A Rainbow of Desire workshop for young children based on Aesop’s fable “The Fox and the Crow.” This workshop will adapt Boal’s techniques to explore themes of flattery, wisdom, and self-confidence in an age-appropriate manner.
https://myaesopsfablesforchildren.com/2023/12/15/the-fox-and-the-crow/
1. Story Introduction:
Begin with a simplified retelling of “The Fox and the Crow” fable, emphasizing the characters’ actions and motivations.
Here’s a simple retelling of the fable “The Fox and the Crow”:
Once upon a time, there was a clever fox and a proud crow. One day, the crow found a piece of tasty cheese and flew up to a high branch to enjoy it. The fox, who was very hungry, saw the crow with the cheese and wanted it for himself.
The fox called up to the crow, “Good day, beautiful crow! How lovely your feathers look today. They shine so brightly in the sun!”
The crow, feeling flattered, puffed up with pride but didn’t say anything because the cheese was in her beak.
The fox continued, “I’ve heard that your voice is as beautiful as your appearance. Is it true that you have the most melodious voice in the forest? I would love to hear you sing!”
The crow, eager to prove how wonderful her voice was, opened her beak wide to sing – and dropped the cheese!
The fox quickly snatched up the cheese and said, “Thank you for the meal, dear crow. Remember, not all who flatter you are true friends.”
The crow, feeling foolish and hungry, had learned an important lesson about vanity and the danger of believing empty flattery.
2. Warm-up Activity:
Have children move around the space, alternating between acting like a sly fox and a proud crow.
3. Image Theatre:
Create frozen images of key moments in the story:
– The crow with the cheese in its beak
– The fox looking up at the crow
– The crow singing and dropping the cheese
– The fox running away with the cheese
4. Emotion Exploration:
Discuss and act out the emotions of both characters:
– Crow: pride, curiosity, embarrassment
– Fox: hunger, cunning, satisfaction
5. Simplified Rainbow of Desires:
Have children create short scenes showing:
– What the crow might have wished to happen
– What the fox might have wished to happen
– What a kind interaction between them could look like
6. Forum Theatre:
Allow children to suggest and act out alternative endings:
– How could the crow have kept the cheese?
– What if the fox had asked nicely instead of using flattery?
– What if they decided to share the cheese?
7. Reflection:
Discuss the moral of the story and how it relates to the children’s lives:
– Have they ever been tricked by kind words?
– How can they tell when someone is being genuinely nice or just flattering them?
8. Closing Activity:
End with a trust-building exercise where children practice giving genuine compliments to each other.
This workshop adapts the Rainbow of Desire technique to explore the fable’s themes in a way that’s engaging and meaningful for young children. The activities encourage empathy, critical thinking, and social awareness.
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