Activities

Reading a story is one thing. Living out its lessons is another. These activities are designed to help children move beyond the page, taking the courage and kindness found in Penny's Magical Shoe Store Adventure and applying them to real, everyday moments. Whether used in classrooms, at home, or within community groups, each activity turns storytelling into a hands-on learning experience for brave girls and boys of all backgrounds.

Rooted in the themes found across children's fantasy books about courage, these activities build more than just comprehension. They strengthen emotional intelligence, spark creativity, and nurture resilience, giving children practical tools to carry the story's heart into their own lives. It's a simple way to make faith and friendship make the best magic feel real, one activity at a time.

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Badges of Courage

Activities to Reinforce the Story's Messages

Courage and Bravery

“Courage Jar” Activity

Objective:
Encourage children to reflect on and celebrate moments when they showed courage.

Materials Needed:
Printable Courage Jar Worksheet (or blank paper)
Pens, pencils, crayons, or markers (purple and gold if possible)
Scissors (optional, for cutting out notes)

Steps:

Introduce the Activity:
Explain that everyone feels scared sometimes, but being brave means doing something even when it feels hard or scary.

Distribute the Worksheet:
Give each child a Courage Jar Worksheet. Point out the jar in the center and the playful stars, hearts, and sparkles around it.

Reflect on Courage:
Ask children to think about a time when they were brave. This could be trying something new, speaking up, helping someone, or facing a fear.

Write or Draw:
In the space inside the jar, have children write or draw about their courageous moment. Encourage them to use purple and gold for decoration.

Share (Optional):
Invite children to share their courage stories with the group. Celebrate each story and discuss how courage can look different for everyone.

Display or Save:
Children can cut out their courage notes and place them in a real jar, or hang their worksheets on a wall as a reminder of their bravery.

“Courage Story Stones” Activity

Objective:
To help children recognize, express, and celebrate acts of bravery by creating and sharing stories of courage using decorated stones as prompts.

Instructions:

Gather smooth stones (or use paper cutouts if stones aren’t available).
Provide purple and gold paint, markers, or stickers.
Ask children to decorate each stone with a symbol of courage (e.g., a star, heart, lightning bolt, or a word like “Brave”).

Storytelling Circle:

Each child picks a stone and shares a story about a time they or someone they know showed courage.

Alternatively, use the stones to prompt imaginative stories about brave characters in The Witch and the Magical Shoe Store.

Extension:
Create a “Courage Stone Garden” display in the classroom or at home, where everyone’s stones and stories are celebrated.

Family and Friendship

“Team Challenge” Activity

Objective:
To help children experience the value of teamwork and cooperation by working together to complete a fun challenge, just like Penny and her friends did in the story.

Steps:

Introduce the Activity:
Explain that, like the story’s characters, everyone will work together to solve a challenge.

Choose a group challenge:
Build a tower with blocks, solve a puzzle, or complete a relay.

Divide children into small teams and give them the materials.

Encourage teams to communicate, share ideas, and help each other.

Celebrate when each team completes the challenge, and discuss how teamwork made it easier and more fun.

“Thank You Notes” Activity

Objective:
To encourage children to recognize and express gratitude for the help and support they receive from others, reinforcing the story’s message of family and friendship.

Steps:

Introduce the Activity:
Explain that, like Penny, we all have people who help us and deserve thanks.

Ask children to think of someone who has helped or supported them recently.

Provide paper, markers, and stickers (purple and gold if possible).

Have children write or draw a thank you note for that person.

Invite children to share their notes with the group or deliver them to the person they’re thanking.

Imagination and Wonder

“Create Your Own Magical Shoe Store” Activity

Objective:
This activity sparks imagination, creativity, and storytelling, while reinforcing the story’s themes of wonder and possibility.

Steps:

Introduce the Activity
Explain that each child will design their own magical shoe store, filled with enchanted shoes that have special powers.

Gather Materials
Provide blank paper, colored pencils, markers (especially purple and gold if possible), and optional stickers or craft supplies.

Draw the Magical Shoe Store
Ask children to draw the outside and inside of their magical shoe store. Encourage creativity; add windows, signs, decorations, and magical details.

Design the Shoes
Have children draw several pairs of shoes to display in their magical shoe store. Each shoe can look as ordinary or as fantastical as they wish.

Invent Magical Powers
Next to each magical shoe, ask children to write or draw what magical power it holds (e.g., “These shoes let you jump to the clouds!” or “These shoes make you invisible!”).

Decorate with Magical Elements
Encourage children to add playful stars, hearts, and sparkles in purple and gold around their store and shoes for extra magic.

Share and Discuss
Invite children to present their magical shoe stores to the group, explaining the powers of their shoes and what inspired their designs.

Resilience and Hope

“Obstacle Course” Activity

Objective:
This activity brings the story’s themes to life through movement, imagination, and group support, helping children build confidence and connection.

Steps:

Introduce the Activity
Explain that the obstacle course represents Penny’s journey through the magical woods and shoe store, where she and her family and friends faced challenges and worked together to overcome them.

Plan the Course
Use household or classroom items (cones, chairs, ropes, cushions) to create a series of physical challenges (e.g., crawling under tables, balancing on a line, jumping over “magic puddles”).

Decorate the course with purple and gold stars, hearts, and sparkles to evoke the magical theme.

Set Courage Challenges
Include stations where children must try something new or a little bit scary (e.g., walking blindfolded with a friend guiding them, or sharing a brave story before moving on).

Encourage Teamwork
Design some obstacles that require pairs or small groups to work together (e.g., carrying an object together, solving a puzzle, or helping each other through a “locked chamber”).

Add Imaginative Elements
Name each obstacle after a magical part of the story (e.g., “Enchanted Chamber Crawl,” “Magical Shoe Hop,” “Courage Dust Balance Beam”).

Use story prompts at each station (“What magical power would help you here?”).

Celebrate Resilience and Growth
Remind children that it’s okay to struggle or need help—just like Penny and her family and friends, persistence and teamwork are what matter.

At the end, have a “Family Reunion” station where everyone celebrates completing the course together. Explain to them that we are all family because we are all a part of the “Human Family!”

Reflect and Share
After finishing, invite children to share which part of the course made them feel most brave, how they helped others, and what they learned about courage and teamwork.

Growth and New Beginnings

“Adventure Maps” Activity

Objective:
To encourage children to imagine new beginnings and personal growth by mapping out a magical adventure for Penny and her friends, highlighting challenges, discoveries, and hopes for the future.

Steps:

Introduce the Activity
Explain that, just like Penny, everyone can imagine new adventures and new beginnings.

Gather Materials
Provide blank paper, colored pencils, markers (especially purple and gold), and optional stickers.

Draw the Map
Ask children to draw a map showing the path of a new magical adventure for Penny and her friends. Include places for challenges, discoveries, and magical moments.

Add Story Elements
Encourage children to add symbols or drawings for obstacles (e.g., enchanted forests, magical shoe stores), helpers (friends, magical items), and new discoveries.

Decorate
Use purple and gold stars, hearts, and sparkles to decorate the map, making it magical and unique.

Share and Reflect
Invite children to share their maps and describe the new beginnings and growth their characters might experience on this adventure.

Extension Ideas

Book Discussion: Hold a group discussion about The Witch and the Magical Shoe Store themes and how they relate to real life.
Art Projects: Create illustrations or crafts inspired by scenes from Penny’s journey, focusing on moments of courage, teamwork, or discovery.
Magic Wand Craft: Make “magic wands” and talk about what powers they would give — courage, kindness, creativity, etc.

Penny’s Courage Quest

Step Into the Magic: A Note from Penny!

Hi everyone! It's me, Penny!

Do you remember when I first stepped into Griselda’s Magical Shoe Store? I was looking for the perfect pair of shoes, but I ended up finding something even better—my own courage! It was the most amazing adventure of my life, and I didn’t want the magic to end just because the book did.

So, I asked Griselda if we could share some of the shop’s secrets with you, and she said yes! (She even let me help pick out the rhinestones!) We’ve put together some special things you can download and play at home or in your classroom:

How to Play: Penny's Courage Quest

The Goal: Be the first traveler to collect 5 Courage Gems and reach the Courage Jar at the center of the board!

Setup:

Print and Cut: Print the sheet above and cut out the purple and gold gems. Place them in a small bowl or “treasure pile” next to the board.
Choose Your Pawn: Each player chooses one of the four character pawns.
Start: Everyone starts at The Magical Shoe Store space.

On Your Turn:

Roll one die and move your pawn that many spaces.
Brave Boost!: If you land here, Griselda gives you a boost! Move forward 2 extra spaces.
Courage Challenge: If you land here, you must perform a “Mini Courage Task” (like standing on one foot for 10 seconds or telling the group one thing you are good at). If you complete it, take 1 Gem.
Cobbler’s Corner: Oh no! You’re getting your shoes repaired. Stay here for one turn while they get polished.
Gem Spaces: Any space with a picture of a gem allows you to collect 1 Gem from the pile.

How to Win:

Once a player has collected 5 Gems, they must head toward the center of the board. You do not need an exact roll to land on the Courage Jar, but you must have all 5 gems in hand to enter. The first one to place their gems in the jar wins!

Activities

Badges of Courage

Activities to Reinforce the Story's Messages