Appropriate age group(s):
Any age.

Values taught:
Sharing, teamwork, valuing ideas of others, building community.

Description of technique for teaching kids values:
The basis of this begins with the folk tale of a soldier who pulls a stone from his pack, places it into a pot with water, tastes the "broth" and exclaims to the other hungry people in a village, "This is so very good, but it would be even better if it had _______." And gradually they come together, sharing what they had been hoarding. Things that were good separately were even better when brought together and shared.

Other comments or suggestions:
When I looked up this title, I was amazed at the number of versions of Stone Soup available.

People of all ages can come together and actually share soup, read books, sing songs, sort and box things for the needy...any number of activities can be centered around this popular folk tale.

Tom Chapin has a song based upon Stone Soup in one of his tapes/CD's. The refrain goes "Stone Soup, Stone Soup! We want some of that tasty goop!" Have fun with this, and the values lessons will happen. Kids will have ideas of their own about sharing.