Sam's Kingdom

Author: Master Masons

  • The Pharaoh Beneath the Pyramid

    Mira had spent all summer repairing the steps of the pyramid. She knew every chipped corner, so she noticed at once when the lowest step shifted overnight. In the gap was a clay tablet, small enough to slip into her pocket. It bore the seal of a pharaoh whose name had been scraped from the old maps.

    The tablet told a story about a ruler who stored the grain for an entire valley. When the rains failed, his subjects came to the pyramid for food. The Pharaoh opened the granaries, then sealed himself below with the last of the seed grain. He made the temple guards promise to wake him when the river returned.

    It returned the following spring. The guards were gone by then, and the door had settled too deep for anyone to lift. Centuries later, when Mira fitted the tablet into a hollow in the stair, she heard a heavy tread below. Then came a voice as dry as the stone. “Who has come for the harvest?”

    Play it in Minecraft. Head to the pyramid and look for the route down to the Pharaoh’s chamber. Bring food and armour, and leave yourself room to move when he winds up for a slam.

    Server mc.samskingdom.com

  • The Blue Door in the Sand

    A Stargate-inspired adventure is now open in Sam’s Kingdom. Find the gate in the desert, dial the correct address and step through a blue wormhole. On the other side, a puzzle chamber stands between you and the way home.

    When the Kingdom’s explorers first discovered the great stone ring, they found a small dialling console beside it. The console had seven lettered buttons. After studying the markings, the explorers worked out an address and entered it in the correct order.

    The ring roared into life. Blue light spread across its centre, forming a shimmering surface like a pool of water standing upright. The expedition’s scout took a breath and stepped through.

    A moment later, he was standing inside a sealed chamber. There was a locked door ahead of him, but no open gate to take him straight back. He would have to solve the chamber’s challenge before he could leave.

    He began searching the walls. Each one held a plaque and a button, with a light nearby. The clues gave him something to work on, and he moved around the room, examining each wall carefully.

    When he completed the challenge, the locked doorway opened. Beyond it stood a second Stargate—the route home. He stepped through and emerged beside the desert gate, where the rest of the expedition was waiting.

    Now the gate is ready for the Kingdom’s next explorers. Can you work out the address, complete the chamber challenge and make it back?

    Try the adventure. Join our Minecraft server at mc.samskingdom.com and find the desert Stargate near X −1386, Z −1746. Use the seven lettered buttons to dial it. Once inside the chamber, search all four walls for the plaques and buttons. Completing the challenge opens the doorway to the return gate.

    Visit the Minecraft server website

  • The Cloud Giant and the Goose That Got Away

    Jack climbed the beanstalk to find a goose. Its owner, the Cloud Giant, had borrowed it to keep him company through the winter. He’d promised to return it at the first thaw. By midsummer, the goose’s keeper had sent three letters up the stalk and received three feathers in reply.

    The climb took Jack most of the morning. Near the top, he found the last letter snagged on a leaf. The Giant had written on the back in letters so large he’d run out of room. “She can leave whenever she wants. She’s waiting for her egg to hatch.”

    Inside the castle, the goose was asleep on a bale of hay. The Giant stood in the courtyard, stamping at the cracks in the floor. With each stomp, the castle sank a little closer to the top of the stalk. Jack put the goose under one arm and ran for the ladder. The egg was still in the Giant’s keeping. It’s there for the next climber to win.

    Play it in Minecraft. Climb the beanstalk to Cloud Castle near X −318, Z 142. The Giant appears on his own and returns 20 minutes after a defeat. Each player can claim two kills. Look for the Slayer Wall on the east side of the courtyard.

    Server mc.samskingdom.com

  • The Tidewarden’s Last Watch

    Every spring the harbour children made little boats from driftwood and raced them on the outgoing tide. One year, when the last boat caught in the reeds, a girl named Ada waded in after it. A hand rose from the water and placed it back on the current. She saw a green coat, a bronze buckle and a face that had been underwater a very long time.

    The harbour master had heard of the Tidewarden. Long ago, he had kept a lantern burning at the mouth of the harbour so the fishing boats could find their way home. On the night his own boat went down, the lantern was still burning when the sun came up. Since then, anyone passing the old watch at low tide could hear him counting the boats.

    Ada carved a tiny lantern on the prow of her driftwood boat and sent it out the following spring. It came back with a little salt on the deck and a new notch in the wood. Someone on the far side of the water was keeping score.

    Play it in Minecraft. Find the Tidewarden’s arena and bring a friend for the fight. Look for the Slayer Wall around X −1424, Z −834. It records players who land the killing blow.

    Server mc.samskingdom.com

  • Create a Kingdom Character in Twenty Minutes

    A kingdom becomes interesting when someone lives in it. A grand castle is a setting; a tired dragon who looks after its library gives you the beginning of a story. You can invent that sort of character with paper, a pencil and a few playful questions.

    This activity is for making your own fictional character. You do not need to be good at drawing, and the finished picture can be a collection of shapes, a spoken description or a name written in the middle of a page.

    First five minutes: choose an ordinary job

    Start with something your character does every day. Perhaps they mend banners, deliver bread, look after a garden or keep the castle clock running. An ordinary job gives them somewhere to go and something to care about.

    Now add one unexpected detail. The gardener might be a giant who grows tiny flowers. The messenger could be a tortoise who always arrives with wonderfully detailed directions. Choose a detail that suggests a story rather than adding a long list of powers.

    Next five minutes: draw three useful clues

    Give your character three visible details: something they wear, something they carry and something that shows their personality. A patched coat, an enormous key and a shy smile tell us more than a perfect portrait.

    Keep the drawing loose. If drawing feels difficult, use three labelled circles or ask someone to draw while you describe. A shared character can have a designer, a name-maker and a storyteller.

    Next five minutes: give them a small problem

    Choose a problem that can happen in a single afternoon. The clock has stopped before the feast. A delivery has gone to the wrong tower. The library dragon cannot find the book everyone wants to borrow.

    Ask what your character would try first. Then make that first attempt go slightly wrong. Perhaps the key fits a different door, or the helpful friend has misunderstood the message. A small complication creates room for the character to make another choice.

    Final five minutes: tell the adventure

    Use three sentences to begin: “Every day, my character…”; “But today…”; “So they decided…”. Continue with a drawing, a conversation or a short written scene. There is no need to finish the whole story at once.

    Let the character solve the problem in a way connected to their ordinary job. A baker may notice a trail of flour, while a gardener spots that a moved flowerpot is hiding something. Their usefulness does not have to depend on being the strongest person in the kingdom.

    Make it a family character collection

    Put each character on a separate page and ask how they know one another. Who lives next door? Who borrows tools? Who would ask for help rather than offering it? A few connections turn separate drawings into a little community.

    Keep names and details fictional, especially if you share the pictures online. Ask permission before posting another person’s work and avoid including children’s identifying information.

    For more inspiration, visit Meet the Characters, explore the free Kingdom activities or browse the Kingdom Chronicle. Your next adventure can begin with someone wonderfully ordinary doing something unexpected.

  • Make time for a family colouring quest

    A family activity does not have to involve tickets, travelling or a long shopping list. Put some paper and colouring materials on the table and you have the beginnings of a shared adventure.

    This simple Sam’s Kingdom activity is designed for mixed ages. Everyone can take part in a different way, and nobody needs to be “good at art”. Set aside a little time that suits your household, with no requirement to finish.

    Choose your kingdom together

    Start with a question: “If we built a kingdom together, what would it be like?” It might have a library guarded by a dragon, a forest of enormous flowers or a castle where the dogs are in charge. Write down the ideas or let someone draw the first landmark.

    Use one large sheet for a shared map, or give each person their own page. Separate pages can work better when people have different ideas or prefer more space.

    Give everyone a part they enjoy

    • A younger child might choose colours or make broad marks for grass and sky.
    • Someone who enjoys detail could design a gate, a coat of arms or a patterned roof.
    • A storyteller can name the characters and describe what happens next.
    • An adult can draw alongside the family or write down a story that someone dictates.

    These roles are suggestions, not rules. Ask before adding to another person’s picture. Joining in can mean watching and chatting rather than drawing.

    Make conversation easy

    A shared picture gives you something to talk about without needing a long list of questions. Try “I wonder who lives here” or “What should we call this place?” Then allow time for an answer. Silence is welcome too; some people prefer simply working alongside each other.

    If someone dislikes a mark they have made, offer choices: turn it into something else, try a fresh sheet or carry on. You do not need to fix their picture for them.

    Finish with a tiny exhibition

    Invite each person to share one detail they like, if they wish. Ask permission before displaying or sharing their work. A folder for unfinished pictures can make it easy to return to the kingdom another day.

    You could add a new landmark next week, invent a short story about a character or swap between colouring, building and outdoor adventures. The activity can grow with your family’s interests.

    Keep it comfortable and manageable

    Choose suitable materials, leave enough elbow room and make stopping easy. A short, pleasant session is enough. The aim is time spent making and imagining together, rather than a perfect display or another task to complete.

    For more family play ideas, explore UNICEF Parenting’s Playbox. For an introduction to colouring and mark making, read Why colouring deserves a place in your child’s day.

  • Small adventures, big ideas: the value of imaginative play

    A cushion becomes a castle wall. A drawing becomes a treasure map. A cardboard box becomes a dragon’s home. Imaginative play gives children room to ask “what if?” and try out their own ideas using ordinary things.

    You do not need an elaborate set or a full afternoon. A small invitation can be enough to start an adventure, and your child can decide where it goes.

    What children can explore through play

    UNICEF’s guidance on early childhood play describes opportunities to practise problem solving, communication and creative expression. A make-believe adventure offers everyday ways to explore these: deciding how a character crosses a river, explaining a plan or changing the story when something unexpected happens.

    These are opportunities, rather than guaranteed results from any particular toy or game. The activity should still be enjoyable in its own right.

    Begin with a problem worth imagining

    Try this Sam’s Kingdom story starter: “A friendly dragon has lost the way home. What could we make to help?” Offer paper and crayons, or let your child use suitable toys they already have. They might draw a signpost, build a shelter or invent a flying guide. There is no answer sheet.

    If they want a little help, ask one question at a time. “Where does the dragon live?” usually leaves more space for an idea than giving them a complete plot to follow.

    Share the story without taking charge

    Let your child choose your role. You might be the traveller asking for directions or the keeper of a very sleepy dragon. Follow their lead where possible. If several people are playing, help them agree how to share materials and make space for each person’s suggestion.

    A child who prefers watching, drawing or narrating can join in that way. Pretending with voices or dressing up is optional.

    Three easy kingdom adventures

    • The missing flag: design a new flag and explain what its colours mean.
    • The bridge challenge: use age-appropriate building toys to make a crossing for a toy character. What could you change if it falls?
    • The kind knight: invent a quest solved by helping someone rather than fighting.

    Leave room for their ending

    The treasure may turn out to be biscuits, the dragon may become the mayor and the knight may decide to open a bakery. Changing direction is part of making a story together. You can ask whether your child would like to draw the ending or return to it another day.

    Choose safe materials and a comfortable space. The most useful starting point is often simple: a little attention, a few familiar objects and permission to imagine.

    Further reading: UNICEF Parenting: The science of play.

  • Why colouring deserves a place in your child’s day

    A dragon can be green, purple or every colour in the pencil tin. That small freedom is part of what makes colouring enjoyable: children get to make something their own, with no score to beat and no single correct answer.

    At Sam’s Kingdom, a colouring page is an invitation to explore. Here are some ways to make the most of it at home, whether your child enjoys a few bold marks or a page full of tiny details.

    A chance to practise making marks

    Moving a crayon across paper gives children practice with the movements involved in drawing and pencil control. NHS children’s services describe mark making as part of the preparation for writing and encourage time for scribbling, colouring and exploring colour. This is practice through enjoyment, rather than a race to produce neat handwriting.

    Let the colours belong to the child

    Try offering a choice of pictures and letting your child decide where to begin. A pink castle or a rainbow knight can be the start of a story. Instead of correcting an unexpected colour, ask an open question such as, “What happens in this castle?” They may have an explanation, or they may simply like pink. Both are fine.

    Make the activity fit the moment

    For a child who enjoys sweeping movements, choose a picture with large spaces or offer blank paper. Someone who likes detail might prefer patterns, textures or a more intricate scene. Age labels can be a starting point, but interest and comfort matter too. A simpler page is always a valid choice.

    Keep materials within easy reach, protect the table and choose age-appropriate supplies. If your child wants to stop after a few minutes, leave the page for another day. Finishing every space is not the purpose.

    Try a royal colour quest

    1. Choose a character and give them a name.
    2. Pick three colours for their kingdom.
    3. Add one new detail: a flag, a pet or a secret doorway.
    4. Invite your child to tell you about it, if they want to.

    Notice the choices, not just the neatness

    “You tried two different blues” notices an experiment. “Tell me about that dragon” invites conversation. You can also sit alongside and colour your own picture, without taking over theirs. The page does not need to become a competition or a lesson.

    A few crayons and an interesting picture are enough to begin. Leave room for scribbles, changing plans and unfinished adventures: those can belong in a creative kingdom too.

    Further reading: NHS children’s health: Getting ready to write.

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