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18 American History Board Games Which Brings History to Life

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have 18 American history board games which breathe life into your history teaching. You’ll love the other history games I have on my page Kids History Games Boosts Learning & Promotes Critical Thinking.

I am a big fan of gameschooling.

No matter what your homeschooling style is, gameschooling can add a fun element which helps kids retain more than just facts.

Playing American history games can help them gain an understanding of the why, how, where, when, and who of history through learning geography, trivia, strategy, and general information.

Today we are focusing on some American history board games to add to your homeschool day.

I have drawn deep from the Amazon well and found games to cover quite a few major periods of American history and they’re ones we’ve used too.

From the first people that set sail on the soil of the new world to revolutions, Civil War within America, westward expansion to a cover up at the Watergate hotel, your kids will love them.

American History Games

You can play them at home as a supplement to your history lessons or in place of a lesson some days for a fun break.

They are a great tool for co-op days as well.

And small card games can be great for waiting at restaurants or doctor’s offices.

Additionally, look at some of the topics your child can learn about.

  • Political History
  • Social History
  • Economic History
  • Religious History
  • Diplomatic History
  • Art History
  • Women’s History
  • Science/Medicine History
  • Food History
  • Environmental History

Then there are academic skills as well. Look at this list below.

  • reading fluency
  • comprehension
  • problem solving skills
  • critical thinking, reasoning
  • self regulation
  • verbal communication skills
  • increased vocabulary
  • social skills, patience, resilience, logic,
  • and a lot more skills that come with board game play whether its trivia, strategy, or role playing.

Did I also mention that a lot of these games below will also teach civics, geography, math and science? Yes! yes!

Other Fun History Games Resources

Too, look at these other fun history games resources:

You’re sure to find something here to go with your unit studies, unschooling, relaxed schooling, or gameschooling.

Let’s jump into finding your family the perfect American history board game.

18 American History Board Games to Bring History to Life

No matter what your homeschooling style is, gameschooling can add a fun element that really helps kids retain more than just facts.

15 Fun Resources For History for Kindergarten Homeschool

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

These 15 fun resources for history for kindergarten homeschool can be added to the solids tips I share for kindergarten homeschool curriculum.

In addition, teaching history to a kindergarten aged child is not easy to know how to do.

In my 20+ years of homeschooling, I am familiar with how some public school teach it.

Combining an amalgam of subjects that fall under the social studies umbrella is how many schools teach kindergarten homeschool history.

15 Fun Resources For History for Kindergarten Homeschool

And many homeschool families of kindergarten children are not even sure what is social studies.

In addition, if not taught at the level your child can understand history can go right over a child’s head.

Then, the next important thing to consider about teaching history is to know what is your local homeschool law.

4 Ways to Teach Kindergarten Homeschool History

Look at what is important to know about how to teach history to kindergarten aged children.

1. Start With An All About Me Focus

Unlike many history resources which start from the beginning like ancient history and move forward that concept can be hard to understand by young children.

Until a child is older, he doesn’t have a full grasp on understanding the passing of time or how earlier cultures influenced later ones.

So, the point I’m making is that if you start by teaching history by teaching the child about him and his family.

Learn about the house, city, state, country and continent where your child lives and work from the inside out.

Too, learning what are community helpers, helping a five-year-old learn about past and present, and simply reading aloud are effective ways of teaching beginning history.

One of the reasons this is a powerful way for a child this age to learn is that it helps them to make the connection of what is history.

2. History Should be Play-Based.

In addition, some families feel homeschooling should be worksheet based or homeschool like a public school.

I don’t embrace those mindsets for the fact that learning should be developmentally appropriate.

Although these mindsets have loomed in the homeschooling community, it’s more prevalent now.

Perhaps it’s because we have many post pandemic homeschooling families now.

Whatever the reason, the way children at this age learn best for any subject is play-based.

And incorporating play-based learning into history for kindergarten homeschool is not as hard as it may seem.

For example, look at a few of these ideas which can be used for any history topic.

  • Play dough is timeless. Your child can create any landmark, history figure, or play food.
  • Dress up for any time period or to act any event is memorable. Your child won’t easily forget what you’re teaching.
  • Get outside. Many history topics like all homeschool subjects are intertwined with science. Whether you child is on the hunt for something that looks like a fossil or arrow heads, you’ll give him a creative outlet.

3. Understand what is Social Studies.

Additionally, as I mentioned many subjects are intertwined.

There are certain times in your journey when children need exposure to a variety of topics to see their connection.

Understanding what is meant by social studies can help you to intertwine or make connections for your child.

For example, there are many definitions for social studies, but one general one is that the term means to combine learning bits on these topics:

  • History
  • Geography
  • Social science
  • American government and
  • World Geography.

As you can see doing map work along with learning about cultures, countries, foods, and animals around the world stimulates a love of history in your child.

So, history is much more than about dead people or much more than map work. It’s far from boring.

4. Use Living Books.

Finally, use living books. I had a love of books and classics when I began to homeschool but didn’t understand what is a living book.

Look at these things that are tell-tale signs of a living book.

  • Opposite a textbook is a book written by an author that is passionate about the subject. He either is knowledgeable about the subject because it could be his lifework or it’s personal experience.
  • Instead of presenting dry hard facts, a reader is drawn in through a story, which is always the best way of remembering any set of facts.

And if you’re teaching multiple ages, it can be hard to find resources.

15 Fun Resources For History for Kindergarten Homeschool

So, be sure you look at 35 Simple But Powerful American History Homeschool Resources K to 12.

More Kindergarten Homeschool Curriculum Resources

Then, you’ll love these other kindergarten homeschool resources:

Whether you want to do a basic history introduction or a full-blown curriculum, you have many ways to keep history fun.

More Homeschool History Curriculum Tips

15 Fun Resources For History for Kindergarten Homeschool

Besides, you have many years ahead to teach a five-year-old. Make the beginning fun and spark a love of history.

History for Kindergarten Homeschool

Finally, unless you state requires it, you can follow your child’s lead and learn what interests your child.

A lot of social studies curriculum include some of the following concepts:

  • What is a town
  • Where are you on a map
  • What is a map
  • Introducing the cardinal directions
  • What are American symbols
  • What is a citizen
  • and I mentioned about community helpers before.
15 Fun Resources For History for Kindergarten Homeschool

Field trips and visiting museums are the backbone of a amazing history experience.

Reading aloud, doing fun hands-on history activities, and taking field trips you’re sure to nurture a budding history lover.

Lastly, look at these history resources for kindergarten.

History Resources for Homeschool Kindergarten

Because homeschool kindergarten history can be taught in many ways, you'll want curriculum and resources along with hands-on fun.

History, Geography, and Hands On Learning Ideas for Homeschool Kindergarten

Children this age love to learn about the world around them, but it doesn't have to be complicated.

13 Amazing and Fun Gifts for Kids Who Love History

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Today, I have thirteen amazing ideas for fun gifts for kids who love history. Whether you’re looking for one to go with ancient civilizations or current history, you’ll love these gift ideas.

Do you have a child or adult in your life who can’t get enough history in their life? Maybe it’s you?

Whether it be ancient history, modern history, world or local, you’re sure to find an idea on this list.

I have curated a list of 13 history related items for you to make gift giving to your favorite historian a little bit easier.

13 Amazing and Fun Gifts for Kids Who Love History

Too, if you have a hands-on learner, then history games, stories, and even old letters bring history to life.

Besides gifts, you can use these ideas in your every day homeschool.

MORE GIFT LIST IDEAS

First, look at these other gift lists for more unique ideas.

History Gifts for Kids

Before I had hands-on learners, I used only worksheets to learn about history.

However, I quickly learned that my kids were not remembering what we were learning.

So, not only did I switch my curriculum to Story of the World starting in first grade, I also added in history games.

For example, I added in Professor Noggin’s Ancient Civilizations Trivia Card Game.

It was my first time using games to learn history.

13 Amazing and Fun Gifts for Kids Who Love History

Little did I know then that one game could create a lifelong love for history.

Since then I’ve been adding history gifts for my kids to feed their love for learning.

Gifts for kids who are wild about history

So, I know you’ll find an idea or two here for your kids or for the history lover in your life.

Other Fun History Resources

Add these to your first of the year homeschool supply list.

13 Gifts for History Buffs

You'll love these ideas for a history lover of any age. Add them in your curriculum too.

18 Colorful and Free Lapbooks for History Unit Studies

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This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I’ve rounded up 18 colorful and free lapbooks for your history unit studies. On my Homeschool Lapbooks – Powerful Tools For Mastery Learning page you can find them in chronological order if you plan that way.

If you’re wanting to cover history through a hands-on approach, then you’ll love lapbooks.

Besides, lapbooking can be used by a student on any level. And it can be crafty or not.

Lapbooks can be as much as the product of the student as he wants it to be, or he can use part put together.

18 Colorful and Free Lapbooks for History Unit Studies

Note: Some of the lapbooks were free for a limited time.

Too, it’s a great hands-on tool for reviewing history.

In addition, there are many other reasons to use lapbooks while doing your history unit study.

If you’re focusing on reading a living book about history, then create separate mini books for the 5ws and 1H of writing — who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Some history unit studies will be more reading literature focused while others may be more event focused.

And with free lapbooks you can mix and match mini books depending on the history topic you’re focusing on.

8 Easy Mini Books to Make for a History Lapbook

For example, look at these other mini books that your children could create based on any history topic.

1. Make an easy foldable timeline.

Timelines can be as easy or as complicated and extensive as your student wants. I love this one by Home School in the Woods.

2. Write a mini biography about a history maker.

In addition, a mini biography can be written in a quick glance fashion.

3. Sketch a geographical area referenced in your history topic.

Also, storing a hand drawn sketch in a pocket is a great reference tool for you student.

4. Draw mini maps.

Even a pretend map or mythical map brings a history to life.

5. Use strips to write vocabulary words.

Too, when your student uses sentence strips for vocabulary words, writing is not as overwhelming.

6. Compare natural resources of an area if your history topic is slanted toward natural resources.

Then how the natural resources of an area affects the people of the local area is another fun topic to write about.

7. Use a trifold mini book to compare 3 events or 3 people.

Moreover, if you’re wanting to compare and contrast, a trifold books can compare three people, three events, or even three dates.

8. A layered book could help your students visual the main religions or cultural difference.

As you can see this is a very short list of the mini books that you can include in your lapbook or that you can find in free lapbooks.

The advantage of course to any lapbook or history study is that you can follow your child’s interest.

Events Leading Up to the French Revolution Minibook

And another advantage to the free lapbooks I create is that they are all colorful. Visual appeal matters.

For instance, when I graded lapbooks created by my children visual appeal counted. Because we live in a digital age, visual appeal matters more than ever.

Adding clip art to illustrate a history topic properly is equally important.

History Lapbook Materials

Additionally, the beauty of your history lapbook is that very little materials are needed. Sure, you can make it fancy like we have done at times.

For example, we used strips of leather and a beautiful colorful shell with a feather as a clasp to close our Plains Indians lapbook.

Too, look at these beautiful Suede Leather Cords and gorgeous Ocean Tone Colored File Folders Letter Size.

Also, I love colorful file folders instead of the drab plain ones.

Too, one more technique we like is to use the bright color for the inside of the file folder.

If your file folder is bright colored on both sides, then it doesn’t matter.

It’s just more visually appealing and it stays pretty through the years.

More Lapbook Ideas

18 Colorful and Free Lapbooks for History Unit Studies

If you’ve never used a lapbook with history, this is a great time to start.

Once your children do one or two they can get hooked on lapbooks and history.

Besides, look at this video, How to Homeschool EZ by Tina Robertson I have for you.

FREE LAPBOOKS

Now, grab some of these fun lapbooks to pair with your unit studies.

Colorful and Free Lapbooks for History Unit Studies

You'll love this roundup of free lapbooks to bring your history topics to life.

Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity

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Add this pioneer rag doll westward expansion activity to the BEST Westward Ho Unit Study and Lapbook. It’s just too cute.

And if you love the Little House on the Prairie series, or just pioneers in general making a no sew pioneer rag doll is a perfect hands-on activity to learn a little about the culture back then. 

Your child will be creating art, doing a little math, learning history and geography.

Also, your child will be working those fine motor skills, learning basic skills, and having fun while doing it. 

Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity

While kids today have technology at their fingertips, during pioneer times toys were simpler and less expensive.

For instance, one favorite of little girls was rag dolls.

Too, they were sometimes sewn and more elaborate. And a simple one could even be made from a square handkerchief.

With all the bells and whistles of today’s toys, your children will certainly enjoy making and playing with a simple pioneer rag doll.

Besides it can be made with just a few dollars or free if you already have the scrap fabric on hand.

Further, if you were a reader as a child the chances are you remember Laura Ingalls little corn cob doll wrapped in a handkerchief named Susan.

Westward Expansion Activity

Oh how Laura loved and cherished her!

Similarly, small children who set out with their family to cross the Oregon Trail must have clutched their little simple ragdolls to their chest.

They drew comfort from them over every bump, sickness, broken axle, and excitement of wild new lands

And as they slept in snug beds in fresh new pine cabins that whispered “home” they drew their dolls closer.

Let’s try to capture a little of that innocent, but rugged childhood spirit of the pioneer child with this easy no sew rag doll craft.

Also, what a sweet memory you will make with your little one while you create one of these dolls and teach them basic life skills.

Encourage your child to do as much of this project as possible – cutting, measuring, tying, and folding so they can get the most from this project.

Next, to get started look at this easy supply list.

  • 14” x 10” square of muslin or other light fabric
  • 3- 1”x12” muslin strips
  • 2- ¼”x6” muslin strips
  • Scrap patterned fabric
  • Cotton batting or cotton balls
  • Scissors
  • Ruler/measuring tape

Then look at these directions.

First, lay the light muslin fabric out flat and place a small handful of cotton batting or about 4-5 cotton balls directly in the center.

Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity

Pinch fabric around the cotton and give it a half twist, tie off tightly just below the cotton with one of your muslin strips, cut off the excess.

Then, line your 3 12” muslin strips up evenly, knot off one end, and then braid all the way to the other end. Finish it off with a knot.

Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity

After that, open your doll skirt and place these braided strips centered up against the underside of the head.

Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity

Westward Expansion Unit

In addition, fold the skirting back down and knot it just below the arms to separate the bodice from the skirt and also this will help to hold the arms in place.

Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity

Then, move on to make the sun bonnet.

Begin by cutting a triangle that is roughly 10” at the widest end, and wrap around the head making the point stick out over the face. Knot it under the chin.

Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity

Lastly, finish off your doll by cutting a rectangle out of scrap fabric 10”- 12” long, and 6” tall.

Cut into the fabric  ¼” down and 4 ½” in on each side to create an apron shape like this.

Don’t worry about being exact, this is a rag doll after all!

Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity

Finally, tie the apron around the waist with the strings that you made.

Your doll is ready to cuddle and enjoy.

Further, if you want to extend the learning, have your child research other toys that children used in pioneer times.

For instance, ask a question like which of these toys do you think they would have taken along on long journeys during westward expansion? 

Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity

Additionally, have your children research various fabrics and patterns that were popular in those days like gingham and broadcloth.

Older children can delve into learning about how those fabrics were made.

Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity

Too, they can learn the cost of making a doll or a dress in that period.

Westward Expansion Activity Ideas

Another great thing about this  activity is that it works just as easily for a one on one project at home as it does as an activity for a large co-op.

Finally, try these other hands-on activity to create a fun unit study.