Make your own Ming Dynasty plate for a fun and educational ancient China activity. Also, look at my post Free Ancient China Lapbook for Kids Who Love Hands-on History.
This hands-on history craft leaves a lasting impression and makes for a wonderful keepsake of your study.
The blue and white porcelain is from the Yuan Dynasty.
It is attributed to the Ming Dynasty because it was during the Ming Dynasty period that it started coming to Europe and gained popularity.
Popular designs and motifs were Chinese characters, dragons, pagodas, fish, birds, botanical, and waves.
Ming China was not the first or the highest in quality and design.
However, it holds as one of the most significant milestones in ceramic history because it was during this dynasty that China dramatically improved its ceramic technology.
The blue and white coloration is the most popular and identifiable.
Ming Dynasty was a period of imperial China which existed from 1368 to 1644. It was a hereditary monarchy that was dominated by a single family.
Many achievements were made during the Ming Dynasty.
For example, doubling its population, refurbishing the Great Wall to its greatest glory and large naval expeditions.
Also, there was robust maritime trade, the production of beautiful porcelains, paintings, and textiles.
In the last century the dynasty was plagued with crop failures, monetary instability, and corruption in the courts.
That allowed it to be overthrown by a combined effort of Wu Sangui and the Manchu Prince Dorgon.
This is just one of the fascinating ancient dynasties that you can learn more about.
Research rulers and the contributions each made to their time.
Books About China For Kids
Next, along with this hands-on ancient China activity, look at some of these living books.
I like to add living books to our day then reference books too.
12 Books & Resources For Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read to About Ancient China
Add some of these books to your home library about Ancient China. Also, use them for a homeschool unit study.
In the West, legendary explorers like Christopher Columbus, Ernest Shackleton and Sir Edmund Hillary are a recognized part of our history. But in China, that legend belongs to the great explorer Zheng He (1371–1433), who lived during China's renowned Ming Dynasty. Zheng He, the Great Chinese Explorer is a bilingual (English and Chinese) tale of his adventures.
When he was a child, Zheng He dreamed of foreign lands, his imagination was inspired by the travels of his father and grandfather and the wonderful items they brought back from trading trips to the West. A simple but exotic porcelain vase in cobalt, a color not found in China at the time, drove Zheng He to discover the origins of this unique color—and become one of the most famous explorers in China's history.
Eighty years before Columbus, China sent ships to explore the world.The Chinese discovered many marvelous things, but one discovery stood out above the others: the chee-lin.This chee-lin was just a giraffe, but to the Chinese it was an omen of good fortune so rare that it had appeared only once before—at the birth of Confucius.
A Time Magazine 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time selection!A Reader’s Digest Best Children’s Book of All Time!This stunning fantasy inspired by Chinese folklore is a companion novel to Starry River of the Sky and the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award finalist When the Sea Turned to SilverIn the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.Grace Lin, author of the beloved Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat returns with a wondrous story of adventure, faith, and friendship. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Her beautiful illustrations, printed in full-color, accompany the text throughout. Once again, she has created a charming, engaging book for young readers.
Ancient China has a long history of scientific excellence. Learn more about some of China’s greatest scientific wonders and the scientists who studied them. Features stories about astronomy, seismology, mathematics, calendar-making, and geography.
Clever Chuan devises a simple way for his father to quickly and accurately count all the warlord's treasure.
The classic picture book about five clever brothers, each with a different extraordinary ability, has been in print for almost 80 years."An original nonsense tale told with...spirit and gusto." -- The Horn Book
Angela FIsher's The Great Wall is an "awe-inspiring, impressive, black and gray illustrations set the tone for this history of the building of the Great Wall of China." (School Library Journal)
No one can deny the appeal of the book's hero, Ping, the spirited little duck who lives on a boat on the Yangtze River. Ping's misadventures one night while exploring the world around his home form the basis of this timeless classic, which is brought to life by Kurt Wiese's warm and poignant illustrations.
Serving as the seat of imperial power for six centuries, the Forbidden City is one of China's most famous and enigmatic landmarks. Accompanied by a mischievous cat, readers will tour this colossal architectural structure, discovering the secrets hidden inside the palace walls. They will encounter the people who have walked through its halls and gardens, including emperors, empresses, and rebel leaders, and hear exciting tales about the power struggles and intrigues of everyday life.This large format book conveys the grandeur of the Forbidden City through highly detailed line drawings of its buildings, gardens, and courtyards with numerous fold-out spreads. Each page is populated by a large variety of characters and peppered with entertaining anecdotes. Every book includes a plastic magnifying glass for looking at the drawings more closely."Readers receive a lavish tour of the Forbidden City, once home to Chinese emperors and now a museum, courtesy of Chiu and the Design and Cultural Studies Workshop, which he founded. Delicate line drawings highlight the architectural intricacies of the nearly 178-acre complex (several foldout spreads emphasize its size) while Chiu examines the Ming and Qing dynasties in thorough detail, along with major events in the palace's history. (In one foldout scene, 24 emperors offer pithy, even brusque notes on their reigns — "I was entirely unaccomplished," says Emperor Longqing.) A magnifying glass is wisely included to help readers appreciate the wealth of visual detail." — Publishers Weekly
DID YOU KNOW that China was named after its first emperor – the brilliant, all-powerful emperor who built The Great Wall? In this book, discover why he started building the Wall, how he made China the biggest country on earth, and what treasures he hid in his secret tomb. Find out how he became one of the most important people in the history of China. Read all about the first emperor’s fascinating life in The Emperor Who Built The Great Wall.The simple language and beautiful illustrations make this book a wonderful reader or bedtime story. It is suitable for all ages, but children aged six to twelve years will especially enjoy reading this book.~ About the ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA… Series ~China has a long history, but its many stories are often too complex for children. In this series, Jillian Lin retells China’s best historical tales so they are easy and fun to read. Children will embark on a journey through time where they will get a glimpse inside the colorful lives of famous Chinese figures. Beautiful illustrations, gripping stories, and fascinating facts make these books wonderful readers or bedtime stories for ages six and above. Other titles in this series include:The King Without A Throne (Confucius)The Mountain Man Of Music (Zhu Zaiyu)The Miracle Doctor (Hua Tuo)The Girl Who Became Emperor (Wu Zetian)The Dreamer Of Stars (Zhang Heng)The Greatest Explorer In The World (Zheng He)The Pirate King (Koxinga/Zheng Chenggong)
More than two thousand years ago, with his land under constant attack from nomads, the First Emperor of China came up with a simple solution: build a wall to keep out enemies. It was a wall that kept growing and growing. But its construction came at a huge cost: it is believed that more than a million Chinese died building it, earning the wall its nickname--the longest cemetery on earth. Through the story of the wall, Patricia Brennan Demuth is able to tell the story of China itself, the rise and fall of dynasties, the greatness of its culture, and its present-day status as a Communist world power.
A spectacular and informative guide to the history of the great Chinese empire and the customs and traditions of its people. Stunning real-life photographs and lifelike models offer a unique "eyewitness" view of life in imperial China, from its earliest beginnings in the Bronze Age to its final years in the early 20th century. See the stunning bronze work of the ancient Chinese and the beautiful techniques used for Chinese calligraphy. Learn why the First Emperor created the Terracotta Army, what kinds of goods were carried along the Silk Route, who invented paper, and much, much more.
Activities Resources For Ancient China Unit Study
- Learn the Quick and Easy Ancient Chinese Paper making for Kids and practice writing characters to spell out names or spelling words.
- Before you make your plate, watch Ming Dynasty Pottery For Kids for a quick and easy art lesson.
- Make Bamboo Scrolls like they would have started as far back as the third or fourth century B.C.E.
Find out about Terra Cotta Warriors, these were made in the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE), and were created to protect the kingdom of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.
Finally, look how to make this Ming Dynasty plate.
How To Make a Simple Ming Dynasty Craft
You can use a regular sharpie to make your plate.
However, if you use the sharpie paint markers like I linked below you will get a much richer and longer lasting color.
Also, you can also choose to make a bowl, cup, or vase using the same method as below.
You will need:
- White plate (Dollar Tree)
- Oil based Sharpie markers
- Dry erase marker
- Rubbing alcohol/cloth
- Oven
First, google various pieces of Ming China until you decide on some pattern ideas you like for inspiration.
Or your child can create their own modern version of the popular blue and white porcelain that has been reproduced many times over the years.
Wipe down the plate with rubbing alcohol and a clean cloth to remove any oils and dirt from the plate and then let it dry completely.
Draw your design, if you make a mistake that you can’t or don’t want to work into your design you can color over it completely with a dry erase marker and it will completely wipe away.
You can start along the rim like this repeating simple patterns if you like.
Now fill in the center of your plate with a scene.
Ming porcelain was usually very detailed and full of some sort of designs, so I encouraged as much drawing as possible. We went with a couple of pagodas to make it obvious.
When you are satisfied with your design, place it on a baking sheet in an oven that has been preheated to 350 and bake for 30 minutes before turning it off.
Allow it to sit until completely cooled and then remove it.
These plates are not food safe, but the designs are now permanent and can be used in a display.
