Inside: This Shakespeare Unit Study combines fun activities and hands-on exploration to get your kids hooked on Shakespeare.
I created this unit to share my love of Shakespeare with my children. Some parts of it are suitable for children 4 and up, other parts might work better for 7+.
This unit helps children explore William Shakespeare and his works in a fun and relatable fashion. Along with a bit of fun history and geography, kids will have a chance to play a math game, explore the science of acoustics (no microphones in those days of old), and engage in some other hands-on activities.
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Books
If you don’t already have Usborne Illustrated Stories from Shakespeare, you need to borrow it from the library right away. This is such a great starting point for introducing William Shakespeare to kids. This delightful collection of six of his most known and beloved works is perfect for children as young as four. Don’t expect kids to get the jokes on the first read, but this edition is absolutely fantastic, and the illustrations help the story move along.
There are a couple of other great books for little kids on the market. We love humorous and imaginative Tales from Shakespeare by Marcia Williams (you might know her from her famous comic-strip style Greek Myths) and any book in the Shakespeare Can Be Fun series.
If this is not enough, here is a great list of even more Shakespeare books for kids.
Shakespeare History
After your kids learn a little more about Shakespeare’s plays, it’s a good time to introduce a short video about his life. It was not easy to find a brief and informative video that would appeal to small children, but I found it!
Believe me, this just-under-5-minute video from Brain Pop is genius. My 8-year-old was hooked from the moment he heard the words “Darth Vader.” What does Star Wars have to do with Shakespeare? You would have to check out the video!
Shakespeare Math
My kids really enjoy doing math word problems. I grew up solving lots of word problems, and I can see many benefits to this approach. Here, I put together one sheet of problems based on the facts of Shakespeare’s life. You can print it from my library of resources. To subscribe to the library, enter your email here, and I will send you the login instructions.
When I started to look for math resources that I could link to the Shakespeare theme, I was extremely excited to discover this amazing site by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.
Here, you will discover over 100 free curriculum resources that will get your kids excited about Shakespeare. You have to create a free account to be able to download Shakespeare Math games.
We enjoyed playing Anne Shakespeare Goes Shopping. In this game, you print out a map of Stratford (in Shakespeare’s time), throw a dice to move on the board, and learn about shopping and money. Besides games, this site has art project ideas, geography, history, cooking, and other creative activities.
Did you know that Shakespeare’s sonnets are closely linked to mathematics? Listen to the video in this post by Professor Roger Bowley, in which he shares his thoughts on the role of math in Shakespeare’s sonnets.
You can not celebrate Shakespeare’s Day without listening to at least one of his sonnets. This performance by an 8-year-old intrigued my kids immensely. Now, they want to learn some Shakespeare by heart. I told them to start with some quotes first. You can print some of our favorite Shakespeare quotes here.
Cut them into sections and tape them next to the bathroom mirror or shoe rack. Next time you brush teeth or put on shoes, read each quote a couple of times.
Science
Are you up for some Shakespeare science? Explore the science of sounds. In Shakespeare’s time, actors didn’t have stage microphones. They had to use their voices and their knowledge of acoustics to make their voice carry across the space.
Read a bit about acoustics here, then head over to Acoustical Solutions for four fabulous hands-on science experiments that will have your kids asking for more! We especially liked the echolocation experiment because my kids love dolphins. We also tried our hand at making a simple sound amplifier with leftover birthday paper cups.
Art and Crafts
Are your kids big on coloring? Check out this collection from Activity Village: from a Shakespeare portrait to his Globe Theater and his Birthplace coloring pages. Interested in Romeo and Juliet coloring pages? Check out this collection.
Looking for more “hands-on” Shakespeare fun?
- Make William Shakespeare’s writing tool – homemade Quill Pen. In the old days you had to start by catching a turkey and pulling it’s feather out. If the only turkey you ever see is the one on a Thanksgiving table, you can buy turkey feathers on amazon.
- Create your own book. This project does require a drill and an adult contribution, but the final product is absolutely gorgeous and so worth the effort!
- Eat like William S. According to this article, “there are at least 2,000 culinary references in his collected works; and the word “feast” pops up over 100 times.” I have recently came across a wonderful cookbook called Shakespeare’s Kitchen. I can’t wait to share my review with you, but it will take me some time to cook through the recipes. For now why not try Yorkshire Pudding or Mincemeat Pie.
Melanie says
Do you have a pdf of this game, Anne Shakespeare Goes Shopping? It is no longer available at the link above. I would love to play it with my kids, if you can share it with me.
Thanks!