Hey, Fairy Talers!
Happy Tell a Fairy Tale Day! It’s appropriate to ‘tell’ a Fairy Tale as they had been passed down from generation to generation by mouth, subtly altered from storyteller to storyteller. It wasn’t until they were recorded in the written form that they were substantially reworked and, in a sense, frozen in time. Check out this Blog post from a few years back to learn the history of Fairy Tales.
One thing’s for sure; Fairy Tales have withstood the test of time and have come out on top. What is it about these interesting stories from long, long ago that has kept us captivated for so long? Well, they’re more than just entertaining stories. They help us grow! Here are several examples of how Fairy Tales foster maturity.
Moral Compass
Fairy Tales help develop our sense of right and wrong with strong moral lessons and exaggerated personalities that embody good or evil. Anyone can see that the Wolf in Little Red Riding Hood is a villain and that Red is a sweet, young girl.
Trust Must be Earned
Along with right and wrong, Fairy Tales impart lessons to be careful who you trust. We recognize her mistake when Snow White takes the witch’s apple. The lesson here being that strangers may seem nice on the surface, but they cannot always be trusted. People should have to earn your trust.
A Fan of Firsts
Childhood and life in general are full of firsts. You’ve got a first day of school, first time at camp, first recital.... It depends on what it is, but first times can be anxiety-inducing. We tend to put ourselves in a character’s place when we hear a Fairy Tale so we imagine ourselves embarking on a journey.
Cause and Effect
We see in Fairy Tales that actions have consequences. The actions of the characters is what determines their fate. And the consequences are extreme: Cinderella maintained a pure heart and became a princess. Her evil step-mother let her heart remain black and her fate was rather grim.
Enjoy finding a favorite of Fairy Tales you know and share it with a friend or family member today to celebrate National Tell a Fairy Tale Day. See what lessons you learn from them and, as always, thanks for reading, Camp Fans!
- John