We have done a lot of hands-on history pioneer activities while studying the pioneer period in history and we never get tired of doing them to kick off a homeschool unit study. Today, we’re making maple snow candy. Also, look at my page BEST Westward Ho Unit Study and Lapbook for more ideas.
A lot of the hands-on history activities come from a book we love, which is Heading West: Life with the Pioneers, 21 Activities (For Kids series).
Studying about pioneer life in Texas and reading about the Alamo, Tiny grabbed another easy hands-on idea from that book.
He made maple snow candy.
Now you know a good part of Texas never has snow, but we wouldn’t let a thing like that hold us back.
Because Tiny could do this without me and because it was easy and I think because it was sweet, he didn’t mind doing it.
I do have a few more hands-on history ideas planned for him to do as he studies the Alamo, but making maple snow candy was easy and fun today.
Look at what you need and you probably get tired of me saying it, but hands-on history is always better when you have all the ingredients on hand. And we did.
Make Maple Snow Candy
- cookie sheet – we used a disposable pan we had
- pure maple syrup anywhere from 1/4 cup to 1 cup.
- snow (of course vanilla ice cream works too). I was worried about wasting a good container of vanilla ice cream, but this is in the name of education, right?
Tiny spread the “snow” or ice cream on the pan and put it back in the freezer to harden and get cold.
Next, depending on how much candy you want, you need to boil about a one-fourth of a cup to 1 cup of syrup.
After it comes to a boil, let it boil 3 or 4 minutes for soft and chewy candy and about 6 minutes for brittle candy.
Stir it every few minutes. Then carefully dribble the syrup in a thin line over your snow. It should harden instantly.
Tiny really didn’t follow any making candy kitchen rules so I’m not sure it turned out how he wanted it too, but he enjoyed making it.
And like I said, I liked the fact I didn’t have to do too much with it.
But activities like these always gives your kids a glimpse of life in the past. Hope you try this easy hands-on history.
More Pioneer Living Crafts
- Pioneer Living and Cloth Dyeing (Hands-on History)
- National Prairie Day Easy Popsicle Stick Wagon Craft
- Dried Apple Crafts: Hands-on Fun Shrunken Head Apple Craft for Kids
- 7 Educational Movies for Kids About Westward Expansion
- Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities
- No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity
- 10 Westward Expansion History Fun Coloring Pages
Don’t forget to follow BOTH of my Pinterest accounts for more AWESOME pins.
I just started reading Little House in the Big Woods to my 4 year old. We are starting the chapter where they make the maple sugar and maple sugar candy. This would be perfect to go along with the story.
Yep, that is where the idea comes from and hope you enjoy doing it as much as we have during the years.
We made this with actual snow when we were reading Little House in the Big Woods. I never thought of using ice cream!
Oh I wish we could but no snow here in Texas. We may have some rain snow mix..lol but I don’t think that would taste or look very good..lol
I never thought to do this activity with ice cream instead of snow. We saw this activity in a Little House on the Prairie activity book, and we never got a chance to do it because we didn’t get snow that year. I’ll have to tell my daughter about your fun idea to replace it with vanilla ice cream!
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It’s delicious for sure and easy to do…