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colonial times

Colonial Life After the Mayflower Voyage & Fun and Simple Candle New England Craft

September 23, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We’re learning about life during colonial times and making a New England craft. Besides, life after the voyage of the Mayflower was not easy. Grab more ideas about the colonists here at Daniel Boone Facts For Kids About Colonial Life and Fun Kids’ Games (DIY Button Whirligig).

September 16, 1620, marks the day that the Mayflower set sail with 102 passengers for America.

While they left for a variety of reasons, some for a fresh start and some for adventures in a new land, one thing was true both in England and America, life was hard.

Too when they landed, they didn’t have the modern amenities that we take for granted today.

Colonial Life After the Mayflower Voyage & Fun and Simple Candle New England Craft

Many of the men who came were gentlemen.

They were not used to the back-breaking work of breaking up the land for farming and keeping a working farm going.

Colonial Life For Men and Women

Men had to:

  • build houses,
  • work fields,
  • hunt for food, and hold the positions of
  • coopers, tailors, tanners, etc.

Women were responsible:

  • for the tedious work of housekeeping,
  • taking care of children,
  • cooking,
  • gathering,
  • and tasks like gardening,
  • mending clothes,
  • grinding corn,
  • making butter,
  • cheese,
  • soap, and
  • candles as well as many other tasks.

5 Facts about Colonial Life After the Mayflower Voyage

  1. The Pilgrims spent the first month and a half once they landed exploring Cape Cod, but most of them stayed onboard the ship while trying to decide where they would finally build their new colony- choosing what is now known as Plymouth.
  2. In the first winter in Plymouth 45 of the original 102 passengers of the crew died of sickness and harsh conditions.
  3. Plymouth is most famously known for being the site of the first feast in 1621 shared between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag peoples that lasted over 3 days. 
  4. For 30 years William Bradford served as governor of Plymouth and documented his experiences living there in a historic book that is considered the authority on pilgrim life in those times.
  5. The name Plymouth was chosen because it was the name of the port of departure- Plymouth, England.  The Plymouth Rock, which was merely a granite boulder, was placed at the location where they first stepped foot on land.
Colonial Life After the Mayflower Voyage & Fun and Simple Candle New England Craft

Additionally, add some of these resources to your study of the Pilgrims.

19 Colonial America Books to Read and to Be Read To

Grab some of these books and resources. You can use a book as a unit study spine to learn about Life During the Colonial Times.

Blood on the River: James Town, 1607

Twelve-year-old Samuel Collier is a lowly commoner on the streets of London. So when he becomes the page of Captain John Smith and boards the Susan Constant, bound for the New World, he can’t believe his good fortune. He’s heard that gold washes ashore with every tide. But beginning with the stormy journey and his first contact with the native people, he realizes that the New World is nothing like he imagined. The lush Virginia shore where they establish the colony of James Town is both beautiful and forbidding, and it’s hard to know who’s a friend or foe. As he learns the language of the Algonquian Indians and observes Captain Smith’s wise diplomacy, Samuel begins to see that he can be whomever he wants to be in this new land.

Paul Revere's Ride

 Longfellow's tribute to the famous revolutionary hero begins with the stirring cadence that American schoolchildren have committed to memory for over a century. Now illustrator Ted Rand brings these vivid and beautiful lines to life as dramatically as the poet's immortal message inspires."The clatter of hooves seems to echo in Rand's evocative paintings of that famed midnight ride...."

Daughter of Liberty (The American Patriot Series, Book 1)

The thrilling saga of a nation's founding begins...Eastertide, April 1775. In the blockaded port of Boston the conflict between the British Regulars and the Sons of Liberty rapidly escalates toward a fateful confrontation. Caught in the deepening rift that divides Whig and Tory, Elizabeth Howard is torn between her love for her prominent parents, who have strong ties to the British establishment, and her secret adherence to the cause of liberty. By night she plays a dangerous game as the infamous courier Oriole, hunted by the British for smuggling intelligence and munitions to the patriot leaders. And by day she treads increasingly perilous ground as she flirts ever more boldly with British officers close to her parents to gain access to information the rebels desperately need.Elizabeth’s assignment is to pin down the exact time the Redcoats will march to capture the patriots’ hoarded munitions. But she hasn’t counted on the arrival of Jonathan Carleton, an officer in the Seventeenth Light Dragoons. To her dismay, the attraction between them is immediate, powerful--and fought on both sides in a war of wits and words. When Carleton wins the assignment to ferret out Oriole, Elizabeth can no longer deny that he is her most dangerous foe--and the possessor of her heart.

Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation

While much has been written about the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, battled the British, and framed the Constitution, the wives, mothers, sisters and daughters they left behind have been little noticed by history. The late #1 New York Times bestselling author Cokie Roberts brings us women who fought the Revolution as valiantly as the men, often defending their very doorsteps.

Drawing upon personal correspondence, private journals, and even favored recipes, Roberts reveals the often surprising stories of these fascinating women, bringing to life the everyday trials and extraordinary triumphs of individuals like Abigail Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, Deborah Read Franklin, Eliza Pinckney Catherine Littlefield Green, Esther DeBerdt Reed, and Martha Washington—proving that without our exemplary women, the new country might have never survived.

Betsy Ross

 Folk-art style paintings and a simple text mark a retelling of the life story of Betsy Ross, including her work running an upholstery business and, according to legend, her designing of the first American flag at the request of George Washington.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch:

Readers today are still fascinated by “Nat, an eighteenth-century nautical wonder and mathematical wizard. Nathaniel Bowditch grew up in a sailor's world—Salem in the early days, when tall-masted ships from foreign ports crowded the wharves. But Nat didn't promise to have the makings of a sailor; he was too physically small. Nat may have been slight of build, but no one guessed that he had the persistence and determination to master sea navigation in the days when men sailed only by “log, lead, and lookout. Nat's long hours of study and observation, collected in his famous work, The American Practical Navigator (also known as the “Sailors Bible"), stunned the sailing community and made him a New England hero.

A Lion to Guard Us

Featuring a heroine with faith, courage, and a great deal of grit, this acclaimed historical fiction novel portrays the realities faced by three children hoping to find a new home in an unknown land.

Amanda Freebold doesn't know what to do. Her father left three years ago for the new colony of Jamestown in America, thousands of miles away. But now that her mother has died, Amanda is left to take care of her younger brother and sister all alone back in England.

As the new head of the family, Amanda finally decides to take her brother and sister to America to find Father. The ocean crossing is long and hard, and the children don't know whom to trust. But with her father's little brass lion's head to guard them, Amanda knows that somehow everything will work out.

Colonial Craftsmen: And the Beginnings of American Industry

The vanished ways of colonial America's skilled craftsmen are vividly reconstructed in this superb book by Edwin Tunis. With incomparable wit and learning, and in over 450 meticulous drawings, the author describes the working methods and products, houses and shops, town and country trades, and individual and group enterprises by which the early Americans forged the economy of the New World.

In the tiny coastal settlements, which usually sprang up around a mill or near a tanyard, the first craftsmen set up their trades. The blacksmith, cooper, joiner, weaver, cordwainer, and housewright, working alone or with several assistants, invented their own tools and devised their own methods. Soon they were making products that far surpassed their early models: the American ax was so popular that English ironmongers often labeled their own axes "American" to sell them more readily. In the town squares a colonist could have his bread baked to order, bring in his wig to be curled, have his eyeglasses ground, his medicine prescription filled, or buy snuff for his many pocket boxes. With the thriving trade in "bespoke" or made-to-order work, fine American styles evolved; many of these are priceless heirlooms now―the silverware of Paul Revere and John Coney, redware and Queensware pottery, Poyntell hand-blocked wallpaper, the Kentucky rifle, Conestoga wagon, and the iron grillework still seen in some parts of the South. The author discusses in detail many of the trades which have since developed into important industries, like papermaking, glassmaking, shipbuilding, printing, and metalworking, often reconstructing from his own careful research the complex equipment used in these enterprises.

African-Americans in the Thirteen Colonies

Using many photographs, this is a simple overview of the part played by African Americans during the formative years of the colonial period. The freedom sought by so many Europeans who came to America was not shared with many Africans & their descendants. The brief descriptions in this book tell of slavery as well as the limited freedoms of free blacks. Phillis Wheatley, Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable, & Benjamin Banneker are among those briefly profiled. Index. Part of the Cornerstones of Freedom series.Bowker Authored Title code. Using many photographs, this is a simple overview of the part played by African Americans during the formative years of the colonial period. Presents a brief history of Afro-Americans and of slavery in seventeenth and eighteenth century America.

Seventh and Walnut: Life in Colonial Philadelphia (Adventures in Colonial America)

A native of colonial Philadelphia describes the famous citizens, landmarks, and daily life of his town

The Farm: Life in Colonial Pennsylvania (Adventures in Colonial America)

An indentured servant looks back on his five years of service on the farm of a Pennsylvania German family in the 1760's.

The Dish on Food and Farming in Colonial America (Life in the American Colonies)

Travel back to a time when: People believed vegetables made you sick. Slaves were forced to grow and harvest crops for masters. Step into the lives of the colonists, and get the dish on food and farming in Colonial America.

Early Family Home (Early Settler Life)

Describes the life of early settlers, including the construction of a home, the clearing of land, folk medicine, candle making, quilting bees, weaving, and wedding parties

An Algonquian Year : The Year According to the Full Moon

Brings to life the seasonal cycles of work, play, and survival as experienced by the Northern Algonquians of pre-colonial America, from the icy cold of January's Hard Times Moon through the fertile autumn harvest moons.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1687. Alone and desperate, she has been forced to leave her beloved home on the island of Barbados and join a family she has never met. Torn between her quest for belonging and her desire to be true to herself, Kit struggles to survive in a hostile place. Just when it seems she must give up, she finds a kindred spirit. But Kit’s friendship with Hannah Tupper, believed by the colonists to be a witch, proves more taboo than she could have imagined and ultimately forces Kit to choose between her heart and her duty.

Almost Home: A Story Based on the Life of the Mayflower's Young Mary Chilton

Several of the characters in the story—Mary Chilton, Constance Hopkins, and Elizabeth Tilley—were actual passengers on the Mayflower. Mary Chilton was a young girl when she left her home in Holland and traveled to America onboard the Mayflower with her parents. The journey was filled with trials, joys, and some surprises, but when she reached the New World, she experienced a new life, new freedom, and new home.

Wendy Lawton has taken the facts of the pilgrims’ journey to the New World, and from this information filled in personal details to create a genuine and heart-warming story.

Constance: A Story of Early Plymouth

Runner-up for the National Book Award for Children's Literature in 1969, Constance is a classic of historical young adult fiction, recounting the daily life, hardships, romances, and marriage of a young girl during the early years of the Pilgrim settlement at Plymouth.

Sarah Morton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl (Scholastic Bookshelf)

At sunup when the cockerel crows, young Sarah Morton's day begins. Come and join her as she goes about her work and play in an early American settlement in the year 1627.There's a fire to build, breakfast to cook, chickens to feed, goats to milk, and letters and scripture to learn. Between the chores, there is her best friend, Elizabeth, with whom she shares her hopes and dreams. But Sarah is worried about her new stepfather. Will she ever earn his love and learn to call him father?

If You Were a Kid on the Mayflower (If You Were a Kid)

Learn what living conditions were like aboard The Mayflower, what dangers the Pilgrims faced at sea, and much more.

In 1620, a group of Pilgrims left Europe aboard a ship called the Mayflower. They sailed toward North America, hoping to make a new home where they could practice their religion freely. Readers (Ages 7-9) will join Hope and Theodore as their set sail on a 66-day journey across the Atlantic Ocean.

Next, look at some England craft resources.

New England Craft Resources

  • Fold a paper Mayflower for decoration and to discover more about the ship itself.
  • Watch The Pilgrims and The Mayflower Compact to learn more about the journey and settling a new colony.
  • For older kids, The Pilgrims on PBS is a more in-depth video.
  • How To Make An Easy Ink pot & Quill Pen with Berry Ink.
  • Make soap.
  • No sew rag doll.
  • Mayflower Craft And Science Activity
  • Cardboard Tube Pilgrim Hat Craft

Colonial Life After the Mayflower Voyage & Fun and Simple Candle New England Craft

Finally, look at how to make these hand dipped candles.

How to Make Hand Dipped Candles

You will want to designate two containers for these candles, you won’t want to use them again for anything else.

Also, instead of purchasing beeswax pellets you could melt down old candles or pick up cheap ones from Dollar Tree

You will need:

  • 2-4 cups beeswax pellets
  • 2 tall glass heat-safe containers
  • Candle wicking
  • Stick or clothespin
  • Ice water
Colonial Life After the Mayflower Voyage & Fun and Simple Candle New England Craft

First, cut a piece of candle wicking about 15 “in long, wrap it around a stick a couple of times, and let each end hang down, about 4”-5” apart.

Colonial Life After the Mayflower Voyage & Fun and Simple Candle New England Craft

Melt beeswax pastilles in a microwave-safe container, heat for one minute, stirring, and then continuing in 30-second increments until completely melted.

Colonial Times Hand Dipped Candles

It helps to use a container with a pour spout, a glass 4-cup measuring cup works well.

Colonial Life After the Mayflower Voyage & Fun and Simple Candle New England Craft

The height of your jar filled with wax will determine the height of your candle.

If you have two tall, narrow containers you can get a longer candle but you don’t need special supplies, you can use quart mason jars.

Pour melted wax into one of your containers.

Colonial Life After the Mayflower Voyage & Fun and Simple Candle New England Craft

Fill the other with cold water, you can add a couple of ice cubes to help chill it quicker.

Colonial Life After the Mayflower Voyage & Fun and Simple Candle New England Craft

Place jars right next to each other.

Dip the first inch of wicking into the wax, let it drip a few times, and then dip into the cold water.

This will help the wax harden up quicker, so you do not have to wait between dips.

Colonial Life After the Mayflower Voyage & Fun and Simple Candle New England Craft

Turn and dip the other hanging wick into the wax and then the water. Repeat a couple of times, this will give the end a little weight.

Colonial Life After the Mayflower Voyage & Fun and Simple Candle New England Craft

This is the quickest way I have found to dip these candles, doing two at once- dip one end in the wax as tall as you want to make your candle and the other into the water.

Pull them up, allow them to drip for a few seconds, and twist and drop them into the other jar.

Continue to do this over and over until it is as thick as you would like.

As the wax cools it may need to be remelted by placing it back in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Once the wax has hardened and dried, cut the wicking in the middle, leaving the wick at the end of the candle about ¼” long.

Are you working on a New England craft?

Colonial Life After the Mayflower Voyage & Fun and Simple Candle New England Craft

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: american history, candles, colonial times, early American history, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources

Daniel Boone Facts For Kids About Colonial Life and Fun Kids’ Games (DIY Button Whirligig)

February 19, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I’m sharing Daniel Boone facts for kids about colonial life as he grew up. And grab my unit study on my page Daniel Boone – North American Explorer.

Daniel Boone was born on November 2, 1794.

Although resources vary on how long the colonial period lasted, Daniel Boone was born during it and was raised during the period of the American Revolution.

However, life was very hard for colonial children.

While their parents came seeking religious freedom, more space, or a chance for prosperity, colonists did not know how to survive the harsh winters of the wilderness.

Many fell sick or died. Daniel Boone was a child of the early colonial days and proved his strength, endurance, and ingenuity as he forged a path westward.

Daniel Boone Facts For Kids About Colonial Life and Fun Kids' Games (DIY Button Whirligig)

In colonial times, children never saw the four walls of a schoolhouse.

Like today’s homeschooled children, they were taught the basics by their parents and then whatever they needed to know as an apprentice to a trade.

If you were a girl you were taught to manage a house and get married young, maybe even by 16.

Boys would learn their fathers trade or would leave home to learn a trade as an apprentice by 14 years old.

Children During Colonial Times

They had to share in their families hard chores like chopping wood, preserving food, caring for animals, scrubbing laundry, carrying water, tending to the fire, gardening, churning butter, and etc.

It was a very hard life, but children still played games.

They had their own simple toys and pastimes.

And they played with dolls, simple carved figures, went fishing, played games with one another, took care of their pets, and did riddles and tongue twisters.

Instead of turning to their local Target or Walmart, natural objects were turned into playthings.

A dried apple might become a doll’s head, seashells made lovely little dishes, the pits from fruits could be used as counters in games, and flowers were braided together for a crown.

Nothing ran on batteries, just imagination.

Daniel Boone Facts For Kids About Colonial Life and Fun Kids' Games (DIY Button Whirligig)

More Colonial Life Activities

  • Colonial Life After the Mayflower Voyage & Fun and Simple Candle New England Craft

Also, if you want to add more Daniel Boone resources to your study, look at these books.

Daniel Boone Books

10 Resources for A Daniel Boone Unit Study

Whether you want to add a hands-on unit study or are looking for a few resources, you'll love one of these.

1. Daniel Boone: The Life and Legend of an American Pioneer

Struggle against the Shawnee defenders of Kentucky. Drawing from popular narrative, public record, documentation from Boone's own hand, and recollection gathered by 19th-century antiquarians, the author employs the methods of the new social history to produce a portrait that defines Daniel Boone and the times he helped shape.

2. Who Was Daniel Boone? (Who Was?)

Called the "Great Pathfinder", Daniel Boone is most famous for opening up the West to settlers through Kentucky. A symbol of America's pioneering spirit Boone was a skilled outdoorsman and an avid reader although he never attended school. Sydelle Kramer skillfully recounts Boone's many adventures such as the day he rescued his own daughter from kidnappers.

3. The Dangerous Book for Boys

The bestselling book—more than 1.5 million copies sold—for every boy from eight to eighty, covering essential boyhood skills such as building tree houses, learning how to fish, finding true north, and even answering the age old question of what the big deal with girls is—now a Prime Original Series created by Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Greg Mottola (Superbad).

In this digital age, there is still a place for knots, skimming stones and stories of incredible courage. This book recaptures Sunday afternoons, stimulates curiosity, and makes for great father-son activities. The brothers Conn and Hal have put together a wonderful collection of all things that make being young or young at heart fun—building go-carts and electromagnets, identifying insects and spiders, and flying the world's best paper airplanes.

4. Willy Whitefeather's Outdoor Survival Handbook for Kids

From treating a bee sting to building an overnight shelter, kids will gain the knowledge and confidence they need to survive outdoors.All ages

5. Daniel Boone: Frontiersman (Heroes of History)

Written for readers age 10 and up -- enjoyed by adults!In search of open spaces and land to call his own, Daniel Boone fearlessly led a band of brave settlers into the bountiful Kentucky wilderness. Daniel's expert hunting ability, incredible outdoor survival skills, and courage under fire helped his companions stay alive in a dangerous and unknown land despite threatening encounters with soldiers, Indians, and even other settlers.

6. History Pockets: Explorers of North America, Grades 4-6+

The book includes the following pockets:

  • Introduction to Explorers of North America
  • Christopher Columbus
  • John Cabot
  • Hernando Cortes
  • Jacques Cartier
  • Sir Francis Drake
  • Henry Hudson
  • Daniel Boone
  • James Cook
  • Lewis and Clark
  • John Wesley Powell

7. Daniel Boone: Trailblazer

Born in Pennsylvania in 1734, Daniel Boone cut a path west, carving his name into trees. Although he endured repeated property losses, he became a household name and was greatly admired for his surveying skills and the many claims he laid, opening the west for further settlement.

8. Survive & Thrive: A Pocket Guide To Wilderness Safety Skills, Plus 16 Quick-Check Skill Cards

Gear up for outdoor adventure, learn to stay alive, and help yourself thrive – feeling confident that you can handle whatever comes your way!

Accidents happen and nature can be unpredictable, which is why this ultra-portable survival kit is a must-have for casual nature explorers and slightly more adventurous campers in need of essential outdoor guidance that they can carry along with them.

9. Bear Grylls The Complete Adventures Collection 12 Books Set

Titles In This Set:The Blizzard ChallengeThe Desert ChallengeThe Jungle ChallengeThe Sea ChallengeThe River ChallengeThe Earthquake ChallengeThe Volcano ChallengeThe Safari ChallengeThe Cave ChallengeThe Mountain ChallengeThe Arctic ChallengeThe Sailing Challenge

10. Daniel Boone: Young Hunter and Tracker (Childhood of Famous Americans)

A general account of the life of the prominent American frontiersman who is especially remembered for helping to settle Kentucky

Moreover, look at some of the games colonial children played.

5 Colonial Games to Try With Your Kids

1. Marbles

In colonial times, marbles were made from smooth stones or were rolled from natural clay.

There was a cluster of marbles at the center of the circle and children would take turns shooting larger marbles at the center out of the ring.

If they were playing for keepsies then they got to keep any marbles they knocked out and if playing for funsies everyone kept their own marbles and just played for the fun of it.

2. Blindman’s Bluff

This is a version of tag.

The person who is “it” is blindfolded and tries to reach out and find the other players. If they can touch someone, that person is then “it”.

3. Hoop Rolling

In this game children would take a large hoop and a stick and keep the hoop rolling as long as they could by pushing it along with the stick.

They might also toss the hoop back and forth to each other using their stick to catch and toss it.

4. Cat’s Cradle

A long piece of string with the ends tied together would be twisted into a certain formation with your hands

The second player would then take it by twisting it into a different formation.

And it would go back and forth into more and more complex patterns until a mistake was made or it could not be turned into anything further.

5. Button Whirligig/BuzzSaw

I am showing you how to make one below but for now here are the basic instructions.

A button, or some other item for weight was placed on a string and held between the hands.

Then you wind it up, much like you would a towel for popping and pull your hands away from each other and it would spin.

Sometimes it would making a whirl or buzzing noise depending on the item

More Daniel Boone Facts for Kids Activities

  • 10 Facts about Daniel Boone and Fun Hands-on Apothecary Salve
  • Make a Fun and Easy Salt Dough Daniel Boone Wilderness Road Map
  • What Did Daniel Boone Wear And Easy Fringe Shirt Activity for Kid
  • 30 Fun Resources for Learning About Daniel Boone
  • Daniel Boone Explorer Black Bear Unit Study and Fun Edible Bear Poop
  • Daniel Boone Activities Cooking Easy and Delicious Johnny Cakes on the Trail
  • Daniel Boone – North American Explorer
  • Amazing Daniel Boone Explorer Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study
  • Daniel Boone American Frontiersman History Lesson.
  • Daniel Boone Exploration DIY Easy Compass Activity and Survival Ideas.
Daniel Boone Facts For Kids About Colonial Life and Fun Kids' Games (DIY Button Whirligig)

Finally, look at how to make a button whirligig.

How to Make A Button Whirligig

You will need:

  • String or twine
  • Large button

Directions:

First, cut a string about 36” long.

Thread the string through your button.

If it has 4 holes you will want to thread it diagonally through two holes, If only two holes then just go through one.

Daniel Boone Facts For Kids About Colonial Life and Fun Kids' Games (DIY Button Whirligig)

Tie a knot in the loose ends and slide the button to the center opposite the knot.

Daniel Boone Facts For Kids About Colonial Life and Fun Kids' Games (DIY Button Whirligig)

Tie knots in either end and create a loop like this to hold onto.

Daniel Boone Facts For Kids About Colonial Life and Fun Kids' Games (DIY Button Whirligig)

Hold each end and wind it by rotating both ends to wrap it up, much like you would wind up a towel to pop it.

Pull the ends apart and watch it spin, if you get it going fast enough your whirligig may make a low buzzing sound ( hence the name buzz saw).

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: colonial times, crafts, DanielBoone, early American history, frontier, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history resources

10 Facts about Daniel Boone and Fun Hands-on Apothecary Salve

February 6, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have fun 10 facts about Daniel Boone and 10 popular jobs of the colonial times when Daniel Boone made his contributions. And grab my unit study on my page Daniel Boone – North American Explorer.

This hands-on activity is learning how to create a useful medicinal item from a plant source just like an apothecary in colonial times.

10 Facts about Daniel Boone and Fun Hands-on Apothecary Salve

Many people today, even modern science, still use plants and plant based products to treat illnesses inside and outside of the body.

At home essential oils are a favorite of many for treating simple things topically.

We are going to utilize the essential oil made from the lavender plant to create a salve that can safely be used for many ailments.

For example, ailments include:

  • rashes
  • bug bites
  • burns
  • sunburn
  • acne
  • psoriasis
  • scrapes
  • eczema
  • stings
  • scars
  • diaper rash, and
  • dry itchy skin.

Your child will enjoy creating their very own “medicine” like the apothecary of long ago.

With this craft you could also easily dive into a study on flowers and plants and their medicinal uses.

10 Facts About Daniel Boone

  1. He was born October 22, 1734 in Pennsylvania when it was still a colony.
  2. Daniel grew up in a Quaker home in Pennsylvania.
  3. He was best known as an American explorer and frontiersman, but he was also a surveyor, land spectator, and a militia officer.
  4. Daniel Boone was a Shawnee chief’s adopted son after he and his party were captured.
  5. He did NOT in fact wear a coonskin cap even though he is often portrayed in illustrations wearing on but preferred a classic flat, broad-brimmed hat.
  6. While Boones grammar and spelling were poor, he could sign his name unlike other frontiersmen who just marked it with an X.
  7. Boone married Rebecca Bryan on August 14, 1756. They had ten children together- six sons and four daughters.
  8. Boone was described as being about 5 foot 8 or 9 inches tall. He had blonde hair and blue eyes.
  9. The Shawnee, during his capture, named him Sheltowee (Big Turtle).
  10. He died September 26, 1820, in Missouri of natural causes.

Next, many professions of the colonial times were learned by being passed down from parent to child or through apprenticeships rather than at schools.

10 Facts about Daniel Boone and Fun Hands-on Apothecary Salve

Colonists would often trade goods and services as payment as they began to specialize in specific areas.

Moreover, here are 10 trades of the colonial times that you can dive deeper into.

Colonial Period Jobs

  1. Apothecary- An apothecary was basically the equivalent of today’s pharmacist.  They created medicines from plants, minerals, and herbs from the area and then sold them. They would often prescribe medicines and sometimes even perform minor surgeries. Much like today’s pharmacies they would also offer other items like tobacco, spices, candles, etc.
  2. Blacksmith- The Blacksmith held a very important position in the community. They used a forge to create as well as fix  iron items like:  horseshoes, tools, nails, ax heads, hinges and kitchen utensils to name a few.
  3. Chandler (Candlemaker)- Earliest settlers made their own candles but eventually there were candlemakers who had shops where candles were usually made and sold using tallow by dipping the wick repeatedly until the desired thickness was reached. Bayberry and myrtle could also be used for wax in addition to tallow.
  4. Cobbler (Shoemaker)- This trade was another very important one as people spent a lot of time walking, cobblers made and repaired shoes for the colonists. Some specialized in making men’s boots, or maybe just women’s or children’s shoes.
  5. Cooper-The cooper was in charge of making watertight containers such as vats, tubs, troughs, barrels and buckets. These containers might store everything from wine, flour, and gunpowder as well as tobacco.

5 More Colonial Jobs

  1. Wheelwright- This profession was responsible for making and repairing wheels used on carriages and wagons. They needed to have the skills to make and fix wheels that were strong enough to be used on rough, new colonial roads.
  2. Gunsmith- This job took care of repairing and making firearms for the community, for the most part they worked on repairing existing guns from England. They needed to be skilled in working with metal as well as wood.
  3. Milliner – One of the few businesses that could be owned and operated by women at the time this was where you went to get items for sewing such as needle, thread, or cloth or purchase already made clothing items like bonnets, aprons, and cloaks.
  4. Printer- A colonial printer was responsible for printing many items, including things like newspapers, legal documents, books, proclamations, and pamphlets. Rather than just typing and printing with benefit of a spell check, setting up the type for each printing was done by hand and might take hours to do
  5. General Storekeeper- This profession was an important one as they carried many basic goods that people needed, everything from coffee to gunpowder and sugar to buttons. This was a hub for the community and often people would gather here to talk politics as well as trade goods.

Books About Daniel Boone

Also, look at some of these fun books.

10 Resources for A Daniel Boone Unit Study

Whether you want to add a hands-on unit study or are looking for a few resources, you'll love one of these.

1. Daniel Boone: The Life and Legend of an American Pioneer

Struggle against the Shawnee defenders of Kentucky. Drawing from popular narrative, public record, documentation from Boone's own hand, and recollection gathered by 19th-century antiquarians, the author employs the methods of the new social history to produce a portrait that defines Daniel Boone and the times he helped shape.

2. Who Was Daniel Boone? (Who Was?)

Called the "Great Pathfinder", Daniel Boone is most famous for opening up the West to settlers through Kentucky. A symbol of America's pioneering spirit Boone was a skilled outdoorsman and an avid reader although he never attended school. Sydelle Kramer skillfully recounts Boone's many adventures such as the day he rescued his own daughter from kidnappers.

3. The Dangerous Book for Boys

The bestselling book—more than 1.5 million copies sold—for every boy from eight to eighty, covering essential boyhood skills such as building tree houses, learning how to fish, finding true north, and even answering the age old question of what the big deal with girls is—now a Prime Original Series created by Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Greg Mottola (Superbad).

In this digital age, there is still a place for knots, skimming stones and stories of incredible courage. This book recaptures Sunday afternoons, stimulates curiosity, and makes for great father-son activities. The brothers Conn and Hal have put together a wonderful collection of all things that make being young or young at heart fun—building go-carts and electromagnets, identifying insects and spiders, and flying the world's best paper airplanes.

4. Willy Whitefeather's Outdoor Survival Handbook for Kids

From treating a bee sting to building an overnight shelter, kids will gain the knowledge and confidence they need to survive outdoors.All ages

5. Daniel Boone: Frontiersman (Heroes of History)

Written for readers age 10 and up -- enjoyed by adults!In search of open spaces and land to call his own, Daniel Boone fearlessly led a band of brave settlers into the bountiful Kentucky wilderness. Daniel's expert hunting ability, incredible outdoor survival skills, and courage under fire helped his companions stay alive in a dangerous and unknown land despite threatening encounters with soldiers, Indians, and even other settlers.

6. History Pockets: Explorers of North America, Grades 4-6+

The book includes the following pockets:

  • Introduction to Explorers of North America
  • Christopher Columbus
  • John Cabot
  • Hernando Cortes
  • Jacques Cartier
  • Sir Francis Drake
  • Henry Hudson
  • Daniel Boone
  • James Cook
  • Lewis and Clark
  • John Wesley Powell

7. Daniel Boone: Trailblazer

Born in Pennsylvania in 1734, Daniel Boone cut a path west, carving his name into trees. Although he endured repeated property losses, he became a household name and was greatly admired for his surveying skills and the many claims he laid, opening the west for further settlement.

8. Survive & Thrive: A Pocket Guide To Wilderness Safety Skills, Plus 16 Quick-Check Skill Cards

Gear up for outdoor adventure, learn to stay alive, and help yourself thrive – feeling confident that you can handle whatever comes your way!

Accidents happen and nature can be unpredictable, which is why this ultra-portable survival kit is a must-have for casual nature explorers and slightly more adventurous campers in need of essential outdoor guidance that they can carry along with them.

9. Bear Grylls The Complete Adventures Collection 12 Books Set

Titles In This Set:The Blizzard ChallengeThe Desert ChallengeThe Jungle ChallengeThe Sea ChallengeThe River ChallengeThe Earthquake ChallengeThe Volcano ChallengeThe Safari ChallengeThe Cave ChallengeThe Mountain ChallengeThe Arctic ChallengeThe Sailing Challenge

10. Daniel Boone: Young Hunter and Tracker (Childhood of Famous Americans)

A general account of the life of the prominent American frontiersman who is especially remembered for helping to settle Kentucky

More Daniel Boone North American Explorer Activities

  • Make a Fun and Easy Salt Dough Daniel Boone Wilderness Road Map
  • What Did Daniel Boone Wear And Easy Fringe Shirt Activity for Kid
  • 30 Fun Resources for Learning About Daniel Boone
  • Daniel Boone Explorer Black Bear Unit Study and Fun Edible Bear Poop
  • Daniel Boone Activities Cooking Easy and Delicious Johnny Cakes on the Trail
  • Daniel Boone – North American Explorer
  • Amazing Daniel Boone Explorer Lapbook and Fun Hands-on Unit Study
  • Daniel Boone American Frontiersman History Lesson.
  • Daniel Boone Exploration DIY Easy Compass Activity and Survival Ideas.
10 Facts about Daniel Boone and Fun Hands-on Apothecary Salve

Finally, look at this fun hands-on lavender salve.

How to Make an All Purpose Lavender Salve

You will need:

  • ¼ cup of beeswax pastilles (yellow or white)
  • 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
  • 10-15 drops lavender essential oil
  • Craft stick or spoon for stirring.
  • Small glass container with a lid

How cute is this little mason jar I had on hand?

It made the perfect size container for our little “recipe” today.

10 Facts about Daniel Boone and Fun Hands-on Apothecary Salve

Directions:

Combine beeswax and coconut oil in a microwave safe container. I like to use a measuring cup with a spout because it is easy to pour into the container when ready.

10 Facts about Daniel Boone and Fun Hands-on Apothecary Salve

Heat in 30 second increments until completely melted.

Add vitamin e and essential oil and stir well with a craft stick.

10 Facts about Daniel Boone and Fun Hands-on Apothecary Salve

Pour carefully into your container.

10 Facts about Daniel Boone and Fun Hands-on Apothecary Salve

Set it aside undisturbed. Allow it to set.

It should be a little thicker than store bought Neosporin once set.

10 Facts about Daniel Boone and Fun Hands-on Apothecary Salve

To use, simply scoop out a small amount and rub onto the affected area.

The heat from your body will help it melt into your skin. What do you think? Ready to give it a try?

10 Facts about Daniel Boone and Fun Hands-on Apothecary Salve

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: colonial times, DanielBoone, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources

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