Fairytales are a fabulous way to teach preschoolers life lessons and morals while entertaining them and engaging their imagination and sense of wonder. Children will learn from the mistakes of the characters, which develops critical thinking skills and they aid in emotional resilience by helping children connect stories to real life. With preschool education, we can extend the learning beyond the story by creating a theme for additional activities for math, science, and language development. Here is a list of 30 activities you can do with your preschooler around the classic fairytale of Jack and the Beanstalk.
Literacy
1. Read the Book
Read the classic tale. Although you will have many different versions, this one written by Carol Ottolenghi is available on Amazon. The beautiful illustrations will delight your tiniest toddler as you revisit the story of a young boy who sells his cow for magic beans.
Learn more: Amazon
2. Watch the Movie
The delightful animation used in this version will keep your youngster hinged on every word as they watch what happens when Jack disturbs the Giant in his castle on the clouds.
Learn more: Youtube
3. Drama Activities
Use this really short, 2-page script to act out the story. There are five characters, so it works well for a small group, or two people can double up the roles. If your youngster is not reading yet, ask them to repeat the line after you. They will pick it up quickly after a few rehearsals.
Learn more: Isaac Newton Academy
4. Puppet Play
After reading the book together, print out these character coloring pages. After coloring the figures, cut them out and paste to craft sticks. Act out the story without a script (that is called improvisation). Read the story again to refresh if needed.
Learn more: Coloring Home
5. Sing and Dance
After reading the story why not get up and move? Preschoolers love to dance and its great for developing balance and coordination. Have fun singing this funny little song and dance along with the Giant and he sings the story from his point of view.
Learn more: Youtube
6. Story Yoga
This activity is fantastic for the kinesthetic learner or the little one that doesn't like to sit still for a story. In this video, the students act out the fun adventure through yoga positions. Fun animation and a lively yoga instructor make this activity very engaging for young ones.
Learn more: Youtube
7. Play Doh Play
Really get hands on and develop those fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination while having learning fun. Use your colored play doh to create the beanstalk. Have fun mixing colors and rolling out balls and logs to use in your unique creation. Find the detailed instructions at thebookbadger.com.
Learn more: The Book Badger
8. Sensory Bin
Recreate the Giant's castle in the clouds using foaming bubbles and real plants in your plastic sensory bin. Create castles with foam blocks and even add your own golden goose with miniature rubber duckies. Find the pictorial directions at mysmallpotatoes.com.
Learn more: My Small Potatoes
Math activities
9. Magic Bean Counting
Spray paint some red kidney beans a shiny gold and place the beans in a bucket or bin. Use craft foam or just plain paper to create numbers. Ask your preschooler to count out the number of beans to match the number on the paper. Spice it up by cutting out leaf shapes from craft foam and paint the numbers on each leaf. Get the full instructions at sugarspiceandglitter.com.
Learn more: Sugar Spice and Glitter
10. Giant Footprints
This lesson is a fantastic way to introduce measuring concepts to preschoolers. Create the giant's footprints out of construction paper, then ask your young learner to compare the size of the footprints to other items around the house. Make a list of things that are bigger and things that are smaller.
Learn more: Kristens Kindergarten
11. Who's Hand is Bigger?
This activity teaches early math, literacy and science skills all in one! Children will compare the size of their hand to the size of the Giant's hand to understand the concepts of comparison and then conduct an experiment using beans to compare the sizes. Find the complete instructions at earlymathcounts.org.
Learn more: Early Math Counts
12. Count and Climb Beanstalk
This craft and learn activity is fun for young learners. Build your own beanstalk and add the leaves with numbers, counting up as you move up the beanstalk. Supplies are simple items you already have around the house such as a long gift wrap roll, craft foam sheets and craft sticks. Find the detailed instructions at rainydaymum.co.uk.
Learn more: Rainy Day Mum
13. Beanstalk Number Match
Use a variety of items from the story to reinforce number recognition. You can use magic beans, leaves, green gems, golden eggs, geese, cows and more. Help your preschooler understand numbers in different ways with various pictorial representations. Get the instructions at pocketofpreschool.com
Learn more: Pocket of Preschool
Build Language Skills
14. Beanstalk Letter Matching
Use old egg cartons to create a "nest." In each nest write a letter of the alphabet. Paint beans with a matching alphabet letter. Your toddler will match the letters by placing the bean in the nest while saying the letter out loud. Find the detailed instructions at pocketofpreschool.com.
Learn more: Pocket of Preschool
15. 3D Puzzle and Book
This activity is a puzzle, a book and a puppet play stage all in one! Read a different take on the classic tale, so instead of stealing items from the giant, they become friends and work together to create a grocery store for the whole neighborhood. This is a unique and creative way to explore alternative solutions to violence and conflict.
Learn more: Amazon
16. Alphabet Game
Use this super fun game to learn letter recognition with your preschooler. It's easy to make with construction paper and the game is played with a pair of dice and a picture of your child as the game piece. They will get a kick out of watching themselves climb the beanstalk.
Learn more: Fun Learning for Kids
17. B is for Bean
Preschoolers practice the letter B by writing out the letter with glue on a piece of construction paper. Then place beans in the glue to create this magical craft and literary lesson in one! Add in a math lesson by asking the young learner to count out the beans as they place them in the glue. Find examples at teachersmag.com.
Learn more: Teacher's Mag
18. Upper and Lower Case Matching
This incredibly fun activity uses straws and chopsticks for the duet of beanstalks. Cut out leaf shapes and write upper case and lower case letters on individual leaves. Punch a hole in each leaf with a hole punch. Mix up the leaves and let your preschooler find and match the letters and place on to their beanstalks. Get the complete instructions at teachbesideme.com.
Learn more: Teach Beside Me
19. Story Sequence
Get free printable pictures for this sequencing activity. Spend time coloring in the pictures and talking to your preschooler about what part of the story each picture represents. Cut out the picture panels and ask your little one to put the pictures in the order that things happen in the story.
Learn more: Education
20. Vocabulary
Teach early vocabulary from the classic fairy tale with this fantastic video. Words with graphics and realistic photos introduce your little one to word recognition. Pause the video to closely examine the letters and sound out the words together.
Learn more: Amazon
Scientific Discoveries
21. Zip Line Experiment
Could Jack have gotten down the beanstalk faster if he had a zipline? You can create this zipline outside or inside with stuffed toys. Vary your materials for the zipline and the harness to determine what is fastest, smoothest, and most dynamic. Find the instructions at science-sparks.com.
Learn more: Science Sparks
22. Montessori Beanstalk Stacking
Create the materials easily with items you have around the house like toilet paper rolls and green construction paper. Then set up the station and present the challenge: How do you build the beanstalk to reach the castle in the clouds. Let your little genius figure it out through trial and error. Get the directions at royalbaloo.com.
Learn more: Royal Boo
23. STEM Cup Challenge
This is a fantastic activity to introduce the process of planning, creating a hypothesis, conducting the experiment, determining the data, and changing the plan and process if needed. Using plastic cups for stacking, your preschooler will build their own beanstalk to reach the castle. Find the complete instructions at prekprintablefun.com.
Learn more: Pre K Printable Fun
24. Make a Cloud in a Jar
Create this fun STEM science experiment in your kitchen with just a few simple items. You'll want to help those little hands, so they don't get burned with the boiling water, but they will be amazed as they watch the cloud form right in front of their eyes in a mason jar. Find the step-by-step instructions at notimeforflashcards.com.
Learn more: No time for Flash Cards
25. Plant a Beanstalk
This list would not be complete without a planting activity. Fill a glass jar with cotton balls or paper towels and plant a lima bean among them so you can see the bean through the glass. Keep the cotton balls or paper towels moist and bathed in sunlight. Check back every few days to watch the seed sprout and grow. Find the instructions at embarkonthejourney.com.
Learn more: Embark on the Journey
Crafts
26. Make Your Own Beanstalk
This is a great follow up activity after reading the story together. Use paper plates and green craft paint to make this adorable beanstalk. Attach some leaves made from felt and you can create your own imaginative beanstalk stories. Find the detailed instructions at fromabstoacts.com.
Learn more: From ABCs to ACTs
27. Bean Mosaic
Gather a variety of beans from the cupboard, so you have a bunch of different colors. Use cardboard as the backing and provide glue. Let your young learner go to town and create a unique bean mosaic. If they need a little more direction, provide a simple beanstalk picture as a guide for the project. Find the instructions at preschool-plan-it.com.
Learn more: Preschool Plan It
28. Castle Craft
This fun castle craft can produce hours of playtime fun when you are finished. Use old cereal boxes, toilet paper rolls, and construction paper to put together this 3D castle. Bling it up with glitter or talk about the history of castles and add some flags too. Get the template and instructions at dltk-kids.com.
Learn more: DLTK Kids
29. Castle on a Cloud
Recreate this castle on a cloud as you follow along with Mr. Jim from the Fayetteville Public Library. This is a great opportunity to talk about libraries, take a trip to your local library and check out the book for reading at home.
Learn more: Youtube
30. Build a Story Box
Use an old shoebox, paper, and paints to create a 3D story box for Jack and the Beanstalk. Add textiles like cotton balls, rocks, or marbles. After creating the stage, your little one will be able to retell the story using small puppets or leggo pieces. Find the instructions for building your own story box at theimaginationtree.com.
Learn more: The Imagination Tree
23 Christmas ELA Activities for Middle School