History Resources

Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity

July 10, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Add this pioneer rag doll westward expansion activity to the BEST Westward Ho Unit Study and Lapbook. It’s just too cute.

And if you love the Little House on the Prairie series, or just pioneers in general making a no sew pioneer rag doll is a perfect hands-on activity to learn a little about the culture back then.

Your child will be creating art, doing a little math, learning history and geography.

Also, your child will be working those fine motor skills, learning basic skills, and having fun while doing it.

Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity

While kids today have technology at their fingertips, during pioneer times toys were simpler and less expensive.

For instance, one favorite of little girls was rag dolls.

Too, they were sometimes sewn and more elaborate. And a simple one could even be made from a square handkerchief.

With all the bells and whistles of today’s toys, your children will certainly enjoy making and playing with a simple pioneer rag doll.

Besides it can be made with just a few dollars or free if you already have the scrap fabric on hand.

Further, if you were a reader as a child the chances are you remember Laura Ingalls little corn cob doll wrapped in a handkerchief named Susan.

Westward Expansion Activity

Oh how Laura loved and cherished her!

Similarly, small children who set out with their family to cross the Oregon Trail must have clutched their little simple ragdolls to their chest.

They drew comfort from them over every bump, sickness, broken axle, and excitement of wild new lands

And as they slept in snug beds in fresh new pine cabins that whispered “home” they drew their dolls closer.

Let’s try to capture a little of that innocent, but rugged childhood spirit of the pioneer child with this easy no sew rag doll craft.

Also, what a sweet memory you will make with your little one while you create one of these dolls and teach them basic life skills.

Encourage your child to do as much of this project as possible – cutting, measuring, tying, and folding so they can get the most from this project.

Next, to get started look at this easy supply list.

14” x 10” square of muslin or other light fabric
3- 1”x12” muslin strips
2- ¼”x6” muslin strips
Scrap patterned fabric
Cotton batting or cotton balls
Scissors
Ruler/measuring tape

Then look at these directions.

First, lay the light muslin fabric out flat and place a small handful of cotton batting or about 4-5 cotton balls directly in the center.

Pinch fabric around the cotton and give it a half twist, tie off tightly just below the cotton with one of your muslin strips, cut off the excess.

Then, line your 3 12” muslin strips up evenly, knot off one end, and then braid all the way to the other end. Finish it off with a knot.

After that, open your doll skirt and place these braided strips centered up against the underside of the head.

Westward Expansion Unit

In addition, fold the skirting back down and knot it just below the arms to separate the bodice from the skirt and also this will help to hold the arms in place.

Then, move on to make the sun bonnet.

Begin by cutting a triangle that is roughly 10” at the widest end, and wrap around the head making the point stick out over the face. Knot it under the chin.

Lastly, finish off your doll by cutting a rectangle out of scrap fabric 10”- 12” long, and 6” tall.

Cut into the fabric ¼” down and 4 ½” in on each side to create an apron shape like this.

Don’t worry about being exact, this is a rag doll after all!

Finally, tie the apron around the waist with the strings that you made.

Your doll is ready to cuddle and enjoy.

Further, if you want to extend the learning, have your child research other toys that children used in pioneer times.

For instance, ask a question like which of these toys do you think they would have taken along on long journeys during westward expansion?

Additionally, have your children research various fabrics and patterns that were popular in those days like gingham and broadcloth.

Older children can delve into learning about how those fabrics were made.

Too, they can learn the cost of making a doll or a dress in that period.

Westward Expansion Activity Ideas

Another great thing about this activity is that it works just as easily for a one on one project at home as it does as an activity for a large co-op.

Finally, try these other hands-on activity to create a fun unit study.

Fun Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities

July 7, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Making these pioneer peg dolls for kids westward expansion hands on activities for your BEST Westward Ho Unit Study and Lapbook are just too fun.

What better way to learn about pioneers and heading west.

Create an entire family or many families to travel on your wagon train.

They are a great size to go with popsicle stick wagons.

And log cabins make a great edition to a pioneer themed diorama.

Fun Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities

Too, preschoolers to highschoolers can create their own versions at whatever level they are at; and have fun doing it.

In addition, this project is a great hands-on activity to do while reading aloud or watching a movie.

If you have a documentary on the subject this project will keep hands busy while they take in and process all the information.

First, learn about the history of peg dolls and learn why they are called peg dolls.

At the Wales Museum of History, it says “The tradition of making peg dolls out of wooden clothes pegs comes from a time when people had little money to spend on toys.”

Westward Expansion for Kids

This makes for great conversation discussing how kids made their own toys from what they had.

Your kids will love making their own from what they have. Use my idea here or let them create their own peg dolls.

Next learn about the Oregon Trail. The Oregon trail was the path of a great migration of people from the east to the west.

The pioneers were a hearty bunch who traveled across the country to find more freedoms, land, opportunity, better hunting, and adventure!

Would you enjoy setting off on this challenging adventure with your family?

When families packed up to head west, they had to pack carefully.

But remember they couldn’t really just walk down the street to a store to get what they needed once on the trail.

So, they needed to take all their supplies with them like food, tools, seeds, for planting, clothing, and animals.

Do you think you could pack enough to survive off of it for months and still fit your family into your car today?

Another awesome point is that this craft is inexpensive to make.

For example, if you have paint and fabric scraps on hand you can get a bag of 8 unfinished peg dolls at hobby lobby for less than $3.

It makes this a very affordable project for even big families.

Best Books About Westward Expansion

10 Westward Expansion Resources

Add in a few books and resources to bring the study of the Oregon Trail to life during the United States expansion of the west.

Your Life as a Pioneer on the Oregon Trail (The Way It Was)

Your Life as a Pioneer on The Oregon Trail, has some funny illustrations and great information for this unit study.

Little House on the Prairie Series 7 Books Collection

Of course ALL the Little House Books are some of the best about pioneer life.

The Ingalls are the most famous pioneers and westward moving families.

Westward Expansion (A True Book: Westward Expansion)

A True Book: Westward Expansion takes readers on an amazing journey to a fascinating time in U.S. history when the country was experiencing dynamic change and expanding westward.

The Oregon Trail 4-Book Paperback Box Set Plus Poster Map

In this boxed set, choose your own trail and complete the journey to Oregon City with all four paperbacks in this exciting series! It's 1850 and your first goal is to get your family, covered wagon full of supplies, and oxen to Chimney Rock on time.

The Oregon Trail: Journey to Willamette Valley Boardgame

It's a race to Willamette Valley as you join the wagon train and seek your fortune in the West!

Apples to Oregon:

Apples, ho! When Papa decides to pull up roots and move from Iowa to Oregon, he can’t bear to leave his precious apple trees behind. Or his peaches, plums, grapes, cherries, and pears. Oh, and he takes his family along too.

Locomotive

It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America’s brand-new transcontinental railroad. These pages come alive with the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to
ocean

The California Gold Rush and the '49ers

Try your luck, and search for your fortune in California! Follow the joy and heartbreak of the '49ers during the California Gold Rush.

Daily Life in a Covered Wagon

In 1853, the Larkin family loaded up their wagons and headed west in search of a new life. But how did they do it? What did they eat? How did they survive sickness, and attacks from cattle thieves? Drawing on diaries and letters, and illustrated with photographs of actual object from the past, Daily Life in a Covered Wagon explored what life was really like on the wagon trail.

Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails

Illustrations and simple rhyming text follow Mother, Father, and Baby John as they make the difficult journey by wagon to a new home across the Rocky Mountains in the fertile Sacramento Valley of California. By the creators of Gold Fever.

Western Expansion Project Ideas

I order online too when I need to, and it still costs less. Look at the easy list below:

Unfinished Wood Peg Dolls
Craft Paint/ Paint Pen
Small Paint Brushes
Fabric Scraps
Craft Glue

Next, dive into making these fun pioneer dolls:

Begin by painting the head of your peg doll any skin shade you choose.

We usually just leave ours unfinished wood color so we can get on to the next step in painting.

Start by painting the largest part of the clothing.

You can paint the entire body a solid color for the dresses or half and half to create the boys tops and pants.

Allow paint to dry to the touch. Then move on to the next section.

We like to do the hair next.

You can paint the hair on smooth and leave it as is. Or make a layer of thick blobs of paint to create a texture and dimension.

While the hair is drying, take your tiniest brush and add some details to the face. Add eyes and a mouth.

To the clothes, add a pretty gingham or calico pattern, some suspenders, buttons, and whatever else you like.

Then, let the paint dry completely.

We find that paint pens are also good for adding details and can give you a bit more control over your design.

Finally, to add a little more fun and make them look like true pioneers use some scrap fabric to create a sun bonnet and a “straw hat”.

You can do this for all your dolls or mix it up.

For a bonnet you want to trace a circle on your fabric using something like the bottom of a small paint bottle 1 ½” to 2” in diameter then cut the circle in half.

Try it on your doll’s head and trim it down as needed to make it a good fit.

Once you are happy with the size “paint” your fabric with craft glue and press into place on the head.

Doing this not only adheres it to the doll but also makes it stiffer and a little more durable which is especially helpful if your child will actually be playing with their dolls.

To create the straw hat, you will follow the same step of tracing a small circle onto scrap fabric and “painting” the fabric with glue.

Westward Ho Activities

Press the fabric all around the head to create the crown of the hat, smoothing it as much as you can.

To make the brim just keep shaping it into place so that it stays up, the glue gives it some body so you are able to mold it as you work with it.

When you are happy with the shape let it dry and trim off the excess brim with scissors.

Your pioneer family is finally ready to set off on their adventure together, who knows what they will find as they explore the west!

Finally, here are a few more ideas to make your unit study come alive!

Make a diorama together to show a still life section of the trail.
Create a wagon from popsicle sticks and fabric.
Play classic Oregon Trail on the computer.
Add Little House on The Prairie Art Lessons
Make an edible Louisiana Purchase Map , yum!
Sew your own Prairie Bonnet

You’ll love these other westward expansion hands on activities for your study:

10 Westward Expansion Hands-on History Activities

11 Easy Hands-On Ancient Egypt Projects for Middle School

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

Today, I have gathered 11 easy hands-on Ancient Egypt project ideas for middle school. Also, look at my page homeschool middle school for more fun tips.

Learning about Ancient Egypt should be both fun and interactive during the middle school ages.

It’s not time to give up the fun at any age of learning.

11 Easy Hands-On Ancient Egypt Projects for Middle School

1. Make Mud Bricks.

Look at this fun Hands-on Ancient Egypt: Israelite Mud Bricks for Kids. With minimal material, most of which you have around the house, your middle school child will love making these mud bricks.

Ancient Egypt Projects for Middle School

2. Build a LEGO Math Calculator.

Next, look at this math slant project while studying about Ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptian Mathematics: Build a LEGO Math Calculator is a fun middle school project.

Studying about jewelry from Ancient Egypt doesn’t have to be hard. Look at this Fun Hands-On History: Ancient Egyptian Collar Craft.

3. Create an Ancient Egyptian Collar

One of the most famous forms of jewelry worn by the ancient Egyptians was the Usekh collar. Rich Egyptians often wore these broad necklaces on a daily basis and this collar craft is a fun way to understand about Egyptian necklaces.

Then to add a bit of art and drawing, your middle school child will love Ancient Egypt Civilization (Hands-on History): King Narmer Crown.

4. Mold a painting of the Ancient Egypt Double Crown

After all studying about the double crown and the significance to Ancient Egypt can be hard to understand. This easy hands-on project helps learning facts stick.

Projects for Middle School About Ancient Egypt

5. Play the Snake Game

In addition, I created this fun and Free Ancient Egypt Mehen Printable Board Game (Hands-on History) based on the popular snake game played by the Egyptians.

However, we really loved doing the Project Passport: Ancient Egypt from Home School in the Woods .

Not only did we enjoy many hands-on learning activities, but love learning about Upper and Lower Egypt, the maps and the printable activities. My post Ancient Egypt Homeschool Unit Study – Hands-on and FUN! has numerous activities in Project Passport.

6. Travel Egypt Without Leaving Your Home

Also, add in a few more hands-on fun ideas like this Birdcage Ancient Egypt Go Fish game.

7. Prepare cardboard Egyptian Pillars

And another Ancient Egypt project for middle school is to have your child prepare these beautiful smokin’ hot Egyptian cardboard pillars.

Hands-on Ancient Egypt Middle School Activities

At the end of our unit study co-op our group made these cardboard pillars; your crafty middle school kid will love doing them for a prop or drama your group has.

8. Tie in Ancient Egypt with Astronomy Notebooking Page

Furthermore, some middle school children will love a science tie in with Ancient Egypt like learning about ancient astronomy. Look at my post Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages.

Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages

These notebooking pages are subscriber freebies.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my Exclusive Subscriber’s Only Library which has these notebooking pages in the library.

This is how you get access to these pages quickly.
► 1) Sign up on my list.
► 2) Go to your inbox and confirm your email from the automatic reply I sent you.
►3) Look for the automatic reply giving you the password to the private subscriber’s area. You should have it soon.

IF you are already a follower/subscriber, PLEASE do NOT email me asking how to find it. You may not want to wait on me replying since I get bombarded with emails.

Find the MOST RECENT email from me and the password and link to the Subscribers Area are ALWAYS at the bottom of every email. Look for the most current email since I change the password frequently.

9. Study Ancient Egypt Alongside Other Ancient Empires.

This next Ancient Egypt project for middle school is to make an in depth study of Ancient Empires. We used Great Empires Activity Study by Home School in the Wood.

Some children need to see the key players or empires of history at one time and need a longer project to retain focus.

Moving too fast studying ancient history and a child may not understand key time periods. It’s important for key history hooks to be made so that all other learning can be tied to history makers.

Great Empires Activity Study by Home School in the Woods covers fourteen empires:

Ancient China
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Greece
Ancient Rome
Arab-Muslims,
English Empire
French Empire

Mongols
Russian Empire
Spanish Empire
United States and
Viking.
German Empire
Japanese Empire

Another easy activity Hands-On History: The Rosetta Stone and Breaking The Code is really a fun introduction to learning about ancient history.

10. Break the Code of the Rosetta Stone.

If you find that your child doesn’t really know anything about why we know some about ancient history, begin with learning about the Rosetta Stone. Your code breakers will love to learn about breaking the code.

As well including your young kids can be tough. So, if you want to include your younger kids or if your middle school child loves to still color, you’ll love this set of Ancient color pages to go along with your studies.

20 Ancient Civilization History Coloring Pages at Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus. You'll love adding these to your unit studies or notebooking.

We have used various museum quality history coloring books through the years that have made a big difference in how my boys understood history in the early years.

I think clip art should be as real as possible and based on real events in history.

Learning Ancient History Through Coloring

Instead of me adding titles on pages or naming the coloring pages, this allows you to use the clip art/coloring pages any way you want to.

Whether it is a cover page, notebooking page, journal page or just to enrich a topic, you have the flexibility.

Here is what the 20 page download contains. I put a few key words to explain each picture on the page. This way you can use the coloring pages as title pages too on your lapbooks.

Page 3: Ancient Egypt Court,
Page 4: Ancient Egypt Spinning,
Page 5: Ancient Egypt Life of the Royals,
Page 6: Ancient Egypt Battles,
Page 7: Ancient Egypt The Nile,
Page 8: Life Along the River – The Nile,
Page 9: Metal Workers & Crafts of Ancient Egypt,
Page 10: Egyptian Hieroglyphics,
Page 11: Egyptian Queen Cleopatra,

Page 12: Aztecs Floating Gardens
Page 13: Aztecs,
Page 14: Aztec Life,
Page 15: Mayans,
Page 16: Ancient Greece Wedding,
Page 17: Ancient Greek Galley,
Page 18: Ancient Greece Crafts,
Page 19: Ancient Greece Bank,
Page 20: Athens,
Page 21: Spartan Warrior and
Page 22: The Vikings.

Grab your fun copy below!

Ancient Civilization History 20 Coloring Pages
$3.50 Add to cart

Finally, you know my love for hands-on tools like lapbooks. No, they’re not just for younger children.

Middle school children really benefit from them as well. And the best part is that the lapbook can be as crafty or not as your child wants it to be.

11. Craft a Pharaohs and Queens Ancient Egypt lapbook.

And I really make it easy here for you because I have this free Famous Pharaohs and Queens of Egypt lapbook.

What do you think? Are you ready to tackle these 11 Easy Hands-On Ancient Egypt Projects for Middle School?

And be sure you visit these middle school activities:

7 Super Fun History Games to Bring the Past to Life

November 3, 2021 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have 7 super fun history games. Do your kiddos groan and moan about history? You’ll love the other history games I have too.

What is it about history that can make it so boring?

Because, really, history is so full of interesting facts and stories.

Let’s make history fun and exciting! Let’s make it (dare I say it?!) your child’s favorite subject!

It’s a favorite subject around our house and I firmly believe that is because we use so many games in our history lessons!

Fun History Games

I’m going to be sharing 7 super fun history games that you can use in your homeschool to bring the past to life! Let’s get started!

1) Made for Trade

Time Period: Colonial America

Ages: 7+

Players: 2 to 4
Game Length: 5 to 30 minutes (depending on which version you play)

We have been studying US history this year and Made for Trade has been so fun!

This is a board game, shop cards, character pawns, dice, and shillings.

This history game comes with 3 versions to play! The first game is a version of Spoons called Shillings where players try to get five cards from the same shop (blacksmith, potter, silversmith, etc.).

I was really happy to find instructions for this game because my 5 year old could play this with no help and the kids are becoming familiar with items that were sold in different shops during Colonial America.

The 2nd and 3rd versions of the game are very similar.

In the first version players work their way around the village buying or trading items from the village shops trying to acquire any 4 objects from the shops.

Players also have to pay taxes and get paid as they move around the spaces.

The 3rd version, players are also trying to acquire cards, but this time they are specific items on an inventory card for their character.

This version also adds in event cards such as a smallpox outbreak that has kids learning even more about American History.

Made for Trade is a great game to introduce your children to US History!

History Games for Elementary Students

2) Guess in 10: States of America and Countries of the World

Time Period: N/A

Ages: All Ages

Players: 2 to 6

Game Length: 5 minutes to as long as you want!

This game isn’t really history, but more geography.

I included it in my list because it is perfect for families with a wide age range, and besides, we all need to know states and countries!

Ask up to 10 questions to guess the state of America or country on the game card! There are 50 game cards and 6 clue cards in each game.

This would be fun for traveling or at the dinner table for some fun dinner time trivia!

There are other sets, too, like landmarks, animals, underwater, foods around the world, dinosaurs, and more!

3) Brain Box World History

Time Period: All of History

Ages: All Ages

Players: 1 or more players

Game Length: 5 minutes or as long as you want!

Brain Box World History is a memory game and a history game in one!

Players look at the front of a card for 10 seconds.

Then, they flip over the card and roll the die. Another player reads the question corresponding to the number on the die.

If you get it correct, you get to keep the card; if you get the answer wrong, the card goes back in the box. The player with the most cards after 10 minutes (or some agreed upon time) wins!

There is also a one player game version where a single player can try to get as many cards as he or she can in 10 minutes.

This is a great way to introduce different events in history!

4) Timeline: Historical Events.

Time Period: All of history

Ages: 8 and up

Players: 2 to 6

Game Length: About 15 minutes

What is it about?

There are so many of the Timeline games and they can all be mixed together for some real fun!

The basic idea of the game is simple – start with a random card and then arrange other historical events either before or after it depending on when they happened in history.

These games are quick, fun, and a great way to learn when events happened.

This is also a great game for introducing lots of events and seeing which ones your children would like to dive deeper into. Other decks include Inventions, more Historical Events, and British history.

The cards come in a tin, like the Spot It, which makes it easy to store or take with you on the go!

Note: If you are looking for a game like this for older children, be sure to check out Chronology. Ages 14+

5) Professor Noggin: History of the United States

Time Period: US History (various times)

Ages: 7+

Players: 2 to 8

Game Length: About 15 to 30 minutes

Professor Noggin is a trivia type game where players try to collect cards by answering questions correctly.

There are easy and hard questions on each card.

When we play, my girls answer the easy questions and I answer the hard questions. It makes for a pretty even playing field, so fun for everyone!

On your turn you roll the die and another player reads the corresponding question to you.

If you get it right you get to keep the card; if you get the history question wrong the card goes back in the pile.

The questions will be either trivia, true/false, or multiple choice format.

The first player to collect 10 cards win! There are several versions of Professor Noggin, so you can get whatever topic you are needing: US History, Art History, Medieval Times, Science, Geography, and more!

History Games for Middle and High School Students

6) The Grizzled

Time Period: World War I

Ages: 14+

Players: 2 to 5

Game Length: About 30 minutes

There are so many games and movies about WWII, but in this game players are immersed in the trenches of WWI.

This is a fully cooperative game (think Pandemic) where players work together to stay alive until Armistice. Each round will face the hardships of war such as blizzards, gas attacks, and trauma.

Soldiers must use strategy and luck to stay alive together!

World War I can be glossed over in a lot of history studies, with so much emphasis put on WWII.

With The Grizzled, players can learn what it was like to try to survive during the miserable trench warfare of The Great War.

Reviewers state that it is simple and straightforward to learn, but the replay value is quite good!

One reviewer stated that he and his wife are at about 50% win rate, so that makes for exciting play! This would be a great game to play with older middle school or high school students.

7) 1775 Rebellion The American Revolution | Board Game

Freedom is currently not available. But the 1775 Rebellion the American Revolution is another favorite.

1775 is an area control game that is great for head-to-head or up to 4-player team play.
1775 Rebellion is the second title in the Birth of America series after 1812 – The Invasion of Canada.

~~Time Period: Slavery and Civil War~~

~~Ages: 13 and up~~

~~Players: 1 to 4 players~~

~~Game Length: 60 to 90 minutes~~

~~Freedom is a cooperative game where players try to raise funds, free slaves, and end slavery in America.~~

~~As they play, players learn about historical figures, political agendas, and important events that occurred between 1800 and 1865.~~

~~This game won the 2013 Best Game Quest Awards for Best Coop Game and was nominated for 2014 Origins Award Best Historical Game!~~

Freedom would be a great interactive way to cover the time period leading up to the Civil War. Also, look at the huge Civil War lapbook unit study here.

History Games Bring the Past to Life

These games are just the tip of the iceberg, let me tell you! If you are struggling to get your kiddos to get interested in history, try one (or more!) of these games and see them get hooked!

I hope you’ve found some useful resources to add to history in your homeschool this year!

Happy learning!

Look at these other fun history learning resources here:

22 Famous Texans Notebooking Pages (editable) For a Fun History Study

February 10, 2021 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

These 22 famous Texans notebooking pages can be added to a unit study about Texas. You could use the Texans notebooking pages for a famous people study too.

I’ve created 11 Texans notebooking pages which have 2 Texans on each page so your child can notebook about 22 famous Texans.

In addition, I’ve created two sets of notebooking pages. The first set is editable and the second set has lines for handwriting. You decide best how to use them with your kids.

Some kids need more practice handwriting, other kids need to type. Again, it’s the same set with two different options. You get both options in the one download.

22 Famous Texans Notebooking Pages

Look at these 22 famous Texans on each page and in addition where possible, I have a link or two to help you kick off your unit study with a heap of Texan-ness.

Famous Texans

Here in Texas, our homeschool state law states the curriculum must include the five basic subjects of reading, spelling, grammar, mathematics and good citizenship.

Good citizenship is similar to civics so you can include these notebooking pages toward your goal of covering Texas history.