Today, I have some easy and fun prairie crafts. Also, look at my pages Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and BEST Westward Ho Unit Study and Lapbook for more activities.
When you think of the prairie you may immediately think of Laura Ingalls and her little house.
It was once a popular destination spot as people traveled west in search of more space and bountiful game.
But they are still a very important biome and are defined as extensive areas of flat or rolling grasslands.
Have you ever seen a vast, open field covered in tall grasses and wildflowers?
That’s a prairie biome.
Prairies are found in North America and other parts of the world.
They’re home to a variety of animals and plants, and they’re a beautiful place to explore.
One of the most impressive sights you will see on the prairie are the large shaggy buffalo, technically bison.
While the words are used interchangeably, buffalo actually refers to animals like the water buffalo.
They are found in Asia, and the version here is bison.
Today I want to show you how to unleash your creativity.
We’re creating a bison painting using not only paint and a canvas but a few other surprising items to create a mixed media art project.
What Does The Prairie Look Like
The prairie is a flat, grassy plain.
There are few trees, and the plants that grow there are mostly grasses and wildflowers.
The prairie is also very windy, and it can be hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
Also, look at these 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, has some funny illustrations and great information for this unit study.
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.
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.
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.
- It's a race to Willamette Valley as you join the wagon train and seek your fortune in the West!
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.
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
Try your luck, and search for your fortune in California! Follow the joy and heartbreak of the '49ers during the California Gold Rush.
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.
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.
What Kind Of Animals Live On The Prairie
The prairie is home to a variety of animals that make their home in the temperate grasslands.
- Bison
- Pronghorn antelope
- Coyotes
- Wolves
- Prairie dogs
- Badgers
- Snakes
- Lizards
- Killdeer
- Meadowlarks
What Kind Of Plants Grow On The Prairie
The prairie also holds a variety of grasses and wildflowers.
What you don’t see above ground is that there is a lot going on below.
Prairie plants have very deep and large roots that absorb all available water, often the roots themselves are much longer than the plants above ground.
Some of the most common grasses and wildflowers you will find among the grasses are:
- Big bluestem
- Little bluestem
- Indiangrass
- Black-eyed Susans
- Coneflowers
- Prairie roses
Why Are Prairies Important
Prairies are important for many reasons, including:
- They provide food and shelter for animals.
- They help to clean the air and water.
- They store carbon dioxide, which helps to slow down climate change.
- They’re a beautiful place to explore and enjoy nature.
Also, look at more prairie crafts and resources.
Prairie Crafts and Resources
- While we are on the subject of Bison, you have to try this recipe we made for National Bison Day: Make Fun Oregon Trail Bison Jerky With Kids.
- Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern.
- Step Back in Time with These 12 Little House on the Prairie Gift Ideas
- 11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft
- National Prairie Day Easy Popsicle Stick Wagon Craft
Finally, look at how to do a buffalo painting.
Unleash Your Creativity with Buffalo Painting
You will need:
- Art canvas
- Craft paints
- Paintbrushes
- Cardstock
- Dry Coffee grounds
- Glue
- Black paint pen
First, start by lightly sketching out a bison shape with a pencil onto the canvas, we looked on google for inspiration and in books.
Even if you are not an artist you can get a rough shape, big head, hump.
This is a trust process kind of art project.
Next, you want to brush on a thin layer of light blue for your sky all the way around your outline (it’s easy to cover up a light color with dark but not so much the other way).
Let it dry or speed it along by using a blow dryer on low.
Now, you want to paint in your basic shape with dark brown paint, making the head larger and kind of thick and “furry” by giving it wavy edges.
At this point I was doubting myself, but I was very pleased with the result.
“Paint” just the big woolly head area with a thicker coat of paint and then while it is still wet sprinkle with a heavy layer of coffee grounds.
Shake off the excess.
Use a clean paint brush, eraser, or other small end to scrape away paint to create a muzzle and eyes, you will start to see your buffalo really take shape here.
Allow the paint to dry completely then add in nostrils and eyes with a black paint marker.
Now cut horns out of cardstock and glue onto place on their heads.
Finally, add tall swaying yellow grasses, this also helps cover up any ‘mistakes’ and really finishes off your painting.
Buffalo are really important to their environment.
They help maintain the grasslands by grazing and spreading seeds around as they move.
This helps other plants grow and supports many other animals that live in the same area.
In the past, buffalo were also a key part of Native American cultures, providing food, clothing, and tools.
Buffalo are an important part of our wildlife heritage.
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