Castle in the Sun

Castle in the Sun lesson plan

Create a castle with recycled boxes, Crayola® Washable Sidewalk Paint, and your imagination. Write your own play script for your stage set, too!

  • 1.

    Find pictures of castles in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and other parts of the world. Read stories, including fairy tales, about what happened in castles. Locate castles on maps. How were they built? With what materials?

  • 2.

    What would your dream castle look like? With a small group of classmates, use white paper and Crayola Colored Pencils to sketch your castle.

  • 3.

    <B>Ask an adult to help you</B> cut doors and windows in large recycled boxes with Crayola Scissors. Cover your work area with newspaper.

  • 4.

    Attach small boxes for turrets or other architectural elements with Crayola School Glue. Cut roll paper to cover your castle or paint the boxes with Crayola Tempera and So Big Brushes and a paint roller. Air dry.

  • 5.

    Decorate the castle with your Crayola Sidewalk Paint Kit. Mix colors if you like to create bricks, stones, or wooden beams. Air dry.

  • 6.

    Write a script about events that happen in your castle. Who are your main characters? What is the plot? How is it resolved? If possible, create a part for each person in your group.

  • 7.

    On a sunny day, take your castle outside to a safe asphalt or concrete area. <B>Ask your teacher</B> where you may place it. Use Crayola Washable Sidewalk Paint to paint an imaginary castle sidewalk, garden, or other details. Crayola Washable Sidewalk Pai

  • 8.

    After the paint is dry, use your model as the set for your play. Practice it several times. Perform your play for your classmates or younger students. Wash off the sidewalk paint with a garden hose or rain within 2 weeks.

Benefits

  • Children design a dream castle as part of a study of history, geography, and/or literature.
  • Students construct a life-sized model of the castle including its outdoor setting.
  • Students write and perform an original play using the castle as their set.

Adaptations

  • Create several castles and make roads to connect them. Use the paint to add other details to create a historic village.
  • Design contemporary homes, commercial buildings, or other contemporary structures to form a town. Or create a town during a school fair or other public event.
  • As a class, write a play about your new town.