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How to Make a Hobbit Door Craft and Fun The Hobbit Unit Study

September 21, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a fun The Hobbit unit study and a hobbit door craft. Also, grab more ideas on my Best Homeschool Unit Studies page.

Besides Hobbit Day is September 22nd, and I rounded up the best resources to create a hobbit unit study to celebrate.

I love all of Tolkien’s book series and the movies as well.

How to Make a Hobbit Door Craft and Fun The Hobbit Unit Study

Too, they lend themselves very well to becoming a unit study.

From character analysis to vocabulary, and research to artwork I have enough to fill a day or a few weeks.

I am also showing you how to create this cute little hobbit door that makes for a great decoration for your celebration as well as to adorn your shelf or table.

The Hobbit Unit Study Resources

Of course, you will want to begin your study with the book itself or maybe the whole series.

The Hobbit Resources

Add some of these books and fun resources to celebrate Hobbit Day or do a fun unit study.

The Hobbit: Illustrated Edition

In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins enjoys a comfortable, unambitious life, rarely traveling farther than the pantry of his hobbit-hole in Bag End. But his contentment is disturbed when the wizard Gandalf and a company of thirteen dwarves arrive on his doorstep to whisk him away on a journey to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon....

“A glorious account of a magnificent adventure, filled with suspense and seasoned with a quiet humor that is irresistible.

J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

When Thorin Oakenshield and his band of dwarves embark upon a dangerous quest to reclaim the hoard of gold stolen from them by the evil dragon Smaug, Gandalf suggests an unlikely accomplice: Bilbo Baggins, an unassuming Hobbit dwelling in peaceful Hobbiton.Along the way, the company faces trolls, goblins, giant spiders, and worse. But as they journey from the wonders of Rivendell to the terrors of Mirkwood and beyond, Bilbo will find that there is more to him than anyone—himself included—ever dreamed. Unexpected qualities of courage and cunning, and a love of adventure, propel Bilbo toward his great destiny . . . a destiny that waits in the dark caverns beneath the Misty Mountains, where a twisted creature known as Gollum jealously guards a precious ring.

Who Was J. R. R. Tolkien?

Best known for his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien was born in British-occupied South Africa. His early life was full of action and adventure. Tolkien spent his childhood roaming the British countryside with his family and could read and write by age four. He was naturally gifted with languages and used this skill as a signals officer in World War I as well as in his fantasy writing. By creating alternate universes and inventing languages in his work he demonstrated that imaginary realms were not just for children. Fondly remembered as the “Father of High Fantasy,” Tolkien’s books have inspired blockbuster movies and legions of fans.

An Unexpected Cookbook: The Unofficial Book of Hobbit Cookery

When a second generation geek with multiple degrees in history grows up to be a professional cookbook writer, it s no surprise you end up with a lovingly researched book of Hobbit cookery.Inside these pages you ll find one chapter for each traditional Hobbit meal. In addition to being based on historic recipes revised to fit Tolkien's specific vision of the Shire, the dishes have the following themes.- Breakfast - hot, fast, traditional morning food - Second Breakfast - cold, sturdy pies full of meat, veg and fruit to fuel a small adventure- Elevenses - a hearty selection of breads to tide you over until Luncheon- Luncheon - lighter fare appropriate for a pub- Afternoon Tea - sweet biscuits, cakes and buns to accompany a caffeinated pick-me-up- Supper - a hot meal of meat, veg, and mushrooms with a sweet finish- Dinner - slow cooked roasts and puddings that take hours to make, but are well worth the wait.

Little People Collector the Lord of the Rings: Hobbits

Includes Frodo Baggins with the One Ring around his neck and holding Sting, Samwise Gamgee and his frying pan, Peregrin “Pippin” Took and Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck with their swords

LEGO The Lord of The Rings: Rivendell Building Kit Construct and Display a Middle-Earth Valley

While it's in the higher price range the Rivendell LEGO Set is going to appeal to both the LEGO lover and the Hobbit fan. As you know LEGO is fantastic for fine motor skills, direction following, hand eye coordination, problem solving, planning and attention span.

Next, look at these hands-on activities for your The Hobbit unit study.

Hands-on Activities for the Hobbit Unit Study

Be sure to enjoy breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, and supper. Make Lembas Bread and wrap it up with this recipe and free template for the leaves.

Create a Lord of The Rings Welcome Mat. This is a great art project for older fans like teens.

Use these free pages of Hobbit themed copywork to practice handwriting, focus, and even spelling.

Make these tiny clay door charms to show off your love of the Shire.

Welcome to the study with a chalk drawing or a painting on canvas like I did here for our celebration.

Add in ideas about dragons on my Fun Dragon Unit Study Ideas and Salt Dough Dragon Craft.

And make fun dragon eggs.

In addition, create a map based on Thror’s Map.

You could also challenge your child to create it on their own, using the tutorial from Chalk Pastels The Hobbit Art Lesson – You ARE an ARTiST!

You could also take your creativity outdoors and make a Hobbit Hole Fairy Garden in a container.

Literature Analysis

And literature analysis should start in middle school although your child can be introduced to these concepts prior to middle school.

First, explain what is literature analysis.

It means understanding what the techniques are, then identify the techniques in the books your child reads and then doling a brief essay explaining what he identified.

Look at these easy helps for literature analysis to help your child understand that every book has these elements.

Theme
Plot
Setting
Character
Point of View
Mood

Each person has their reasons for loving the story. Try to draw out the reasons your child loves it.

For example, we love it because not only is it strong fantasy, but it has elements of fairy tale and even a medieval time period feel.

List of Characters in the Hobbit Novel

Additionally, look at a list of the characters in the novel.

Your child can focus on writing about each one or comparing character traits.

Bilbo Baggins
Thorin Oakenshield
Gandalf
Gollum
Smaug
Bard

About J.R.R.Tolkien

Also, look at these few facts about J.R.R. Tolkien if you want to do an author study.

He was born John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.
In addition, he was born on January 3rd 1892 in Bloemfontein, England.
Too, he was recognized as one of the finest philologists (study of literature) in the world.
However, he is best known as the creator of Middle-earth.

Then, although Tolkien created Middle Earth, his stories draw from myths, fables, and fairy tales.

For example, look at some of these elements and ask your child if some of these same concepts are developed in other literature.

dwarves, elves, and trolls
talking animals
riddles and runes. Runes were old letters originally used for cutting or scratching on wood
dragon
the treasure trove

(Although this Rivendell LEGO Set is set is expensive, it is a beautiful keepsake and gift to treasure for years. Just had to let you know)

Too, look at some of these other best homeschool unit studies.

More Best Homeschool Unit Studies

Finally, make this hobbit door craft.

Hobbit Door Craft

You will need:

Thin balsa wood round
Cardboard
Green craft paint
gold/yellow craft paint
Brick red craft paint
Small wood bead
Artificial greenery
Small artificial flowers
Black Sharpie
2 Jenga blocks or other thick pieces of wood
White paint pen
Paintbrush
Unfinished mushrooms
ruler

First, paint the wood round as well as the jenga blocks a deep green and set aside to dry.

You can paint one or both sides.

Once dry use a ruler and permanent marker to make lines in the round to look as if it is made of planks.

Add a few lines and knots to give it more of a wood look.

Paint your unfinished mushrooms however you like, or you could use small pre-decorated ones.

Cut a round of cardboard 1” to 1 ½” larger than the wooden round. Paint brick red and allow it to dry.

Once dry use a white chalk marker to make lines all the way around, a few inches in from the edge.

Glue the green wood round into place in the center of the brick red circle.

Paint the small wooden bead gold or yellow and attach to the center of the round.

Hot glue a layer of greenery and moss around the outside edge.

Continue layering on flowers, mushrooms, and more greenery as you like.

Finally, hot glue the two painted Jenga blocks along the back to stabilize and hold the door upright.

You will want to hold it in place until the glue is cold and set.

7 Human Skull Facts and Cool Human Skull Anatomy Activity

September 16, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Help your child complete this human skull anatomy activity using a styrofoam skull from Dollar Tree. Also, I have this Human Body Crafts page for more hands-on ideas. And this Beautiful Human Body Lapbook and Fun Unit Study.

Whenever fall rolls around I always grab some of the skeleton parts and pieces to repurpose as models in our anatomy lessons.

And this styrofoam skull caught my eye and I immediately knew what I was doing with it.

I had the idea to turn it into a labeled skull like I have seen available for purchase, but they are expensive,

So, unless your child wants to be a brain surgeon such an extensive one is not necessary.

7 Human Skull Facts and Cool Human Skull Anatomy Activity

This activity has several parts that will help your child learn the different bones of the skull.

First, they examine a diagram to learn and mark the various areas.

Secondly, they create the keys to make this activity a game, and finally they play and identify the parts again.

If they oversee making everything from start to finish, by the time they get to the game they are already quite familiar with the different names and sections.

You can read aloud about the facts of the different parts of the skull as your child works on coloring in the human skull anatomy activity.

7 Facts About The Human Skull

The top of the skull (cranium) is made up of 8 bones that cover the brain to surround and protect. The lower part makes up the bones of the face and is made of 14 bones.
Teeth are not considered bones that make up part of the skull.
Besides your eyes, nose, and mouth openings the human skull has many small holes in it known as foramina. They allow nerve and blood vessels to pass through.
Skulls look different and can be identified as male or female, even heritage by the size and shape of them.
The jawbone (mandible) is the only bone in the human skull that moves, it is also the largest and strongest bone in the skull.
In Latin ‘frons’ stands for forehead which is what gives the frontal bone its name.
The skull is not fully fused at birth, this allows for brain growth. Babies are born with soft spots on the top and back of their head called the fontanelles.

Next, look at some of these resources for learning about the human body.

16 Human Body Books & Hands-on Resources

Add a few of these fun resources whether you do a couple of lesson plans about the human body or a unit study.

The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body

One of the resources we used as a reference for this activity was The Way We Work, it covers a lot of interesting topics on the human body.

Medical Torso Human Body Model Anatomy

Vivid Human torso organ structure: 15 Pcs Removable Organs including: Torso, Brain (2-part), Heart, Esophagus and Aorta, Lungs (4-part), Cranial Cap, Stomach, Diaphragm, Liver, pancreas and spleen, small and large intestine. The torso structure showing the relative position, morphological features, anatomy of the head, neck and internal organs, especially the respiratory, digestive, urinary and nervous systems.

Human Organs Shape Silicone Molds 8 Pc

[HUMAN ORGANS SILICONE MOLD]: 8 Pcs Human Organs Mold With Different Shapes, Include 1 Human Heart Mold, 1 Brain Silicone Mold, 1 Liver Mold, 1 Intestinal Mold, 1 Lung Mold, 1 Stomach Mold, 1 Brain Stem Mold, 1 Kidney Mold.

Ooze Labs: Visible Human Body with Squishable Organs

This human body with squishable organs is another great way to identify the organs and become familiar with their layout in the body, it has that gross factor that so many kids love.

Human Body Model for Kids 8PCS Mini Body Parts

8PCS Human Organ Figures Set:Human organ anatomy parts display model children learning toy include small intestine, large intestine, lung, brain, stomach, heart, liver, kidney. Suitable for boys and girls over 6 years old,good for brain ability and imagination.

Anatomy (Quickstudy Academic)

Complete labeled illustrations of over 1,400 anatomical identifications. Loaded with beautifully illustrated diagrams clearly and concisely labeled for easy identification.

Basher Science: Human Body: A Book with Guts!

Basher Science: Human Body, A Book with Guts! Created & illustrated by Simon Basher, written by Dan Green

From the best-selling team that brought you The Periodic Table, Physics, Biology, and Astronomy comes a topic that's close to our hearts-literally! Meet the characters and processes that that keep the human body chugging along. From the basic building blocks like Cell, DNA, and Protein, to Bones, Muscles, and all of the fun-loving Organs, readers will cozy up with the guys on the inside. Trust us-Liver has never looked better!

Heart Anatomy Poster - LAMINATED

High-quality 3 MIL LAMINATION for added durability

Tear Resistant

Human Heart Anatomy Floor Puzzle

HUMAN ORGANS LEARNING: Marvel at the rich complexities of the human heart muscle! Every piece has a unique shape designed to outline each major part of the heart organ, making these an exciting challenge to assemble. Each puzzle includes an Anatomy Reference Guide, so you can learn as you build!

Fixed Bones X-Rays, Black/White, 14 Pieces,

Authentic x-ray images
Works with any light source or light table)
Matching facture card
Detailed teaching guide

4 Pack - Anatomical Poster Set - Laminated - Muscular, Skeletal, Ligaments of the Joints, Anatomy of the Spine

Set of 4 Posters Made in the USA
Posters are 18" x 24” in size
High-quality 3 MIL lamination for added durability
Tear Resistant

My First Book About the Brain (Dover Science For Kids Coloring Books)

Discover the workings of the body's most complex organ! How does the brain control the rest of the body? How does it enable the senses to function, regulate speech, affect balance, and influence sleep and dreams? These 25 illustrations to color explain every aspect of the brain's important jobs, from communicating with the central nervous system to retaining memories. Suitable for ages 8–12.

Skull Anatomy Coloring Book: Incredibly Detailed Self-Test Human Skull Anatomy Coloring Book

Enjoy This Coloring Book with 34 Beautiful Human Skull Anatomy Coloring Pages.

The Human Skull Anatomy Coloring Book Provides A Means Of Learning About The Structure And Function Of The Human Skull Anatomy Through A Process Of Coloring-By-Directions.

Coloring The Human Skull Anatomy And Its Nerves Is The Most Effective Way To Study The Structure And Functions Of Human Skull Anatomy. You Assimilate Information And Make Visual Associations With Key Terminology When Coloring In The Human Skull Anatomy Coloring Book, All While Having Fun.

1 Pair Plastic Skeleton Hands

Fall is a great time to grab a set of hands at Dollar Tree but also here is a pair if you're doing a unit study and need one now.

Circulatory System Poster

This poster makes a great reference and can be used with older children to help them add more detail to their project.

The Circulatory System (Your Body Systems: Blastoff! Readers

Our bodies contain a super highway of blood vessels that carry nutrients, waste, and much more from our heads to our toes. This network is the circulatory system! Beginning with a deep breath in, this fact-filled title uses easy-to-follow text and diagrams to allow readers to dive inside the bodys circulatory system!

The human body is a complex being made up of systems that keep us alive and moving! In this series, readers will dive into the bodys systems though engaging, leveled text and related diagrams that follow the parts and functions of each system. Get a microscopic view inside the body with A Closer Look, and put new knowledge into action with a hands-on activity. Check out what is happening inside the body with each title!

Also, look at these other activities to learn about the human body.

More Human Body Crafts

Dynamic and Fun Human Body Lapbook for Multiple Ages
$5.00 Add to cart

Human Skull Anatomy Activity

One of the best things about this activity is that it is self-correcting.

Once your child makes a guess, he can check the color-coded key to see if he is right.

You will need:

Foam skull
8 different marker colors
Skull diagram

To create a game with your skull you will also need:

2 dice
Parts of the skull key-typed or handwritten
Craft stick or pencil for a pointer

First, you are going to want a good diagram either in a book or online for your child to follow.

Here is a simple diagram to follow on Neuroscience for Kids.

Next, decide on a color for each part of the skull that they are marking.

Here are the parts:

occipital,
frontal,
parietal,
temporal,
nasal,
maxilla,
mandible,
and zygomatic bones.

The next step is to have them type or handwrite a key for the colors that each will be and another one with each one numbered.

Use the colors you have decided on to outline each section of the skull.

Color each of the sections in the coordinating color. You could also have them paint or cover each section in thin layers of playdough.

Now you can turn learning the parts of the skull into a game simply by adding a pair of dice and the numbered key.

To play:

Use the numbered key your child made and roll both dice (anything above an 8 is a reroll).

The colored key should remain covered until ready to check their answer.

Whatever number rolled corresponds with one on the key, your child must identify.

Have your child use a skewer, pencil, or craft stick as a pointer to point to the answer.

Play can be as long or as short a time as you like.

8 Facts About the Respiratory System & Fun Lung Craft for Kids

September 7, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

If you’re learning about the respiratory system, this lung craft for kids is a fun hands-on human body activity. Also, I have this Human Body Crafts page for more hands-on ideas. And this Beautiful Human Body Lapbook and Fun Unit Study.

Make a simple working lung craft for kids to demonstrate how our lungs work along with the trachea to draw in oxygen and dispel carbon dioxide.

Especially for young children, it is hard to imagine what you can’t see inside your body.

8 Facts About the Respiratory System & Fun Lung Craft for Kids

Understanding the process and the makeup of our respiratory system is much easier to understand when you create a hands-on demonstration.

That is exactly what we are doing with just a few simple items that you are sure to already have around the house.

Very little prep is needed, and you will be on your way to explaining the respiratory system in no time.

Human Body Resources

16 Human Body Books & Hands-on Resources

Add a few of these fun resources whether you do a couple of lesson plans about the human body or a unit study.