April 23 marks the day of Shakespeare’s birth, 460 years ago. This year, bring your students together to celebrate this special day! You will be in good company: Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford-Upon-Avon, is holding a weekend of events; and the Folger Shakespeare Library have shared a range of excellent ideas to help you pay tribute to the Bard.
This is also a great opportunity to explore the resources that we have compiled here at Shakespeare For Our Children. You can find theatre games and excerpts from plays like Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Hamlet. Perhaps you would like to learn more about Shakespeare’s very first trip to see a play or his life in London, or to browse through beautiful images from the Folger digital image collection. (The illustration above, depicting Shakespeare’s merry characters, comes from that site!) Whatever approach you wish to take, there’s something here for everyone.
Of course, we believe in celebrating Shakespeare every day of the year! But it is especially magical to reflect on his life and legacy in solidarity with Shakespeare lovers around the world. Happy Birthday, Shakespeare!