Read the story of "Beauty and the Beast" with your children. While reading, discuss whether the Beast is a good character or a bad one. For older children, discuss the symbolism behind the rose. Question children about the moral of the story, and why it is important not to judge someone based on their appearance. Ask children questions throughout the story in order to cement the concepts into their minds and cause them to begin to think critically about the story. For example, why did Beauty choose to come back to the Beast while his life was in danger?
Once you have read the story with your children, ask them to come up with some descriptive words that describe each character. Create a chart on a piece of paper with a column for each person in the story. Draw lines for each word. Challenge kids to come up with at least five words that portray the characters. If possible, ask them to find adjectives within the story. Have each child read her list out loud and see whether the rest of the kids agree with her descriptive words.
Once you have read the story and covered the descriptions of each character, challenge students to come up with their own interpretation of the story and its moral by writing a new tale. Ask older children to gather a few friends and perform their story in front of the class or your family. It is important that each interpretation gets across the general message of the story, but it can be set wherever the child desires. For example, a creative child may place the story in the future, where the Beast is a space alien inviting Beauty into his ship.
Another way to keep children entertained while still teaching them the story of the Beauty and her Beast is to have them write journal entries from the point of view of one of the characters. Girls may write the trials and tribulations that Beauty endures in the home of the Beast, homesick for her family yet beginning to fall in love with the gentle monster. Young men may take on the persona of the Beast, trapped in his own body and enchanted by the beauty of the girl that has been thrust into his life. More creative children could take on the challenge of writing from the point of view of a lesser character, such as Beauty's father or one of her sisters. Once the entries are finished, bind them together into a book, and have children decorate the covers with pictures of Beauty and her Beast using markers, stickers or crayons.