kids to know the original, etc.
You can also Google famous fairy tales to help you finish your list.
And of course, you can also print our list.
I made our list on the basis of researching terms like, “famous fairy tales to know,” “memorable fairy tales,” “what are the classic fairy tales,” and “essential fairy tales.”
Here’s the list of our fairy tales:
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears
- Little Red Riding Hood
- Jack and the Beanstalk
- The Three Little Pigs
- The Gingerbread Man
- Hansel and Gretel
- The Ugly Duckling
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Beauty and the Beast
- The Story of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
- Cinderella
- Puss in Boots
- Bluebeard
- The Donkey Skin
- Pinocchio
- Rumpelstiltskin
- Sleeping Beauty
- The Tale of Peter Rabbit
- The Snow Queen
- The Little Mermaid
- The Pied Piper of Hamlin
- Twelve Brothers
- The Frog Prince
- The Fisherman and His Wife
- The Turnip
- Rapunzel
- The Princess and the Pea
- The Emperor’s New Suit
- The Elves and the Shoemaker
- The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids
As I mentioned, my printable has a space for you to add your own choices if you don’t agree with all of our selections. To download our printable, enter your email HERE, and once you have the password, visit the secret library and scroll down to the Book section.
Are you up to the challenge?
You can even supplement it with our Fairy Tale STEM Challenge. Adding Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math elements make the Fairy Tale Challenge more fun for kids with A science-y frame of mind.
Good luck, and don’t forget to celebrate when you’re done!
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