Dragon's Treasure Hunt
Alphabet Quest, Thebes Building Challenge, and more games!
Dear Classical KIDS,
The ancient myth of Cadmus is a great one... filled with fantastic and fascinating characters, awesome heroes and monsters, and of course dragon teeth!
We recently told this important founding legend, so now it’s time to review it the fun way... with games! Please check out some massively mythology games inspired by the story of Cadmus, who is known for founding the city of Thebes, his adventures with dragons and the invention of the alphabet.
These games not only teach kids about Greek mythology but also promote teamwork, creativity, and active engagement.
First, if you didn’t get a chance to read the Cadmus myth, you can do so here:
Now, onto a treasure hunt, alphabet quest, building challenge and more, below.
Have a gander and let us know which ones you enjoyed the most!
All the best,
Anya Leonard
Founder and Director
Classical Wisdom
1. Dragon's Treasure Hunt
After Cadmus killed the dragon, he took the dragon’s teeth and sowed them in the earth...and now it’s time for the kids to find them!
Objective: Find hidden "dragon's teeth" (small stones or paper cutouts).
Setup: Before the game, hide the "dragon's teeth" around a designated area.
Gameplay: Kids can work in teams or individually to find as many teeth as they can within a set time. Each tooth can represent a point or be exchanged for small prizes.
Alternative version: When kids find a “dragon’s tooth” they have to ‘fight’ for it by answering a question from the teacher/parent. This represents the ‘Sparti’ or armed warriors that sprang up from the sown teeth and began fighting. This is a good time to ‘drill’ whatever they are learning, such as times tables, planets, spelling words, etc.
2. Alphabet Quest
Cadmus is often associated with the introduction of the Phoenician alphabet to the Greeks. According to legend, he brought the alphabet to Greece after his journey to find his sister Europa. While he didn't create the alphabet himself, his role in its introduction significantly influenced Greek writing and language development.
Objective: Create words using letters representing Cadmus' contribution to the alphabet.
Setup: Provide kids with letters (cutouts, magnetic letters, scrabble tiles).
Gameplay: Kids must race to create as many words as possible within a time limit. You could also turn this into a relay race where each child must run back with one letter at a time to build a word together.
3. Thebes Building Challenge
Cadmus is most famous for being the founder of Thebes, a great and important city in the ancient world. He, along with the five Sparti, built the citadel or tower, which can still be seen today.
Objective: Recreate the city of Thebes using building materials.
Setup: Provide blocks, LEGO bricks, or recycled materials, such toilet paper rolls, boxes, paper, etc.
Gameplay: Kids work in teams to build their interpretation of Thebes. They can present their creations and explain what parts of the myth they included, promoting creativity and storytelling.
Frida built a mini-Thebes for her hamster, Peanut, the newest member of the family:
4. Cadmus and the Dragon Race
Like many great heroes from mythology, the story begins with slaying a dragon. Let your kiddos be the hero/heroine by battling the beast and winning the day!
Objective: A relay race where participants pretend to battle a dragon.
Setup: Set up a relay course with obstacles representing challenges Cadmus faced.
Gameplay: Kids take turns racing through the course, completing tasks (like "defeating a dragon" by tossing a ball into a bucket) before tagging the next teammate. The first team to finish wins!
5. Mythical Charades
This is a good opportunity to read out the story and see what the youth(s) remember, so they can reenact the events.
Objective: Act out different scenes from the myth of Cadmus without speaking.
Setup: Write various scenes or characters from the myth on slips of paper.
Gameplay: Kids take turns drawing a slip and acting it out while others guess what it is. This helps with understanding the story and encourages imagination.
Which game did you like most? Let us know your favorite and leave a comment below!