Geronimo Stilton

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

June 21, 2023 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today I have a no sew dinosaur mat craft if your child is reading Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time. Be sure to grab more Geronimo Stilton Books ideas and crafts on my page.

Do you have an early to middle elementary kid who loves dinosaurs?

First, grab a copy of The Journey Through Time (Geronimo Stilton Special Edition) to go along with this fun and easy no sew dinosaur mat.

The Journey Through Time Travels into Prehistory, which is the large period of time before written records or human documentation.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

In the first section, it is a trip right into the middle of the Prehistoric Period.

The book takes Geronimo through the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods to learn more about the dinosaurs that once roamed the earth.

With great little factoids about different species of dinosaurs, bright illustrations, and an engaging story and a theory on how they disappeared, it is a great read for your child.

Use vocabulary words from the story, facts, and drawings to teach your child all about this time of prehistory.

Add in a few more fun hands-on ideas and you have a wonderful unit.

How to Incorporate the No Sew Dinosaur Mat Into Your Homeschool Units

While the dinosaur mat may seem like just play, it can also be used to label different dinosaurs to work in some science as well as language arts.

Write the names of various species or even words like volcano, river, etc.. on small pieces of paper and have your child place them next to their match.

Work on easy math problems, just add dice and work on simple addition and subtraction.

Let toddlers and preschool children simply play while you read aloud from Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time.

You will be pleasantly surprised how much they pick up through hearing new vocabulary words and passive listening.

More Dinosaur Learning Fun

Make Salt Dough Dinosaur Fossils as a keepsake of your fun lessons.
Put together a dinosaur skeleton with pasta and a free printable.
Grab your toy dinosaurs and create a Dino Sensory Bin to allow them to explore textures while they learn about different dinosaurs.
Science Fiction for Middle School Fun Jurassic Park Quick Unit Study (DIY Insect in Amber)
Measure dinosaur toys with manipulative blocks to work on math skills like counting, spatial awareness, and estimating.
Make Homemade Dinosaur bones to incorporate dino anatomy.
Cooking is one of my favorite hands-on activities to include in a unit, these Dinosaur Track Cookies are a great math and science activity.

Besides getting prehistoric history, this first volume in the series also covers Ancient Egypt and the Medieval Period.

There are over 3 journeys in one book and they can be read as individual mini units or all at once.

Geronimo Stilton Book Activities

Next, look at these other crafts to go with the books.

Finally, you will need only two things to make a no sew dinosaur mat yourself-felt and a hot glue gun.

It makes a great roll-and-go activity while waiting at restaurants or doctors’ offices as well as at home on the kitchen table.

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time No Sew Dino Mat

You are only limited by your own creativity here, whatever you can dream of you can turn into a felt masterpiece.

However, I am going to give you a few tips for recreating a few things.

You will need:

Various colors of felt
Hot glue gun/sticks
Scissors

Use a by-the-yard piece of green felt for the base if you want a larger mat.

However, if you want to stick with the basic felt size you can attach 2 pieces side by side to make it larger.

And to secure them together and hide the seam, cut a wavy strip of blue to create water and glue the two pieces to the underside.

Next, create grass and clumps of bushes by cutting green into ½” strips and cutting vertically not quite to the edge to make fringe. You can roll them up and hot glue the bottom to your base for bushes.

Or leave it long, and glue along the bottom edge, depending on what you want to replicate.

Cut white, tan, and gray felt into irregular circles for rock shapes and secure to the mat with hot glue.

Finally, to create the centerpiece, the volcano, draw and cut out a cone shape with a flat top on beige fabric.

Cut red, orange, and yellow stripes with an uneven edge for flames, and hot glue to the top of the volcano.

Roll it, and secure down the edges with glue. Stuff with a little cotton filling or even just felt scraps.

Bend a small piece of the edge and secure it to the mat with glue, continue to fold and glue all the way around. Fan out the exploding lava.

You can add other pieces like smaller ponds, quicksand, or whatever other features you would like on your mat.

Add small dinosaurs for play, counting, and more.

The Journey Through Time Book And Knights Armor Engraving Fun Kids Craft

December 20, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

The Journey Through Time Book (Geronimo Stilton Special Edition) is our book for adventure today. And we’re doing a knights armor engraving craft. Be sure to grab more Geronimo Stilton Books ideas and crafts on my page.

Was King Arthur real? Most historians believe he was just a fictional character from folklore and legend.

But that doesn’t stop him from being a very fascinating part of the Medieval period.

The Journey Through Time Book And Knights Armor Engraving Fun Kids Craft

With dashing and chivalrous knights, Camelot, jousting, castles, and kings is it any wonder that our favorite time traveling mouse zoomed right into the Middle Ages among the likes of King Arthur and Excalibur.

We are visiting this time period through Geronimo Stilton’s The Journey Through Time, the first book in the Journey Through Time series.

And Geronimo Stilton also makes stops in prehistory with the dinosaurs and in Ancient Egypt.

About The Journey Through Time Book (Geronimo Stilton Special Edition)

The story is fun and captivating but as always, the author weaves so much amazing information into it.

Readers learn fantastic vocabulary from the period, medieval fashion, castle architecture, and the feudal system.

Too, they will even be reading an excerpt from an Alfred, Lord Tennyson poem.

Just because these books are colorful and whimsical it’s no reason to discount the quality they add to your child’s reading time.

In addition, Safari Ltd Toobs have a fantastic knights and dragons set that make for a great addition to a study or to this book.

They can be used to set the mood for introducing a new unit theme, in sensory bins, dioramas, or even as pawns in place of standard board game pieces.

Additionally, we learned that knights had a code of chivalry to be followed.

The Knight’s Code of Chivalry was a system of morals.

Further, the code declared all knights should protect others who could not protect themselves like widows, children, and the elderly.

Facts About Knights and The Knight’s Code of Chivalry

The word “knight” comes from an Old English word meaning “servant”.
Knights were sworn to uphold their duty to God, to the church, and to their liege lord.
Earlier anyone who proved themselves brave and honorable in battle could be awarded knighthood by the king but later it was decided they had to descend from nobility.
Young boys could begin their knight training at just 7 years old. They were sent away to live and train and were called pages.
At 13 years old, they could become a squire as they continued their education and training.
They were finally able to be dubbed a knight at 21.
William Marshal was one of England’s greatest knights and was considered the greatest tournament knight of his time.
Women could be knights as well. For example, the Order of the Hatchet (Orden de la Hacha) in Catalonia was a military order of knighthood for women.
A knight would be punished with public humiliation for breaking the code.
Knights armor weighed between 45 and 55 lbs.

Geronimo Stilton Book Activities

Next, look at these other crafts to go with the books.

In honor of King Arthur and his wonderful Knights of the Round Table we are creating a Medieval Knight in a full suit of armor.

This method is a simpler version of the intricate metal engraving that was done on jewelry, metal plates and more by goldsmiths of the Middle Ages.

How to Make a Knights Armor Engraving

You will need:

A cardboard piece
Aluminum foil
Hot glue gun/glue sticks
Black craft paint
Paper towel
Toothpick tape
Pencil/pen

Start by sketching out a simple knight in armor shape on your cardboard.

After you are satisfied with it in pencil you can go back over it with a pen to make it easier to see.

Trace over the lines with hot glue.

Be sure that you make the lines thick enough that they will leave an impression in the foil.

You don’t have to add a lot of detail at this point, just the general shape is enough.

Allow to cool and harden.

Once the glue is hardened, cover your cardboard in foil and wrap around the back. Tape into place.

Carefully, run your fingers over the raised surface to press the foil into it.

You will want to go back and forth over it several times.

Once your outline is fully showing through the foil take a toothpick and gently scratch in a few details to give your knight more interest.

Squirt a little black paint right onto your completed design.

Spread it gently with a paper towel and let it sit for a couple minutes and wipe it off.

The black should stay inside the indentions and create some dimension making the design stand out a bit and age it a bit.

Allow the paint to dry and your knight engraving is ready to go on display.

You can use the same technique to write your name, engrave a castle design, or anything else you like.

The Journey Through Time Geronimo Stilton Time Warp Fun Lost City of Atlantis

December 12, 2022 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

The Journey Through Time Geronimo Stilton Seventh Journey Time Warp is our next book for adventure. And we’re doing a fun Lost City of Atlantis craft. Be sure to grab more Geronimo Stilton Books ideas and crafts on my page.

This time we are going to visit mythical Atlantis with our favorite globetrotting mouse in Geronimo Stilton Time Warp The Seventh Journey Through Time.

We are going to do it with a magical diorama that lets your child create their own version of the magical city to go along with the reading.

The Journey Through Time Geronimo Stilton Time Warp Fun Lost City of Atlantis

Geronimo finds himself underwater this time in The Time Tentacle 2000 in the lost city of Atlantis.

He speculates about their clothing guessing that it was similar to ancient Greek tunics.

And he shares about the 10 kings of Atlantis who descended from Poseidon, visits the ornate gold palace, and enjoys a banquet with royalty.

Benefits of Introducing Myths, Legends and Fairytales

Also, I know I usually stick to history and reality but there is much to be said about the benefits of imagination, fairy tales, legends and myths.

For example, legends, folktales, and myths:

can teach children about emotional resilience by helping them to connect fictional stories to real life people and circumstances.
help children to deal with adversity by learning to believe in themselves to overcome obstacles and challenges.
help children confront real-life fears and anxieties in a wonderful fantastical setting that makes it easier to deal with.
develop a child’s imagination.
are full of rich insights into humanity and history.
cultivate an appreciation and understanding of other cultures.
open the door to learning about why people came to believe them.

In addition, mythology whether it comes from the Roman Empire, the Greek or the Egyptian region is a part of teaching within language arts.

Stories and myths and names of characters helps to promote vocabulary skills and heightens a child’s interest in following story lines.

About the Lost City of Atlantis

The Lost City of Atlantis is a myth which may have started in Egypt, survived in classical Greek writings, and then emerged in medieval traditions by Arabian geographers

Supposedly, Atlantis disappeared into the sea as a result of earthquakes and floods.

Some historians think suggest that this myth had its roots in the volcanic explosion of Santorini.

And your child will love reading about the Lost City of Atlantis.

Other Geronimo Stilton Chapter Book Activities

Next, look at these other crafts to go with the books.

Now, dioramas are meant to be free form and totally creatively led by your child,.

Use what supplies you have with maybe a couple of special items added.

However, I will give you some loose directions to help get you going.

If you don’t have them on hand already you can get most of the supplies at Dollar Tree.

I grabbed even my cardboard box here, the castle cut out in the unfinished wood craft and the sand.

Too, they carry seashells in the floral aisle as well as paint, and glitter.

Finally, look below at how to make your own diorama.

How to Make A Mythical Lost City of Atlantis Diorama

You will need:

A cardboard box
A castle cut out (Dollar Tree) or you can draw a simple one on cardstock or cardboard and cut it out.
Paint and glitter
Sand
Assorted seashells
Plastic ocean animals
Hot glue gun/glue sticks
Safari LTD Mythical Realms Toob

These mats are fantastic for craft projects, they are easy to clean, safe and are a good way to keep your kitchen table free from paint, hot glue, and other craft messes.

Directions:

The first thing to do is to tape up or hot glue the bottom of the box.

I folded it so there was more coverage rather than like you would for support if shipping something and glued it well.

Next, cut off the flaps on one end except for one, and the larger side of the box to create a 3 walled structure with a floor base.

This gives your child plenty of open space for creativity.

Paint the inside or cover it in blue tissue paper or construction paper to give it a water like look.

You don’t have to paint the bottom unless your child wants to. We will cover it up with sand in a bit. Allow your paint to dry completely.

Next, paint a thick coat of glue on the base and sprinkle generously with sand.

Additionally, you could also use table salt to get the same look.

While you are waiting for the glue to dry paint your castle gold and add glitter if you like.

We added a little more texture to the castle with some hot glue and pressed more glitter into it while the glue is still wet.

Create some depth to your diorama by not just gluing your castle flat to the back but popping it out instead.

How to Make a Cardboard Castle

Too, you can hot glue anything thick to the back to separate it from the back of the box.

I cut several squares of cardboard roughly the same size and glued them together and then to the back.

Now the really fun part for us was creating coral and other undersea items from hot glue.

This is a good introduction to the glue gun for kids because there is really no need for their fingers to get near the glue until it is completely cooled.

All you do is squeeze out the glue and make underwater shapes on your silicone mat or waxed paper.

Make sure that each piece is connected and thick enough that it can support itself upright.

Create grassy shapes and twisting coral and let them cool for a few minutes until hard.

If you want to add glitter, sprinkle some on the glue immediately before it sets.

Or you can paint the hot glue shapes once hardened.

Peel your shapes off and make a small puddle of hot glue to create a base.

Immediately put your shapes on the base and hold until hardened or use whatever objects you can to hold them in place upright until ready.

Place your Mythical Toob figures, ocean animals, and shells around to fill up your Atlantis diorama.

Geronimo Stilton The Race Against Time Build a Fun Greek Water Clock

November 30, 2022 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

We are time traveling to Ancient Greece in Geronimo Stilton The Race Against Time The Third Journey Through Time. And we’re building a fun Greek water clock. Be sure to grab more Geronimo Stilton Books ideas and crafts on my page.

Our favorite adventuring mouse gets to wander through Athens in 434 BCE. He meets Xanthippe, the wife of famous philosopher Socrates, and Socrates too.

After exploring the Greek alphabet, he visits The Symposium.

Geronimo Stilton The Race Against Time Build a Fun Greek Water Clock

He is really living his best life, isn’t he?

These books give amazing vocabular and detailed descriptions of clothing for the period.

Geronimo Stilton The Race Against Time The Third Journey Through Time

In addition, they show architecture and important people of the time to give the young reader a fun glimpse into whatever historical era he ends up in.

Before we make the water clock, look at some of these resources.

I have many resources to make this wonderful book a full literature unit study.

Ancient Greece Resources

Add these resources to your day to make learning come alive or do a full unit study.

Fun Ancient Greece Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook
Play Ancient Greece Go Fish
Add a reference book like Tools of the Ancient Greeks. This is another fun book to compliment Geronimo for a deeper dive into Ancient Greece.

Make this Ancient Greek Chariot for your own chariot races.
Enjoy a little taste of a favorite of Greeks of long ago and Make Baklava.
Create this Ancient Greece Pottery Activity.
Kids DIY Knucklebones
Great Big List of Ancient Greece Freebies
Ancient Greek Theatre Mask
9 EASY and Fun Hands-on Ancient Greece Kids Activities

In addition, I have many crafts to go with some of the books in the Geronimo Stilton series.

Other Geronimo Stilton Chapter Book Activities

Next, look at these other crafts to go with the books.

Then, here are a few more facts about The Greeks.

Amazing Ancient Greek Facts

Roughly one third of Ancient Greeks were slaves.
Greeks called themselves Hellenes.
The Ancient Greeks invented the Yo-Yo.
The Greek alphabet came into being around about 1000 BC.
Many Ancient Greeks wore a chito which is a long shirt made from a single large piece of cotton.
The Greeks really loved to learn. They felt that learning was one of the best ways you could spend your time.
The basic crops that were grown in Ancient Greece were wheat, barley, olives, and grapes.
Romans were considered big copycats of the Greeks. They copied a lot of the Greek culture. Everything from their gods, to architecture, language, and even what and how they ate.

Finally, look below at how to make this fun water clock.

We are going to create our own version of a Greek water clock.

A water clock or clepsydra was used in Ancient Greece to measure time by regulating the flow of water.

As water moved from one vessel to another in a certain period, they measured it.

Water would drip through a hole in the bottom of a filled container into the bottom one.

Often, the bottom container was marked with the hours of the day so that they could tell time by how full the vessel became.

Basically it is an hourglass with water instead of sand to simplify it.

It also happens to be one of the oldest ways to tell time from the ancients.

How to Make an Ancient Greek Water Clock

You will need:

Two 16-20 oz. bottles with lids
Water
A sharpie marker
Hot glue or e6000
A timer
Drill/small drill bit.

Pull the label off both bottles and wash the bottles well (especially if they were soda bottles).

Remove the caps and drill a small hotel through both caps, in the center, and line them up as close as you can.

Glue the two caps together, flat top to flat top, take care not to get glue in your holes and plug it up. You can reverse this order if it’s easier to line up the holes after gluing.

Start with 1 cup of water and pour it into one of your bottles, mark the line where the water stops.

You may want to open the bottle backup and add more later if you want the timer to go longer.

Screw the glued tops onto the empty bottle and then flip it and screw it onto the bottle with water.

Get your timer ready, as soon as you flip the bottle and the drops begin to go through, start the timer.

Mark the water line in the bottom bottle at 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc.

Reverse the bottles and do the same on the other side.

You now have an awesome low tech timer for games, quizzes, or cooking and a little better understanding of how time was kept in Ancient Greece.

What do you think? Ready to make this?

Geronimo Stilton Out Of Time Fun Sir Francis Drake Ship Craft

November 22, 2022 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Geronimo Stilton Out of Time The 8th Journey Through Time we make a visit to Sir Francis Drake. You’ll love the other Geronimo Stilton Books and crafts on my page.

I am so enamored with this little mouse and his wild adventures through time to meet famous figures.

At least we get to have a peek through his stories, right?

In this book, Geronimo visits Alexander the Great, Queen Cleopatra, Mozart, and our focus today Sir Francis Drake.

Geronimo Stilton Out Of Time Fun Sir Francis Drake Ship Craft

If you are not familiar with Francis Drake, he was an English explorer.

But he was also a sea captain, privateer, slave trader, naval officer, and politician.

His biggest claims to fame are having a major role in England’s defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

He was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the world and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

About the Geronimo Stilton Series

Geronimo Stilton is full of fun facts presented in a colorful and interesting way for even the child that is reluctant to read.

The series is a younger version of a graphic novel and a great way to introduce history to your child.

This book has jokes, a seek and count page, maps, and lots of fun pirate terms to learn.

Too, colorful words in different fonts and sizes keep kids interested in the story while learning new vocabulary and placing emphasis on what is important.

Activities for Learning About Sir Francis Drake

Besides the wonderful activities in the book, look at some other ideas for learning about Sir Francis Drake.

Horrible Histories YouTube I’ve Got a Brand New Land to Find.
Learn some Pirate Words and Phrases.
Walk the plank by creating one on the floor with painters tape.
YouTube Bedtime History Podcast.
How to Draw a Pirate Ship.
Make your own spyglass with an empty paper towel roll.
Learn How to Make a Compass.
Create your own treasure map by drawing out your backyard and creating a fun treasure to find.
Visit a pet store and look at a real parrot.
Trace Sir Francis Drakes famous route on your home map or atlas.
Learn more about pirates with my Pirates Unit Study and Lapbook.

Then, add some information about the differences between a pirate and a privateer.

What is the difference between a pirate and a privateer?

A pirate attacks and robs ships at sea for their own gain.

Privateers are pirates that were hired by the government to do the same thing.

However, they keep part of what they steal for themselves.

Other Geronimo Stilton Chapter Book Activities

Next, look at these other crafts to go with the books.

Finally, look at how to make a Sir Francis Drake ship craft.

How to Make a Sir Francis Drake Ship

Here is a list of supplies.

White Paper plate
Brown craft paint
Black, white, and brown construction paper/cardstock
Two wooden skewers
Red marker
Hot glue gun/glue sticks

First, cut a paper plate in half, hot glue the two sides together.

You can do this with regular glue instead of hot glue if you’d like it to be an entirely child lead craft but it does take a lot longer for the glue to dry.

So, you may choose to just hot glue it so they can get on with the craft quicker.

This is what it should look like at this point.

Let your child paint both sides of the boat as well as the inside if they like and allow it to dry completely.

While you’re waiting for the boat to dry cut out three small circles of brown construction paper.

And cut three slightly smaller circles out of black construction paper.

Then layer them to create the little portholes on the ship.

Next, take white card stock and cut two smaller trapezoids.

Also, cut two larger trapezoids for the sales as well as a small rectangle for the flag and you can see what that will look like below.

Help your child to poke the top and bottom of the trapezoid through the skewer.

Bend it out a little bit to look like it has a little wind and it sails of course with a larger trapezoid on bottom and the smaller trapezoid on top.

Attach the flag to the top of one with glue.

Glue portholes to the side of the ship.

Slip the skewered flags inside the ship and attach with hot glue, this will make certain it is secure and allow it to be ready faster.

Once the glue is cooled your ship is ready to set sail for adventure.

What do you think? Ready to try another fun Geronimo Stilton activity?

Geronimo Stilton

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time Fun Easy No Sew Dinosaur Mat

How to Incorporate the No Sew Dinosaur Mat Into Your Homeschool Units

More Dinosaur Learning Fun

Geronimo Stilton Book Activities

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time No Sew Dino Mat

The Journey Through Time Book And Knights Armor Engraving Fun Kids Craft

About The Journey Through Time Book (Geronimo Stilton Special Edition)

Facts About Knights and The Knight’s Code of Chivalry

Geronimo Stilton Book Activities

How to Make a Knights Armor Engraving

The Journey Through Time Geronimo Stilton Time Warp Fun Lost City of Atlantis

Benefits of Introducing Myths, Legends and Fairytales

About the Lost City of Atlantis

Other Geronimo Stilton Chapter Book Activities

How to Make A Mythical Lost City of Atlantis Diorama

How to Make a Cardboard Castle

Geronimo Stilton The Race Against Time Build a Fun Greek Water Clock

Geronimo Stilton The Race Against Time The Third Journey Through Time

Ancient Greece Resources

Other Geronimo Stilton Chapter Book Activities

Amazing Ancient Greek Facts

How to Make an Ancient Greek Water Clock

Geronimo Stilton Out Of Time Fun Sir Francis Drake Ship Craft

About the Geronimo Stilton Series

Activities for Learning About Sir Francis Drake

What is the difference between a pirate and a privateer?

Other Geronimo Stilton Chapter Book Activities

How to Make a Sir Francis Drake Ship

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Geronimo Stilton

How to Incorporate the No Sew Dinosaur Mat Into Your Homeschool Units

More Dinosaur Learning Fun

Geronimo Stilton Book Activities

Geronimo Stilton The Journey Through Time No Sew Dino Mat

About The Journey Through Time Book (Geronimo Stilton Special Edition)

Facts About Knights and The Knight’s Code of Chivalry

Geronimo Stilton Book Activities

How to Make a Knights Armor Engraving

Benefits of Introducing Myths, Legends and Fairytales

About the Lost City of Atlantis

Other Geronimo Stilton Chapter Book Activities

How to Make A Mythical Lost City of Atlantis Diorama

How to Make a Cardboard Castle

Geronimo Stilton The Race Against Time The Third Journey Through Time

Ancient Greece Resources

Other Geronimo Stilton Chapter Book Activities

Amazing Ancient Greek Facts

How to Make an Ancient Greek Water Clock

About the Geronimo Stilton Series

Activities for Learning About Sir Francis Drake

What is the difference between a pirate and a privateer?

Other Geronimo Stilton Chapter Book Activities

How to Make a Sir Francis Drake Ship

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