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Geronimo Stilton

Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time Craft a Fun England Tower Guard

September 21, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time book #4 has many topics but one is the Elizabethan period. If your child is loving the Geronimo Stilton books, your child will love making a fun England Tower Guard craft.

We’ll travel back to Elizabethan Times, specifically 1595, with the third story in Geronimo Stilton Lost in Time The Fourth Journey.

Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time Craft a Fun England Tower Guard

It begins with a visit with Queen Elizabeth I. 

As usual Geronimo gives us a great look at the time period through maps, images of fashion, buildings, vocabulary, and famous people such as Sir Francis Drake and Queen Elizabeth.

Take a look at the rich clothing from the time period.

There were ruffles, lace, ribbons, fancy cuffs, and collars.

Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time Craft a Fun England Tower Guard

I love that this fun series of Geronimo Stilton books because they always include important historical details to make it real to kids.

Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time Craft

The Queen’s Guard (or King’s, depending on who the reigning monarch is) did not come about for another 200 years after Elizabeth I ‘s time.

But I thought it would be fun to draw some comparisons to Elizabethan England and modern England with these cute little figures.

They can be used as a bookmark, pointer to keep your place while reading, or as a little puppet.

Even if you are not reading Geronimo Stilton, this is a fantastic simple craft to do during any England unit study.

And this simple craft can be done by a wide range of ages.

You can set out photos of the guard and supplies and let your child take the lead to allow for process art rather than product art, this is especially good for younger children to experience.

Facts about Elizabethan England and Modern England

This is a great time to study England with the passing of the Queen, to study how her country honors her, to learn about the line of secession, what life was like during the reign of the first Queen Elizabeth and current times, and more.

Here are some fun facts to share to get you started on your mini unit study journey.

Share them over tea or while your child colors or creates these fun tower guards while using Geronimo Stilton Lost in Time The Fourth Journey.

Fun Facts about England Then and Now

  • The Elizabethan Period lasted for 45 years.
  • The capital of England is London.
  • Queen Elizabeth I never married or had children.
  • The Elizabethan Era is famous for its works by William Shakespeare.
  • Elizabeth I was the daughter of King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn.
  • The last king to reign prior to Queen Elizabeth II’s death was George VI.
  • Queen Elizabeth II was England’s longest reigning monarch at 70 years on the throne.
  • Charles is now the king of England and wife Camilla will be known as Queen Consort.
  • The Tower Guard consists of one officer, six non-commissioned officers and fifteen soldiers.
  • The longest river in England is The River Thames.
  • The English drink more tea than any other nation.
  • There were over 400 years between Queen Elizabeth I and II.
  • Both queens were 25 years old when they took over the throne.
  • Elizabeth I’s younger brother Edward VI was actually the last King of England, Elizabeth II’s father Edward I was the last king of the United Kingdom consisting of the joined kingdoms of England and Wales.

You can use any subtopic in the book to engage your child.

Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time Craft a Fun England Tower Guard

The Big Ben you see in the photos came from the Safari Ltd Around The World Toob and is a must to add to sensory bin or dioramas when studying famous places or landmarks around the world.

How to Make an England Tower Guard Craft

Next, look at the easy supplies to make this fun England tower guard crafts.

You will need:

  • Jumbo popsicle sticks
  • Red, black, white, gold craft paint
  • Black felt
  • Craft glue
  • Small paintbrushes
Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time Craft a Fun England Tower Guard

Trace around the top of your jumbo craft stick a little larger than the actual stick and about 2” down to create the hat. Set aside.

Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time Craft a Fun England Tower Guard

Leave the top ¼ unpainted.

Paint the rest half red up top for the jacket and black on the bottom half for their trousers.

Let dry completely. You can flip it over and do the other side if you like or paint it a solid color to make it look more finished off.

Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time Craft a Fun England Tower Guard

Use a paint pen or the back end of a small brush to add details like gold buttons, eyes, a white belt and gold buckle to your guard.

Let it dry again.

Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time Craft a Fun England Tower Guard

Glue the hat into place just above the eyes and let it dry a final time.

If you use hot glue it will be ready to use much quicker.

Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time Craft a Fun England Tower Guard

Other Geronimo Stilton Resources

Look at these other craft ideas to go with the Geronimo Stilton Books.

  • Geronimo Stilton Theme Mouse in Space Fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark)
  • The Geronimo Stilton Series: Make a Fun Edible Coral Reef
  • Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft
  • Geronimo Stilton Adventures The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Colosseum Craft)
  • The Race Against Time Geronimo Stilton Activities: Fun Edible Spine
  • Geronimo Stilton Adventure The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Mayan Craft)
  • Geronimo Stilton The Curse of The Cheese Pyramid Barbie Mummy
  • Easy and Fun Who Is Geronimo Stilton Rodent Notebooking Page

Whether you want to do a literature unit study or easy history unit study, these are great books to use for both.

Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time Craft a Fun England Tower Guard

You can use your tower guard to hold your spot between reading sessions, to follow along the line as you read or for play time.

Learning about England then and now is a great way discover what has remained the same, what has changed, and how different countries governments rule.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: crafts, England, Geronimo Stilton, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolreading, literature

Geronimo Stilton Theme Mouse in Space Fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark)

September 13, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, for book Number 52 the Geronimo Stilton theme is Mouse in Space and we’re making a fun puffy paint moon craft. The Geronimo Stilton books were written by Elisabetta Dami an Italian children’s book writer.

The Geronimo Stilton series is an absolute delight for children ages 7 to 10 years old and are full of mouse fun and adventure.

Today, Geronimo Stilton theme is about space.

Geronimo Stilton Theme Mouse in Space Fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark)

So instead of going back in time like his adventures take him, Geronimo Stilton is headed to space.

Geronimo blasts off on a top-secret mission full of space training, interaction with Dr. Wicked Whiskers, satellites, and a spacewalk.

This book is perfect for diving into some fun science.

Space Unit Study Craft

And today we are going to learn about and create a puffy paint moon that glows in the dark.

This spacecraft has a lot of texture, is fun to make and the fun continues when you turn out the light.

Once charged a bit in the light it will glow brightly, and you have a fun moon to hang up in your bedroom or classroom.

Choose a few activities, crafts, and other books and you have yourself the makings of a space unit study.

I have some ideas to get you started below.

Don’t forget to use the words in different colors, font sizes, and types in the Geronimo Stilton books for spelling and vocabulary.

They make it easy to turn a simple book into a mini unit study.

There are many topics they cover and the layout of the words on the pages makes it fun.

Geronimo Stilton Theme Mouse in Space Fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark)

The Space themed Safari Ltd. Toob is a great place to start and can be used in dioramas, sensory bins, or just fun dramatic play situations.

You could also use them to tell a story about space or they can be used as inspiration for a drawing.

Then Basher Space Exploration and Basher Astronomy take big topics and break them down with silly pictures.

This makes topics easy to understand for any grade.

Four Space Hands-on Craft Ideas

Next, add in more hands-on ideas to make this unit study longer.

  • Create 4 different puffy paintings to show all 4 phases of the moon.
  • Try astronaut ice cream or other freeze-dried food for the true astronaut experience.
  • Enjoy Homeschool Pop’s Planets of Our Solar System video on YouTube.

And this last one is my HUGE Exploring Space and Astronomy Free Unit Study for Multiple Ages.

Don’t forget to grab Mouse in Space! (Geronimo Stilton #52).

Then grab the free unit study.

Geronimo Stilton Theme Mouse in Space Fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark)

Also, add more Geronimo Stilton book resources for a fun literature slant to space.

Other Geronimo Stilton

Most of the hands-on activities below can be done with multiple ages.

  • Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft
  • Adventures The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Colosseum Craft)
  • The Race Against Time Activities: Fun Edible Spine
  • Adventure The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Mayan Craft)
  • The Curse of The Cheese Pyramid Barbie Mummy
  • Easy and Fun Who Is Geronimo Stilton Rodent Notebooking Page

Finally, let’s make this fun glow in the dark moon craft.

Now off to the moon!

You can trace a plate or bowl to create the outline of your moon.

But this makes for a great opportunity to introduce your child to a compass to create circles.

How to Make A Glow in the Dark Puffy Paint Moon Craft

You will need:

  • Glow in the dark paint
  • Shaving cream
  • White school glue
  • Artist canvas or thick paper
  • A couple small plastic caps, different sizes
  • Geometry compass
  • watercolors
  • Paintbrush
Geronimo Stilton Theme Mouse in Space Fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark)

You can make your glow in the dark puffy paint moon craft on paper.

However, we had some flat canvases already and I wanted to create something a little more permanent.

So we used our canvases. Trace your moon either with a round plate or demonstrate how to use a compass to draw a circle as large as your canvas.

Geronimo Stilton Theme Mouse in Space Fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark)

Next, combine 1 part glue to 3 parts shaving cream.
How much you mix will depend on how large of a moon you are going to make or if you want extra for more than one.

For a 8 1/2 x12 canvas I used about 1 cup shaving cream, ¼ cup of glue, and 1 heaping Tablespoon glow in the dark paint.

Once mixed, paint in your moon with very thick blobs of paint. Cover the entire circle well.

Geronimo Stilton Theme Mouse in Space Fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark)

While the paint is still wet, stamp in it a few times with different size caps to create craters.

Your kids can also use their fingers. Add a few blobs of your glow in the dark paint here and there around the canvas to be stars or asteroids.

Geronimo Stilton Theme Mouse in Space Fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark)

Allow paint to dry overnight so it is completely dry throughout.

Once it is dry your child can add very wet watercolor around your moon.

Add watercolor right up to the edges of your puffy paint. Then, sprinkle with a bit of salt to create some texture.

Geronimo Stilton Theme Mouse in Space Fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark)

Once dry brush away your salt and it will take some of the watercolor with it leaving a unique texture to the night sky.

Geronimo Stilton Theme Mouse in Space Fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark)

You can grab a flat canvas at Dollar Tree to keep it very low cost. Look how great it looks at night!

What do you think? Are you ready for this fun science activity go with your literature study?

Geronimo Stilton Theme Mouse in Space Fun Puffy Moon Craft (Glow in the Dark)

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: astronomy, crafts, earthscience, Geronimo Stilton, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, kindergarten, science, space

The Geronimo Stilton Series: Make a Fun Edible Coral Reef

September 10, 2022 | 2 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, for book Number 29 Down and Out Down Under of the Geronimo Stilton series, we’re making an edible coral reef. The Geronimo Stilton books are for ages 7 to 10 years old and are full of mouse fun and adventure.

In the Geronimo Stilton series book Down and Out Down Under, Geronimo is off to learn on adventure to Australia.

The Geronimo Stilton Series: Make a Fun Edible Coral Reef

And when you think of Australia you may immediately picture cute koalas and terrifying crocodiles but another famous and very important part of Australia is The Great Barrier Reef.

The idea for creating this fun hands-on coral reef is from our latest read which is Down and Out Down Under (Geronimo Stilton #29).

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World and is teeming with incredible life, color, and beauty.

The story covers a lot of topics of interest in Australia.

This fun book mentions land animals, Uluru, Aborigines, topography, and the Great Barrier Reef .

Great Barrier Reef Resources

Today’s hands-on activity is fun, colorful, and a great way to teach all ages about the life that is in the Great Barrier Reef.

If you want to make an impact, hands-on activities are always the best way to fully immerse your kids into your topic.

This hands-on fun activity also appeals to all 5 senses and will make certain that your kids do not forget while they learned anytime soon.

Besides Down and Out Down Under (Geronimo Stilton #29) here are a few beautifully illustrated spines you may want to add to your library.

They are great basics that give great bites of information about the ocean, reefs, ocean animals and plants, and more.

  • Ocean Anatomy . I am such a big fan of the illustrations in these books but also how much information is contained in each topic. This one covers everything from why the ocean is blue and salty to tides, animal life, and even a section on The Great Barrier Reef specifically!

I am such a big fan of the illustrations in these books but also how much information is contained in each topic.

This one covers everything from why the ocean is blue and salty to tides, animal life, and even a section on The Great Barrier Reef specifically

The Geronimo Stilton Series: Make a Fun Edible Coral Reef
  • Oceanarium: Welcome to the Museum
  • The Big Book of Blue
  • Basher Oceans

Facts About the Great Barrier Reef

:Next, here are a few facts to share about the The Great Barrier Reef.

  • The Great Barrier Reef, located off of the eastern coast of Australia, is the longest coral reef in the world.
  • It is home to 1500 species of tropical fish and 400 finds of hard and soft coral
  • The reef serves as a protective habitat for many other forms of marine life.
  • One of the threats to reefs is coral bleaching.
  • Crown-of-thorns starfish is one of the predators to the reef which feeds on the soft coral polyps.
  • A coral reef is a fragile ecosystem which requires very specific conditions. The water must be warm (between 69-84 F) and relatively shallow (to depths of 60-100 ft).
  • Coral reefs exist in shallow waters because they depend on photosynthesis for food production. Photosynthesis is the chemical process by which plants capture sunlight and convert it, along with water and carbon dioxide into energy.

While your child designs their own little slice of sea life you can talk about the various life that lives here, what is being done to preserve it and where its located.

The Geronimo Stilton Series: Make a Fun Edible Coral Reef

Next, look at how to make this fun hands-on edible coral reef.

How to Make an Edible Reef

Here is a list of some things we used. Your list can vary depending on what you use for plants and animals

  • One half sheet cake or a boxed cake mix
  • Vanilla wafers
  • Assorted candy – airheads, licorice whips, swedish fish, cookies, sprinkles and white chocolate pretzels
  • Icing in various colors or food coloring for your own icing

Bake your cake according to package directions and allow to cool completely.

Flip pan to carefully remove cake and cut ⅓ of the cake off.

Flip over the two pieces and stack the smaller one on top of  the other.

The Geronimo Stilton Series: Make a Fun Edible Coral Reef

And because reefs have overhangs and caves, you can make some nooks and caves by digging out some of the cake.

Add a little food coloring to the frosting and stir. Use any shade you like to create your base.

The Geronimo Stilton Series: Make a Fun Edible Coral Reef

Carefully ice all over the cake making different blobs and creating different textures creating the base mound of your coral.

You want it to look like big rocks.

The Geronimo Stilton Series: Make a Fun Edible Coral Reef

Cut up airheads, licorice ropes and other candies to create colorful coral and push in all over the cake.

Broken white chocolate pretzels make nice coral.

Use the heat from your hands to soften Airheads or other taffy and make some fan coral for your reef.

The Geronimo Stilton Series: Make a Fun Edible Coral Reef

Also, you could create a makeshift piping bag by putting warm wax into a sandwich bag, cut off a small corner and squeeze to make coral shapes onto wax paper.

Allow to cool and harden then remove carefully from waxed paper.

Finally, add in some fun sea creatures and you can add some fun decorations.

These are from obviously these are not edible.

The Geronimo Stilton Series: Make a Fun Edible Coral Reef

Be sure to wash them well before using to disinfect them and keep your cake safe.

And you’ll love these other Geronimo Stilton.

Other Geronimo Stilton Resources:

  • Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft
  • Geronimo Stilton Adventures The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Colosseum Craft)
  • The Race Against Time Geronimo Stilton Activities: Fun Edible Spine
  • Geronimo Stilton Adventure The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Mayan Craft)
  • Geronimo Stilton The Curse of The Cheese Pyramid Barbie Mummy
  • Easy and Fun Who Is Geronimo Stilton Rodent Notebooking Page
The Geronimo Stilton Series: Make a Fun Edible Coral Reef

Too, you’ll love the ocean and coral reef resources I have here.

Ocean and Coral Reef Resources

  • Coral Reef Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Fun Making Ocean Layers Soap | Summer Activities for Middle Schoolers
  • Beware of Ocean Pollution: Fun Science Activity for Kids

2 CommentsFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: Australia, coral reef, earthscience, geography, Geronimo Stilton, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, homeschool geography, homeschoolscience, ocean, science

Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft

September 3, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, for the book Geronimo Stilton field trip to Niagara Falls summary, we’re making a fun flint corn craft. Your kids will love book number 24 Field Trip to Niagara Falls of the Geronimo Stilton books series.

We are back on another adventure with the globetrotting time traveling fabumouse Geronimo Stilton.

Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft

While we’re visiting Niagara Falls, we are learning about camping, the waterfall, various trees and animals of the area, and the Native Americans that called it home.

The book Field Trip to Niagara Falls is book 24 and we loved it.

These books pack a lot of great information into fun and easy to read stories that will get the most reluctant reader excited to see what Geronimo Stilton is up to.

In addition, this book has many ideas for unit studies.

But today we are going to learn more about the Attawandaron tribe.

Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary

The Attawandaron tribe lived on the shores of the lakes Erie, Huron, and Ontario making the area around the falls their home.

And the Attawandaron tribe was part of the Neutral Confederacy of the Iroquois people.

They were a semi-nomadic group who lived in bark-covered longhouses.

Also, The Maid of the Mist is a legend believed to have come from the Iroquois people and Geronimo does a lovely job of relaying the story.

Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft

Next, we’re making a hands-on fall craft that not only provides the perfect set up to teach your child about indigenous people of the area but also makes a beautiful fall decoration.

Types of Corn

While researching we also discovered that Indian corn is now commonly called flint corn or ornamental corn.

It’s been said that these colorful ears are named after the indigenous people of North America, but that is folklore.

It is still okay to call it Indian corn.

Many present day Native Americans call it that.

It was used for food rather than decoration the way we use it now.

Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft

Give your child a few other activities to turn this book, Field Trip to Niagara Falls, into a mini unit study.

Geronimo Stilton Niagara Falls Unit Study Ideas

  • Research the difference between Indian (flint) corn and regular corn.
  • Have your child identify on a map where the Attawandaron are thought to have lived.
  • Paint a watercolor picture of Niagara Falls.
  • Create a diorama of the falls with Safari LTD Native Americans
  • A lot of the book covers camping near Niagara Falls, have your child list all the things you would need if you were going on a camping trip.
  • Use the Leaf Snap app to identify trees in your yard.

And a lot of the book covers camping near Niagara Falls.

Have your child list all the things you would need if you were going on a camping trip.

How to Make an Indian Corn Fall Craft

The book has a great section on Native Americans and the area they lived in and covered.

It gives your child a great base for the craft.

List of materials needed for the Indian corn fall craft

  • 54 small wood beads,16 or 20 mm
  • 3 pipe cleaners
  • Raffia
  • Craft paint/brushes
  • Paper plate
  • Hot glue gun/sticks
Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft

First, twist together 3 pipe cleaners directly in the center and fan them out evenly. Set aside.

Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft

Add orange, yellow, and red craft paint to a paper plate or bowls. Add a little water to thin it and stir well.

If you want darker colors add less water.

And if you want more of a wash like my example add more water to thin it out more. This will create a light stained look.

Add ⅓ of the beads to each plate and roll around to coat completely.

Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft

I left 12 of my beads unpainted to give it a fourth color.

Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft

Transfer to a paper towel to dry. Allow to dry completely.

Once dry, your child can begin adding the beads to the pipe cleaner in any pattern they like or no pattern at all.

Each half holds about 9-10 beads of this size, leaving ½” to 1” unbeaded at the top of each.

Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft

Once all your stems are filled, bend them up and twist the ends together securely.

Adjust and bend to make it full and round.

Grab a chunk of long raffia and fold it in half.

This will become the husk.

Lay your corn over it to measure how much space it takes up and knot just above the corn.

Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft

Add some hot glue to the raffia and press the corn into place.

Tuck the twisted pipe cleaner tip into the knot as much as you can.

Pull some around to the sides and glue it as well. Trim the top if you like.

Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft

You could also just go with fall colored pony beads and feel to make it a bit simpler and save a few steps.

But I like the look of these wood beads, don’t you?

Other Geronimo Stilton Resources

  • Geronimo Stilton Adventures The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Colosseum Craft)
  • The Race Against Time Geronimo Stilton Activities: Fun Edible Spine
  • Geronimo Stilton Adventure The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Mayan Craft)
  • Geronimo Stilton The Curse of The Cheese Pyramid Barbie Mummy
  • Easy and Fun Who Is Geronimo Stilton Rodent Notebooking Page
  • 10 Fun Things You Can Teach Using Geronimo Stilton Books
Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft

This Indian corn craft gives your child a chance to express their creativity, work on fine motor skills, and keeps hands busy while they listen to a read aloud, audiobook, or add it to your unit study.

Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft

It makes a lovely decoration for home doesn’t it?

You can prop it up on your desk to add a little fall flair or decorate your table with a whole bundle.

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: geography, Geronimo Stilton, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, homeschoolgeography, literature, Native Americans, nativeamerican

Geronimo Stilton Adventures The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Colosseum Craft)

August 25, 2022 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Geronimo Stilton adventures abound. And your kids will love the Geronimo Stilton book, The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time for the next time travel adventure.

Too, I have a hands-on history Ancient Rome Colosseum craft idea for this book.

Not only is this activity a great way to use up some of those Amazon boxes, but it is a great hands-on way to study one of the most famous historical landmarks and Ancient Rome.

Geronimo Stilton Adventures The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Colosseum Craft)

Your child can learn about the advanced building techniques, the events, the people, their homes, clothes, and more through eyes of that fun loving mouse, Geronimo Stilton.

As you peek into ancient Rome through the eyes of Geronimo Stilton in The Second Journey Through Time, he travels to Ancient Rome in the year 45 BCE.

Hands-on History Activity

While the Colosseum wasn’t built until later than is depicted in this Geronimo Stilton story, you can hardly talk about the incredible architecture of Ancient Rome without mentioning the Colosseum.

This gives you the perfect opportunity to talk about when each building was created and perhaps even make a timeline to help make it more concrete. See how naturally a unit study grows from a topic of interest?

Geronimo Stilton gives a colorful and interesting view into the Circus Maximus, Roman mythology, a great visual of Roman attire and a Roman House.

Geronimo Stilton Adventures The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Colosseum Craft)

These would all make great unit study topics taken from The Second Journey Through Time.

The books are thorough on the topics they cover and pull kids in with pictures and words. This is just part 1 of 3 parts of the book.

Also, Safari Toobs are a great addition to hands on homeschool activities.

They can be added to simple or complex sensory bins, used in dioramas, or as art inspiration.

And the toobs set can be a visual for people and landmarks of those times or even to make our cardboard Roman Colosseum come alive.

Ancient Roman Colosseum Facts

Next, look at some Ancient Roman Colosseum facts to share while you’re teaching this hands-on cardboard history craft.

  • The Colosseum was originally called the Flavian Amphitheater
  • It was completed in the year 80 AD
  • In medieval times the colosseum was used as a church
  • The Colosseum is made of travertine stone and thousands of iron clamps.
  • It’s oval not round as it tends to look in photos.
  • Beneath the Colosseum is the Hypogeum, a complex network of tunnels that animals, gladiators, and prisoners were kept prior to events.
  • The last record of gladiator battles in the Colosseum are from the year 435.

These books also make fantastic supplements to an Ancient Rome Unit Study and round it out nicely

Geronimo Stilton Adventures The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Colosseum Craft)

Look at these other books.

Easy Books about Ancient Rome

Where is the Colosseum?  Perfect for read aloud or independent reading time.

Tools of The Ancient Romans – This has some fantastic information as well as hands on activities for the time period.

Again, they make great add-ons for this unit study and to compliment the Geronimo Stilton adventures.

How to Make An Ancient Rome Cardboard Colosseum

Finally, here is what you will need to build your own Cardboard Roman Colosseum:

  • Corrugated cardboard boxes
  • Packaging tape
  • craft paints
  • Straight edge cutter
  • Baking soda
  • paint brushes, sponge brush

You will need a larger box or several to join together to create the largest piece

First, slice your cardboard into a large strip.

Because mine had flaps already on it, I just left one that I trimmed down rather than cutting it off and reattaching it to create the taller portion of the Colosseum.

Geronimo Stilton Adventures The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Colosseum Craft)

I found that if you cut the bottom flaps off the box from the inside so that your hand/knife rests on the bottom it is much easier to cut a straight line.

Peel off as much of your tape and labels as you can.

If some doesn’t come off its okay, the textured paint will help cover these up.

Score from the top to the bottom down the inside the long piece about every 4-6”.

Geronimo Stilton Adventures The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Colosseum Craft)

Make sure you just go through the first layer of cardboard as this will make it easier to create the curved shape of the exterior.

Geronimo Stilton Adventures The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Colosseum Craft)

Paint a basecoat of white all over the box template.

Allow to dry on one side and then repeat on the other. Allow to dry partially before moving on to the next step.

Create a mixture of 3 parts paint to 1 part baking soda. This combo gives a great texture like limestone or plaster to make it a little more realistic.

Ancient Rome Project

I added a little bit of brown to mine to dull the brightness of the white as well. 

Paint this on thickly, tap with brush and do some areas thinner and thicker to create an aged effect.

You only need to paint this on the outside of your structure but you can do both if you like. Allow to dry completely.

Geronimo Stilton Adventures The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Colosseum Craft)

Draw on the many windows with a pencil and then paint them in.

This technique is easiest and the best choice for younger children. You could make it even easier by using a paint pen or just a black sharpie to color in the windows.

For older children you may choose to pencil in the windows and have them cut them out with a sharp blade.

Geronimo Stilton Adventures The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Colosseum Craft)

Another option is to cut out a bunch of hte rounded windows and let your child glue them into place.

Curve your cardboard template into a circle shape and tape the back seam, you can use clear packing tape or box tape on the inside.

Geronimo Stilton Adventures The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Colosseum Craft)

Other Geronimo Stilton Adventures:

  • The Race Against Time Geronimo Stilton Activities: Fun Edible Spine
  • Geronimo Stilton Adventure The Journey Through Time #2: Back in Time (Mayan Craft)
  • Geronimo Stilton The Curse of The Cheese Pyramid Barbie Mummy
  • Easy and Fun Who Is Geronimo Stilton Rodent Notebooking Page
  • 10 Fun Things You Can Teach Using Geronimo Stilton Books

1 CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: book lists, books, Geronimo Stilton, hands on history, hands-on activities, history, history resources

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