Since it’s March…the ants go marching 1 by 1. They’re not the only ones that march. The Emperor marched in a parade to show off his new clothes.
Years ago, one older prof at college suggested using fairy tales as a teaching tool. At first, being ‘modern and enlightened’ I dismissed that idea and trashed fairy tales on the basis that they were not politically correct and were gender biased. After all, the differences between boys and girls was because of the way society treated children. When I had my own kids I soon realized that a son and a daughter arrive with significant differences. But, back to fairy tales….Yes, they do have a place in the 21st century and can be used for learning with little ones. They are a super resource for all kinds of kindergarten readiness.
The Emperor’s New Clothes is a great story to use to talk about why we wear clothes, for naming various things we wear, for sorting clothes into what we wear for each season, how some people wear different clothing, and more. Find a couple of minutes to notice patterns and colors. When doing the laundry, match some colors and sizes.
Kids enjoy that the Emperor was tricked and that he marched in his underwear. Children often feel ‘exposed’ and inferior to adults and love that, for once, the child got it right and all the adults were wrong. Share the story, dig out some clothes and have your own dress-up fun. Any other ways to share this story for learning?