Tis a playing day, I see. How now, Sir Hugh, no school today?
— The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act 4 Scene 1
National Theatre: Play in a Box
National Theatre, illustrated by Hui Skipp
This super box set contains everything you need to put on your own show at home! Inspiration for the plot, suggestions for characters, ideas for settings, expert tips on makeup, costumes and staging, along with a programme and tickets to colour in, add up to hours of fun for young actors and directors everywhere.
Escape to Shakespeare’s World: A Colouring Book Adventure
Illustrated by Good Wives and Warriors
This lovely book is filled with well-known quotations from Shakespeare and has beautiful, intricate illustrations to colour in. Soothing and pleasing, this is perfect for older children and adults alike.
Will Shakespeare Collection
Encourage your budding Shakespeares with our exclusive collection containing everything an aspiring writer or artist needs! Pencils, an eraser, a notebook, a tin of pencil crayons and a handy bag to keep it all in will help to inspire creativity at home or on the go.
Pop-Up Shakespeare
Reed Martin & Austin Tichenor, illustrated by Jennie Maizels
This hugely entertaining book is packed full of foldouts, flaps to lift and fun facts! Lively illustrations, intriguing commentaries and dramatic pop-ups make for an engaging and interactive experience, and the short, witty play summaries neatly capture both the plot and the play’s enduring appeal. Perfect for older children, the book combines humour, fun and play with light touch learning.
Known for over twenty five years as the books that contain all the frightful facts you don’t get taught at school, why not try Terry Deary’s Horrible Histories series as an antidote to homeschooling? Combining illustrations, quizzes, games, humour and fun facts, each book highlights the quirkier side of history. If your children would like to discover why Henry VIII thought he’d married a horse in Terrible Tudors, or take a tour of spooky Sheep Street in Gruesome Guides: Stratford upon Avon the Horrible Histories series is a great place to start.
This relatively simple game of strategy, popular since Roman times, was played throughout the medieval and Tudor periods and is even mentioned in Shakespeare. Two players alternately place men one at a time on the board, trying to create rows of three while preventing their opponent from doing so. This lovely set contains a folded playing board, nine white and nine black counters and full instructions on how to play. With a game lasting anywhere between ten minutes and an hour, this is sure to entertain and absorb.
For children's books and more ideas to keep you entertained, explore the Shakespeare shop online.