Fun Book-Themed Activities for The Tale of Despereaux
By Lily | Published 6 March 2023 | Goodreads Rating 4.06 | This post may contain affiliate links.
We’ve curated a list of fun games and activities inspired by The Tale of Despereaux. Be sure to try some (or all!) of these ideas while creating special memories for your family along the way!
The Tale of Despereaux is a tale of a brave mouse, a covetous rat, a wishful serving girl, and a princess named Pea. Visit the book summary if you and your child need a refresh of this book!
Together, these characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives. After reading the novel, don’t be surprised if you and your child may find yourselves in the mood for soup!
10 Royally Fun Activities to bring The Tale of Despereaux to Life
Activity 1: Let’s learn more about Soup!
In The Tale of Despereaux, there's one type of food we read a lot about … soup! Around the world, soup is also a much-loved dish! In this fun video from HiHo Kids, take your kids on a culinary tour to learn about a wide variety of soup! Which one would your kids enjoy trying?
Activity 2: Let’s make some soup next!
Okay, enough talking about soup, let’s get some in our tummies! Chicken soup is one of the most popular soups so below is a quick & simple recipe to make some homemade soup! Below are also some soup recipe books to get you & your kids exploring more soups to test & try out!!
Here’s a simple & yummy recipe to make soup with your kids from The Domestic Geek!
Activity 3: Build a cardboard castle!
Making a life-size castle out of cardboard boxes can be a fun and creative project for kids. Construct a castle out of cardboard boxes and decorate it with paint, paper, or other materials. Use it as a backdrop for a Despereaux-themed play or puppet show. Visit @WhatsUpMoms Remember to supervise the kids during the construction process and be careful when using sharp tools. This project can be adapted to any level of complexity, depending on the age and skill level of the children involved.
For younger children, use cardboard boxes that are already cut and taped together, and let younger children decorate the castle with stickers or washable markers. Using construction paper and cardboard, have the kids create their own version of the castle where the story takes place. Talk about the different settings in the book and how they relate to the story.
Activity 4: Let’s make stained glass windows!
Despereaux was mesmerized by the stained glass windows in the castle. As a family, find an afternoon to make stained glass windows to beautify your castle! Follow the instructions from Kidfunideas’ video for a quick and easy kid’s craft project to make stained glass. Or, if you need a shortcut, select one of the many ready-made DIY window kit to get started!
Activity 5: Plan a family movie night!
Schedule a family night to watch the animated movie of The Tale of Despereaux … while drinking soup!! This movie was released in 2008, and stars an all-star cast with Matthew Broderick as Despereaux, Emma Watson as Princess Pea and Dustin Hoffman as Roscuro!
Like most book-to-movie adaptations, there are differences between the two versions. In general, the movie adaptation follows the basic plot of the book, but there are some changes in the details and the order of events. For example, the movie focuses more on Princess Pea and her relationship with Despereaux, while the book has a more even distribution of storylines between the different characters.
The movie also adds some new characters and scenes that are not in the book, such as a singing vegetable vendor, a cooking competition, and a rat army. These additions are meant to add more humor and excitement to the story and make it more appealing to a wider audience. Overall, while the movie adaptation is enjoyable in its own right, it does differ from the book in several ways. Fans of the book may appreciate the movie as a fun and visually appealing interpretation of the story, but they should be prepared for some changes to the plot and characters.
Activity 6: Make a cheese tasting board!
Despereaux loves cheese, so host a cheese tasting party with a variety of cheeses. Discuss the different flavors and textures, and make a cheese board with crackers, grapes, and other snacks. Simplify the cheese tasting activity by offering a few different types of cheese and crackers, and discussing the different flavors and textures with younger children. Set up a cheese platter with different types of cheese mentioned in the book, such as cheddar or brie. Talk about the different textures and flavors of the cheese and how they relate to the story. For younger children, you can provide them with different types of cheese and crackers and have them decorate a platter with the cheese.
Activity 7: Design a scavenger hunt.
Despereaux's journey through the castle. Include challenges like navigating through a "dungeon" (a dark room), finding a hidden treasure (a small prize), and rescuing a "princess" (a toy or stuffed animal). Hide small objects around the house or yard and create a scavenger hunt with clues inspired by the book. The ultimate prize could be a Despereaux-themed toy or another new book.
Activity 8: Make a felt mouse.
Use felt, thread, and stuffing to create a soft, cuddly mouse like Despereaux. Encourage kids to personalize their mouse with different colors and patterns. Provide younger children with a pre-cut mouse shape made of felt and let them decorate it with stickers or washable markers. From @PattyMacMakes is this simple felt craft uses French Knots and running stitch to sew these darling felt mice. Easy peasy.
Concerned about sewing? Skip that part and glue your mouse body together. Both versions are cute, but I love the folk art touch the hand stitched edge gave the mouse. However, don’t let a little hand stitching be a barrier to making this sweet felt craft idea.
Activity 9: Get free resources to build reading comprehension.
This Teachers’ Guide by Candlewick Press is a comprehensive discussion guide for this novel.
Scholastic also provides a unit study for The Tale of Desperaux.
Vocabulary.com is a great resource to build spelling acumen of words in this book!
Download this activity booklet from Reading Quests as a fun way for your child to slow down and read for comprehension! Perfect for reluctant readers!
Activity 10: Read more books by Newbery medalist Kate DiCamillo!
The Tiger Rising - Walking through the misty Florida woods one morning, 12 year-old Rob is stunned to encounter a tiger—a real-life, very large tiger—pacing back and forth in a cage. On the same extraordinary day, he meets Sistine and they learn to trust each other, and ultimately, to be friends, Rob and Sistine prove that some things—like memories, and heartache, and tigers—can’t be locked up forever.
The Magician’s Elephant - When a fortune teller's tent appears in the market square of the city, orphan Peter knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? In this timeless fable, this captivating tale evokes the largest of themes — hope and belonging, desire and compassion — with the lightness of a magician’s touch.
Raymie Nightingale - Raymie has a plan to get her father to come home. Ramie Nightingale is a moving, heartwarming tale that deals with love and friendship, while also touching on heavier issues such as death and the meaning of life.
Because of Winn Dixie - This is a heartwarming story of a young girl named Opal and her adopted dog Winn-Dixie, and their experiences in a small Southern town. As they make new friends and discover the town's secrets, Opal learns important lessons about love, forgiveness, and the power of friendship.
REWARD: Celebrate The Tale of Despereaux!
When your child has finished the book and completed any (or all!) of the above activities, download this FREE keepsake to hang or frame in your child’s room as a reminder of this special book!
Here are more reward ideas inspired by The Tale of Despereaux:
Contains affiliate links. If you click on a link/photo and make a purchase, there is no extra cost to you. This helps Reading Quests to produce more free content for families like you!
