The Cinderella activities you find online are mostly the same handful of things: a glass slipper to color, a Fairy Godmother to draw, maybe a pumpkin to paint. They're fine. They're also a little disconnected from the story.
The activities I want to share are different. Each one is anchored to a specific theme or symbol in the book — so a kid isn't just doing a craft, they're working on the integrity theme through the mouse puppets, or thinking about transformation through the glass slipper sculpture, or practicing kindness through a journaling prompt.
This is the activity guide I built for parents and teachers using the 75th Anniversary Edition as a read-aloud. Twenty activities, organized by category, each one tied to a real story beat. Plus a free printable activity pack at the bottom with templates for half of them.
Crafts (Activities 1–5)
Best for ages 3–8 · Materials list at the start of each one
1. Glass Slipper Decorating. Materials: clear plastic slipper template (printable), glitter glue, sequins, ribbons, gem stickers. Use the template from the printable pack and let kids decorate. As they work, ask: why glass? What does glass do that gold or silk doesn't? Connects to: the symbolism of the glass slipper as a marker of unique identity. (For deeper context, see Themes & Symbolism in Cinderella.)
2. Mouse Finger Puppets. Materials: gray and white felt squares, googly eyes, glue, scissors, fine-tip marker. Cut small mouse shapes (template in the printable pack), glue eyes and a nose, leave the bottom open as a finger sleeve. As kids make their mice, ask: why does Cinderella feed the mice when no one is watching? Connects to: the integrity theme — kindness as a discipline.
3. Pumpkin Coach Painting. Materials: small pumpkins (real or foam), gold/silver acrylic paint, brushes, optional cardboard wheels. Decorate a small pumpkin to look like the magic coach. As they work, ask: why a pumpkin? Why not just summon a coach from nothing? Connects to: the theme of magic working with what's already there, not creating from nothing.
4. Fairy Godmother Wand. Materials: wooden dowels, foam stars, glitter, ribbon, hot glue (adult). Glue a star to the dowel, decorate with glitter, tie ribbons to the handle. As kids work, ask: if you had a wand and could only fix one thing for one night, what would you fix? Connects to: the theme of help being limited and choosing what to do with the moment.
5. Castle Window Watercolor. Materials: watercolor paper, watercolor sets, black markers. Have kids draw a castle window in black marker and watercolor a scene inside it — the scene Cinderella might have been imagining while she was scrubbing the floor. As they paint, ask: what does Cinderella daydream about while she works? Why is daydreaming important? Connects to: hope as stamina (the theme that carries her through the hard years).
Games (Activities 6–10)
Best for ages 4–8 · Group sizes from 1 to a whole class
6. Find the Glass Slipper. Hide a single decorated paper or plastic slipper somewhere in the room. Children take turns hunting for it. The finder hides it for the next round. Connects to: the slipper-search structure of the story; teaches kids that the right object can only fit the right person.
7. Midnight Freeze Dance. Play music. Kids dance. When you call "midnight!" everyone has to freeze in their position. Anyone caught moving sits out the next round. Last frozen kid wins. Connects to: the importance of the midnight rule and what it means to know when to stop.
8. Fairy Godmother Says. A Cinderella-themed Simon Says. The leader gives commands prefixed with "Fairy Godmother says..." (e.g., "Fairy Godmother says wave your wand," "Fairy Godmother says ride in your coach"). If the leader skips the prefix, anyone who follows the command sits out. Last kid standing wins.
9. Pumpkin Coach Relay. Two teams. Each team rolls a small pumpkin (or orange ball) across the room and back using only their hands or feet (no picking up). First team to finish all members wins. Connects to: the magic of transportation in the story; great kinesthetic energy-burner for ages 5–8.
10. Cinderella Charades. Write story moments on slips of paper (the mice helping with the dress, the Fairy Godmother appearing, midnight striking, the slipper fitting, the wedding). Kids act them out without words. Whoever guesses correctly takes the next turn. Connects to: comprehension and sequencing.
Classroom Activities (11–14)
Best for ages 5–9 · Aligned to ELA standards
11. Cinderella vs. Yeh-Shen Venn Diagram. Read both versions aloud. Use a Venn diagram to chart what's the same and what's different. (Both have a kind girl, cruel stepfamily, magical helper, slipper test, and recognition. Differences: the helper is a fairy in one and a fish in the other; the slippers are glass vs. gold; the consequence for the stepfamily is gentler in Disney.) Connects to: literary comparison standards; opens the door to the broader multicultural Cinderella tradition.
12. Character Traits Sorting. On the board, list traits: kind, jealous, patient, cruel, hopeful, mean, brave, scared. As a class, sort each trait under the character it best describes (Cinderella, stepmother, stepsisters, Fairy Godmother, prince). Discuss disagreements. Connects to: character analysis and inferring traits from behavior.
13. Story Sequencing Cards. Print out 8–10 illustrated event cards from the story. Mix them up. Have students put them in chronological order. For older students, ask them to pick the single most important card — the moment that decides everything. Their answers will surprise you. Connects to: comprehension and identifying climax/turning points.
14. Design Your Own Glass Slipper (STEM). Give students a square of clear plastic or thin acetate, scissors, and tape. Challenge them to construct a wearable "glass slipper" prototype. Test which prototypes can hold weight. Connects to: STEM problem-solving; teaches that "glass" in the story is symbolic, not literal.
Party Ideas (15–17)
For Cinderella-themed birthday parties, ages 4–8
15. Royal Ball Dress-Up Station. Set up a corner with thrifted or dollar-store princess accessories (tiaras, capes, wands, costume jewelry). Take Polaroid photos of each kid in their outfit as a take-home favor. Pair with a parent-readable card that says: "You don't have to wait for the dress to be your real self — you already are." Connects the activity to the actual lesson of the story.
16. Pumpkin Coach Snack. Use mini orange peppers or hollowed-out clementines as "coaches" and fill with grapes, blueberries, and small carrot sticks. Or — for a sweet version — orange jello cups topped with a crown of whipped cream. Looks like the coach. Tastes like a party. Easy parent prep.
17. Bibbidi-Bobbidi Cookie Decorating. Bake (or buy) round sugar cookies. Provide small bowls of frosting (blue, gold, white), edible glitter, and sprinkles. Each child decorates a cookie however they want — the "magic" is that they get to choose. Pair with the Fairy Godmother song.
Writing Prompts (18–20)
Best for ages 6–10 · Use as journal prompts or assignments
18. The Kindness Witness. "Write about a time you were kind to someone and no one saw you do it. How did it feel?" Connects to: the central integrity theme of the story. Some of the best writing I've ever read from a 7-year-old came from this prompt.
19. Your Own Magic Coach. "If a Fairy Godmother showed up and could turn ONE thing in your house into something magical, what would it be? What would it become? Why?" Connects to: the theme that magic works with what's already there.
20. The Next Chapter. "Cinderella's story ends at the wedding. What happens next? Write what you think her first day as a princess looks like. What does she do? Who does she help?" Connects to: imagination and identifying what kids think the lesson of the story actually is. (You can tell what they've absorbed by what they have her do next.)
Free Printable Activity Pack
Get the Free Cinderella Activity Pack
Printable templates for half the activities in this guide — glass slipper, mouse puppets, story-sequencing cards, character-traits worksheet, journal prompts. Plus the 25 Cinderella discussion questions and all 3 Millie Magnus discussion guides as a bonus. No spam.
Already used by teachers in 200+ schools nationwide
How to Pair Activities With the Book
The activities work best when paired with a read-aloud of Walt Disney's Cinderella: 75th Anniversary Edition. Here's a sample lesson plan I've seen teachers use:
Day 1 (Read & Crafts): Read the book aloud. Do Activity 2 (Mouse Finger Puppets). Discuss why Cinderella was kind to the mice when no one was watching.
Day 2 (Themes & Writing): Re-read the kitchen and ball scenes. Do Activity 18 (The Kindness Witness writing prompt). Share aloud with willing students.
Day 3 (Symbols & STEM): Re-read the slipper scenes. Do Activity 14 (Design Your Own Glass Slipper). Discuss why glass — what it lets you see.
Day 4 (Multicultural): Read Yeh-Shen or Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters aloud. Do Activity 11 (Venn Diagram). Discuss universals.
Day 5 (Wrap): Use the 25 questions in Cinderella Discussion Questions for Kids as a closing whole-class discussion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Cinderella activities for kids?+
The best Cinderella activities are the ones that connect to a specific theme or symbol in the story — not generic "princess crafts." Glass slipper decorating teaches the symbolism of the slipper. Mouse puppet-making connects to the integrity theme. Writing "kindness when no one is watching" journals lands the central lesson. Compare-and-contrast activities pairing Cinderella with multicultural variants (Yeh-Shen, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters) build literary thinking. The 20 activities in this guide are organized by category — crafts, games, classroom, party, writing — so you can mix and match.
What are good Cinderella crafts for preschoolers?+
For preschoolers (ages 3–5), the best Cinderella crafts are ones that don't require fine-motor precision: glass slipper templates to color, paper-plate Fairy Godmother masks with star wand, simple mouse finger puppets from felt, and pumpkin-coach paint with whole-pumpkin stamping. Avoid anything with small beads or sequins for this age. The goal at this stage is touch-it-and-make-it sensory engagement with the story, not perfectly executed crafts.
What Cinderella activities can teachers use in the classroom?+
Strong Cinderella classroom activities include: a compare-and-contrast Venn diagram between the Disney version and a multicultural variant (Yeh-Shen, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters); a "kindness witness" journal where students write about a time they were kind when no one saw; a character-traits sorting activity using the stepfamily and Cinderella; a "design your own glass slipper" STEM challenge involving clear plastic shaping; and a story-sequencing activity using event cards. The free printable pack at the bottom of this article includes templates for several of these.
Are there free printable Cinderella activities?+
Yes — Brittany Mazique offers a free printable Cinderella activity pack that includes a glass slipper coloring page, mouse puppet template, character-traits sorting worksheet, story-sequencing cards, a kindness journal prompt, and a compare-and-contrast template for pairing Cinderella with multicultural variants. The pack is delivered by email along with the three Millie Magnus chapter book discussion guides as a bonus. Sign up on the educator resources page or via the form in this article.
What are some Cinderella party games?+
Cinderella-themed party games that work well for ages 4–8 include: Find the Glass Slipper (a hide-and-seek with a single decorated "slipper" hidden around the room), Pin the Tail on the Mouse, Pumpkin Coach Relay (rolling small pumpkins or orange balls between teams), Midnight Freeze Dance (kids dance until the music stops at "midnight" and have to freeze), and Fairy Godmother Says (Cinderella-themed Simon Says). Each of these connects to a specific story moment, which deepens the play.
How do you teach Cinderella to a kindergarten class?+
For a kindergarten unit, plan three days. Day 1: read the story aloud (the 75th Anniversary Edition works well for this age) and do a simple character-naming circle. Day 2: focus on the "kindness" theme — read the mouse scenes again and make mouse finger puppets while talking about why Cinderella was kind to them. Day 3: pair with a multicultural variant (Yeh-Shen is a great pick) and do a simple "same/different" chart. The 25 discussion questions in our companion guide give you specific prompts at every step.
More Reading Guides from Brittany
If this activity guide was useful, here are companion pieces from a Disney author and mom of two:
- Cinderella Discussion Questions for Kids — twenty-five classroom-tested questions to use after reading.
- Themes & Symbolism in Cinderella — what each symbol in the activities actually means in the story.
- Multicultural Cinderella Stories from Around the World — the variants for the compare-and-contrast activities.
- What Cinderella Teaches Kids: 7 Lessons from the 75th Anniversary Author — the values essay.
- Why I Wrote Disney's Cinderella for the 75th Anniversary — behind-the-scenes context for the read-aloud.
About the Author
Brittany Mazique
Brittany Mazique is the children's book author of Walt Disney's Cinderella: 75th Anniversary Edition, The Little Mermaid: Adventures on Land, and Tiana / Snow White for Disney Press, and the creator of the acclaimed Millie Magnus chapter book series. Her discussion guides and activity packs are classroom-tested in schools nationwide. She lives outside Washington, D.C. with her husband and two daughters, Millie and Margaux.
One more thing. If your kids loved these activities, the Millie Magnus chapter book series is the natural next step — same author, same values, in chapter book form. Each book comes with its own activity guide and discussion guide. Book 3 is on pre-order for September 2026.