My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}

How to Make a Kids’ Fun Ceremonial African Tribal Mask

December 22, 2020 | 3 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This week we created our own ceremonial African tribal mask after doing some research about their uses and how they are made. Also, look at my post Free Africa Unit Study for Kids Who Love Hands-on Learning | Free Continent & Country Reports.

We have been studying all about Africa, it’s customs, weather, regions, zoology, peoples, and geography.

How to Make a Kids' Fun Ceremonial African Tribal Mask

This project we are sharing with you today is perfect for mid elementary up through middle school.

Tribal masks play very important roles in many traditional African ceremonies and rituals even in these modern times.

Ceremonial African Tribal Mask

Some symbolize totem animals, others are representative of tribal mythology, they are believed to help communicate and convey messages to spirits.

Some masks are made and used in times of peace and also in times of war, and to ensure good harvests.

They are worn for weddings, funerals, and initiation rites of passage.

Mask making is an art that is passed from father to son in African culture.

Too, if you are studying Africa with any depth, this is a project that you definitely want to focus on.

How to Make an African Paper Mask

You learn history, but also the culture of certain regions; your child gets a glimpse into the artwork which these interesting peoples create and consider important to their culture.

First, gather these easy supplies. Here is what you will need to create your own mask.

Scrapbook/Construction paper
Glue
Scissors
Hole punch

Hole punch
Paint, brushes
Raffia/twine
paint/paintbrush

Directions:

Crease a full sheet of sturdy paper right down the center, this will be the main piece of your mask.

On one side pencil in a large mask shape. If you have already done some research you should have an idea of what type of mask you would like.

Masks are usually shaped like a human face or animal muzzle, but very abstract.

Kids’ African Mask

We are going with a commonly seen elongated face shape that is symmetrical and it gives me a chance to reintroduce and review what symmetrical means with the kids.

Cut out both sides at the same time following the half shape you drew.

When decorating tribal masks many elements are used like shells, horns, feathers, broken egg shells, seeds, straw, and animal hair.

Cut out your elements like the nose, ears, and eyes from neutral colored paper, which are the colors most commonly chosen in Africa.

While size and shapes are exaggerated, they are still pretty simple.

To make your features symmetrical, fold your paper in half like you did the poster board. Only draw half the shape on one side, but cut out of both side on the fold.

Start with the nose, eyes, and ears and build up with decoration from there.

Again if you are cutting one piece like a nose, fold it in half, draw the shape, and cut it out.

How to Make Tribal Masks with Paper

If you are cutting two pieces like eyes just cut through two pieces of paper at the same time so that they are the exact same size and shape.

Next, glue all your elements into place, remember to place your pencil line side face down so you don’t see it.

To create the hair and beard details, we punched holes along the edges where we wanted them and knotted twine through the holes.

If you knot it like a regular knot the ties will go out sideways.

If you want it to stick straight up and down, fold your length of string in half and push the loop through the hole you made.

African Mask Ideas for Kids

Too, if you’re looking to add Art History to your curriculum, we love Art History Kids.

Goal of Art History Kids

To introduce kids to art.
Let them come to their own conclusions.
And, encourage their own individual creativity.

Then, slide the other two ends through the loop and pull firmly but gently.

Add some final details with paint, like the dots we did here.

We used the back end of the brush to create round uniform dots to give our mask some additional texture and interest.

If your child enjoys more sensory input you can also use fingertips to add paint to the mask.

Allow your creation to dry, you can either leave it as it is or glue the mask to a sturdier piece of cardboard or poster board to display and keep it longer.

Learning the Culture of Africa Through Picture Books

If you want to make this a fun unit study topic about world cultures, you’ll love the study guide notes and coloring pictures by Beautiful Feet Literature.

Although these guides state they’re for your younger kids, I think picture books are wonderful for all ages. Who doesn’t love pictures?

Additionally, look at these picture book options below.

Part One covers Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica.

This Around the World With Picture Books Part Two covers Europe and South America.

Lastly, if you want to expand on your Africa study no matter if you are using a box curriculum or if you are doing a simple interest led study here are some ideas that you and your child can try…

African Geography and Culture Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

List the different countries with Africa in alphabetical order. This is great practice for learning alphabetical order but also geography, handwriting, vocabulary, and spelling. I am a big fan of activities that cover more than one skill.
Dig deeper by researching what various masks and their elements represent and what regions they are from.
Create several different masks representing different areas or traditions.
Families with one or more children can create an art show with African art to share with friends and family.
Research other cultures and countries that wear masks, what are they worn for?
Visit a local museum with an Africa exhibit to see relics or replicas first hand.

Watch this documentary on PBS about an African Mask Collection.

You’ll love these other hands-on activities:

Are you studying about Africa? What activities have you been doing?

Hugs and love ya,

Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids

September 9, 2020 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Have you ever wondered about the effects of ocean pollution and other waterways? Look at my page Ocean Unit Study and Ocean Lapbook.

It’s important that we bring it to our children’s attention now so they can make responsible choices and be part of the clean up solution!

The best way to do this of course is through a fun hands-on activity that lets them see first hand how easily water is polluted, how difficult it is to clean it up and to make it like it was before.

This project can be done with things around the house; you may just need to grab a couple items from Dollar Tree or somewhere else.

Beware of Ocean Pollution

First, gather all your materials before you bring in the kids. Kids lose interest quickly if they spend a long time waiting at the table for you to find everything.

Better yet if you have an older kid who knows everything right now (wink) get him or her to do the gathering of supplies.

Next, here is the list of supplies for the hands-on ocean pollution science activity.

A large shallow container
Blue food coloring (optional)
sea shells
clean sand (optional)

water
plastic sea creatures
feathers

Teaching Kids About Ocean Pollution

Then, here is the list for the pollution items and the list for cleaning items.

cooking oil
food crumbs
pieces of plastic bag

dish soap
toothbrush
sponge
cotton balls
paper towels
coffee filters
cotton swabs
tongs
small nets

coffee grounds
straws
soil

Water Pollution Exploration

Start by adding items to your container that belong, explaining to your child that these are the items that naturally occur in an ocean and are part of its ecosystem.

Fill your container with several inches of water.

If you like add a few drops of blue food coloring to your water and mix in.

Place sea creatures, seashells, and sand if you are using them.

Next, talk about what happens when we visit the beach or travel on the water.

As you talk about oil the spills from ships, trash that is tossed aside instead of being safely placed in trash containers let your child add each of the pollution items you have provided.

Stir it all up together. What has happened?

The once nearly clear and pristine water is now discolored.
Creatures are covered in oil and dirt.
The water no longer looks appealing at all to play in does it?
Turtles, dolphins, sharks, and other animals get plastic wrap around them.
Sea animals choke on items that don’t belong in the ocean and die or are suffering from the effects.

What can we do to clean up the ocean?

Ocean Pollution Clean Up Activity

You can pick up bigger items if they are floating on top with a net or tongs, but what about items that sink to the bottom of our deep oceans?

Demonstrate how to use cotton balls to absorb some of the oil on the surface of the water.

Toss in a few feathers to demonstrate what happens to water birds when they pick up oil and other undesirable things from polluted water.

Use Dawn dish soap, a toothbrush, and other items to try and remove the oil and debris from the feathers.

Dawn has a program for cleaning up animals that have been injured due to oil spills. You can read a bit more about it here at Dawn Helping Saving Wildlife for Over 40 Years.

Be Ocean Explorers

Examine clean ocean water, polluted ocean water, and “cleaned” up water.

Grab 3 clear glasses and place water and food coloring in one.

Take some of your polluted water and place in the second.

Finally, after you have cleaned up your water some, put a coffee filter over the third glass and run your cleaned up polluted water over the coffee filter.

Compare the difference in water color and quality.

Even the water that has been cleaned up is still not left unchanged, it is cloudy, dark, and still contains trace amounts of debris.

This makes a big impact on my kids as it allowed them to understand how big an impact peoples actions can have on our water sources.

Look at some pollution vocabulary and spelling words to use for an ocean or water unit study.

Pathogens
Waste water
Pollution
Biodegradable
Hazardous

Pollutant
Habitat
Conservation
Ecosystem

If you are looking for read aloud or independent reading books for your child that go along with the theme you need not look any further than your bookcase or library and grab something anything that has an ocean theme like Island of the Blue Dolphins, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Treasure Island, or Swiss Family Robinson!

Continue with your study using some great books to look through or use as living text books.

Earth Science Activity for Kids

This hands-on activity can easily lead into learning about all the fascinating creatures who live in the sea.

Lastly, teaching kids to learn how to care for our earth by not polluting the oceans empowers kids to be part of the solution and no the problem.

You’ll love these other resources to keep expanding how to care for the ocean and enjoy the beauty it provides:

Hugs and love ya,

How to Make an Easy Nature Paint Brush With Kids

August 22, 2020 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Creating your own diy nature paint brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors.

Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings.

If you are digging deep into a nature-based unit study or you just want a unique nature-based unit study add-on to do with your child, look no further.

Creating your own diy nature brushes from items on your next nature walk is a fun way to bring science outdoors. Turn all sorts of leaves and flowers into beautiful rustic paintings. Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids. CLICK HERE!
#diynaturebrushes #homeschoolnature #natureforkids #nature #scienceforkids #handsonnature #handsonart

These fun and simple diy nature brushes are an inexpensive and creative way to get your kids into the great outdoors exploring, creating, and coming up with unique new ways to use natural objects.

DIY NATURE PAINT BRUSH FOR KIDS

Toddlers on up to middle schoolers will enjoy gathering their own materials on their next nature walk or from your own backyard, creating paintbrushes, and then painting their unique masterpiece with their DIY tools.

This activity is perfect to go along a general nature study, a tree unit study, or an art unit study.

Look how to make easy nature paint brushes with kids.

You will need:

Craft sticks (or sturdy sticks)
Small rubber bands
Collected leaves, flowers, ferns, grasses, etc…

Begin by taking your little nature explorer outdoors to collect leaves, long grasses, flowers and their stems, ferns, and any other material you think will make good “brushes”.

It’s fun to experiment with the different textures and shapes so be sure you gather a large variety of different items.

Next bring them in and straighten them up into little bundles, varying the size here and there.

Place one end of the bundle on the end of your craft stick and wrap a small rubber band around the end until it is tight and secure.

The easiest way to do this is to wrap it around the opposite end and then roll it upwards over your brush.

DIY NATURAL PAINT BRUSH ACTIVITY

Use scissors to trim the ends of your leaves and grasses shorter. They are more like actual paintbrush bristles. Also, this makes a great fine motor activity for preschoolers. Of course, don’t use the same scissors we used. Just saying’.

Next, challenge your child to paint a nature picture on a canvas or large piece of paper.

We practiced on a scrap piece of paper to see what texture and coverage each brush gave.

Encourage them to experiment with different size brushes and see what types of textures you can make from the various brushes you have made, solid strokes, wispy strokes, tapping the canvas, etc..

We went with a simple tree this time, but are eager to try more advanced art with them soon.

You can use acrylic craft paint or try watercolors for a lighter look.

Wash out your brushes when done or toss them into the compost bin and make more.

HANDS-ON NATURE STUDY

Why should you do nature studies with your child?

6 Reasons Why You Should Do Nature Studies With Your Kids

Nature studies are the base for all science studies and creates a personal connection which helps your child later with more advanced studies;
Spending time outdoors in the fresh air and sunshine is calming and relaxing for you and your child. It is also a great way to get exercise and get the wiggles out;
Nature study encourages your child to develop the skill of investigation;
It is a great activity for the entire family and even the youngest member can appreciate and enjoy what nature has to offer;
It gives your child a respect for the earth and their place in it; and
Kids develop a greater understanding of the impact we all have on the earth.

Nature brushes are a great way to use natural materials to make art supplies and make science fun, but there are ways to expand this hands-on craft.

5 Ways to Expand On Nature Anatomy

Before making the paint brushes you can

use the items you have collected to identify which plant it comes from;
press flowers and leaves with this diy flower press;
make rubbings using the flat side of crayons;
sketch your findings in your nature journal; and
check out this list of nature inspired novels to use as read alouds.

In addition, use the app Inaturalist to help you identify what you find.

LIVING NATURE BOOKS

Don’t stop here, investigate further with some great nature books to turn this activity into a full unit study.

Use Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman.

Exploring Nature Activity Book for Kids by Kim Andrews.

Exploring Nature Journal for Kids Observe and Record the Outdoors by Kim Andrews.

Tell Me, Tree: All About Trees for Kids by Gail Gibbons.

Exploring nature with your kids can cover so many subjects when you use a unit study approach.

Teaching about the outdoors is a natural way to learn which kids love. Not only can you include many different subjects, but adding a hands-on craft or two, makes learning stick.

You’ll love all the fanstastic ideas I have here for you to round out making these diy nature paint brushes with your kids.

Look at this list below:

What nature craft activities do you like doing with your kids?

Hugs and love ya,

How to Easily Make a Simple and Fun Kids DIY Flower Press

August 15, 2020 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

A fun kids diy flower press can turn a simple wildflower (or garden flower) unit study into a fun and memorable unit by adding in some simple hands-on activities.

Just a few dollars and a little time are all you need to create an easy perfectly portable flower press that you and your child can use again and again.

Turn everything from black-eyed susans to hydrangeas into a dried keepsake.

Too, make dried pressed flowers for crafts, homemade potpourri, or to put into a scrapbook.

Kids DIY Flower Press

Besides, this flower press is great for on the go and can be toted around in your backpack to bring your floral treasures home.

Lastly because it’s such a frugal project, everyone can have their own.

We spent $2.00 on wood at Dollar Tree; we had paint and twine already on hand making it a frugal and fun activity with a purpose.

You will need :

2 thin unfinished wood pieces
twine
hot glue gun/sticks
card stock
paint
foam brush

Directions:

I found these two unfinished wood pieces at Dollar Tree (my favorite place to find inexpensive supplies for homeschool projects) in the craft section.

If you don’t find them there you can get any two precut wood pieces from the craft store. Just be sure they are ¼” thick or less.

Paint one side of each of the wooden pieces and allow to dry completely.

Trace around your shape onto cardstock to create layers for your flower press.

Moreover you don’t need more than two layers.

And you can cut extra as you will want to replace them after every few uses due to the moisture it will collect.

Steps for DIY Kids Flower Press

First, cut 2 pieces of twine into two foot lengths.

Then, hot glue one of the pieces of twine to the corner of the painted side of the wood. Secure it well.

On the other piece of wood glue the second length of twine to the opposite corner of the first.

If you prefer to give it a more finished look you can cover it up by glueing on silk flower or greenery like we did here.

To use your flower press lay flowers between sheets of cardstock on the bottom wooden piece, lay the other on top and wrap twine as tightly as you can around the sides, tying it off into a bow.

Next, allow your flowers to sit in the press for 2 or 3 days until flat and fully dry.

Hands-on Ideas for Kids DIY Flower Press

Try some of these additional hands on activities to expand on your flower explorations!

Head outside and gather up flowers from locals fields or your own backyard and try them out on your new flower press. Again, once you have them home search through field guides or use an app try to identify each.
Find out your state flower and try to locate one.
Use a real flower to label each of the parts.
Plant your own wildflowers after making these Wildflower Seed Bombs.
Take apart a flower and identify the parts- petal, pistel, stem, stigma, filament, etc…
Use watercolor paint to recreate your flower finds on paper.
Dig deep into this Wildflower Unit Study & Lapbook.
Futhermore, try to identify at least 10 different types of flowers.
Create a flower sensory bin for young children with fresh flowers, leaves, and stems.
In addition, young children can also count the petals on the flowers.
Use different types of flowers on long stems as natural paint brushes.
Plant a flower garden or even a small container of flowers together.

In addition, here are some great resources to help you identify your flower finds in the field or at home.

If you’re wanting to add a few more activities to this activity, I know you’ll love these ideas below.

Trees, Leaves, Flowers, and Seeds

Audubon Field Guide to Flowers

Pocket Guide to Wildflowers

Fandex Wildflowers

Finally, whether you have a budding botanist or love being outdoors, you’ll love making this fun DIY flower press.

Labeling Parts of a Honey Bee LEGO Fun Activity For Kids

June 30, 2020 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Your kids will love labeling the parts of a honey bee lego activity. Also, look at my Fascinating and Fun Honey Bees Unit Study and Lapbook for Kids.

Bees are fascinating little creatures from how they create their honeycombs to maximize space, to how they know to fan the hive to keep it cool.

Bees are used in so many ways than just the delicious honey they produce.

Labeling Parts of a Honey Bee LEGO Fun Activity For Kids

We use beeswax in cosmetics, candles, as a coating, and bee venom is used as a holistic treatment.

Because they are so very important to our world as pollinators I think it is important to educate our children about them from the beginning.

Labeling the Parts of a Honey Bee

If you’ve been homeschooling awhile you know that hands-on activities really drive home information in a fun way that really makes it stick, often better than any worksheet could.

Since most kids love LEGO, I thought that an activity using them would be a hit with the kids and turn an ordinary and possibly boring homeschool lesson into something unique and fun.

Turns out I was right- The kids loved doing this project and I hope you and yours will too!

Grab a big bucket of LEGOS and a handful of bee books and let’s get started.

A LEGO baseplate.

Assorted LEGO bricks

Cardstock paper
A book or printout of parts of a bee
Pen or marker

Books for Bee Unit Studies

Next, look at these books about bees for kids.

8 Honey Bees Unit Study Resources & Books

Add some of these fun resources to your bees unit study or spring unit study.

Bees: A Honeyed History

One part science, one part cultural history, and countless parts fascination, Bees: A Honeyed History celebrates the important role that these intriguing insects have played in our ecosystem throughout the ages, and today.

The Beekeeper's Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses

Part history book, part handbook, and part cookbook, this illustrated tome covers every facet of the ancient hobby of beekeeping, from how to manage hives safely to harvesting one’s own honey, and ideas for how to use honey and beeswax. Detailed instructions for making candles, furniture polish, beauty products, and nearly 100 honey-themed recipes are included. Honeybees, which are critical in the pollination of popular US produce such as almonds, apples, and blueberries, are actually not native to the Americas. The honeybee that you see dancing from flower to flower in farms and gardens originated in Europe. The introduction of the honeybee began with European colonization of the Americas; before that, wild native bees, other insects, and some birds and mammals pollinated the native flowers of the continent. The honeybee’s ability to pollinate crops, produce honey, and be easily domesticated precipitated the growth in beekeeping all over America.

Flight of the Honey Bee: Read and Wonder

Follow the flight of a honey bee as she searches for nectar to sustain her hive and, along the way, pollinates flowers to produce seeds and fruits. Nature lovers and scientists-to-be are invited to explore the fascinating life of a honey bee.

Life Cycle of a Honey Bee

Honey Bees are fascinating creatures which have been kept by humans for centuries. Now you can explore the life cycle of the honey bee without being stung. Watch as it grows from an egg, to a larva, and to a pupa before finally emerging as a mature adult.

Nature Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of the Natural World

Always a favorite when doing any kind of nature study, there are a few pages that cover different types of bees, common nectar sources, and bee anatomy. If you don't have this set already I cannot recommend it enough for nature studies.

Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts and Pieces of Country Life

One of the companion books to Nature Anatomy, the farm version covers all parts of farming, machinery, and crops but it also caught my eye because it even covers Beekeeping for aspiring beekeepers. It goes over bee terminology, parts of a bee, the parts of a hive, types of bees, flower parts, and beekeeper essentials. These books really put a lot of info into compact parts.

The Life and Times of the Honeybee

Why do beekeepers use smoke machines when collecting honey? Can a bee really sting only once? Why do bees "dance"? In concise, detailed text and abundant illustrations that range from the humorous to the scientific, Charles Micucci offers a wide-ranging and spirited introduction to the life cycle, social organization, and history of one of the world's most useful insects.

The Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive

When the Magic School Bus turns into a beehive, Ms. Frizzle's class learns firsthand about how workers, drones, and the queen bees live together. Readers will be abuzz with knowledge as they discover how honeybees find food; make a comb, honey, and beeswax; and care for their young, all from the bee's perspective.

You can make this as simple or as involved a LEGO build as you like depending on the age and ability of the child.

Hands-on Activity for Honey Bee

Using the larger Duplo blocks to create a simple bee and let your child point out the various parts of a bee as you call them out is another idea.

Provide your child with a book or printout on the parts of a bee to use as a model and a variety of LEGO to build their bee model.

Give them a large variety of LEGO bricks to build with, I love this starter box for kids just beginning a LEGO collection.

I keep a box for each kid separate from all the other LEGO in the house just for school projects like this.

Have them start with creating a head, thorax, and abdomen using yellow and black bricks.

Add wings using white bricks.

For older children you can differentiate forewing and hindwing if you like.

Use long single row black bricks to create 3 sets of legs.

Finally add eyes and antennae.

Hands-on Science: Labeling the Parts of a Bee

Cut small strips of cardstock and add the names of whichever bee parts you would like your child to identify.

Give them the strips and let them locate each part on their LEGO bee, with so much interaction while building and then labeling they are sure to retain much of the information they get from this build.

HONEY BEE LAPBOOK FOR KIDS

Also, you’ll love my honeybee lapbook.

Here are some additional bee activities to try

Create a honey bee lapbook.
Create the life cycle of a bee using LEGO again.
Pick up some local honey and try it right out of the jar as well as in a recipe or two.
Make a honeycomb by cutting down toilet paper tubes and bending each ring into a hexagon, glue each together to create any size you like.
Paint a watercolor bee or beehive.
Thumb through one of the books listed below and learn some more bee information-make flashcards.
Plant flowers in your yard to help support the bees, very important pollinators.
Make a mason bee house to put up outdoors.
Preschoolers can work on fine motor skills by transferring “pollen” (yellow pom poms) from one flower (colorful bowl) to another with tongs.
Research all the products we get from bees.
Give your child a bee themed writing prompt for handwriting, creative writing, and grammar practice such as “ What if there were no bees?” or “ The day I turned into a bee…”.

Dynamic Honey Bee Lapbook for Multiple Ages
$4.00 Add to cart

You’ll love these other hands-on science activities.

My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas}

Ceremonial African Tribal Mask

How to Make an African Paper Mask

Kids’ African Mask

How to Make Tribal Masks with Paper

African Mask Ideas for Kids

Learning the Culture of Africa Through Picture Books

African Geography and Culture Homeschool Unit Study Ideas

Beware of Ocean Pollution

Teaching Kids About Ocean Pollution

Water Pollution Exploration

Ocean Pollution Clean Up Activity

Be Ocean Explorers

Earth Science Activity for Kids

DIY NATURE PAINT BRUSH FOR KIDS

DIY NATURAL PAINT BRUSH ACTIVITY

HANDS-ON NATURE STUDY

6 Reasons Why You Should Do Nature Studies With Your Kids

5 Ways to Expand On Nature Anatomy

LIVING NATURE BOOKS

Kids DIY Flower Press

Steps for DIY Kids Flower Press

Hands-on Ideas for Kids DIY Flower Press

Labeling the Parts of a Honey Bee

Books for Bee Unit Studies

Hands-on Activity for Honey Bee

Hands-on Science: Labeling the Parts of a Bee

HONEY BEE LAPBOOK FOR KIDS

Dynamic Honey Bee Lapbook for Multiple Ages

Footer

Categories

Archives