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How to Craft Red Slippers Inspired by The Egyptian Cinderella

September 26, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

The Egyptian Cinderella is a great way to introduce children to fairy tales from other cultures and can be used as a base for a gentle study in ancient Egypt. Also, look at my Ancient Civilizations page about Ancient Egypt for more ideas!

Too, look at my page Fun Pharaohs and Queens Ancient Egypt Lapbook and Activities for more ideas.

Most kids know the story of Cinderella, the girl with the glass slipper who becomes a princess. But did you know there’s an Egyptian version of the tale that’s even older than the one we usually hear?

How to Craft Red Slippers Inspired by The Egyptian Cinderella

Shirley Climo’s beautiful picture book, The Egyptian Cinderella, retells the story of a real-life Greek girl named Rhodopis, who lived in Egypt over 2,000 years ago.

This makes it one of the earliest Cinderella stories in the world.

Rhodopis is stolen from her home in Greece and sold as a slave in Egypt. Unlike the other servant girls, she is kind, gentle, and loves animals.

Because she is different, she is often teased.

ANCIENT EGYPT BOOKS FOR KIDS

Next, look at some books about Ancient Egypt before I summarize more of the story and share this fun craft.

17 Ancient Egypt Books & Resources for Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To

Add some of these books to your home library and use them for a day of learning or for unit studies.

Image for The Egypt Game

The Egypt Game

The first time Melanie Ross meets April Hall, she’s not sure they have anything in common. But she soon discovers that they both love anything to do with ancient Egypt. When they stumble upon a deserted storage yard, Melanie and April decide it’s the perfect spot for the Egypt Game. Before long there are six Egyptians, and they all meet to wear costumes, hold ceremonies, and work on their secret code. Everyone thinks it’s just a game until strange things start happening. Has the Egypt Game gone too far?

Image for Tales of Ancient Egypt (Puffin Classics)

Tales of Ancient Egypt (Puffin Classics)

These stories include the great myths - of Amen-Ra, who created all the creatures in the world; of Isis, seaching the waters for her dead husband Osiris; of the Bennu Bird and the Book of Thoth. But there are also tales told for pleasure about magic, treasure and adventure - even the first ever Cinderella story.

Image for The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt (Landmark Books)

The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt (Landmark Books)

For more than 3,000 years, Egypt was a great civilization that thrived along the banks of the Nile River. But when its cities crumbled to dust, Egypt’s culture and the secrets of its hieroglyphic writings were also lost. The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt explains how archaeologists have pieced together their discoveries to slowly reveal the history of Egypt’s people, its pharaohs, and its golden days.

Image for The Buildings of Ancient Egypt

The Buildings of Ancient Egypt

Uses archeological evidence to describe the construction, decoration, and furnishings of ancient Egyptian tombs, pyramids, and homes

Image for Science in Ancient Egypt (Science of the Past)

Science in Ancient Egypt (Science of the Past)

Discusses the achievements of the ancient Egyptians in science, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, agriculture, and technology.

Image for Great Ancient Egypt Projects: You Can Build Yourself

Great Ancient Egypt Projects: You Can Build Yourself

From reed boats, papyrus, and amulets, to pyramids, pharaohs, and mummies, Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself explores the fascinating lives of ancient Egyptians through more than25 hands-on building projects and activities. Great Ancient Egypt Projects You Can Build Yourself gives readers today a chance to experience how the ancient Egyptians lived, cooked, worked, worshipped, entertained themselves, and interacted with their neighbors through building projects that use common household supplies.Detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for creating each project are combined with historical facts and anecdotes, biographies, and trivia for the real-life models of each project. Together they give kids a first-hand look at daily life in ancient Egypt.

Image for The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt (Dover Children's Classics)

The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt (Dover Children's Classics)

Chebron, the young son of an Egyptian high priest, and Amuba, a young slave in the boy's household, are close friends; but their lives are greatly altered when Chebron accidentally kills a cat, an animal held sacred by the ancient Egyptians. Forced to flee for their safety, the boys and their companions begin a long and dangerous journey. A thrilling adventure story, this is also a tale packed with historical facts. Among other fascinating details, young readers learn about the Egyptian religion and geography, how the Nile was used for irrigation, and how the Egyptians made war and were prepared for burial. A captivating book that accurately describes life in a once magnificent civilization, this volume will especially appeal to youngsters fascinated by the life and customs of ancient Egypt.

Image for A History of Ancient Egypt: From the First Farmers to the Great Pyramid (A History of Ancient Egypt, 1)

A History of Ancient Egypt: From the First Farmers to the Great Pyramid (A History of Ancient Egypt, 1)

The ancient world comes to life in the first volume in a two book series on the history of Egypt, spanning the first farmers to the construction of the pyramids. Famed archaeologist John Romer draws on a lifetime of research to tell one history's greatest stories; how, over more than a thousand years, a society of farmers created a rich, vivid world where one of the most astounding of all human-made landmarks, the Great Pyramid, was built. Immersing the reader in the Egypt of the past, Romer examines and challenges the long-held theories about what archaeological finds mean and what stories they tell about how the Egyptians lived. More than just an account of one of the most fascinating periods of history, this engrossing book asks readers to take a step back and question what they've learned about Egypt in the past. Fans of Stacy Schiff's Cleopatra and history buffs will be captivated by this re-telling of Egyptian history, written by one of the top Egyptologists in the world.

Image for Boy of the Pyramids

Boy of the Pyramids

The pictured wall of an Egyptian tomb supplied the inspiration for this unusual story, which takes place during the building of the Great Pyramid of Khufu more than 4,000 years ago. Kaffe and Sari, an Egyptian noble's son and a slave girl from the nomadic Sand People of the Sinai region, help solve a troublesome mystery and trap its culprit. All told against a colorfully detailed backdrop of ancient Egypt.

Image for The Golden Goblet

The Golden Goblet

Ranofer wants only one thing in the world: to be a master goldsmith like his beloved father was. But how can he when he is all but imprisoned by his evil half brother, Gebu? Ranofer knows the only way he can escape Gebu's abuse is by changing his destiny. But can a poor boy with no skills survive on the cutthroat streets of ancient Thebes? Then Ranofer finds a priceless golden goblet in Gebu's room and he knows his luck−and his destiny−are about to change.

Image for Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphs

Seeker of Knowledge: The Man Who Deciphered Egyptian Hieroglyphs

In 1802, Jean-Francois Champollion was eleven years old. That year, he vowed to be the first person to read Egypt’s ancient hieroglyphs. Champollion’s dream was to sail up the Nile in Egypt and uncover the secrets of the past, and he dedicated the next twenty years to the challenge.James Rumford introduces the remarkable man who deciphered the ancient Egyptian script and fulfilled a lifelong dream in the process. Stunning watercolors bring Champollion’s adventure to life in a story that challenges the mind and touches the heart.

Image for The Egyptian Cinderella

The Egyptian Cinderella

This Egyptian spin on the classic Cinderella tale was initially recorded in the first century by a Roman historian and is retold here by folklorist Shirley Climo.

Poor Rhodopis! She has nothing—no mother or father, and no friends. She is a slave, from the far-off country of Greece. Only the beautiful rose-red slippers her master gives her can make Rhodopis smile.

So when a falcon swoops down and snatches one of the slippers away, Rhodopis is heartbroken. For how is she to know that the slipper will land in the lap of the great Pharaoh himself? And who would ever guess that the Pharaoh has promised to find the slipper’s owner and make her queen of all Egypt?

Image for Augustus Caesar's World

Augustus Caesar's World

In her unique approach, Foster weaves a story of the world around her central character; rather than focusing exclusively on geo-political events, as most textbooks do, she includes stories of scientific discovery and invention, music, literature, art, and religion. Her keen intuition for stories will especially delight and amuse youthful readers. In Augustus Caesar's World, Foster traces the seven major civilizations of Rome, Greece, Israel, Egypt, China, India, and Persia from 4500 B.C. to the time of Augustus Caesar in 44 B.C. and culminating in 14 A.D. Within this timeframe readers will learn not only the stories of Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, and Marc Antony, but also the historian Livy and how Virgil came to write the Aeneid. Foster will then take her readers all over the world to learn what was happening at this same time in China, Persia, India and so on. Foster's detailed pen and ink drawings are fresh and appealing, and her illustrated timelines give a clear sense of chronology, enriching the engaging text.

Image for The Lost Queen of Egypt: The Tomb of Nefertiti

The Lost Queen of Egypt: The Tomb of Nefertiti

For professor of Egyptology Henry Markham, this would be the crowning glory of his career: an intact tomb of Nefertiti, the great royal wife of Akhenaten and the heretic pharaoh of eighteenth dynasty Egypt, whose bust of exquisite beauty resides in the Berlin Museum, which he had searched for the last ten years. He had an unspoken passion for her only excelled by his young assistant, Steven Sinclair, whose visions and dreams of her haunted him, much to the annoyance of Helen Carter, the freelance journalist on-site who, with her business partner Mike Mitcham, the digs photographer, saw Nefertiti as a rival for his affections. Thanks to a gambling debt, Mike finds himself the proud owner of a large luxury mobile home that four Mossad agents are interested in, along with Emil Brogini, who did a drug deal with two Mossad rogue agents since deceased. The arrival of Henry's estranged sister, Millicent, with her friend Jane Evesham, a gifted clairvoyant, does nothing to improve his temper, especially when Jane tells him they are in great danger. Can the danger come from four renegade Mossad agents or Emil Bratislav Brogini, Mr. Big in Cairo, into every racket going? Jane discovers that Helen has a latent gift of clairvoyance which, with their combined powers in a séance, sends them back to the eighteenth dynasty with Nefertiti, Akhenaten, and danger around every corner as they try to discover who is trying to kill them all using a large band of Libyan bandits. They survive ambushes, assassin's knives, and chariot chases, finally getting back to their own time with Nefertiti.

Image for Pyramid

Pyramid

Pyramid is a strong resource for readers looking to expand their knowledge of ancient Egyptian civilization, history, and architecture.

Award-winning author-illustrator David Macaulay explores the philosophy of life and death in ancient Egypt through richly detailed black-and-white illustrations and clear, concise text.

Though created with middle grade readers in mind, all with interest in the topic will enjoy this impressive look at what many consider to be one of the most awesome of humankind's creations.

Image for Pharaoh's Boat

Pharaoh's Boat

With poetic language and striking illustrations, Weitzman tells the story of how one of the greatest boats of ancient Egypt came to be built and built again.In the shadow of the Great Pyramid at Giza, the most skilled shipwrights in all of Egypt are building an enormous vessel that will transport Cheops, the mighty pharaoh, across the winding waterway and into a new world. Pharaoh's boat will be a wonder to behold, and well prepared for the voyage ahead. But no one, not even the Egyptian king himself, could have imagined just where the journey of Pharaoh's boat would ultimately lead.

Image for The Winged Cat

The Winged Cat

Merit is a servant girl in the temple of cat goddesses. In a rage, Waha, the High Priest, kills a sacred car, and Merit sees him do it.But when Merit reports the evil deed to Pharaoh, Waha denies that he is guilty.

Now, look at a quick summary about this fun book.

THE EGYPTIAN CINDERELLA

One day, Rhodopis is given a pair of beautiful rose-red slippers.

When she goes to wash clothes by the river, the falcon, the sacred bird of the god Horus, swoops down and snatches one of her slippers.

The falcon drops it into the lap of Pharaoh Amasis.

Believing it to be a sign, the Pharaoh searches all of Egypt for the woman who owns the slipper.

When he finds Rhodopis, he marries her, making her a queen of Egypt.

Just like in the glass slipper tale we know, it’s the shoe that changes her life.

So, to cap off the reading of this delightful story we are going to craft your child their very own pair of rose slippers fit for a princess.

First, look at these questions to use for discussion.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR THE EGYPTIAN CINDERELLA

To extend the learning here are some discussion questions to use after you finish the story that will deepen their understanding and develop their vocabulary.

  • How is Rhodopis different from the other servant girls? How do they treat her?
  • What details in the story let you know that it takes place in Ancient Egypt?
  • Why do you think Rhodopis was kind to the animals, even if people weren’t kind to her?
  • What does the Pharaoh think when the falcon drops the slipper into his lap?
  • How does the slipper change Rhodopis’ life?
  • How is this story similar to the Cinderella you already know with the glass slipper?
  • What is different about the Egyptian version of the story?
  • Why do you think many cultures have their own Cinderella story?
  • What lesson can we learn from this story about how to treat others?
How to Craft Red Slippers Inspired by The Egyptian Cinderella

Next, look at more activities about Ancient Egypt.

MORE ANCIENT EGYPT ACTIVITIES

  • The Vanishing Of Queen Nefertiti Free Ancient Egypt Printable
  • Fun Pharaohs and Queens Ancient Egypt Lapbook and Activities
  • 11 Easy Hands-On Ancient Egypt Projects for Middle School
  • Hands-on Ancient Egypt: Israelite Mud Bricks for Kids
  • Fun and Easy Hands-On Ancient Egypt Craft: Create Canopic Jars
  • Ancient Egyptian Mathematics: Build a LEGO Math Calculator
  • Building Wonders: Create the Great Sphinx of Giza with LEGO
  • Egypt Crafts For Kindergarten Create a Fun Kid Sized Mummy
  • Make a beautiful Cleopatra Collar and Cuffs to wear.
How to Craft Red Slippers Inspired by The Egyptian Cinderella

Finally, look at how to craft red slippers inspired by The Egyptian Cinderella.

HOW TO CRAFT RED SLIPPERS INSPIRED BY THE EGYPTIAN CINDERELLA

Most of this craft is for adults to assemble because it requires a hot glue gun or you can sew them together but a child can add the tacky glue and glitter to decorate their slippers.

You will need:

  • 2-3 red 8×12 felt sheets
  • Tacky glue
  • glitter
  • Hot glue gun/sticks
How to Craft Red Slippers Inspired by The Egyptian Cinderella

First, grab a cute little foot and trace around it right on the felt, or use a piece of paper for a template.

Add a ¼” all the way around for the “seam” and go a little further for a pointed toe on the slipper.

Cut a piece of red felt in half long ways and then in half again to make 4 long strips.

Cut out your foot base.

How to Craft Red Slippers Inspired by The Egyptian Cinderella

On the “backside” of the foot, add several lines of hot glue from top to bottom to create grippers so your child won’t slip on smooth flooring, allowing it to cool and harden.

How to Craft Red Slippers Inspired by The Egyptian Cinderella

Begin assembling the slipper by running short beads of hot glue along the edge of your foot piece.

How to Craft Red Slippers Inspired by The Egyptian Cinderella

Then set the edge of the long strip into it, holding in place until the glue sets.

How to Craft Red Slippers Inspired by The Egyptian Cinderella

Continue moving all the way around to the center of the point.  I recommend starting at the center of the heel.

How to Craft Red Slippers Inspired by The Egyptian Cinderella

Repeat with the other strip, beginning at the heel and ending at the toe, cut off the excess on one side.

How to Craft Red Slippers Inspired by The Egyptian Cinderella

At this point, you can try your child’s foot in the slipper and make any alterations you need to make them fit well, like tacking the sides down together or trimming the sides so they don’t sit so high on their foot.

Fold the other side over and glue in place, overlapping the trimmed piece, then trim off the excess.

How to Craft Red Slippers Inspired by The Egyptian Cinderella

Let your child add a scrolling design with tacky or school glue and then sprinkle with glitter, tapping off the excess.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: ancient, ancient civilizations, crafts, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling

How To Introduce Engineering With An Egg Carton Craft

September 25, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have an easy STEM activity too introduce basic engineering with an egg carton craft.

If you’re looking for a creative way to introduce kids to STEM engineering, you’ll love making this egg carton pyramid.

It’s a fun way to introduce elements of engineering like structure, stability, design and problem solving.

How To Introduce Engineering With An Egg Carton Craft

So, what is engineering? Engineering is building structures, designing solutions and improving systems.

And hands-on is the best way to learn. You want your learners to test possibilities, test and revise.

Too, engineering an egg carton pyramid gives a young thinker a place to start with your guidance.

ENGINEERING BOOKS FOR KIDS

First, I’ve gathered books for your older and younger learners about a few different fields of engineering.

9 Engineering Books

Add a few of these living books for multiple ages to your library.

Image for The Things We Make: The Unknown History of Invention from Cathedrals to Soda Cans

The Things We Make: The Unknown History of Invention from Cathedrals to Soda Cans

For millennia, humans have used one simple method to solve problems. Whether it's planting crops, building skyscrapers, developing photographs, or designing the first microchip, all creators follow the same steps to engineer progress. But this powerful method, the "engineering method", is an all but hidden process that few of us have heard of―let alone understand―but that influences every aspect of our lives.

Bill Hammack, a Carl Sagan award-winning professor of engineering and viral "The Engineer Guy" on Youtube, has a lifelong passion for the things we make, and how we make them. Now, for the first time, he reveals the invisible method behind every invention and takes us on a whirlwind tour of how humans built the world we know today. From the grand stone arches of medieval cathedrals to the mundane modern soda can, Hammack explains the golden rule of thumb that underlies every new building technique, every technological advancement, and every creative solution that leads us one step closer to a better, more functional world. Spanning centuries and cultures, Hammack offers a fascinating perspective on how humans engineer solutions in a world full of problems.

Image for The Way Things Work: Newly Revised Edition: The Ultimate Guide to How Things Work

The Way Things Work: Newly Revised Edition: The Ultimate Guide to How Things Work

Explainer-in-Chief David Macaulay updates his worldwide bestseller to capture the latest developments in the technology that most impacts our lives. What possible link could there be between parking meters and meat grinders, jumbo jets and jackhammers, remote control and rockets, electric guitars and egg beaters? Macaulay explains them all!

Famously packed with information on the inner workings of everything from windmills to Wi-Fi, this extraordinary and humorous book both guides readers through the fundamental principles of machines and shows how the developments of the past are building blocks of the world of tomorrow. This sweepingly revised edition embraces recent technological developments, from touchscreens to 3D printers. Each scientific principle is brilliantly explained, with the help of a charming, if rather slow-witted, woolly mammoth.

An illustrated survey of significant inventions closes the book, along with a glossary of technical terms and an index.

Image for Why Buildings Fall Down: How Structures Fail

Why Buildings Fall Down: How Structures Fail

The authors examine buildings of all kinds, from ancient domes like Istanbul's Hagia Sophia to the state-of-the-art Hartford Civic Arena. Their subjects range from the man-caused destruction of the Parthenon to the earthquake damage of 1989 in Armenia and San Francisco.

The stories that make up Why Buildings Fall Down are in the end very human ones, tales of the interaction of people and nature, of architects, engineers, builders, materials, and natural
forces all coming together in sometimes dramatic (and always instructive) ways. B/W line drawings

Image for Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World

Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World

Why is glass see-through? What makes elastic stretchy? Why does any material look and behave the way it does? These are the sorts of questions that renowned materials scientist and New York Times bestselling author Mark Miodownik constantly asks himself. Studying objects as ordinary as an envelope and as unexpected as concrete cloth, he uncovers the fascinating secrets that hold together our physical world.

In Stuff Matters, Miodownik explores the materials he encounters in a typical morning, from the steel in his razor to the foam in his sneakers. Full of enthralling tales of the miracles of engineering that permeate our lives, his stories of analysis will make you see stuff in a whole new way.

Image for Mover Of Men and Mountains

Mover Of Men and Mountains

Despite early failures, R. G. LeTourneau rose to eminence in the competitive world of manufacturing and construction. Although his competitors thought him insane, history has proved that his inventive genius was decades ahead of its time. His combination of enterprise and Christian commitment led to his sponsoring many works involving missions and education, including LeTourneau College, a Christian liberal arts and technical school in Longview, Texas. Through a lifetime of business ventures, this engineering genius put faith into action and reaped big rewards.

Movers of Men and Mountains is the story of how an engineering genius put faith into action and reaped big rewards.

Image for The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge

The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge

Around 1870, during the Age of Optimism—a time when Americans believed anything was possible—the ambitious idea of constructing an unprecedented bridge across the East River to connect Manhattan and Brooklyn took root. This monumental project demanded a vision and determination on par with the efforts that built the great cathedrals of history. Spearheaded by the Roebling family, the project faced staggering odds throughout its fourteen years of construction. Bodies were crushed, lives were lost, political empires fell, and waves of public emotion constantly threatened its progress. The Roeblings, too, were not immune to personal tragedies. Yet, Emily Roebling rose above these challenges to become the pivotal force behind the bridge’s completion, shattering all societal expectations of her era. This is not just the story of an engineering miracle; it is a sweeping narrative of the social climate of the time and the heroes and rascals who either built or exploited this groundbreaking enterprise.

Image for The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Young Reader's Edition

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, Young Reader's Edition

When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba's tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season's crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family's life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William's windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land. Retold for a younger audience, this exciting memoir shows how, even in a desperate situation, one boy's brilliant idea can light up the world. Complete with photographs, illustrations, and an epilogue that will bring readers up to date on William's story, this is the perfect edition to read and share with the whole family.

Image for The Art of Construction: Projects and Principles for Beginning Engineers & Architects

The Art of Construction: Projects and Principles for Beginning Engineers & Architects

Students discover the basic principles necessary to build all types of structures used in everyday life including bridges, skyscrapers, and other architectural gems. Line art illustrations help to explain projects that demonstrate how these principles keep structures solid. Perfect for kids who wonder why, and love to figure things out! All projects are easily done with materials found around-the-house.

Image for Engineering in Plain Sight: An Illustrated Field Guide to the Constructed Environment

Engineering in Plain Sight: An Illustrated Field Guide to the Constructed Environment

Engineering in Plain Sight extends the field guide genre from natural phenomena to human-made structures, making them approachable and understandable to non-engineers. It transforms readers' perspectives of the built environment, converting the act of looking at infrastructure from a mundane inevitability into an everyday diversion and joy. Each section of this accessible, informative book features colorful illustrations revealing the fascinating details of how the human-made world works. An ideal road trip companion, this book offers a fresh perspective on the parts of the environment that often blend into the background. Readers will learn to identify characteristics of the electrical grid, roadways, railways, bridges, tunnels, waterways, and more. Engineering in Plain Sight inspires curiosity, interest, and engagement in how the infrastructure around us is designed and constructed.

Next, look at some hands-on activities to learn about engineering.

EASY ACTIVITIES FOR LEARNING ABOUT ENGINEERING

  • Famous Stem Figures And Easy Stem Activities At Home
  • Hands-on Ancient Mesopotamia: Easy STEM Irrigation Activity
  • 100 Brilliant STEM Activities Using Everyday Items
  • STEM and Geography: How to Build an Ancient Viking Ship
  • STEM: Build a Da Vinci Parachute Activity
  • Electricity STEM: Lighting Up a Shoebox Tiny House
  • National STEM Day – Popsicle Sticks for Creative DIY STEM Projects
  • Kids Fun Pumpkin Catapult STEM Challenge for Medieval Unit Study
  • How to Build a LEGO Swiss Family Robinson STEM Challenge Treehouse
  • How to Create Swiss Family Treehouse Blueprints With Kids
  • 15 Star Wars STEM Activities Ideas | Fun Flashlight Science and DIY Lightsaber
How To Introduce Engineering With An Egg Carton Craft

Finally, look at this easy egg carton engineering activity.

EGG CARTON PYRAMID STEM ACTIVITY

Supplies:

  • Empty egg cartons
  • Scissors
  • Yellow paint and paintbrushes
How To Introduce Engineering With An Egg Carton Craft

First, prepare the cups. Cut the egg carton into individual cups.

How To Introduce Engineering With An Egg Carton Craft


Paint the cups. Paint each cup yellow and let them dry.

How To Introduce Engineering With An Egg Carton Craft


Plan the pyramid.

On a flat surface (or cardboard base), begin arranging the cups in a triangle formation with a wide base.

How To Introduce Engineering With An Egg Carton Craft



Build it up. Stack additional layers of cups on top, each layer smaller than the one beneath, until the pyramid shape is formed.

Experiment. Try building pyramids of different sizes or shapes to see what works best.

Adapt for age level: Younger kids can stack uncut cartons, older kids can cut and shape custom designs.

Add a challenge: Who can build the tallest pyramid? The strongest? The most creative?

Use vocabulary: Introduce words like structure, foundation, stability, load, design.

Reflect: After building, ask students what they learned or what they would do differently.

BENEFITS FOR KIDS

  • STEM Skills – Introduces engineering and design by experimenting with balance and structure.
  • Fine Motor Development – Strengthens hand muscles through cutting, painting, and stacking.
  • Problem-Solving – Encourages critical thinking as kids figure out how to keep the pyramid from toppling.
  • Creativity – Kids can decorate the cups in different colors or patterns to make unique pyramids.
  • Patience & Focus – Teaches kids to work carefully and persist if the pyramid falls.

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Menstrual Cramps Explained And Practical Uterus Research Craft

September 24, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This simple uterus research craft is great if you are learning about reproduction, human anatomy, or just giving your daughter a lesson on the why and how of cramps. Too, I have this Human Body Crafts page for more hands-on ideas. And this Beautiful Human Body Lapbook and Fun Unit Study.

And look at my page How to Choose the Right Homeschool High School Science for more fun teen ideas.

Discussing our amazing bodies is an essential part of homeschooling health education.

Menstrual Cramps Explained And Practical Uterus Research Craft

One topic that can be tricky but very necessary is menstrual cramps—something many women and girls experience each month.

By learning about what causes them, we can better understand the female body and show respect for how wonderfully it is designed.

We will dive into amazing facts, talk about putting together a bag for monthly menstrual cycles, and look at a few other body systems.

To make the learning hands-on, we’ll finish with a felt uterus model craft that helps kids visualize how everything works.

BOOKS FOR KIDS ABOUT HUMAN REPRODUCTION

First, look at some of these books about the human reproduction. There is something for all ages.

10 Books About Human Reproduction and Pregnancy

Add some books to help your children learn about the amazing human body and reproductive system Too, learn about the fascinating process of pregnancy.

Image for Before You Were Born

Before You Were Born

It's the mystery of mysteries for soon-to-be older siblings: what's going on inside a pregnant mother's belly? BEFORE YOU WERE BORN, a joyful lift-the-flap book for children, that tells the parallel story of mother and baby during the nine months of pregnancy.

Illustrated with full-color whimsy by Laura Cornell, whose delightful work is familiar to readers of Jamie Lee Curtis's Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born and When I Was Little, BEFORE YOU WERE BORN is a month-by-month countdown written in rhyming verse.

Image for Hello Baby

Hello Baby

On a winter night, in a cottage far away from the town, Mum's baby is ready to be born. The midwife arrives and the whole family prepare for the home birth. In this honest and moving portrayal, Jenni Overend and Julie Vivas celebrate the birth of a baby at home with warmth and joy. This is a book for the whole family to share in preparation for a home birth or the arrival of a new baby.

Image for Grow, Baby, Grow!: Watch Baby Grow Month by Month!

Grow, Baby, Grow!: Watch Baby Grow Month by Month!

See baby grow and develop month by month with 9 stunning, life-size pop-ups! Grow, Baby, Grow! artistically and poetically illustrates the growth of a baby before birth by comparing him or her to something wonderful and familiar: a pearl on the beach, a cherry on a limb, a starfish in the sea. Grow, Baby, Grow! is a beautiful treasure for expecting mothers, new arrivals, and curious siblings-to-be.

Image for See How You Grow (A Lift-the-Flap Body Book)

See How You Grow (A Lift-the-Flap Body Book)

Designed for slightly older children, this volume gives clear, medically sound explanations to youngsters about the wonders of human growth. Beginning with the development of the fetus, the book explores infancy, childhood, puberty, maturity, and old age. Illustrations throughout, including fold-outs.

Image for ABC - Life in the Womb

ABC - Life in the Womb

ABC - Life in the Womb is a fun and exciting alphabet book for kids to learn how babies grow and develop in their mother’s womb.

For example:

• The baby starts off the size of a grain of salt.

• As early as 16 weeks baby will practice breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid into tiny developing lungs.

This book is especially fun for big brother or sister, to follow along on baby’s journey as they await baby’s grand entrance.

Image for Angel in the Waters

Angel in the Waters

In its mother’s womb, a tiny baby grows, explores the waters, and talks with the angel who is there.These gentle illustrations and wise words tell the story of that baby and the angel in the waters . . . a story that will delight all young children, because the journey from conception to birth is their story, too.

Image for Nine Months: Before a Baby is Born

Nine Months: Before a Baby is Born

A soon-to-be big sister and her parents prepare for the arrival of a new baby in the family. Alternating panels depict what the family is experiencing in tandem with how the baby is growing, spanning everything from receiving the news about the new baby to the excitement of its arrival. In this pregnancy book unlike any other one out there, watch what's actually happening through meticulously detailed, actual size illustrations, perfectly paired with a lyrical yet informative text, and culminating in a warm, joyful birth scene.

Image for Your Amazing Newborn

Your Amazing Newborn

Your Amazing Newborn celebrates a baby's extraordinary abilities in the first hours and days of life. Marshall and Phyllis Klaus take parents and all those who care for new families into this freshly charted world, one they have been exploring for decades. The results of their fascinating research are illuminated by over 120 exquisite photographs, all of babies less than two weeks old.

Image for Ever Since Eve: Personal Reflections on Childbirth

Ever Since Eve: Personal Reflections on Childbirth

From time immemorial, younger women have been asking older women, "What is it like to have a baby?" Here at last is a book that brings together the reactions of a wide array of women--some rich, some poor, some famous, some not-so-famous--to the experience of childbirth. Ranging from Sophia Loren to Queen Victoria, from Colette to Elzire Dionne, it explains in human terms as no clinical description can what the experience of having a baby is really like. A universal process that is unique in each instance, birth is inherently dramatic and changes even people who never expected to be deeply affected. Indeed, some of the most revealing pieces in Ever Since Eve are the testimony of men about fatherhood, men as diverse as Napoleon and W.C. Fields. A fascinating collection of vignettes, Ever Since Eve examines childbirth in different parts of the globe, offers some intriguing footnotes to history, and presents a view of public figures in their most private moments. Compelling reading for every pregnant woman, this book will be a treasured keepsake for anyone who has ever had--or would like to have--a baby.

Image for The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body

The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body

A fantastic reference book for a lot of human anatomy, including explaining how the menstrual cycle works.

The Way We Work is a fantastic reference book for a lot of human anatomy, including explaining how the menstrual cycle works.

Menstrual Cramps Explained And Practical Uterus Research Craft

WHAT ARE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS

Menstrual cramps, also called dysmenorrhea, are the pains some women feel in their lower abdomen before or during their period. These cramps happen because the uterus is a muscle, and like all muscles, it contracts.

When the lining of the uterus sheds each month (that’s what makes a period), the muscle squeezes to push it out. This is very similar to how the stomach squeezes food during digestion or how the heart pumps blood. These contractions are triggered by natural chemicals called prostaglandins.

  • Most cramps last for 1–3 days, though every person’s experience is unique.
  • Mild cramps can feel like an achy pressure or gentle tightening.
  • Stronger cramps may feel sharp or throbbing and sometimes spread to the lower back and thighs.

TIPS FOR EASING CRAMPS

  • Rest- Adequate sleep helps the body handle discomfort better.
  • Heat- A warm heating pad or hot water bottle on the belly helps relax the muscle.
  • Movement- Gentle stretching, walking, or yoga can reduce pain.
  • Hydration- Drinking water (especially warm tea) keeps the body working smoothly.

WHY DOES THE UTERUS DO THIS

The uterus has an incredible job; it is designed to support new life.

Each month, it prepares a soft lining for a possible pregnancy. If no pregnancy occurs, that lining is no longer needed and is shed as the menstrual period.

The cramps are the body’s way of helping move out the old lining so the cycle can begin again.

Think of it like spring cleaning, sometimes a little hard work is needed to keep things fresh and healthy!

Menstrual Cramps Explained And Practical Uterus Research Craft

This would be a great opportunity, especially for a pre-teen or teen who has not yet started their period, to put together a period kit.

Add a couple of different sizes of pads, pain relief medicine like Midol, a heating pad, feminine wipes, and, of course, some special chocolates.

MORE AMAZING ANATOMY ACTIVITIES

  • Pregnancy Belly Female Study of Human Anatomy Kids Fun Craft
  • Blood Model in a Bottle: Exploring Vascular Systems
  • 7 Human Skull Facts and Cool Human Skull Anatomy Activity
  • Major Organs of The Human Body Labeled Fun Felt Anatomy Activity
  • The Female and Male Reproductive System [for teens]

Finally, look at how to make this cool uterus research project.

FELT UTERUS RESEARCH CRAFT

Hands-on crafts make learning memorable. Creating a felt uterus model helps students visualize the origin of cramps and the anatomy of the uterus.

You will need:

  • Pink, white, and red felt
  • Small pom-poms
  • Fabric glue
  • Scissors
Menstrual Cramps Explained And Practical Uterus Research Craft

Optional: labels printed on paper or written on cardstock

First, trace the uterus shape on light pink felt with a pencil.

Find a good image online or in a reference book to use as a model to create the fallopian tubes, a uterus, and a cervix.

Menstrual Cramps Explained And Practical Uterus Research Craft

Trace again on a darker pink felt and then trim it so it is slightly smaller and fits on the light pink felt, then shape the darker pink so that it resembles the unique shape of the uterus and cervix.

Menstrual Cramps Explained And Practical Uterus Research Craft

Glue pom-poms/beads at the ends of the tubes. These represent the ovaries, which release eggs.

Menstrual Cramps Explained And Practical Uterus Research Craft

To demonstrate how the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) is shed, cut small, thin strips from the red felt and arrange them around the inner portion of the uterus.

Menstrual Cramps Explained And Practical Uterus Research Craft

Cut small white felt strips and attach them from the fallopian tubes to the uterus to demonstrate the ovarian ligament.

Menstrual Cramps Explained And Practical Uterus Research Craft

You can just layer everything or glue it in place.

Use small paper slips to create labels for the uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.

Menstrual Cramps Explained And Practical Uterus Research Craft

Place the labels in the correct spots.

Menstrual Cramps Explained And Practical Uterus Research Craft

Encourage older students to research what happens in each part of the reproductive system during the menstrual cycle and add short fact notes to their model.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, human body, human body crafts

Ten Best Tech Gifts for Teen Boys

September 23, 2025 | 4 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today I rounded up ten best tech gifts for teen boys.

I love to buy gifts for my boys. But when it comes to techie things, I sometimes have them meet me halfway money wise.

I’ve learned when they put a few bucks in of their own money, tech things get taken care of better. But then other times I prefer to jump out there and gift them with something really special.

Ten Best Tech Gifts for Teen Boys

So here is the list of things my boys love, some they have and others are still on their wish list.

ONE/ ASTRO Gaming A50 Wireless Dolby Gaming Headset

TWO/ Gaming Earbuds Wired

My boys have these earbuds and like this brand. They seem to hold up better than others.

MORE GIFT LIST IDEAS

First, look at these other gift lists for more unique ideas.

  • 11 Unique Turtle Gift Ideas for Reptile Enthusiasts
  • 13 Amazing and Fun Gifts for Kids Who Love History
  • Navigating the Perfect Present: 22 Gifts for Geography Lovers
  • Unleash Your Inner Scientist: 12 Amazing Gifts for the Science Lovers
  • Gifts For Kids Who Are Wild About History
  • Ten Best Tech Gifts for Teen Boys

Unique Teen Boy Gifts

This is the microphone that Mr. Awesome uses for gaming. For the money, it’s a great value and he has really liked it.

THREE/ Blue Microphones Snowball

FOUR/ Predator Mini Helicopter Drone

FIVE/ Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

These bluetooth speakers we took with us to South America and really like the quality and the small size.

SEVEN/ Swiss Gear Swissgear Laptop Notebook Outdoor Backpack

This is one of the laptop backpacks the boys used when we traveling because it can fit a larger laptop.

EIGHT/ 7 Button LED Gaming Mouse

NINE/ Wireless Color Photo Printer

This photo printer is something I wish they wanted more so it would give me a chance to use it too.

This is the tablet that Mr. Senior has and has used for a few years. He really likes the simplicity of it.

TEN/ Samsung Galaxy Tablet

Let’s just face it, tech gifts can be expensive especially when you have several teens. And tech items sometimes can’t keep up with fast moving technology, but a lot of these gifts last several years.

Ten Best Tech Gifts for Teen Boys @ Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

I hope they give you some ideas for your list.

Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.

Visit Tina Robertson’s profile on Pinterest.


Visit Tinas Dynamic Homeschool ‘s profile on Pinterest.

4 CommentsFiled Under: Gift Guides, Gift Ideas for Homeschoolers, Graduate a Homeschooler, Homeschool Boys Tagged With: boys, gift, homeschoolgiftideas, teens

French Art for Kids: Unleash Creativity with a Free Pointillism Lesson

September 22, 2025 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

French art for kids and art history may sound like a big topic for kids, but when you introduce it with hands-on activities, it suddenly becomes fun, colorful, and inspiring. And look at my page Free Art Unit & Curriculum Grades 1 – 8  for more ideas and my post Free 4 Weeks Claude Monet Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas.

Too, learn about the French empire with my post French Revolution 1789 – 1799 Unit Study & Lapbook for more ideas.

French Art for Kids: Unleash Creativity with a Free Pointillism Lesson

French art, in particular, offers a wide range of styles and movements that children can explore. One of the most exciting and kid-friendly techniques is pointillism.

This style of painting, developed in France in the late 1800s, allows children to experiment with color, patience, and creativity while learning about famous artists who changed the way people thought about art.

In this post, we’ll dive into what pointillism is, introduce a few French artists behind the movement, and give you a step-by-step free pointillism art lesson you can try with your kids today.

BOOKS FOR KIDS ABOUT FRENCH ARTISTS

First, look at some of these books about French artists to add to your

7 French Artist Books

France is one of the most famous countries in the world for art. Many great artists lived and worked there, and Paris is often called the "art capital of the world." Learn about French artist or artist who made France their home.

Image for Claude Monet (Revised Edition) (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)

Claude Monet (Revised Edition) (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)

Meet Artist Claude Monet!

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series combines a delightful mix of full-color historical reproductions, photos, and hilarious cartoon-style illustrations that bring to life the works of renowned artists, combining poignant anecdotes with important factual information for readers (Ages 8-9).This book provides an entertaining and humorous introduction to the famous artist, Claude Monet. Full-color reproductions of the actual paintings are enhanced by Venezia's clever illustrations and story line.

Image for Picasso (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)

Picasso (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)

Briefly examines the life and work of the renowned twentieth-century artist, describing and giving examples from his various periods or styles

Image for Georges Seurat (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)

Georges Seurat (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)

Meet Artist Georges Seurat!

Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists series combines a delightful mix of full-color historical reproductions, photos, and hilarious cartoon-style illustrations that bring to life the works of renowned artists, combining poignant anecdotes with important factual information for readers (Ages 8-9).This book presents the life and career of the nineteenth-century French Neo-Impressionist artist Georges Seurat, best known for inventing the painting technique known as Pointillism.

Image for Cezanne's Parrot

Cezanne's Parrot

An inspiring picture book biography of the artist Paul Cezanne, the painter who laid the groundwork for modern art and whom Pablo Picasso declared "the father of us all."All Cezanne wants is to be a great painter like his friends Monet, Pissarro, and Renoir. But when he shows his works, the professors, the critics, and the collectors all dismiss him: "Too flat!" "Too much paint!" "These are rough and unfinished!" Even his own pet parrot, Bisou, can't be brought to say, "Cezanne is a great painter!" And who can blame them? Cezanne doesn't care about tradition, and he doesn't follow the rules. He's painting in a way no one else has done before, creating something completely new--and he's destined to change the world of art forever. Cezanne's Parrot is a spirited celebration of creativity, determination, and perseverance--and the artist who would become known as the father of modern art.

Image for Henri Matisse (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)

Henri Matisse (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)

Discusses the life and work of French post-impressionist artist Henri Matisse.

Image for Edgar Degas (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)

Edgar Degas (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)

Examines the life and work of the nineteenth-century artist Edgar Degas, who loved to paint scenes of Paris and the people who worked and lived there.

Image for Marie in Fourth Position

Marie in Fourth Position

Marie's dream is to dance beneath the spotlight in the Paris Opera, but she finds herself only a "rat" in the chorus, until Marie's parents send her to pose for master artist Edgar Degas and he leads her to an unforgettable pose that wins the heart of all Paris.

Next, let’s learn about pointillism.

WHAT IS POINTILLISM

Pointillism is a style of painting where the artist uses small, distinct dots of color placed closely together to form an image. Instead of mixing paints on a palette, artists would apply pure colors directly to the canvas. From a distance, the dots blend in the viewer’s eye, creating shapes, shading, and depth.

This technique was first developed by Georges Seurat and Paul Signac in France in the 1880s. They wanted to experiment with how colors interact and how the human eye perceives them.

Their works became part of the Neo-Impressionist movement, a branch of Impressionism that focused on light and color but used more precise methods.

For kids, pointillism is a wonderful introduction to both science and art—it shows how tiny parts (dots) come together to create something beautiful, much like pixels on a computer screen today.

Georges Seurat (1859–1891)

Best known for his masterpiece A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, Seurat used thousands of tiny dots to create a lively park scene filled with people, trees, and water. This enormous painting is considered one of the most iconic works of pointillism.

Paul Signac  (1863–1935)

 Signac was a close friend of Seurat. Signac expanded on the technique and created many colorful seascapes and landscapes. His paintings often capture light shimmering on the water, making them especially vibrant.

OTHER FAMOUS STYLES OF FRENCH ART FOR KIDS

While pointillism is a wonderful entry point, French art has so many movements and artists that inspire kids.

French Art for Kids: Unleash Creativity with a Free Pointillism Lesson

Here are a few more worth exploring and an idea for each…

  • Impressionism- Before pointillism came Impressionism, it was led by artists like Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas. Impressionists captured quick “impressions” of everyday life with loose brushstrokes and bright colors. A fun activity is to paint outdoors (plein air style) and try to capture how light changes on water, trees, or flowers.
  • Henri Matisse and Fauvism- Known for his bold colors and paper cut-outs, Matisse’s later works are especially fun for kids to imitate. Provide construction paper and scissors, and let children create “painting with scissors” art inspired by his cut-outs.
  • French Sculpture- Introduce kids to Auguste Rodin, known for The Thinker. For a hands-on project, let kids sculpt small figures from clay or even playdough, experimenting with movement and expression.

French Stained Glass and Cathedrals- France is home to breathtaking stained glass, like the windows of Chartres Cathedral. Kids can design their own “stained glass” art with black paper outlines and tissue paper colors.

MORE FRENCH ART FOR KIDS

  • Free 4 Weeks Claude Monet Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas
  • Renoir Art Project for Kids
  • Easy Claude Monet Art Project: How to Paint Water Lilies
  • Salt and Glue Monet
  • Rodin For Kids

Finally, here’s a simple pointillism lesson.

FREE POINTILLISM LESSON FOR KIDS

You can use this lesson for kids of all ages. We’re making our own version of Georges Seurat’s –The Seine at La Grande Jatte Spring.

Materials Needed:

  • White cardstock or watercolor paper
  • Acrylic paint, or tempera paint
  • Cotton swabs, paintbrush tips, paint pens, or the eraser end of a pencil
  • A printed photo of Seurat’s or Signac’s artwork for inspiration
French Art for Kids: Unleash Creativity with a Free Pointillism Lesson

Show kids a few examples of pointillism paintings. Ask questions like:

  • What do you notice about the way the painting was made?
  • Can you see the dots up close? What happens when you step back?

Talk about the pointillism artists listed above.

Give children a scrap piece of paper and let them experiment with creating dots in different colors. Encourage them to try making patterns, shading, or blending two colors side by side.

Add your chosen colors to a palette.

French Art for Kids: Unleash Creativity with a Free Pointillism Lesson

Have kids select something easy to recreate—a tree, a sun, a flower, or even a simple landscape. If they need guidance, lightly sketch the outline for them in pencil before they start filling it in with dots.

Using cotton swabs or paintbrush tips, kids can begin adding dots of color to their picture.

Remind them to place colors close together and use bright, pure tones for the best effect.

French Art for Kids: Unleash Creativity with a Free Pointillism Lesson

We used 2 colors for each item-water, grass, tree, etc.. to create depth and shadows.

Continue filling in areas with many dots until the painting is full.

French Art for Kids: Unleash Creativity with a Free Pointillism Lesson

When the paintings are complete, display them side by side.

French Art for Kids: Unleash Creativity with a Free Pointillism Lesson

Stand back and notice how the colors seem to blend from a distance. Talk about how it feels to create a picture this way compared to traditional painting.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: art, art crafts, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling

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