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crafts

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

October 29, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

This stuffed heat pack winter owl craft is not only a fun and easy craft, but it makes a wonderful heating pad for cold feet or for headache relief. Grab more ideas for winter fun on my page Winter Season Unit Study.

Felt is a very easy to use and forgiving material for learning how to sew and this activity does not require a pattern or fancy materials.

You need just a few pieces of felt and a bag of rice, both of which can even be found at Dollar Tree making it a $3 or less craft.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

While it is a great craft to make for learning a basic life skill it is also ideal for gifting and can also be used with essential oil to create another layer of soothing comfort.

First, look at these facts about the snowy owl.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl

  1. Snowy owls are the largest Arctic bird predator and one of the largest of all the owls in the world.
  2. When their wings are fully expanded the span can be as wide as 4 to 5 feet from tip to tip.
  3. The Snowy owl is also known as the arctic owl, ghost owl, great white owl, and Scandinavian night bird but their scientific name is Bubo scandiacus.
  4. Unlike most other species of owls, snowy owls are diurnal, which means they are active during the day instead of night.
  5. In the wild a snowy owl has a lifespan of 10 years or more. But owls in captivity can live almost 30 years.
  6. Snowy Owls fly at an impressive speed of up to 46 mph.

Next, I have some fun resources to learn about snowy owls.

Books and Resources for Learning about Snowy Owls

Add some of these fun resources to your unit study about snowy owls.

Image for Snowy Owl Family Animal Adventures

Snowy Owl Family Animal Adventures

Each member of the Snowy Owl family has a special role in the flock. Kevin Torline's colorful artwork showcases how a special family of birds works together to live in the frosty Arctic tundra.

This book is special because:

  • Sharing books with your little one strengthens your bond
  • Adorable books support empathy for animals
  • Educational focus: reading skills, early learning, animal facts, snowy owls, arctic, birds
Image for Snowy Owls

Snowy Owls

Snowy owls make their homes in the icy white lands of the north. In these snowy places, they are perfectly camouflaged. Learn more about this giant owl with full color photos, range maps, and carefully leveled text.

Image for Snowy Owls Are Awesome (Polar Animals)

Snowy Owls Are Awesome (Polar Animals)

Snowy owls call the bitterly cold Arctic their home. Learn how they live in this harsh environment. Snowy Owls tells readers how these birds find their prey, what dangers they have to watch out for, and more.

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

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

See the world in a whole new way! Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world. Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more. Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the world all around you. Nature Anatomy is the second book in Rothman's Anatomy series – you'll love Nature Anatomy Notebook, Ocean Anatomy, Food Anatomy, and Farm Anatomy, too!

Image for Snowy Owl Figurine

Snowy Owl Figurine

This adorable snowy owl would be great for a diorama, sensory bin, or even just to add to a winter themed science shelf.

Image for A Snowy Owl Story (Wildlife on the Move)

A Snowy Owl Story (Wildlife on the Move)

One winter, as food gets scarce, a snowy owl finds himself forced to look in new and unfamiliar spots in order to find food and a place to call home. Based on a true story, A Snowy Owl Story describes, through the tale of one particular owl, the recent irruption of snowy owls all across the United States. Through this simple narrative, youngsters will learn about migration, adaptation, and respectful human interaction with nature. This unique title (first in a projected series of four board books) is written and designed specifically for a preschool market; few board books exist that tell conservation stories for this age range. Published in cooperation with Maine Audubon.

Also, here are more winter craft ideas.

Winter Craft Ideas

  • Winter Craft Ideas for Kids Animals in Winter Fun Snow Slime
  • Kindergarten Crafts for Winter An Easy and Fun Polar Bear Fork Painting
  • Two Fun Candy Cane Hands-on Science Winter Experiments
  • Cardinal Birds in Winter and Birch Trees Easy Watercolor Kids Activity
  • Cute and Simple Snowman Story Stones Winter Art Activities For Preschoolers
  • Winter Craft Ideas How to Make Fun Pinecone Flowers
  • Easy DIY Fun Salt Winter Watercolor Art Project for Kids
  • Free Easy Arctic and Inuit Science Lapbook & Unit Study
  • Julie of the Wolves Free Hands-on Arctic Unit Study
  • Easy and Fun Pine Cone Snowy Owl Winter Craft for Kindergarten
  • 3 Fun Cocoa Winter Hands on Science Activities
  • Free Amazing Winter Unit Study and Winter Lapbook for Kids
6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

Finally, look how to make a stuffed heat pack winter owl craft.

You can absolutely make your owl any color you like but we opted to avoid white for this project since it gets dirty so quickly.

Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can follow the same steps below but sewing by hand instead.

You will need:

  • 2 pieces of 9×12 felt for the body- same color
  • A half piece of any color for the wings
  • A small scrap of black, white, and yellow felt
  • Sewing machine or needle and thread
  • 1 to 2 pounds of rice.
  • Fabric or tacky glue
6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

The first thing that you want to do is lay your two pieces of felt together and either trace with a white pencil or marker or free hand cut an owl shape. 

You can see here it’s just a modified oval with two points on the top for ears.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

Take the color that you chose for the wings and lay it across the bottom half of the body where you would like to position the wings.

Then flip your fabric over and cut along the edge of your main felt so that they are the same size.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

Flip it back over and cut your wing piece in half, then cut one side into the shape of a wing.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

Lay it on the other piece and cut out the exact same piece so that they match.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

Now, taking into consideration the scale of your owl that you’ve chosen, cut out a yellow beak shape.

And two large white circles, and two smaller black circles to create the eyes.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

Keep the small pieces in place while you sew by gluing them with tacky glue or a fabric clue rather than pins.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

The first thing you want to sew is about a quarter inch all the way around the wings to secure them to the body piece on each side.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

Next, sew a circle around the white eyes and inside the black as well as around the nose.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

Trim off the excess thread everywhere, use a black permanent marker to blend the white thread into the black eyes.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

Now you will need to match up your two main body pieces with the wings and the eyes facing inward, so it is “wrong side out”.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

Sew all the way around the body except for the bottom.

There are two ways you can do this.

First, sew leaving just a couple inches unsewn, use a funnel to fill the bag.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

 Fold the remaining sedition inward and sew a hidden seam in between the folds.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

Second, if you have a beginner sewer or just want an easier method, leave the bottom completely unsewn.

Fill it up, and then hold the weight of the bag up as you do an external stitch all the way across the bottom.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

To heat up your warmer, throw the rice pack in the microwave for 30 second intervals until desired heat is reached.

You can also add a few drops of essential oil like lavender, which is great for headaches and anxiety.

On cold days, you might wish to use a warm seasonal scent like cinnamon or peppermint.

6 Facts About the Snowy Owl & Stuffed Heat Pack Winter Owl Craft

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: arctic, crafts, handicraft, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolinginwinter, owl, winter crafts, winter season

10 Moon Craft Ideas and Wrapped Crescent Moon Craft For Kids

October 28, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have some moon craft ideas and a moon craft for kids. And I have this Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages which I think you’ll love too.

A fantastic hands-on way to teach younger children all about the moon is through moon craft ideas that let their creativity shine.

These ideas can be used to explain things like lunar phases, lunar eclipses, how craters are formed, and where the moon gets its light.

10 Moon Craft Ideas and Wrapped Crescent Moon Craft For Kids

In addition, this activity also builds up fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination while children think they are just making a fun craft.

While you read from a favorite storybook about the moon, a living textbook, or watch a simple video your child can be creating one or all the phases of the moon with their own unique touch.

10 Moon Craft Ideas

  1. Aluminum Foil Moon Craft is a fun and engaging activity that covers a spread of ages and abilities.
  2. Galileo Discovery of Jupiter Moons and Fun Hands-On Moon Crater Experiment
  3. This is a great new art technique to try while learning about each of the different phases the moon goes through, try this Moon Phases and Craters Glue Resist Painting Activity.
  4. The A Big Old Moon Art Project shows that you don’t have to have a complicated lesson to teach about our moon, the glow, and more.
  5. This Paper Plate Moon Craft For Kids is a sweet little image of a crescent moon and star.
  6. Moon Craft Mobile For Kids goes perfectly with the picture book Mother, What is the Moon? It makes a great keepsake display for during lessons and after.
  7. Fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark)
  8. Kids can’t resist the amazing baking soda vs. vinegar reaction like in this Fizzing Moon Rocks Activity. They can help make these cool-looking moon rocks and then watch them fizz and fade away.
  9.  For toddlers and preschoolers try this Moon Craft inspired by Eric Carle’s Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me.
  10. Free Moon Journal For Homeschool Science
10 Moon Craft Ideas and Wrapped Crescent Moon Craft For Kids

Additionally, you’ll love some of these books and resources for a moon unit study.

12 Resources and Books For Studying About the Moon and Galileo

If you want to focus on the moon in your astronomy and space unit study, add one of these fun resources to your day.

Image for 1. Who Was Galileo?

1. Who Was Galileo?

Like Michelangelo, Galileo is another Renaissance great known just by his first name--a name that is synonymous with scientific achievement. Born in Pisa, Italy, in the sixteenth century, Galileo contributed to the era's great rebirth of knowledge. He invented a telescope to observe the heavens. From there, not even the sky was the limit!

Image for 2. The Moon Book (New & Updated Edition)

2. The Moon Book (New & Updated Edition)

This newly revised edition, available in time for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, incorporates new, up-to-date information based on recent discoveries, and includes an updated map of the moon's surface. Thoroughly vetted by an astrophysics expert, The Moon Book is a perfect introduction to lunar phases, orbit, the history of space exploration, and more.

Image for 3. Galileo and the Magic Numbers

3. Galileo and the Magic Numbers

Sixteenth century Italy produced a genius who marked the world with his studies and hypotheses about mathematical, physical and astronomical truths. His father, musician Vincenzio Galilei said, “Truth is not found behind a man’s reputation. Truth appears only when the answers to questions are searched out by a free mind. This is not the easy path in life but it is the most rewarding.” Galileo challenged divine law and the physics of Aristotle, and questioned everything in search of truths. And it was through this quest for truth that he was able to establish a structure for modern science.

Image for 4. Moon: A Peek-Through Picture Book

4. Moon: A Peek-Through Picture Book

It’s the perfect light nonfiction book for young stargazers—and an ideal bedtime book, ending with a giant moon hovering over a sleepy town hunkered down for bed.

Image for 5. Moon Lamp

5. Moon Lamp

Novelty Moon Lighting: Realistic Colorful Star Galaxy printed 🌌 Moon Lamp with advanced 3D technology. Now decorate your bedroom, hall, office or desk with our Space Theme gorgeous Galaxy Lamp. Your guests will definitely admire the beauty of this lively moon light.

Image for 6. Refracting Telescope for Kids Beginners

6. Refracting Telescope for Kids Beginners

Quality Optics: 400mm(f/5.7) focal length and 70mm aperture, fully coated optics glass lens with high transmission coatings creates stunning images and protect your eyes. Perfect telescope for astronomers to explore stars and moon.

Image for 7. Jupiter (Planets in Our Solar System)

7. Jupiter (Planets in Our Solar System)

Everything about Jupiter is big! Its size is big. Even its storms are big! Get the big and small facts about this gas giant that can be seen glowing in the night sky.

Image for 8. Galileo Galilei (Genius Series)

8. Galileo Galilei (Genius Series)

Astronomer, physicist, and philosopher Galileo Galilei was referred to as "The Father of Modern Science," because of his groundbreaking research. Making observations about nature, and using mathematics to back them up, he proved the Copernican Theory true: the Sun, not the Earth, is the center of the universe. Join Galileo on his pioneering journey to see why his work had such long-lasting implications, and why the Catholic Church even condemned him for heresy.

Image for 9. What the Moon is Like

9. What the Moon is Like

Imagine that you're walking on the moon. What is it like? For thousands of years people looked up at the moon and wondered about it. Now we know what the moon is like. There is no air on the moon and nothing grows, but there are towering mountains and deep craters—and much more.

Colder than the desert, the hotter than the desert, the moon is an amazing place to explore.

Image for 10. A Kite for Moon

10. A Kite for Moon

What would it be like if the moon was your friend? Find out as you walk alongside a little boy who journeys through life to achieve his dream of becoming an astronaut. And then blast off with your little one as you zoom to the moon together!

The story begins when a little boy, who is flying his kite, notices a sad Moon. He sends up kites to her, writing notes promising he will come see her someday. This promise propels him through years of studying, learning, and training to become an astronaut. Until … he finally goes up, up, up in a big rocket ship with a fiery tail.

A Kite for Moon:

  • Features over 20 gorgeous illustrations by award-winning artist Matt Phelan
  • Is the perfect storybook for children ages 4 to 8
  • Celebrates every child’s fascination with space
Image for 11. Large Massive Meteorite Specimen

11. Large Massive Meteorite Specimen

You could also grab these meteorite specimens (artificial) to let your child use for impact craters!

Image for Moon! Earth's Best Friend (Our Universe, 3)

Moon! Earth's Best Friend (Our Universe, 3)

Meet Moon! She's more than just a rock―she’s Earth’s rock, her best friend she can always count on. Moon never turns her back on her friend (literally: she's always facing Earth with the same side!). These two will stick together forever. With characteristic humor and charm, Stacy McAnulty channels the voice of Moon in this next celestial "autobiography" in the Our Universe series. Rich with kid-friendly facts and beautifully brought to life by Stevie Lewis, this is an equally charming and irresistible companion to Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years and Sun! One in a Billion.

Finally, look how to make this fun crescent moon craft.

Wrapped Crescent Moon Craft For Kids

This easy and fun craft needs just scrap cardboard and any yarn you have on hand, there is a ton at Dollar Tree even, making it a really inexpensive “lesson.”

You will need:

  • Corrugated cardboard
  • Yarn
  • Scissors
  • Glue gun/glue sticks
10 Moon Craft Ideas and Wrapped Crescent Moon Craft For Kids

First, trace two circles onto cardboard using a bowl or other circle object in whatever size you like.

10 Moon Craft Ideas and Wrapped Crescent Moon Craft For Kids

For this project, you want good sturdy cardboard, like an old Amazon box, something like cardstock or single-layer cardboard will not hold up to this project well.

Cut out two circles.

10 Moon Craft Ideas and Wrapped Crescent Moon Craft For Kids

Leave one intact, and cut the other in half, using one side to cut out a crescent moon.

If desired, you can cut out the full spectrum of the moon to demonstrate how the moon moves through its different phases.

10 Moon Craft Ideas and Wrapped Crescent Moon Craft For Kids

Hot glue the end of the yarn to the back of the first piece to hold it in place. Let it harden completely.

Have your child wrap the moon moving up and down the shape,

Move in any direction they like.

The goal is trying to cover it as much as possible or whatever is appropriate for their age/ability.

10 Moon Craft Ideas and Wrapped Crescent Moon Craft For Kids

My cardboard happened to be white on one side but if you wanted you could paint yours white and let it dry before wrapping it in yarn so it blends better if there are gaps.

Cut off the end of the yarn. And hot glue the end in place on the back to hold it in place.

If you wish to make a hanger, just hot glue a little loop of yarn to the top of the back to hang it from.

10 Moon Craft Ideas and Wrapped Crescent Moon Craft For Kids

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: crafts, earth science, earthscience, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, moon, science

Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

October 27, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today we’re making edible fossils, and you can grab the free Magic School Bus fossils worksheet. Also, you’ll love my Amber – Freezing Gold Lapbook and Unit Study.

What’s more fun than giving your preschooler or kindergartener a dino excavation to enjoy? 

An edible dino fossil excavation of course.

I think that even older kids would enjoy doing this activity and of course, enjoy eating it.

You do not need any special molds or equipment.

I’m showing you how to make edible dinosaur fossils using just what you have in your kitchen already.

Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

This activity has three fun parts, creating the mold and filing it, then the hands-on excavation, and finally enjoying this tasty treat.

The fossil activity and free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet I have for you go perfectly with Mrs. Frizzle and her Magic School Bus In The Time of The Dinosaurs book.

In The Time of The Dinosaurs launches back to dinosaur days with their time-traveling bus to learn about the creatures, their habitats, and diets, and even a nesting ground.  

These books are great for preschool to mid-elementary-aged kids and are a great learning tool for a variety of topics, kids just love them.

Too, with my printables, you can use them any way you like but laminating them makes them stronger and longer lasting.

It is also great for use with messy activities as they can be easily wiped off clean and used again and again.

5 Fossil Facts For the Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

Next, look at these facts about fossils.

  1. Scientists who study fossils are called Paleontologists.
  2. The fossils of almost 700 different animals have been found in the Le Brea Tar Pits in California.
  3. Fossils can be made up of bones, plants, teeth, shells, or even footprints.
  4. There are 8 different types of fossils- petrified fossils, mold and cast fossils, carbon film fossils, trace fossils, preserved remains, compression fossils, impression fossils, and pseudo fossils. Our activity today is an example of a mold and cast fossil.
  5. Not all fossils that are found are on rocks. Some fossils can be found in tar pits, ice, and in amber.
Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

Also, use some of these resources with the free Magic School Bus fossils worksheet.

15 Books for Kids Crazy About Fossils and Dinosaurs

Your dinosaur loving kids will love some of these books and resources for a fun dinosaur unit study.

Image for Fossils Tell of Long Ago

Fossils Tell of Long Ago

What is a fossil? Sometimes it's the imprint of an ancient leaf in a rock. Or it could be the skeleton of a dinosaur that has turned to stone. With clear prose and beautifully detailed illustrations, award-winning author and illustrator Aliki describes the different ways fossils are formed and what they tell us about life on Earth long ago.

This is a clear and appealing science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. It includes a find out more section with a glossary and activity guide so kids can create their own fossils for someone to find a million years from now.

Image for Dinosaurs! (New & Updated)

Dinosaurs! (New & Updated)

Gail Gibbons presents the most recent and up-to-date theories about the history of dinosaurs and dinosaur discoveries. She discusses the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods and the non-bird dinosaurs that lived during each time. Each dinosaur is explored in just the right amount of detail for young paleontologists, as this book brings these magnificent creatures to life again

Image for Digging Up Dinosaurs (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

Digging Up Dinosaurs (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)

How did those enormous dinosaur skeletons get inside the museum? Beloved author-illustrator Aliki’s simple, engaging text and colorful artwork bring the long-extinct creatures to life for young dinosaur enthusiasts.

Long ago, dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Then, suddenly, they died out. For thousands of years, no one knew these giant creatures had ever existed. Then people began finding fossils—bones and teeth and footprints that had turned to stone. Today, teams of experts work together to dig dinosaur fossils out of the ground, bone by fragile bone

Image for How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?

A playful peek into the homes of dinosaur babies and their parents at bedtime!How do dinosaurs say good night?Brimming with humor and familiar good-night antics, here is a playful peek into the homes of dinosaur children and their parents at bedtime. Perfect for sharing and reading aloud, this is one nighttime book your own little dinosaur will want to read again and again.

Image for Dinosaur Roar!

Dinosaur Roar!

A celebratory edition of this much loved classic picture book, now twenty-five years old. This rollicking rhyming text is a joy to read aloud, and the charming and colourful pictures will appeal to the very youngest dinosaur fans. Originally published in 1994, Dinosaur Roar! by Henrietta and Paul Stickland is now seen as a modern classic, a book that every preschool child should have.In the back of the book is a wonderful pull-out poster showing the dinosaur characters.The book carries the endorsement of the Earth Sciences Department at the Natural History Museum.

Image for Dinosaur Bones

Dinosaur Bones

With a lively rhyming text and vibrant paper collage illustrations, author-artist Bob Barner shakes the dust off the dinosaur bones found in museums and reminds us that they once belonged to living, breathing creatures. Filled with fun dinosaur facts (a T. Rex skull can weigh up to 750 pounds!) and an informational "Dinometer," Dinosaur Bones is sure to make young dinosaur enthusiasts roar with delight.

Image for Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs

A long time ago there were dinosaurs. Big dinosaurs and small dinosaurs. Dinosaurs with horns on their heads or spikes down their backs. Dinosaurs with long, long necks and long, long tails. Imaginatively and with a masterful use of color, shape and composition, Bryon Barton brings to life a unique and endearing vision of what the world may have looked like once upon a time.

A long time ago there was dinosaurs. Big dinosaurs and small dinosaurs. Dinosaurs with horns on their heads or spikes down their backs. Dinosaurs with long, long necks and long, long tails.Imaginatively and with a masterful use of color, shape and composition, Byron Barton brings to life unique and endearing vision of what the world may have looked like once up ona time.

Image for Here We Go Digging for Dinosaur Bones

Here We Go Digging for Dinosaur Bones

This STEM-friendly musical fossil dig will have dinosaur lovers singing along as they learn the science behind paleontology.

Image for I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur

I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur

If you could be a dinosaur, which would you be? Would you roar like the ferocious T-Rex? Or soar overhead like the pterodactyl? In this playful early-learning book, Stella Blackstone s lyrical, rhyming text takes readers on an unforgettable Jurassic journey, while fabric artist Clare Beaton recreates the prehistoric world of dinosaurs using a colorful array of felt, sequins, beads and buttons.

Image for T Is for Terrible: A Picture Book

T Is for Terrible: A Picture Book

I am Tyrannosaurus Rex.

I am a dinosaur,

otherwise known as

a terrible lizard.

Tyrannosaurus rex is a terrible dinosaur; of this, everyone is certain. But is this dinosaur really so terrible? He IS very big and very hungry. True, he might even eat his neighbors for lunch. But from his point of view, he can't help it. After all, he's not a vegetarian . . .

Image for The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek

The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek

Meet George. He's strong, as a giant dinosaur should be, strong enough to wreck a plane! (Of course he thinks it's his old enemy, the flying Pteranodon.) He's loyal. He'll do anything to help Joan and Joey save their mother's ranch at Cricket Creek, even chase a bank robber. He's shy. He's so shy he gets Joan and Joey into hilarious, dinosaur sized trouble!

Image for The Magic School Bus in the Time of Dinosaurs

The Magic School Bus in the Time of Dinosaurs

The classroom is decorated as Dinosaur Land, but Ms. Frizzle-inspired by an archeological dig-craves a more authentic experience. The Magic School Bus turns into a time machine and transports the class back millions of years to an adventure where they learn about dinosaurs, their habitats and diets, and even a Maiasaura nesting ground.

Image for Fossils (A True Book: Earth Science)

Fossils (A True Book: Earth Science)

Fossils are one of the most important tools we have for learning about long-extinct wildlife.

A True Book: Earth Science series presents fascinating facts and fun activities that will engage the budding earth scientist, while exploring the fields of geology, meteorology, ecology, and more. This series includes an age appropriate (grades 3-5) introduction to curriculum-relevant subjects and a robust resource section that encourages independent study. In the 4.6 billion years since Earth was formed, many plant and animal species have come and gone. Readers will discover how fossils are formed, how paleontologists search for them, and what kinds of information they can provide.

Image for Paleontological Fossils Sample- Paleontology Trilobite Fossil, Scientific Amber Specimen

Paleontological Fossils Sample- Paleontology Trilobite Fossil, Scientific Amber Specimen

A box of ten fossils: A box of this paleontological fossil sample contains ten of fossils, including sea clam fossils, trilobites, ichthyodonts, porphyrites, copal amber, graptolites, nematodes, phylloceras, corals, and spirals. Fossil specimen of algae.

Image for Ancient Fossils TOOB - Figurines: Dino Footprint, Giant Crab, Ammonite, Raptor Claw, T-Rex Tooth, Frog Skeleton, Sea Scorpion & More

Ancient Fossils TOOB - Figurines: Dino Footprint, Giant Crab, Ammonite, Raptor Claw, T-Rex Tooth, Frog Skeleton, Sea Scorpion & More

Step into Prehistory: This Toob contains 10 expertly hand-painted mini figurines of ancient fossils, including a Dinosaur Footprint, Giant Crab, Ammonite, Raptor Claw, Fossilized Frog, Trilobite, T-Rex Tooth, Fossilized Fish, Dinosaur Skin, and a Sea Scorpion.

Also, look at these other activities about fossils and dinosaur activities.

Fossil And Dinosaur Crafts and Activities

  • Watch Magic School Bus Fossil Field Trip.
  • Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat
  • Print and play this Fossil Dig Travel Matching Game.
  • Make Coffee Ground Fossils, a fun gritty texture that makes a nice display piece for the science shelf or keepsake.
  • Science Fiction for Middle School Fun Jurassic Park Quick Unit Study (DIY Insect in Amber)
  • If your child is really into dinosaurs and fossils I think this Tabletop Dinosaur Fossil Dig | Dino Dig Game is worth the effort.
  • With a sensory twist on fossils, this Jurassic World Inspired Amber Fossil Slime will be a huge hit.
Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

Also, look how to make fun edible fossils to excavate.

Make Fun Edible Fossils to Excavate

You can make your fossils from toys right out of the toy box or sensory bin, as long as you have a large enough container and enough brown sugar you can make as many or as large of fossils as you want. 

You will need:

  • Shallow container
  • Brown sugar
  • ½-1 cup white chocolate chips
  • ½ – 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  • Clean plastic dinosaur figurines

As well as items for the excavation:

  • Plastic spoons
  • Craft sticks
  • Clean new paint brushes
  • Clean new toothbrush
  • Magnifying glass
  • tongs
Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

First, pour a couple of inches of brown sugar into a shallow dish.

How to Make Edible Fossils to Excavate

Pat down brown sugar firmly with your hands or the back of a spoon or a spatula.

Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

Heat ½ to 1 cup of white chocolate chips and ½ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in the microwave depending on how many you want to make.

The easiest way to do this is in a glass measuring cup with a pour spout heat and 30-second increments each time until completely melted. 

Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

Take clean, sanitized toys and press them firmly into the brown sugar. You can use skeletons, or full-bodied dinosaurs, as well as their feet. I find the skeletons were a lot trickier to use in the “mold”.

Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

Then carefully remove the dinosaur toy, disturbing the sugar as little as possible.

Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

Now use the pour spout of the measuring cup, or a small spoon to carefully drizzle chocolate into the impression you made in the brown sugar.

Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

Gently shake and tap the pan to fill in all the little cavities.

Allow the chocolate to completely harden, you can put it in the refrigerator or freezer to quicken the hardening time.

Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

Now provide your child with a clean paintbrush, a new toothbrush, tweezers, magnifying glass, a craft stick, and any other tools you think they might enjoy for their excavation.

And have them carefully lift their fossils out of the sand.

Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

Let your child carefully dig the fossils out of the “soil” and use a paintbrush or clean toothbrush to carefully brush away the brown sugar/soil.

Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

If there is still quite a bit sticking, you can run it under cold water to dissolve some of it. Do not use warm or hot water as it will melt your chocolate.

Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

Then carefully pat them dry with a paper towel.

Your fossils are ready to eat and enjoy. Use them with my free printables to compare and talk about the features they see in their fossils.

How to Get the Free Magic School Bus Fossils & Dinosaur Worksheet

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Make Fun Edible Fossils and Free Magic School Bus Fossils Worksheet

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Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: crafts, dinosaurs, elementary science, fossils, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolscience, life science, Magic School Bus, science

13 Easy Native American Crafts for Kids & Make a Cool Arrowhead

October 20, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you love hands-on projects for your unit studies, I have 13 easy Native American crafts that you are going to love. You’ll also love my page Native American Unit Study for Kids Who Love Hands-on Learning.

Native American crafts are rich in history and cultural significance.

They are reflections of the traditions, beliefs, and artistic skills of the different Native American tribes across North America.

These crafts demonstrate a wide range of artistic expressions, including pottery, weaving, beadwork, basketry, and carving.

Important artifacts like arrowheads are still being discovered today.

They are found in dried-up creeks, springs, rock overhangs, or around lakes and rivers.

13 Easy Native American Crafts for Kids & Make a Cool Arrowhead

Creating arrowheads was a skill that was passed down through generations.

It started with reaching small boys and each tribe had its unique style and methods of crafting arrowheads.

Join me on an exciting journey to unlock the mysteries of arrowheads and gain a deeper appreciation for the ancient civilizations that relied on them for weapons and tools.

Get ready to discover the secrets of flint knapping and facts about arrowheads, you can even try your hand at creating your own arrowhead replicas.

Also, look at some of these books about Native Americans.

16 Books About Native Americans

You’ll love these books about various Native American tribes and how they lived and their rich history.

Image for The Winter People

The Winter People

Saxso is fourteen when the British attack his village. It’s 1759, and war is raging in the northeast between the British and the French, with the Abenaki people Saxso’s people by their side. Without enough warriors
to defend their homes, Saxso’s village is burned to the ground. Many people are killed, but some, including Saxso’s mother and two sisters, are taken hostage. Now it’s up to Saxso, on his own, to track the raiders and bring his family back home . . . before it’s too late.

Image for In Their Own Words: Sitting Bull

In Their Own Words: Sitting Bull

In Their Own Words: Sitting Bull tells the exciting story of Sitting Bull's life using real drawings, letters, and speeches from him and from his friends and family.A warrior I have been. / Now, it is all over. / A hard time I have.With these words, Sitting Bull surrendered to the U.S. government on July 20, 1881. Sitting Bull spent most of his life trying to protect his people. A proud father and brave warrior, Sitting Bull wanted the Lakota Sioux to continue hunting buffalo and roaming the Plains. Although he lost this battle, Sitting Bull is remembered for his brave actions and notable accomplishments.

Image for Blackfeet Indian Stories

Blackfeet Indian Stories

Here are the great stories of the Blackfeet, recorded by the famous conservationist and ethnologist, George Bird Grinnell, who became a tribal member in 1885. The Nizitapi, or Real People, as they call each other, were people of the buffalo. They originated on the plains of today’s southern Alberta, western Saskatchewan, and central Montana. Famed frontier artist George Catlin called the Blackfeet “the most
powerful tribe of Indians on the continent.” Like many native people, the Blackfeet have stories and legends that originated centuries ago, perhaps thousands of years ago, and were passed down from generation to generation through an oral tradition.

Image for The Double Life of Pocahontas

The Double Life of Pocahontas

In a story that is as gripping as it is historical, Newbery Honor-winning author Jean Fritz reveals the true life of Pocahontas. Though at first permitted to move freely between the Indian and the white worlds, Pocahontas was eventually torn between her new life and the culture that shaped her.

Image for The Buffalo and the Indians: A Shared Destiny

The Buffalo and the Indians: A Shared Destiny

Countless herds of majestic buffalo once roamed across the plains and prairies of North America. For at least 10,000 years, the native people hunted the buffalo and depended upon its meat and hide for their survival. But to the Indians, the buffalo was also considered sacred. They saw this abundant, powerful animal as another tribe, one that was closely related to them, and they treated it with great respect and admiration.

Image for Hidden Roots

Hidden Roots

"Hidden Roots" focuses on the greater impact that the generations of Abenaki that followed had to deal with. Readers will learn about the loss of identity, history and culture;lack ofself worth and fear that Abenaki people were feeling, and still feel today. Middle grade readers love to see life as "being fair", and will totally understand that life is not fair in this story. This is a book that should be read in every middle school class, so that this history will not be forgotten, and never be repeated.

Image for Children of the Longhouse

Children of the Longhouse

When Ohkwa'ri overhears a group of older boys planning a raid on a neighboring village, he immediately tells his Mohawk elders. He has done the right thing—but he has also made enemies. Grabber and his friends will do anything they can to hurt him, especially during the village-wide game of Tekwaarathon (lacrosse). Ohkwa'ri believes in the path of peace, but can peaceful ways work against Grabber's wrath?

Image for Thunder Rolling in the Mountains

Thunder Rolling in the Mountains

Through the eyes of a brave and in­dependent young woman, Scott O'Dell tells of the tragic defeat of the Nez Perce, a classic tale of cruelty, betrayal, and heroism.

This powerful account of the tragic defeat of the Nez Perce Indians in 1877 by the United States Army is narrated by Chief Joseph's strong and brave daughter.

When Sound of Running Feet first sees white settlers on Nez Perce land, she vows to fight them. She'll fight all the people trying to steal her people's land and to force them onto a reservation, includ­ing the soldiers with their guns.

But if to fight means only to die, never win, is the fight worth it? When will the killing stop?

Image for Black Hawk

Black Hawk

Before dying, Pyesa, Black Hawk’s father and chief of his people, commanded his son to defend their land from whites, who were trying to force the tribe off their land. Black Hawk, however, has no taste for killing and scalping and goes through great internal conflict. The story of this great-hearted leader shows how some whites and Native Americans were peaceful and kind, while others were not. Based on true events, this powerful book teaches about a difficult time period and shares profound, unique messages about love, faith, mercy, humility, friendship, forgiveness, and faith. Recommended for ages 13-18/Grade 7-12

Image for Moccasin Trail (Puffin Newbery Library)

Moccasin Trail (Puffin Newbery Library)

Jim Keath has lived for six years as a Crow Indian when he learns that his two younger brothers and a sister are journeying west to take up land. Although Jim finds it difficult to fit in with the family he hasn’t seen since childhood, and though they are wary and distrustful of him, Jim feels his duty is at their side. But slowly, as they survive the dangerous trek west, the perils of frontier life, and the kidnapping of their younger brother, Jim and his family realize that the only way to survive is to accept each other and truly reunite the family.

Image for The Pueblo Indians,: Farmers of the Rio Grande

The Pueblo Indians,: Farmers of the Rio Grande

Young hawk lived over 400 years ago, but the civilization of the pueblo indians, already well advanced before any white settlers came into their land, has changed very little since his day.

Image for Sacajawea

Sacajawea

Captured by her enemies, married to a foreigner, and a mother at age sixteen, Sacajawea lived a life of turmoil and change. Then, in 1804, the mysterious young Shoshone woman met Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Acting as interpreter, peacemaker, and guide, Sacajawea bravely embarked on an epic journey that altered history forever. Hear her extraordinary story, in the voices of Sacajawea and William Clark in alternating chapters, with selections from Clark’s original diaries.

Image for The Birchbark House (Birchbark House, 1)

The Birchbark House (Birchbark House, 1)

She was named Omakakiins, or Little Frog, because her first step was a hop.

Omakakiins and her family live on an island in Lake Superior. Though there are growing numbers of white people encroaching on their land, life continues much as it always has.

But the satisfying rhythms of their life are shattered when a visitor comes to their lodge one winter night, bringing with him an invisible enemy that will change things forever—but that will eventually lead Omakakiins to discover her calling.

Image for Naya Nuki: Shoshoni Girl Who Ran (Amazing Indian Children Series)

Naya Nuki: Shoshoni Girl Who Ran (Amazing Indian Children Series)

After being taken prisoner by an enemy tribe, a Shoshoni girl escapes and makes a thousand-mile journey through the wilderness to find her own people

Image for Squanto, Friend Of The Pilgrims

Squanto, Friend Of The Pilgrims

Tells of the adventurous life of the Wampanoag Indian,Squanto.

Image for Plains Indians (First Nations of North America)

Plains Indians (First Nations of North America)

This title teaches readers about the first people to live in the Plains region of North America. It discusses their culture, customs, ways of life, interactions with other settlers, and their lives today.

5 Arrowhead Facts

First, look at some of these facts about arrowheads.

  1. Arrowheads were mainly created from flint, obsidian, or chert. But ones made from bone, wood, and metal have also been found.
  2. Arrowheads were used as weapons and tools. They were attached to a spear shaft, an atlatl shaft, an arrow, or a knife handle.
  3. Handcrafted arrowheads were used to hunt, fish, and fight battles.
  4. Arrowheads come in various shapes, sizes, and materials depending on the tribe that made them. Their uniqueness provides a glimpse into the history and traditions of different Native American groups.
  5. Native Americans might spend hours looking for just the right material and make their arrowheads using a chipping process called flint knapping.
13 Easy Native American Crafts for Kids & Make a Cool Arrowhead

Flint Knapping – How Were Arrowheads Made

First, a piece of flint (or other stone) was chosen.

The large piece was cut down in size by blows to the edge with a piece of hard stone.

This is called percussion chipping and was done repeatedly until the piece was thinned down and shaped.

The most common stones used to make arrowheads were:

  • Basalt
  • Flint
  • Quartzite
  • Jasper
  • Quartz
  • Chalcedony
  • Petrified wood
  • Agate
  • Obsidian
  • Chert

The piece was then pressure chipped using a sharp deer or elk antler to get it detailed into the right shape, size, and sharpness desired.

The final step was called notching.

Notches were made in the arrowhead by using a combination of pressure flaking and abrading or grinding. 

This way they could create the gaps, or notches, that the Native Americans would use to attach the arrowhead to the shaft of the arrow.

Points were then attached to the arrow shaft with a variety of different methods. Usually, the arrow shaft would have a slit cut into the end to accept the point.

Sinew would then be wrapped around the shaft to pinch the slit closed. Points could also be hafted directly by wrapping the strong sinew around the point and the arrow shaft to bind them together.

13 Easy Native American Crafts for Kids & Make a Cool Arrowhead

The shafts of the arrows were made from strong shoots like dogwood, wild rose, ash, birch, chokecherry, and black locust trees.

If you haven’t been lucky enough to find an arrowhead on your own, you can purchase some replicas to have a closer look and add to your unit.

Next look at these 13 easy Native American crafts.

13 Easy Native American Crafts

Dig into more aspects of native American life by creating several hands-on crafts beyond arrowheads like canoes, jewelry, drums, and even simple games they would have enjoyed.

  1. Make a simple Shawnee Birchbark Canoe with a few basic craft items.
  2. Making Talking Sticks with Kids is not only creative but it’s a great study in history and social studies.
  3. Create an easy and Fun Corn Craft to use as decoration while your child learns about Indian corn.
  4. I love this handicraft idea for making a Native American Indian Medicine Bag for Kids.
  5. Make this cool Iroquois Bracelet.
  6. Watch this video that demonstrates Making a Bear Claw Necklace for a fantastic hands-on idea.
  7. Recreate a Cradleboard Craft that fits perfectly on small dolls. It demonstrates how babies were carried for long journeys, hunting trips, and throughout a busy day.
  8. These little Popsicle Stick Bow and Arrows are just adorable (and pretty harmless as well).
  9. Grab some air-dry clay and paint and create a little Native American Crafts for Kindergarten How to Make a Kids Pinch Pot .
  10. Learn How to Make a Longhouse Out of Popsicle Sticks, an important part of Native American life.
  11. Native American Stick Game.
  12. Easy Native American Spin Drum Craft for Kids. Spin drums were found in the Southwest tribes of the U.S.
  13. Build a Wigwam like the Algonquin and other tribes would have lived in.
13 Easy Native American Crafts for Kids & Make a Cool Arrowhead

Finally, look how to make a cool Native American arrowhead.

Make a Cool Arrowhead

You will need:

  • Air dry clay
  • Rock
  • Wooden craft stick
  • Leather cord
13 Easy Native American Crafts for Kids & Make a Cool Arrowhead

First, give your child a feel of how it would’ve been for the Native Americans to carve an arrowhead.

Give your child an uneven blob of clay as if they had been searching for just the right rock.

13 Easy Native American Crafts for Kids & Make a Cool Arrowhead

Obviously, the clay is soft and moldable unlike the hard flint that they would’ve been made of.

However, we can still try to give them as much of the experience as possible.

Next, use a craft stick or clay knife to form the basic shape of an arrowhead.

13 Easy Native American Crafts for Kids & Make a Cool Arrowhead

We can still use the rock to simulate the motion of carving the arrowhead into a piece of flint.

It also helps give the clay a little more texture like a real one would have.

13 Easy Native American Crafts for Kids & Make a Cool Arrowhead

Continue shaping until satisfied with the design as well as thickness.

13 Easy Native American Crafts for Kids & Make a Cool Arrowhead

Allow the clay to dry completely for 24 to 48 hours depending on how thick your arrowhead is.

Once it’s completely dry, you can leave it as is or paint it a dark gray or black and let that paint dry.

13 Easy Native American Crafts for Kids & Make a Cool Arrowhead

Leave it as is, so it looks like an artifact that was just picked up.

13 Easy Native American Crafts for Kids & Make a Cool Arrowhead

In addition, you can wrap cording around it a few times, knot it off, and then tie the end into a necklace to wear.

13 Easy Native American Crafts for Kids & Make a Cool Arrowhead

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: crafts, early American history, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, homeschoolhistory, Native Americans, nativeamerican, nativeamericans

11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft

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

Today, I have some fun Little House on the Prairie crafts and a rug craft. Also, you love my post Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern.

I love Little House on The Prairie crafts, from making bonnets to building little model wagons it has always been one of my favorite periods to recreate.

Little House was a large part of my childhood.

I spent countless hours pretending to ride in a covered wagon, harvest crops, and churn butter.

11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft

I can also remember when braided rugs still lined kitchen floors with their colorful simple beauty.

Sometimes those things seem to have faded away but if you are like me and want to pass on some of those sweet handicrafts you will enjoy my braided rug tutorial.

Ma, Mary, and Laura would have braided rag rugs for their floors from strips of worn-out calico dresses.

We will use something that we are likely to have on hand, t-shirts.

Too, I have plenty of other crafts from the pioneer days that will go wonderfully with a study on any or all the Little House books.

Books About Little House on the Prairie

First, look at some of these resources and books to study about pioneer life.

Little House on the Prairie Unit Study Resources

Add some of these fun resources to ignite a love for learning about the Little House on the Prairie.

Image for The Little House (9 Volumes Set)

The Little House (9 Volumes Set)

The nine books in the timeless Little House series tell the story of Laura’s real childhood as an American pioneer, and are cherished by readers of all generations. They offer a unique glimpse into life on the American frontier, and tell the heartwarming, unforgettable story of a loving family.

Image for Pioneer Girl: The Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Pioneer Girl: The Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Readers around the world know and love Laura, the little girl born in the Big Woods of Wisconsin and raised in covered wagons and on wide open prairies. Now Little House fans can learn more about the remarkable story of the pioneer girl who would one day immortalize her adventures in the beloved Little House books in this, the first picture book biography book of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Image for A Little Prairie House (Little House Picture Book)

A Little Prairie House (Little House Picture Book)

With the My First Little House picture book series, the youngest readers can share in the joy of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books in these illustrated adaptations of the beloved series! 

Laura, Pa, Ma, Mary, and baby Carrie have traveled from the Big Woods to the prairie in their covered wagon, driving through tall grass until they found just the right spot for their new home. With the help of their kind neighbor, Mr. Edwards, Pa builds a snug little house for the family in the middle of the wide-open prairie.

Image for Farmer Boy (Little House, 2)

Farmer Boy (Little House, 2)

The second book in the treasured Little House series, Farmer Boy is Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved story of how her husband, Almanzo, grew up as a farmer boy far from the little house where Laura lived. This edition features the classic black-and-white artwork from Garth Williams. 

The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America’s frontier history and as heartwarming, unforgettable stories. The Little House series has captivated millions of readers with its depiction of life on the American frontier.

While Laura Ingalls grows up on the prairie, Almanzo Wilder is living on a big farm in New York State. Here Almanzo and his brother and sisters help with the summer planting and fall harvest. In winter there is wood to be chopped and great slabs of ice to be cut from the river and stored. Time for fun comes when the jolly tin peddler visits, or best of all, when the fair comes to town.

Almanzo wishes for just one thing—his very own horse—and he must prove that he is ready for such a big responsibility.

Image for The Little House Cookbook

The Little House Cookbook

With this cookbook, you can learn how to make classic frontier dishes like corn dodgers, mincemeat pie, cracklings, and pulled molasses candy. The book also includes excerpts from the Little House books, fascinating and thoroughly researched historical context, and details about the cooking methods that pioneers like Ma Ingalls used, as well as illustrations by beloved artist Garth Williams.

Image for Who Was Laura Ingalls Wilder?

Who Was Laura Ingalls Wilder?

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, based on her own childhood and later life, are still beloved classics almost a century after she began writing them. Now young readers will see just how similar Laura's true-life story was to her books. Born in 1867 in the "Big Woods" in Wisconsin, Laura experienced both the hardship and the adventure of living on the frontier. Her life and times are captured in engaging text and 80 black-and-white illustrations.

Image for Laura Ingalls Dress Up

Laura Ingalls Dress Up

  • Three Piece Set: Kid girls colonial dress, attached apron and bonnet.
Image for Little House Coloring Book: Coloring Book for Adults and Kids

Little House Coloring Book: Coloring Book for Adults and Kids

A beautifully designed coloring book featuring classic artwork by Garth Williams and quotes from all nine original Little House books. Perfect for at-home creative time—return to the world of Little House with your kids...or enjoy on your own!

Join Laura Ingalls, her Ma and Pa, and her sisters, Mary, Carrie, and Grace, on their travels across the frontier as you color in your favorite pioneer characters and scenes and revisit this beloved series.

This 96-page coloring book offers hours of relaxing, stress-reducing pleasure.

Next, look at these Little House on the prairie crafts.

Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts

  1. Make hand dipped beeswax candles.
  2. Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll 
  3. Have fun churning butter.
  4. Pioneer Peg Dolls 
  5. Pioneer Living and Cloth Dyeing 
  6. Edible Log Cabin 
  7. A simple craft that even little hands can help create is this Make an Apple Pomander Just Like Ma Ingalls idea
  8. For teens, A Beginner’s Guide to Whittling is a great way to reprise the past time of carving out little toys and other bits as they did.
  9. Punched Tin Lantern.
  10. No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll
  11. Another great sewing project is this Pioneer Quilt Craft using cloth scraps.
11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft

Finally, look how to make this pioneer rug craft.

How to Make a T-Shirt Rag Rug Craft

You will need:

  • Old cotton t-shirts
  • Scissors

First, start by cutting t-shirt strips 1 ½” -2” wide, cut through both sides of the t-shirt to make a big loop piece, and then one of the ends so it is a long strip.

You can either use scissors or a rotary blade and mat which makes it quicker.

11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft

For this tutorial I used just 3 shirts and saved the sleeves and neck for another project; it came to about 10” wide.

So, you will want to cut up enough to make a good-sized rug which is about 6-8 strips for a small standard rug.

This can be an ongoing project as you get enough shirts or grab a bunch from the thrift store.

11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft

At the end of each strip cut a small vertical hole.

The holes are to secure the pieces together rather than trying to braid 10’ lengths. 

11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft

Grab 3 strips and tie one end into a knot as small and tight as you can, and then cut off the excess.

You can either create a random pattern or use the same colors over and over to make a pattern.

11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft

If you want to follow a pattern, you might want to go ahead and lay out a bunch of strips together.

11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft

Braid the pieces together just like you would a simple hair braid about 4” long and then begin twisting the center so that the braid wraps around itself.

T-Shirt Rag Rug Craft

It needs to be firm and tidy but not too tight as you will need to slip through the braid occasionally.

11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft

Take the strand closest to the ball of the braid and slip it through the outside piece of the braid.

This is how you will secure each row together without sewing.

11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft

Resume braiding and wrapping it around itself for about 2” and then repeat the step of threading the closest strip to the center through one of the loops of the braid coil.

11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft

When you reach the last couple of inches of strip, draw a new strip through the hole in the end and then loop the other end around.

11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft

Draw it through the hole of the other end to make a small flat knot.

11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft

Continue the method of braiding for a couple of inches and then loop the closest strip through the closest braid inside until the rug is as big as you would like it.

To finish it off, thread the ends through the front side of the rug to the back and knot them off, cut off any excess as close to the knot as you can.

11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: american history, crafts, handicraft, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, pioneer, pioneer crafts

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