Building Mythical Worlds

Fantasy worlds and mythical creatures go together like peanut butter and jelly! Your world and its creatures can be as wacky or whimsical as you’d like them to be. In this video, you’ll see just how far some filmmakers and writers were willing to go to bring their worlds to life.

Mythical creatures have origins all around the world, and many of them have mixed or "hybrid" animal/human features (like the Centaur, which has the torso of a human and the body of a horse). In this video, you'll learn more about some of the most popular ones.

In Japanese director Hiyao Miyazaki’s beautifully animated worlds, castles grow legs and walk, mountain trolls show up at the bus stop, and creatures of fire use their powers to make breakfast. See how he inspires our imaginations in this short BBC video.

Many myths and legends come from mysteries of nature that were later explained by science. In Ireland, a magical place filled with unusual rock formations led to the legend of an epic fight between giants. Learn more about it—and the real explanation behind it—in this brief video.

Here's a giant tale closer to home: Legend has it that Minnesota's 10,000 lakes formed from the enormous footsteps of the giant Paul Bunyan and his ox. Was he real? And did he really have a giant blue ox named Babe? Find out for yourself in this article from History.com.

Want to get lost in a fantastical world? Here’s a list of some of the best fantasy books that you may be able to borrow from the library or buy at a local bookshop this summer, from our friends at Common Sense Media.

This week, you'll be creating your own legendary land, filled with fantastical creatures and mythical beasts. Start by recreating this "story map" on your own paper. Think about the main details, like where your story will take place, who the hero or heroine is, and what problem they are trying to solve. Don’t worry too much about other characters and creatures right now. You’ll be learning about so many this week and the special powers they have to help your story.

Once you’re all done, grab your construction paper and use your markers or colored pencils to sketch what your world looks like! Here's some inspiration. Think of it as a rough draft to get your imagination working. Later this week, you'll use a larger sheet of paper or poster board to collect creatures and bring your land to life.

Get ready to move your body with the Kids Coach in mythical Unicorn Land. (Just keep clear of those pointy horns.)