I have a varied list of 10 Viking explorer project ideas to get you started on a wonderful hands-on unit study. Also, I have this Vikings Lapbook Unit Study and Hands-on Activities.
And we are also going to make a simple Trollen wheel and Viking braid.
Create costume pieces, tools, ancient writings, and more through the tutorials, and learn more about Vikings who ruled the seas from the late 8th century to the 11th.
For example, a Trollen Wheel is a tool for making patterned cords or ropes and dates back several centuries.
Trollens were traditionally made from organic materials like bone, horn, leather, and wood.
We are going to craft a simple and inexpensive one with cardboard.
While Trollen wheels are used frequently in Viking reenactments it is undetermined if they used them, since none have been found in archeological digs.
However, they did wear braids in their hair as well as adornments on their clothing and the Trollen wheel is a great way to braid intricate decorative braids.
Books About The Vikings
First, add some of these books to your day.
11 Viking Resources & Books for Multiple Ages
Grab some of these books and resources for multiple ages about Vikings.
Sigurd, a Viking boy, cannot see the value of learning to read and write. All he can think of is adventure. But then he has an adventure that he cannot help but tell. And to do that, he decides, he must learn to write. A fine story for young readers.
From battle-axe-wielding tribes plundering the greatest cities of Europe to powerful kings and queens ruling their dominions with iron fists, the Vikings were some of the most feared and fearless figures in European history. Find the bravest heroes, the most menacing villains, and unbelievably awesome facts and myths inside this action-packed overview that will amaze kids with tales of a people so incredible...it's hard to believe they were real.
The most trusted nonfiction series on the market, Eyewitness Books provide an in-depth, comprehensive look at their subjects with a unique integration of words and pictures. Loaded with superb color photographs of Viking ships and swords, clothes and shields, memorial stones and beautiful brooches, this revised and updated edition of Eyewitness: Viking offers a unique view into the lives of the Norse people and their outstanding achievements.
Kids can experience thrilling adventures on land and sea with this 3in1 set featuring a toy Viking ship, Viking house and Fenris wolf figure
The newest book in the best-selling, award-winning A Child's Introduction series explores the popular and captivating world of Norse mythology. Organized into two parts, part one introduces characters like Odin, the leader of the Norse gods; Thor and his mighty hammer Mjollner; Frigg,
weaver of the destinies of humans and gods; frost and fire giants; cunning dwarves like Brokk and Eitri; and many more. Part two tells the stories of the suspenseful myths themselves including The Creation of the Cosmos, The Aesir-Vanir War, Loki Bound, Thor's Hammer and many more.
Odd, a young Viking boy, is left fatherless following a raid. In his icy, ancient world there is no mercy for an unlucky soul with a crushed foot and no one to protect him. Fleeing to the woods, Odd stumbles upon and releases a trapped bear…and then Odd's destiny begins to change.
The eagle, bear, and fox Odd encounters are Norse gods, trapped in animal form by the evil frost giant who has conquered Asgard, the city of the gods. Now our hero must reclaim Thor's hammer, outwit the frost giants and release the gods…
Raiders from the Sea: Viking raiders capture Bree and her brother Devin and take them from their home in Ireland. After the young Viking prince Mikkel sets Devin free on the Irish coast far from home, Bree and Devin embark on separate journeys to courage. Readers will be captivated by the unfolding drama as Bree sails to Norway on the Viking ship and Devin travels the dangerous road home.
Set in 1005 AD, twins Brus and Jan go a-Viking with their father Harald Redbeard and all their household. They plan to settle in England with Danish relatives there. But, their ships are caught in a fierce gale on the North Sea, and they are taken far off course to the western shore of Scotland. Held captive by a cunning Scottish Laird, Jan and Brus must navigate the political intrigue of chieftain, clan, and king without the help of their father, who has been killed and their mother, who is believed lost at sea. They follow adventure after adventure until they earn their freedom and find a home in Scotland at last.
Printed on stiff card, this book contains templates to cut out and construct a model of a Viking settlement crammed with authentic detail. The base of the completed model measures 61 x 46cm, and includes 16 houses with doors and windows that open to reveal the details inside, and two Viking trading ships. It contains over 40 cut-out figures including merchants, traders and towns people to recreate scenes of everyday life in a bustling riverside settlement.
Answers questions about the everyday life of the Vikings, including clothing, homes, religion, medical care, food, entertainment, ships, shops and towns, government, warfare, and the travels of the Northmen in Asia and the North Atlantic.
Too, look at these facts about daily life with the Vikings.
Daily Life With the Vikings
- Surprisingly the majority of Viking men spent most of their time farming, not sailing the seas. They raised crops like barley and oats, as well as a variety of animals.
- Vikings were known for their good hygiene, dig sites have turned up tweezers, razors, combs, and ear cleaners that were made from animal bones and antlers. They bathed weekly, which is more than most Europeans at the time, and also enjoyed frequent dips in natural hot springs.
- Viking men preferred being blonde, so if one was born brunette they would use a strong soap with a high lye content to bleach their hair and sometimes their beards as well.
- They did not wear helmets with horns, or any helmets at all. This belief started when it was dreamt up by a costume designer named Carl Emil Doepler for an 1876 production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen.
- A Viking named Leif Erikson was the first to set foot in the new world, not Christopher Columbus, he beat him to it by 500 years. Leif’s father was the first Viking to set foot in Greenland.
Next, look at these explorer project ideas.
10 Viking Explorer Project Ideas
- This impressive tutorial will teach you how to Make a Viking Shield that is worthy of the best adventures.
- Create fun and special messages on these Viking Runestones.
- The Best Free Viking Lapbook and Hands-on Ideas
- Try this delicious Viking Bread Recipe and see how Nordic explorers ate between adventures.
- The BEST Viking Unit Study for Homeschooled Kids
- Turn cardboard and metallic paint into this amazing-looking helmet with the Make a Viking Helmet-Crafts for Kids.
- How cute is this simple Viking Lunch? What a great addition to a Viking unit study and a fun break in the day..
- STEM and Geography: How to Build an Ancient Viking Ship
- You can learn to make A Makeshift Lucet, a fiber-working tool used by the Vikings.
- This DIY Kids Viking Costume is great for the kid who loves to dress up, for fairies, for a co-op presentation, or just for fun.
Finally, look how to make a Trollen wheel Viking braid.
Make a Trollen Wheel Viking Braid
You will need:
- Sturdy cardboard
- String or yarn
- Ruler
- Pen
- Scissors
First, trace a circle on sturdy cardboard, you want it small enough to be held comfortably in your child’s hand, 3”-4” in diameter is a good size.
Cut out the circle.
Use a ruler to create 4 lines, intersecting across the middle, to end in 8 equally distant ends.
Cut ⅛” to ¼” of the way in, into a narrow v at the end of each line.
And then use the scissors to cut out a roughly ¾” in diameter hole in the center of the wheel.
Cut 8 lengths of string or yarn to 12” long.
Tie all the strings together at one end in a knot.
Place the knotted strings through the hole and place one string through each slit you cut in the ends of the lines.
You should have one empty spot.
To create a braid, you will hold the wheel in your hand, letting the knotted end hang free in the middle.
Place the empty spot right in front of you and count 3 strings clockwise from the empty hole, bring that string down onto the empty spot.
Repeat, moving the 3rd string clockwise from the empty spot into the empty spot over and over until you reach the end of the string.
Once at the end of the length, you can remove the strings from the cardboard and knot it.
Use the braided piece to make a friendship bracelet, or to make a decoration for a keychain or backpack.
