Host a Memorable Kids Book Club for All Ages: A Narnia Winter Meetup Inspired by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

There’s something really special about reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis in the winter months. When days are feeling long and dark, and spring still seems so far away, Narnia helps brings joy and hopeful anticipation for what is to come!

Recently, our homeschool book club hosted a Narnia-themed meetup, and it was epic! From the kids acting out the story, to crafting tiny wardrobes, sipping hot cocoa while enjoying Turkish delight and other treats – it was the perfect way for all of us to spend an afternoon together after finishing the book.

If you’re waiting for spring and feeling the winter blues, gather some families, brew some cocoa, and step through the wardrobe together! If you’ve ever wondered how you might host a kids book club centered around Narnia, let me show you exactly how we did it — and give you lots of fun ideas for how you might recreate it with your own group!

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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the Perfect Winter Read-Aloud

Winter in Narnia mirrors the season we’re currently living in — cold, snowy, and waiting for hope: “Always winter, but never Christmas.” Reading this story aloud during the winter months builds anticipation in the same way the Pevensie children wait for Aslan’s return: “Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight…”

It’s ideal for multi-age groups (which our book club community is), because:

Younger kids are captivated by the snowy, dream-like setting and talking animals! Older kids can engage and be inspired by the major themes of courage, sacrifice and redemption, and everyone can appreciate the rich symbolism! If you’d like more ideas or advice on starting your own kids book club, click HERE.

Reusing Our Narnia Birthday Party Decor (Including a Life-Sized Wardrobe!)

Two years ago, we hosted a Narnia birthday party — and I saved everything. I’m so glad I did!

We reused:

• A life-sized wardrobe we made from a refrigerator box (still one of my favorite DIY projects ever!)
• A beautiful photo op of Aslan painted by my mother
• Narnia-themed cupcake toppers
• A bunch of forest-inspired decor

You can also check out my Narnia-Themed Scavenger Hunt, Invitation, Cupcake Toppers , Customizable Banner, Cake Topper, and Party Favor Tags plus more on my Etsy shop! Check out my Narnia birthday party post HERE.

That wardrobe helped to instantly transform our space and gave the kids a dramatic entrance into Narnia as a prop for their performance!

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From Simple Skit Into a Full-Blown Play

Originally, one of my sweet friends (who helps run our book club) suggested the kids act out a short scene. Well…that quickly turned into an all-out performance! She printed a script of the WHOLE story, and before we knew it, rehearsals became scheduled! The kids were so enthusiastic that what had begun as a simple skit turned into about a 20-25 minute production!

My friend hosted two rehearsals at her home where the kids divvied up the roles, they brainstormed their costumes and chose props, and practiced their lines. She even purchased this backdrop setup as a stage which made it feel very official. Just seeing how passionate the kids were about performing let us know this was not just going to be a one-time thing. And oh my goodness — seeing them perform was the sweetest thing ever! We have some serious actors and actresses! I’m so glad we tried this out for the first time with our meetup.

If you’d like to recreate this with your group, I’m attaching our short play script here:

Hosting the Meetup at our Local Library

We usually like to meet outside, but because it’s the middle of winter, we hosted this meetup at our local library. Many libraries offer free activity rooms for members — definitely check with yours!

“Some journeys take us far from home. Some adventures lead us to our destiny.”

We had no idea the room would be filled with winter artwork by local artists, which perfectly complemented our snowy Narnia theme. Such a nice surprise!

Since we had to transport everything (including play props and stage!), I kept the decor super simple:

• Wooden-look plates and paper goods (for a forest feel)
• White plastic tablecloths
• A small faux tree centerpiece (but depending on where you host, you could go as far as setting up a faux Christmas tree! Believe me, I thought about it – but then controlled myself! Sometimes I can get a bit carried away!
• Small Narnia-themed artwork created by one of my kids

It was simple, and as atmospheric as we could make it for a space that was not our own and with extremely limited set-up time! I also brought along a portable cd player and the Narnia soundtrack to have playing lightly in the background.

Narnia-Inspired Snacks & Discussion Time

After the play, we gathered for our discussion and enjoyed our themed snacks. Food always makes everyone happy! This Narnia menu included:

• Turkish Delight (of course!)
• Fresh fruit
• Cupcakes with Narnia toppers
• Cheese, crackers, and sardines
• Hot Teas
• Homemade Hot cocoa in crockpot
• The most adorable Wardrobe and tree-shaped cookies

Ideas for Meaningful Discussion Questions

One of the moms led our discussion time and asked questions that sparked thoughtful and deep dialogue amongst all the kids and parents.

Here are a few you can use with your group:

• Why do you think Edmund believed the White Witch?
• Describe how Lucy felt when she told the other children about her adventure in Narnia and they didn’t believe her. Have you ever felt like that before? 
• What does Aslan’s sacrifice teach us about courage?
• How did each sibling grow throughout the story?
• Why did Edmund not want to tell his older siblings about Narnia at first? Have you ever tried to hide something, but realized after you should have simply told the truth?
• Who does Aslan portray in this story? 
• What was the prophecy about the two Sons of Adam and the two Daughters of Eve?
• What would you hope to find if you opened a magical wardrobe?
• What did Edmund really believe deep down inside about the White Witch? Why do you
• think he still went to her house? Would you have gone?
• How did the children feel when they saw Aslan for the first time and how do you think you would feel?
• When Peter faced his first enemy, how did he feel? Was he able to do what he needed to do despite how he was feeling? Can you think of a time when you may have felt similar about a situation in your own life?
• What did Aslan and the White Witch come to an agreement about? Why do you think Aslan allowed this to happen to him?
• Why do you think the White Witch turned all the good creatures to stone? How did they react to seeing Aslan again? How would you have felt? 
• What were some of the great things the children did as Kings and Queens of Narnia? Describe what are some good things that you would do if you were a King or a Queen.
• What does the word “allegory” mean? How is the storyline of Aslan’s sacrifice an allegory?

Coloring Sheets for All Ages

I always love printing out little coloring sheets for our book clubs. They help to keep little hands busy and support quiet listening during the discussion time. Just print out a bunch and provide washable crayons or markers. Even the older kids love doing them! Here are some great free printable Narnia coloring sheets that I found.

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Kids Presentations

After discussion, we invite the kids to share anything they created inspired by the story. This is always one of my favorite parts of our book clubs!

Our presentations for this meetup included dioramas, paintings, drawings, and legos! We strive to keep things very casual and low-pressure, but it’s still such wonderful practice for public speaking and confidence-building for all the kids!

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Easy Wardrobe Craft

“What would you hope to find if you opened a magical wardrobe?”

This was one of the prompts I gave the kids as they began their little projects of watercoloring a scene for individual wardrobes I had pre-cut out of heavyweight brown card-stock paper. I came up with this craft because I needed something that could be tailored to fit each age category in our book club. We have such a wide range of ages that attend. It worked perfectly! Read instructions below and find links for the specific craft materials that I used.

What You’ll Need:

• Heavyweight brown cardstock
• Pre-cut watercolor paper (approx. 4×6″)
• Craft blade (for cutting wardrobe “doors” ahead of time)
• Glue sticks
• Snowy glitter
• Printed mini lampposts (I made ours in Canva)
• Watercolor Paints (I told everyone to bring their set from home)

Craft Instructions

First, I measured out and sketched a rectangular shape slightly smaller than 4×6″ on my brown cardstock so that the 4×6″ watercolor paper would fit nicely once glued to the back. I then used my Kraft knife to pre-cut small slits in the paper and create wardrobe doors that would bend open. I invested in the thicker paper so it would last and not rip easily.
Kids painted snowy scenes (or anything they imagined discovering in Narnia or anywhere else!) They had the option to draw or paint a lamppost, but I also gave them the option to cutting out and gluing little lampposts that I designed and printed off of Canva.
Once dried, they added snowy glitter for an even more dreamy, wintry effect.
They decorated the outside of their wardrobe doors however they liked, and some even wrote favorite quotes from the book.

The results were absolutely lovely. Each child’s tiny wardrobe opened up into something so unique to them!

“Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen.”

I hope you’ve enjoyed viewing our recent Narnia book club, and maybe feel inspired to host your own! Not only does it encourage deep literary discussion, but it inspires creativity, builds confidence through performance and public speaking, strengthens friendships building lifelong memories, and makes winter feel magical! What could be better?!!!
If you decide to host your own Narnia book club, I would love to hear about it! And don’t forget to check out our Narnia birthday party post for even more inspiration!

Check out all of our past book clubs under the Fern Acres Homeschooling tab. If you’d like more information and advice for starting your own book club community, please click HERE!