Wimbledon in the Woods

Teaching Kids Sportsmanship Through Tennis

🧠 For Educators and Parents:
This week, we’re celebrating friendly competition with a tennis tournament like no other — the Magical Woodland Wimbledon! This story highlights the importance of sportsmanship, resilience, and how we can support our friends, even when we’re not always the winner. It’s a fun way to teach children that while winning is good, winning isn’t everything.

📖 Story Section:

🌳 The Magical Woodland Wimbledon 🎾

The day of the tournament had arrived, and the animals gathered in the clearing for the Magical Woodland Wimbledon! The excitement was palpable, and the air buzzed with anticipation. Just like the big Wimbledon matches on TV, the woodland players were ready to give it their all.

Ella vs. Toby in the first semi-final began with a fierce rally. Toby had been practicing his serves all week, but when the game started, he found himself getting nervous. Every time he missed, his face fell a little. Ella noticed this and smiled gently. She knew her little brother was trying his best, and she had a plan to help him feel good about the game — no matter the result.

She hit the ball back gently, making sure Toby had every chance to score. When Toby made a perfect shot, Ella cheered. “Well done, Toby! You’ve got it!” In the end, she let Toby win the game without telling him. His eyes lit up when he realized he had won, and he jumped up, full of excitement. “I did it, Ella! I won!”

Ella beamed, “You did great, Toby!” She hugged him, proud of how hard he tried.

Next came the semi-final between Pip and Fergus.

Pip the Squirrel, quick and clever, darted around the court, his tail bouncing behind him. He was small but full of energy, always looking for ways to outwit his opponent.

Fergus the Fox, on the other hand, was strong and determined, his quick reflexes matching his confidence. From the start, it was clear that Fergus’s strength would be tough for Pip to match. With each powerful serve, the ball zipped across the net, making Pip scramble to keep up. “I’m not sure I can win this one!” Pip laughed, panting. But even though Fergus won the game, he made sure to encourage Pip. “You played really well, Pip! Don’t worry, next time it’ll be your turn to win!”

As the sun began to dip lower in the sky, the final game started — Fergus vs. Toby. The crowd of woodland creatures cheered from their makeshift log stands, just like the fans at Wimbledon. The game was fast and thrilling, with Toby matching Fergus’s power with his own quick feet. “Just like the real Wimbledon!” Toby thought, his heart racing with excitement. He could almost hear the crowd on the TV in his mind. The ball flew over the net in rapid exchanges, each point met with cheers from the animal spectators.

The game seemed evenly matched, but as the sky grew darker and darker, the umpire blew the whistle. “It’s too dark to finish the game,” the umpire called, much to the disappointment of the players and spectators. Toby looked up at the sky, feeling a little sad. He was enjoying the game, but he also understood. “Maybe tomorrow we can finish it,” he said, trying to smile.

Fergus, seeing the disappointment in Toby’s eyes, placed a paw on his shoulder. “You did great, Toby,” he said kindly. “We’ll finish it next time.” The umpire called the game a draw, and the animals clapped in appreciation. The fun was in the play, not the final score.

Have you ever played a game where the fun of the game was more important than the result?

🎨 Activity Section:

Tennis in the Clearing!

Let’s get into the Wimbledon spirit going with a fun tennis-themed activity!

• Colour the big Game! 🖍️
  In the image below, you’ll see the exciting game between Ella and Toby! Colour in the scene and make it as bright as the sun in the clearing!
• Design Your Own Tennis Kit! 🎨
  When you've finished the game design your kit in your favourite colours with stripes, polka dots or anything you like!

Teachers can use this activity to discuss what it means to be a good sport, both in victory and defeat.  Download A4 Printable Here

📚 Closing

Stay tuned for more adventures in Feather’s Forest! In the future posts, we’ll explore how kindness and teamwork can make everything we do more fun.

And if you're tuning into Wimbledon this weekend, enjoy the matches — and maybe a portion of strawberries and cream too!

"Featured characters appear in the Andrew the Pen Maker illustrated book series, bringing fun woodland adventures and valuable life lessons."