Hands-On Activities

Native American Activities For Kindergarten Create A Fun Cradleboard Craft

November 28, 2022 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

For Native American activities for kindergarten, I have a cute cradleboard craft. Grab my other tips, ideas, and crafts for kindergarten on my page Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum.

Also, there are many amazing and beautiful inventions that we still use today that originally came from the Native Americans.

For example, rubber, raised bed gardening, snow goggles, cable suspension bridges, baby bottles, hammocks, and countless medicinal things.

Native American Activities For Kindergarten Create A Fun Cradleboard Craft

But long before Columbus set foot on land, Native Americans made and used cradleboards.

Native Americans would carry babies long and short distances.

And they could also be hung from hooks or a tree to keep babies safe and close while mom worked.

Native American Cradleboard

Cradleboards were made of woven fibers or wood, painted, beaded, and braided

Additionally, Northern Plains, Eastern Woodlands, and Southwestern tribes used them.

Too, cradleboards would be decorated to show their love and happiness for the arrival of a new member of their tribe.

Children would spend from birth to up to 2 years being carried in a cradleboard.

Often, they added things to the cradleboard like with fur to keep babies warm in cold climates.

Fabric was hung from the top to shade the babies.

Additionally, dangling items like bead strings and dream catchers would be added as baby toys to keep them busy.

Native American Hands-on Activities

Also, look at some more Native American hands-on activities.

Native American Crafts for Kindergarten How to Make a Kids Pinch Pot
Create and play this Native American Stick Game.
Build a Wigwam with this How to Make a Wigwam Craft for a Fun Native American Unit Study.
Free Native American Plains Indians Fun Lapbook for Kids (& resources)
Fashion a Popsicle Stick Teepee for a cute and simple art project.
“Grow” your own colorful corn –Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft.
100 BEST Hands-on Free Native American Resources

Many of these hands-on ideas can be done with multiple ages.

Too, there are enough ideas here that you can create a fun Native American Unit Study.

More Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum

Look at these other resources.

However, you’ll want to add some fun books.

Native American Books

5 Native American Books And Fun Figures

Use these books to add reading to a unit study or to enhance your study for the day.

The Rough-Face Girl

From Algonquin Indian folklore comes a powerful, haunting rendition of Cinderella.

Children of the Longhouse

When Ohkwa'ri overhears a group of older boys planning a raid on a neighboring village, he immediately tells his Mohawk elders. He has done the right thing—but he has also made enemies.

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story

Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family.

The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush

In spring, the hills and meadows of Texas and Wyoming are ablaze with the reds, oranges, and yellows of the Indian Paintbrush. How this striking plant received its name is told in an old Indian legend.

Many years ago, when the People traveled the Plains, a young Indian boy had a Dream-Vision in which it was revealed that one day he would create a painting that was as pure as the colors of the evening sky at sunset.

The Earth under Sky Bear's Feet: Native American Poems of the Land

Native American elders will tell you there is as much to see in the night as in the familiar light of day, and here Abenaki storyteller and American Book Award recipient Joseph Bruchac offers twelve unforgettable stories of the living earth seen from the sky.

Safari Ltd Wild West TOOB

Finally, you should add these Safari Toobs to your collection.

Safari Ltd Powhatan Indians

. They are fun to play with but also make the best addition to sensory bins and dioramas.

Finally, look at how to make this adorable cradleboard craft.

How to Make a Native American Cradleboard

First, you can make this cradleboard small enough for a Barbie doll baby or large enough to carry a bigger doll on a child’s back.

I purposefully kept the instructions general so you could customize the craft to fit any size you like.

You will need:

Corrugated cardboard
Brown packing paper
Brown paint
Crayons or markers
Twine
Small beads
The baby of your choice

To start, measure your intended doll.

Again, you want the cardboard to be slightly taller and wider than the baby.

Cut it flat along the bottom and sides and create a curved top.

Next, cut a square of brown packing paper twice the height and width of the cardboard. In fact, this is going to be “hidden” to create the pocket for the baby.

Native American Activities For Kindergarten

Furthermore, encourage your child to ball it up and crinkle it as much as possible to age it. Then, open it and crinkle it again.

To add a bit more distress to it, you can wipe on some watered down brown paint and then wipe the excess off with a paper towel.

Trim your paper so that it looks roughly like this, matching the curve of the top of the cardboard.

Fold up from the bottom and the sides inward to make it the same size as the cardboard base.

Now it’s time to let your child decorate the hide with crayons or markers with symbols.

The Native Americans often told stories with their artwork. Glue paper to cardboard.

Fold up the bottom and sides and glue them all into place. Let your child do it on their own or use hot glue so it dries much faster.

Flip over the cradleboard and glue on straps using twine for rope.

Add a few beads to a length of twine for decoration and then glue to the cradleboard.

Here is this one on a doll. It’s a little big but would be perfect for a Barbie sized doll.

National Native American Heritage Day Make a Fun Kids Iroquois Bracelet

November 25, 2022 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today is National Native American Heritage Day and we’re making a fun Iroquois bracelet. Add this to my Iroquois lapbook for an amazing unit study.

When studying the Iroquois, you can’t forget the beautiful beadwork that was so important to the culture for many reasons.

National Native American Heritage Day Make a Fun Kids Iroquois Bracelet

Additionally, wampum belts were worn for ornamental, ceremonial, diplomatic and commercial purposes.

They were made to identify agreements and treaties between peoples.

For example, like between the Haudenosaunee and newcomers to North America.

Also, they were used as currency between tribes and the colonists.

We are going to take some liberties and use regular beads to work on fine motor skills with some simple coloring in squares and bead stringing.

Adding in some Native American history we’ll create simple a beadwork bracelet and have fun in the process.

While there are more complex weaving patterns for the wampum, this simple tutorial makes it easy for anyone to create.

Books About the Iroquois

Grab a few books from your library or pick up a couple that I have linked below to learn a little more about the Iroquois and the importance of wampum.

5 Books About the Iroquois

Learn about how the Iroquois lived.

The Iroquois (A True Book: American Indians)

A True Book: American Indian series allows readers to experience what makes each American Indian people distinctive and exceptional. Readers will get to know each tribes culture, influence and history

Hiawatha: Founder of the Iroquois Confederacy (North American Indians of Achievement)

Examines the life and career of the fifteenth-century Iroquois Indian.

The Iroquois: The Six Nations Confederacy (American Indian Nations)

The Iroquois have lived in what is now upper New York State and Ontario, Canada, for more than 4,000 years. In the 12th century, a man of their tribe called the Peacemaker convinced the five other nearby tribes - the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, and Seneca - to work together with the Iroquois in a peaceful confederacy.

Keepers of the Animals: Native American Stories and Wildlife Activities for Children (Keepers of the Earth)

These traditional Native American stories along with related activities show parents and teachers how to teach children the importance of wildlife in Native American traditions. As the stories unfold and the activities come to life, the importance of our connections to animals became apparent.Features traditional Native American stories.Includes field-tested activities appropriate for all ages.Connects wildlife ecology and environmental issues.Fosters creative thinking and the synthesis of knowledge and experience.The stories in this book present some of the basic perspectives that Native North American parents, aunts and uncles use to teach the young. They are phrased in terms that modern youngsters can understand and appreciate, along with eye-catching illustrations and photographs throughout.

Children of the Longhouse

When Ohkwa'ri overhears a group of older boys planning a raid on a neighboring village, he immediately tells his Mohawk elders. He has done the right thing—but he has also made enemies.

Then look at some facts below.

Interesting Iroquois Facts

They were originally Five Nations that made up the Iroquois people- Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca. Later the Tuscarora joined.
There was a trail that connected the Five Nations that make up the Iroquois, it was called the Iroquois Trail.
The Iroquois Great Council still meets today.
Wampum Is a shortened version of wampumpeag, which is derived from the Narragansett word meaning “white strings of shell beads. They were tubular beads made from seashells on the coast and were most often the white shells from the whelk shell and purple from the quahog clam shell.
The main homeland of the Iroquois was in what is now New York State. They were also spread across Ohio, Pennsylvania, Quebec and Ontario.
Up to 60 people would live in a single longhouse.
The Iroquois slept on raised platforms.
Besides the animals that they hunted, they mainly ate corn, beans and squash, named the Three Sisters.
Men of the Iroquois hunted and fished, were the traders and fighters. And the women took care of farmed, gathered and processed food, raised the children, and took care of the housekeeping.
The Iroquois moved to a new settlement near water every 10-30 years because the soil lost its nutrients and the animal and fish population declined from use.

Also, I have these other resources.

Finally, look at these Iroquois resources below.

More Iroquois Resources

First, learn about the Confederacy here.
Then, grab my free Iroquois lapbook here.
Watch YouTube for Iroquois Haudenosaunee Long House Crafts for Kids
Iroquois Diorama

In addition, look below at how to make a Native American wampum bracelet.

How to Make a Native American Wampum Bracelet

Next, you will need:

Colorful beads
Pipe cleaners/chenille stems
Graph paper
Markers in the same colors as the beads you use.
Small piece of cardboard
scissors

The number of beads you will need will depend on the length you want it and the size of the beads you choose.

First, determine how long you want the bracelet to be.

Line up beads along the length of the pipe cleaner to designate the length and this will help you decide how many you need for one row to determine the pattern in the next step.

You want to make it large enough that it can slide on and off without opening.

Decide on a pattern you would like to use, you can keep it simple and just alternate 2 to 3 colors, or a simple shape.

Mark it on a sheet of graph paper by coloring in each of the squares to represent the bead color you will use. For a bracelet 3 to 4 lines tall is perfect.

Next, cut a piece of cardboard a little shorter than the pipe cleaners and about 4”- 5” wide.

Cut slits in one end ¼” apart.

Place pipe cleaners on cardboard, press them through the slits and bend a small amount of one end over the back

Follow the pattern.

Put either one pipe cleaner at a time or across from one side to the other to replicate the pattern you created on paper.

Once all your beads are in place, remove the strands and twist one end together tightly without moving all the strands.

On the opposite end of the bracelet twist the ends together around one strand leaving it longer than the others.

Bend into a bracelet shape and wrap the longer strand from the end around the other piece to close it off.

Winter Craft Ideas How to Make Fun Pinecone Flowers

November 24, 2022 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you’re looking for winter craft ideas for a winter season unit study, your kids will love these fun pinecone flowers.

These pinecone flowers are adorable and add a sweet touch to your table or bookshelf.

Creating an entire bouquet is a great way to fill a chilly fall or winter afternoon with your nature lover.

Winter Craft Ideas How to Make Fun Pine Cone Flowers

I just love the mix of the natural and the handmade.

This activity can be done as a standalone or as part of a tree or pinecone unit study.

All you need to do is gather up some pinecones from the yard and a handful of small sturdy twigs and you are ready to get to creating a beautiful bouquet.

Favorite Nature Winter Craft Ideas

If you want to include this craft as part of a unit on pinecones or trees in general here are some of my favorite resources for nature study.

The Nature Anatomy book is always a goldmine of information.

There are plenty of pages on bark, leaves, pinecones, tree rings, etc.

Another great pinecone activity is this Easy and Fun PineCone Snowy Owl Winter Craft for Kindergarten.

This is a cute and well done Pinecone Unit Study that you can do.
Nature lovers should have a copy of Peterson First Guides Trees on hand. This is a great reference for home or to pack for nature walks.

Safari LTD Trees Toobs are great as a reference especially trees you might not see in person but they can also be used for dioramas and sensory bins.

Finally, explore this simple activity: Why Do Pinecones Open and Close While you have pinecones gather up.

Pinecone Facts

Also, here are a few pinecone facts.

The main purpose of a pinecone is to keep the tree’s seeds safe.
The inner bark can be sliced and fried, it is a good emergency food option.
Pinecones can stay on pine trees for more than 10 years before falling to the ground.
The large pinecones you see are the female pinecones.
Pinecones are the official Maine state flower.
Pine nuts can be used in coffee, jam, tea, and seasoning.
Pinecones are a natural barometer for predicting severe winters and forest fires. A pinecone on the forest ground is an indication of moisture and could mean a wildfire risk. The closed scales on a pinecone indicate damp conditions while open scales mean the forest floor is dry.
Pine, spruce, firs, cedars, larches, hemlocks, yews, etc. are all conifers and produce cones, but pinecones only come from pine trees.
The reason that pinecones close their scales is to protect the seeds from cold temperatures and the wind.

Other Winter Craft Ideas

Also, look at a few more craft ideas.

Now, look at how to make these fun pinecone flowers.

How to Make Pinecone Flowers

You will need:

Pinecones
Sticks
Craft paint
Paintbrushes
Toilet paper rolls
Pruning shears/cutters
Hot glue gun/sticks

Go on a nice leisurely nature walk and gather pinecones and twigs.

If you can’t find any in your area, they are easily found at craft stores in bags.

Clean the pinecones with soap and water to remove dirt, bugs and loose pieces.

Allow to dry completely. Use pruning shears or loppers to cut pinecones into about 3 pieces. Pull off loose leaves.

Cut empty toilet rolls into rings and use them to prop up your pinecones.

This will help them dry quicker from underneath.

Paint pinecones completely inside and out, top and bottom and allow them to dry.

Repeat with a second coat to get nice coverage, allowing it to dry completely.

If you like, add dots of yellow paint to the center to create the center of the flower the pistil.

Once all the paint is completely dry choose a twig to fit with the size of your pinecone and attach it to the bottom with a generous amount of hot glue.

You will need to hold each one in place while the hot glue cools and hardens. Repeat for each flower.

Once all stems have been added you can arrange them in a simple jar or lay them on shelves to brighten up your home.

Geronimo Stilton Out Of Time Fun Sir Francis Drake Ship Craft

November 22, 2022 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Geronimo Stilton Out of Time The 8th Journey Through Time we make a visit to Sir Francis Drake. You’ll love the other Geronimo Stilton Books and crafts on my page.

I am so enamored with this little mouse and his wild adventures through time to meet famous figures.

At least we get to have a peek through his stories, right?

In this book, Geronimo visits Alexander the Great, Queen Cleopatra, Mozart, and our focus today Sir Francis Drake.

Geronimo Stilton Out Of Time Fun Sir Francis Drake Ship Craft

If you are not familiar with Francis Drake, he was an English explorer.

But he was also a sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician.

His biggest claims to fame are having a major role in England’s defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

He was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

About the Geronimo Stilton Series

Geronimo Stilton is full of fun facts presented in a colorful and interesting way for even the child that is reluctant to read.

The series is a younger version of a graphic novel and a great way to introduce history to your child.

This book has jokes, a seek and count page, maps, and lots of fun pirate terms to learn.

Too, colorful words in different fonts and sizes keep kids interested in the story while learning new vocabulary and placing emphasis on what is important.

Activities for Learning About Sir Francis Drake

Besides the wonderful activities in the book, look at some other ideas for learning about Sir Francis Drake.

Horrible Histories YouTube I’ve Got a Brand New Land to Find.
Learn some Pirate Words and Phrases.
Walk the plank by creating one on the floor with painters tape.
YouTube Bedtime History Podcast.
How to Draw a Pirate Ship.
Make your own spyglass with an empty paper towel roll.
Learn How to Make a Compass.
Create your own treasure map by drawing out your backyard and creating a fun treasure to find.
Visit a pet store and look at a real parrot.
Trace Sir Francis Drakes famous route on your home map or atlas.
Learn more about pirates with my Pirates Unit Study and Lapbook.

Then, add some information about the differences between a pirate and a privateer.

What is the difference between a pirate and a privateer?

A pirate attacks and robs ships at sea for their own gain.

Privateers are pirates that were hired by the government to do the same thing.

However, they keep part of what they steal for themselves.

Other Geronimo Stilton Chapter Book Activities

Next, look at these other crafts to go with the books.

Finally, look at how to make a Sir Francis Drake ship craft.

How to Make a Sir Francis Drake Ship

Here is a list of supplies.

White Paper plate
Brown craft paint
Black, white, and brown construction paper/cardstock
Two wooden skewers
Red marker
Hot glue gun/glue sticks

First, cut a paper plate in half, hot glue the two sides together.

You can do this with regular glue instead of hot glue if you’d like it to be an entirely child lead craft but it does take a lot longer for the glue to dry.

So, you may choose to just hot glue it so they can get on with the craft quicker.

This is what it should look like at this point.

Let your child paint both sides of the boat as well as the inside if they like and allow it to dry completely.

While you’re waiting for the boat to dry cut out three small circles of brown construction paper.

And cut three slightly smaller circles out of black construction paper.

Then layer them to create the little portholes on the ship.

Next, take white card stock and cut two smaller trapezoids.

Also, cut two larger trapezoids for the sales as well as a small rectangle for the flag and you can see what that will look like below.

Help your child to poke the top and bottom of the trapezoid through the skewer.

Bend it out a little bit to look like it has a little wind and it sails of course with a larger trapezoid on bottom and the smaller trapezoid on top.

Attach the flag to the top of one with glue.

Glue portholes to the side of the ship.

Slip the skewered flags inside the ship and attach with hot glue, this will make certain it is secure and allow it to be ready faster.

Once the glue is cooled your ship is ready to set sail for adventure.

What do you think? Ready to try another fun Geronimo Stilton activity?

Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights

November 21, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today is National Gingerbread Cookie Day and your kids will love this fun selfie salt dough gingerbread kids activity. Add this fun craft to my winter season unit study.

If you are not a fan of edible gingerbread, I have a fun activity for you.

Turn these salt dough gingerbread men into a cute little 3D or even an entire family portrait.

Kids can recreate themselves, favorite book characters, historical figures, or any other person they like.

Fun Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Kids Activity for Long Winter Nights

This is a great way to spend a chilly winter afternoon and would be the perfect activity for an all about me unit, or to give to a kid that loves taking selfies a different outlet for that creativity.

Use paints, paint pens, and other craft items to create custom gingerbread men.

Great Gingerbread Facts

The term gingerbread is from the Latin term zingiber via an old French word-gingebra, meaning preserved ginger.
The first known recipe for gingerbread came from Greece in 2400 BC.
Nuremberg, Germany is known as the “Gingerbread Capital of the World”.
Ginger not only tastes good, but it also helps act as a preservative.
It is believed gingerbread was brought back by returning crusaders from the middle east where it was custom to bake spicy bread.
There are 2 dates for National Gingerbread day- June 5th and November 21st (the 21st is actually National Gingerbread Cookie Day.

Queen Elizabeth I of England is credited with the first gingerbread men.
Once, a doctor even wrote a prescription for gingerbread for the Swedish King Hans to cure his depression.
Ginger is a plant that is native to India and China. And is prized throughout the world for its culinary and medicinal uses.
Gingerbread itself is made from ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, anise and is sweetened with molasses or honey.
After Hansel and Gretel was published by the Brothers Grimm in the 19th century, gingerbread houses became very popular to make in Germany.

The world’s largest gingerbread house took 9 days to build, and was completed at the Mall of America in Minnesota in 2001.

It stood 67 feet tall and held 1,800 Hershey bars, 1,200 feet of Twizzlers, 100 pounds of tootsie rolls, 100 whirly pops and thousands of other pieces of candy. YUM!

Next, look at these fun hands-on gingerbread activities.

Gingerbread Activities

Create a batch of Gingerbread Playdough to use over and over.
Try some ooey gooey Gingerbread Slime, kids love sensory stimulating activities, warning, this one is messy.
Make up a bowl of Gingerbread Oobleck, they can’t resist this non Newtonian fluid for sensory bins.

Bake up a Simple Gingerbread Recipe for Kids if you want to taste your creation.

More Winter Unit Study Resources

Additionally, look at these other winter unit study resources.

Further, look below at how to make this fun salt dough craft.

How to Create a Selfie Salt Dough Gingerbread Men

First, here is the list of ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup fine salt
1 cup of water
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground ginger
Gingerbread cutters

Craft paints or paint pens
paintbrushes

Next, preheat your oven to 200℉.

And combine all of the dry ingredients together. Mix well.

Also, slowly add water until fully incorporated.

You can add a little brown or tan paint at this point to create different skin tones if you want.

Roll the dough out onto a floured surface until it’s about ¼” thick.

Cut dough into gingerbread shapes with a cutter, or other shapes if you wish.

If you want to hang your gingerbread selfie man, use a straw to poke a hole through the top before baking, be sure not to do it too close to the edge so it will be sturdy.

Spray the baking sheet with some nonstick cooking spray.

Transfer cut outs to the baking sheet and spritz the top of the cut outs with nonstick spray as well to help retain some color.

What’s more you can also use aluminum foil as a framework to bend the arms and hold them into place, make them sit up, and more.

Then, put in a preheated oven and bake for 2 hours or until thoroughly dry. Time may vary based on the thickness of your dough.

Once your dough is baked, allow it to cool completely.

Furthermore, use craft paints to decorate your ginger people with hair, faces, clothes, and other details.

Lastly, allow paint to dry thoroughly before using your gingerbread for decorations, playing pieces for games, in sensory bins, or even to make your own jewelry!