There Was a Princess Long Ago: Storytelling Circle Game

There Was A Princess Long Ago is a wonderful storytelling circle game, which combines one or two well known fairy tales with actions and imaginative movement, and is best suited to children of 3 years and over. It’s full of fairytale romance and magic!

 There Was A Princess Long Ago

There was a Princess long ago, long ago, long ago,

There was a Princess long ago,  long ago! (hold hands in a circle)

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And she lived in a big high tower, a big high tower, a big high tower,

And she lived in a big high tower, long ago.  (arms up high for tower)

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One day a bad Queen cast a spell, cast a spell, cast a spell,

One day a bad Queen cast a spell, long ago. (cast spell with fingers)

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The Princess slept for a hundred years, a hundred years, a hundred years,

The Princess slept for a hundred years, long ago. (rest head asleep on hands)

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A great big forest grew a round, grew around, grew around,

A great big forest grew around, long ago. (mime tall swaying trees)

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One day a Prince came riding by, riding by, riding by,

One day day a Prince came riding by, long ago. (mime riding a horse)

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 He cut the trees down with his sword, with his sword, with his sword,

He cut the trees down with his sword, long ago. (mime chopping with a sword)

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And when he kissed her she woke up, she woke up, she woke up,

And when he kissed her she woke up, long ago. (kiss the back of your hand)

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So everybody’s happy now, happy now, happy now,

So everybody’s happy now, HAPPY NOW! (go round in a circle very fast)

How to Play the storytelling circle game

• First you need to choose your princess, this can cause obvious problems, but you just have to reassure the rest that everyone will have a turn!
• The others hold hands and go round in a circle, with the princess in the middle, singing the first verse.
• Follow the actions as described alongside the words of the song above.
• The children get very involved in acting out the story, and everyone is so delighted with the happy ending!

There Was a Princess Long Ago Craft

After singing the song you could explore the fairy tale theme further by trying the simple craft activity in the picture above.

What you need:

• A rectangular piece of cardboard
• A wooden spoon
• Yellow wool 
• Thinner cardboard in a fan shape for the roof
• Sharpie markers for decoration
• Stickers for the princesses features

How to:

1. Using the sharpie marker, draw a brick pattern on your rectangular piece of cardboard

2. Cut a hole into one side of the tower, which will be the princess’s window

3. Roll the cardboard into a tower shape

4. Fold the fan shaped piece of cardboard for the roof into a cone shape and secure with sellotape

5. Use the marker to draw the princess features onto the wooden spoon

6. Plait the yellow wool and secure onto the top of the wooden spoon for the princess’s hair.

This game offers plenty of scope for all sorts of improvisation, depending on the age of the children making it, the materials you have to hand, and the time that is available.

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