Knight crafts are a creative way to explore the medieval world of heroes and what it took to become one. Also, look at my 4 Week Free Middle Ages Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas for more activities.
If your homeschool has been deep in a knights-and-castles unit lately, you know how quickly the craft ideas pile up. We started with a simple hanging banner project.
And it ended up being one of my favorite things we’ve made all year, both because it turned out beautifully and because it gave my son a chance to think about who he is, not just what knights were.
To give the crafts more meaning, we spent some time talking about who knights actually were, since the pop-culture version (shining armor, dragons, damsels) is only loosely connected to the history.
BOOKS FOR KIDS ABOUT THE MEDIEVAL AGES
Next, add some living books to this hands-on history craft.
9 Medieval History Books & Resources For Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To
Add a few of these books to your Middle Ages or Medieval unit study.
King Arthur is one of the greatest legends of all time. From the magical moment when Arthur releases the sword in the stone to the quest for the Holy Grail and the final tragedy of the Last Battle, Roger Lancelyn Green brings the enchanting world of King Arthur stunningly to life. One of the greatest legends of all time, with an inspiring introduction by David Almond, award-winning author of Clay, Skellig, Kit's Wilderness and The Fire-Eaters.
This covers people and events and covers a larger period of time.
Kids can re-create a long-ago world of kings, castles, jousts, jesters, damsels, magic fairies, and Robin Hood—all they need are their imaginations, materials they can find at home, and the activities in this book. Dressing up in a coat of armor made from plastic milk jugs, whipping up a batch of curds and whey, writing secret messages in invisible ink, and telling time with a sand glass made from soda bottles are just some of the fun projects. Every activity is illustrated, and sidebars highlight colorful facts about life hundreds of years ago.
This newly updated book will introduce you to world history, from prehistoric times to the start of the 21st century. Find out about dinosaurs, the first humans, Ancient Egypt, the Aztec Empire, Medieval Europe, the First World War and many more fascinating subjects.
Set in the fourteenth century, the classic story of one boy's personal heroism when he loses the use of his legs.
The Knights of the Round Table were in their glory. When an unknown stranger visits the castle and asks Kin Arthur's favor, he is allowed to serve in the kitchen for his meat and bread. Little does anyone suspect that he is of noble blood and will soon be knighted by the famous Sir Lancelot. Lush illustrations bring the reader into the book, as Sir Gareth meets adventures and battles to free a princess from the fearsome Red Knight of the Plain.
In this 1978 Caldecott Honor Book, award-winning author and illustrator David Macaulay explores the history and construction of castles in a richly illustrated resource for curious young readers. The word itself conjures up mystery, romance, intrigue, and grandeur. What could be more perfect for an author/illustrator who has continually stripped away the mystique of architectural structures that have long fascinated modern man? With typical zest and wry sense of humor punctuating his drawings, David Macaulay traces the step-by-step planning and construction of both castle and town.
I like to incorporate a wonderful and informational book to support our topic while making it fun and engaging. The Middle Ages, choose your own adventure style book is fantastic for middle elementary.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood was written and illustrated by Howard Pyle and published in 1883. It is the best known version of the story of Robin Hood which had been popular throughout the previous century. Pyle popularized Robin Hood, his adventures, and his band of merry men in a way that influenced most later depictions in writing, drawing, and film. The book consists of a series of episodes pitting the outlaw Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck and the rest of his band against corrupt authorities epitomized by the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.
Then, learn about knighthood.
QUICK GLANCE AT KNIGHTHOOD IN MEDIEVAL EUROPE
Knighthood grew out of medieval Europe, roughly the 9th through 16th centuries, as feudal societies needed mounted, armored warriors who owed loyalty to a lord in exchange for land.
Becoming a knight was a process, not just a title.
Boys often started as pages around age 7, became squires in their early teens serving an existing knight, and were finally knighted (often by being tapped on the shoulders with a sword, the “accolade”) in their late teens or twenties.
Knights were expected to follow a code of chivalry- ideals like courage, loyalty, honesty, and protecting the weak- though how well any individual knight lived up to that varied a lot, just like any code of ethics.
Armor evolved a lot over the centuries, from chainmail to the full plate armor most people picture, and it was expensive, which meant knighthood was tied closely to wealth and social class.
The Knights Templar, which inspired one section of our banner, were a real military-religious order founded in the early 1100s to protect Christian pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem.
Their symbol was a red cross, which is why that’s such a recognizable “knight” image even today.
Tournaments (jousting, sword fighting) weren’t just entertainment; they were how knights trained and kept their combat skills sharp during peacetime.
This is a great time to introduce the idea that “history” and “legend” often blend; a lot of what we picture as knights (dragons, wizards, damsels in towers) comes from medieval and later storytelling, not documented history.
Below, I’m sharing how we made our banner, a little bit of the knight history we covered alongside it, and some movie and show recommendations to round out your unit.
KNIGHT RESOURCES
Add some fun books, movies, figurines and other items to help bring your knight unit to life.
- How to Train Your Dragon
- What Are Castles and Knights?
- The Sword in the Stone
- The Lion in Winter
- A Knight’s Tale
- The Boy Knight: A Tale of the Crusades – Books
- Safari Knights and Dragons Toob
Then look at these other crafts about knights.
MORE KNIGHT CRAFTS
- How to Make a Knight Templar Helmet for Fun Medieval Times Crafts
- Knight Costume from Made Cardboard Amazon Prime Boxes – Sugar Bee Crafts
- Knight’s Armor Engraving Craft
- Fairy Tale Castles Art Project | Deep Space Sparkle
- DIY Knight Costume for under $20! – Sweet Anne Designs
- Color Your World: Fun and Easy Dragon Stained Glass Project
- Easy Dollar Tree Cake Pan Knight Shield Craft
- DIY Dragon Eggs
- 5 Usborne Knights And Castles Books | How To Make A Medieval Toilet Roll Castle
Finally, look at how to make this cool hanging knight banner.
HOW TO MAKE A HANGING KNIGHT BANNER
You will need:
- A canvas banner (ours came from Hobby Lobby)
- Paint pens
- A pencil for sketching guidelines first
- A ruler or yardstick (optional, for dividing the banner evenly)
First, divide the banner into four sections.
Using a pencil, lightly mark the banner into quarters.
This gives you a simple grid to work within so the design doesn’t feel overwhelming, and it’s an easy way to fit several symbols onto one banner without it looking cluttered.
Allow your child to choose their symbols; this is the part that made the project special.
Instead of a generic “knight” design, we picked four images that were specifically about my son:
- A dragon wing (he’s obsessed with dragons)
- His initial
- A sword (for courage/knighthood)
- A Knights Templar cross (tied into what we were learning about medieval knighthood)
Sketch each design lightly in pencil inside its section before committing to paint pen. This lets you fix proportions or placement without any mess.
Trace and fill in with paint pens.
Paint pens are great for this age/skill level because they give clean lines without the drips or bleed-through you’d get with regular paint and a brush.
Go back over your dividing lines with a paint pen to give the sections more emphasis. Allow the paint to dry before hanging.
The banner I bought from Hobby Lobby did not come with anything to hang it.
So, I added ribbon loops through the holes and ran a large dowel rod through them, securing with hot glue.
