Rainy Day Projects

Dragon Treaty Negotiation Council

Children at this age are ready for pretend play that asks them to hold two competing points of view at once. This activity sets up a formal negotiation between a human kingdom and a dragon, with the child playing an ambassador for each side in turn. It suits children who like stories with moral complexity — neither side is simply right. You end up with a written treaty, a record of the negotiation, and a child who has had to genuinely argue against their own first position.

Ages
8–10
Time
60 min
Adult help
Light adult help
Mess
No mess

Before you start

Set up a table with two chairs facing each other. Place a folded piece of paper in front of each chair as a 'position card' — one reads 'Kingdom of Thornwall' and one reads 'The Dragon Delegate.' Have several sheets of paper and a washable marker available for note-taking and the final treaty. Introduce the setup by explaining that the dragon has been burning village fields, but also that the kingdom has been mining the mountain where the dragon's eggs are kept — so both sides have a real grievance. Write those two facts on a third card labeled 'The Situation.' Then leave the child to move between the two chairs. Check in after about fifteen minutes. The common stall is that children want to just pick a winner; if that happens, ask: 'What would the dragon need in order to stop burning the fields? Is there anything the kingdom could offer?' Wind-down is when the child produces a written treaty — prompt them to read it aloud as if before the whole court.

You will need

  • A table and two chairsFacing each other; the child moves between them
  • PaperAt least six sheets: notes, position cards, final treaty
  • Washable marker or penFor writing position cards and the treaty text
  • A hardcover book or clipboardoptionalAs a writing surface the child can carry between chairs
  • Two different-colored scarves or fabric piecesoptionalOne for each 'side' worn when in that role
  • A wax candle and a thumbtackoptionalAdult presses thumbtack into candle wax as a 'seal' on the treaty — adult-only step

Steps

  1. 1

    Set the scene before they sit down

    Place the two position cards on opposite chairs, the situation card at the center of the table, and a stack of paper and a marker nearby. Say: 'There is a war about to start between Thornwall and the Dragon. You are the only one who can speak for both sides — can you stop it?'

    Tip: Don't over-explain the sides; let the child read the situation card and ask questions.

  2. 2

    Explain how the switching works

    Tell the child that when they sit in the kingdom chair they speak as the ambassador of Thornwall, and when they sit in the dragon chair they speak as the Dragon Delegate. They can move whenever they want. Their job is to take notes for each side, then write a treaty both can accept.

    Tip: If you have two scarves, say each side has its own color — put it on when you switch chairs.

  3. 3

    Play an opposing voice once

    About ten minutes in, sit briefly in whichever chair the child just left and voice that side with one firm objection: 'The dragon will never agree to that — the mountain is her home.' Then stand up and step away. This models how a real negotiation resists, without you taking over.

    Tip: One interruption is enough; after that, the child usually runs both sides confidently.

  4. 4

    Prompt around the stall point

    If the child wants one side to simply win, ask: 'What does the dragon actually need? What would she trade for it?' Then ask the same about the kingdom. This steers toward terms — the raw material of a treaty — rather than a verdict.

    Tip: Write their answers on scrap paper and slide them to the center as 'proposals.'

  5. 5

    Support the treaty draft

    When the child is ready to write the treaty, help them format it: a title at the top, numbered terms, and a space for both parties to 'sign.' If they want to include an impossible term like 'the dragon gives the kingdom all her gold,' ask: 'What would the dragon want in return? Add that line.'

    Tip: The treaty should have at least three terms — two concessions on each side, one shared rule.

  6. 6

    Mark the signing with ceremony

    When the treaty is written, ask the child to stand and read it aloud as if before the whole kingdom and the dragon herself. Applaud once, briefly. If you have a candle and a thumbtack, press the thumbtack into the softened wax on the side of the candle and press the wax mark onto the paper as a seal — do this step yourself.

    Tip: The reading aloud is the payoff; do not skip it.

Try it another way

  • If two children are playing, give one the kingdom role and one the dragon role throughout, so they are genuinely negotiating against each other.
  • Add a third party — a village spokesperson represented by a stuffed animal — whose concerns must also appear somewhere in the treaty terms.
  • For a child who prefers writing to speaking aloud, run the entire negotiation as written notes passed between the two chairs rather than spoken arguments.

What they get out of it

Children practice seeing a disagreement from two sides at once and finding terms that satisfy both — a skill that transfers directly to working things out with friends and siblings.

Take it to the table

Materials checklist, the steps and the variations on one Letter page.

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