• Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tina's Dynamic Homeschool Plus

Activity, Change, Progress

  • HOME
  • How to
    • Preschool
    • Kindergarten
    • Middle School
    • High School
  • Planner
  • Lapbooks
    • Trioramas
    • History Games
  • Shop
  • GET STARTED NOW!
    • Learning Styles
  • 7 Step Planner
    • DIY Best Student Planner
    • Free & Easy DIY Home Management Binder
  • Unit Studies
    • Creation to Ancients
    • Middle Ages to Reform
    • Exploring to Revolution
    • World Wars to Today
    • Science
    • Free Art Curriculum Grades 1 – 8
  • Curriculum
    • More Unit Studies
    • Geography
    • Writing PreK to 12th
    • Geronimo Stilton
  • BootCamp
    • Resources
      • Dynamic Subscriber Freebies
      • Exclusive Subscribers Library
      • Ultimate Unit Study Planner

westwardho

Fun Homeschool US Westward Expansion Lapbook and Hands-on Unit Study Ideas

April 14, 2023 | 1 Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

I have a huge 97 page free US Westward Expansion lapbook. Also, I have a page Westward Ho with more ideas. Grab more ideas on my lapbook ideas page and on my best homeschool unit studies page.

You’ll want to study about westward expansion a few times to get in more subtopics of American history.

In addition, you may want to narrow down your focus to specific years or topics.

Fun Homeschool US Westward Expansion Lapbook and Hands-on Unit Study Ideas

However, for our first time studying about the expansion of the United States, we covered quite a few years and topics.

For example, I chose to cover the period of 1803 to 1890.

Additionally, making a list of topics to cover will help too.

Westward Expansion Unit Study Ideas

Besides, you want to create a foundation for your children to understand why people wanted to head west.

Free Minibooks About Westward Ho

For instance, look at this list of free minibooks I created for a westward expansion unit study,

  • Westward Ho Trifold Timeline Book
  • 1860 Pony Express Pop Up Book
  • Animals of the West with Pocket for Older Kids
  • Baby Animals of the West with Pocket for Younger Kids
  • Flora of the West for Older Kids
  • Flora of the West for Younger Kids
  • Buffalo Bill Frontiersman Tiny Book and pocket
  • Daniel Boone Frontiersman Tiny Book and pocket
  • James Fenimore Cooper _ Author Tiny Book and pocket
  • Sacagawea matchbook
  • Artists Study and Images George Caleb Bingham and Albert Bierstadt
  • 49ers Goldrush minibook
  • 1836 Remember the Alamo minibook, mini crossword, and Texian and Tejano images
  • Manifest Destiny Pros versus Cons
  • Barrel of Words Vocabulary
  • Flip book to learn about supplies on the Oregon Trail.
  • Prairie Schooner Top Flap,
  • Landmarks along the Trail, Devil’s Gate, Independence Rock & Chimney Rock,
  • Prairie Schooner Bottom Flap,
  • Disease on the Trail: Cholera
  • Picture for front/back of lapbook/notebook page.
  • Dividers for Lewis & Clark Expedition and one for Westward Expansion.
  • Pecos Bill older child
  • Pecos Bill younger child
  • Tall Tale Pecos Bill Writing Prompt
  • Transportation Layered Book
  • 1869 Transcontinental Railroad
  • Printable Board Game Oregon Trail
  • 2 Westward Ho Coloring Pages

As you can see from geography to language arts, I have many ideas for you.

Additionally, you’ll love reading some of these living books below.

Books about the Oregon Trail

10 Westward Expansion Resources

Add in a few books and resources to bring the study of the Oregon Trail to life during the United States expansion of the west.

Your Life as a Pioneer on the Oregon Trail (The Way It Was)

Your Life as a Pioneer on The Oregon Trail, has some funny illustrations and great information for this unit study.

Little House on the Prairie Series 7 Books Collection

Of course ALL the Little House Books are some of the best about pioneer life.

The Ingalls are the most famous pioneers and westward moving families.

Westward Expansion (A True Book: Westward Expansion)

A True Book: Westward Expansion takes readers on an amazing journey to a fascinating time in U.S. history when the country was experiencing dynamic change and expanding westward.

The Oregon Trail 4-Book Paperback Box Set Plus Poster Map

In this boxed set, choose your own trail and complete the journey to Oregon City with all four paperbacks in this exciting series! It's 1850 and your first goal is to get your family, covered wagon full of supplies, and oxen to Chimney Rock on time. 

The Oregon Trail: Journey to Willamette Valley Boardgame

  • It's a race to Willamette Valley as you join the wagon train and seek your fortune in the West!

Apples to Oregon:

Apples, ho! When Papa decides to pull up roots and move from Iowa to Oregon, he can’t bear to leave his precious apple trees behind. Or his peaches, plums, grapes, cherries, and pears. Oh, and he takes his family along too.

Locomotive

It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America’s brand-new transcontinental railroad. These pages come alive with the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to
ocean

The California Gold Rush and the '49ers

Try your luck, and search for your fortune in California! Follow the joy and heartbreak of the '49ers during the California Gold Rush.

Daily Life in a Covered Wagon

In 1853, the Larkin family loaded up their wagons and headed west in search of a new life. But how did they do it? What did they eat? How did they survive sickness, and attacks from cattle thieves? Drawing on diaries and letters, and illustrated with photographs of actual object from the past, Daily Life in a Covered Wagon explored what life was really like on the wagon trail.

Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails

Illustrations and simple rhyming text follow Mother, Father, and Baby John as they make the difficult journey by wagon to a new home across the Rocky Mountains in the fertile Sacramento Valley of California. By the creators of Gold Fever.

And if you’re doing a unit study, you want to include hands-on learning.

Fun Homeschool US Westward Expansion Lapbook and Hands-on Unit Study Ideas

Finally, add some hands-on activities.

Hands-on US Westward Expansion Ideas

Moreover, there are many hands-on ideas you’ll want to include in this unit study.

  • No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity
  • 7 Educational Movies for Kids About Westward Expansion
  • 10 Westward Expansion Hands-on History Activities
  • Free Westward Ho History Cards
  • Make an edible Louisiana Purchase Map, yum.
Fun Homeschool US Westward Expansion Lapbook and Hands-on Unit Study Ideas

Too, are you looking to cover other areas of American History?

Look at these other lapbooks.

More History Lapbooks

How to Get the Free HUGE 102 Page Westward Expansion Lapbook

Now, how to grab the free lapbook. This is a subscriber freebie.

That means when you sign up to follow me, you get access to my subscribers library and this freebie.

Just follow the steps below.

 1) Sign up on my list.
2) Grab the freebie now!
3)  Last, look for all my emails in your inbox. Glad to have you following me!

1 CommentFiled Under: Lapbooks Tagged With: hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, westward expansion, westwardho

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

March 23, 2023 | 3 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

You’ll love this Little House on the Prairie Unit Study and fun punched tin lantern. Also, grab more ideas on my best homeschool unit studies page.

If you are anything like me, you grew up watching or reading about Laura Ingalls and her family’s adventures traveling westward from their first home in the little house in the big woods of Wisconsin. 

I spent many hours imagining I was Laura with my trusty guard dog Jack, running along the banks of Plum creek, going into town, and feuding with Nellie Olsen.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

If you too are eager to begin a Little House on the Prairie Unit Study with your kids, I have tons of great ideas to get you started.

Whether you settle in the prairie for a week or submerge yourself in all things Ingalls for a month or more you will find plenty here to keep you busy.

5 Little House on the Prairie Facts You May Not Have Known

  1. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s first book wasn’t published until 1932, 65 years after she was born.
  2. Laura was only 4’ 11” tall when she was fully grown, not particularly short for women of that time period, but it explains why Pa called her his” little half pint of cider half drunk up”.
  3. Laura’s first attempt at book writing about her life experiences was called Pioneer Girl, and it was initially rejected by publishers. Her daughter Rose suggested her mother rewrite it for the children. Clearly, it worked.
  4. Her longtime Missouri home, Rocky Ridge Farm, was turned into a museum.
  5. Laura’s father Charles was part of the Delano family. You might recognize the name – Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Laura was the fifth cousin once removed to FDR and a third cousin once removed to Ulysses S. Grant.

Pioneer Crafts and Activities

  • How To Make A Rag Doll With Strips Of Fabric
  • 11 Pioneer Crafts for Kids Who Love Little House On The Prairie Crafts & Rug Craft
  • Step Back in Time with These 12 Little House on the Prairie Gift Ideas
  • Unleash Your Creativity with Buffalo Painting: Easy Prairie Crafts

Then, add these books for beautiful literature.

Little House on the Prairie Unit Study Resources

Add some of these fun resources to ignite a love for learning about the Little House on the Prairie.

The Little House (9 Volumes Set)

The nine books in the timeless Little House series tell the story of Laura’s real childhood as an American pioneer, and are cherished by readers of all generations. They offer a unique glimpse into life on the American frontier, and tell the heartwarming, unforgettable story of a loving family.

Pioneer Girl: The Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Readers around the world know and love Laura, the little girl born in the Big Woods of Wisconsin and raised in covered wagons and on wide open prairies. Now Little House fans can learn more about the remarkable story of the pioneer girl who would one day immortalize her adventures in the beloved Little House books in this, the first picture book biography book of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

A Little Prairie House (Little House Picture Book)

With the My First Little House picture book series, the youngest readers can share in the joy of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books in these illustrated adaptations of the beloved series! 

Laura, Pa, Ma, Mary, and baby Carrie have traveled from the Big Woods to the prairie in their covered wagon, driving through tall grass until they found just the right spot for their new home. With the help of their kind neighbor, Mr. Edwards, Pa builds a snug little house for the family in the middle of the wide-open prairie.

Farmer Boy (Little House, 2)

The second book in the treasured Little House series, Farmer Boy is Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved story of how her husband, Almanzo, grew up as a farmer boy far from the little house where Laura lived. This edition features the classic black-and-white artwork from Garth Williams. 

The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America’s frontier history and as heartwarming, unforgettable stories. The Little House series has captivated millions of readers with its depiction of life on the American frontier.

While Laura Ingalls grows up on the prairie, Almanzo Wilder is living on a big farm in New York State. Here Almanzo and his brother and sisters help with the summer planting and fall harvest. In winter there is wood to be chopped and great slabs of ice to be cut from the river and stored. Time for fun comes when the jolly tin peddler visits, or best of all, when the fair comes to town.

Almanzo wishes for just one thing—his very own horse—and he must prove that he is ready for such a big responsibility.

The Little House Cookbook

With this cookbook, you can learn how to make classic frontier dishes like corn dodgers, mincemeat pie, cracklings, and pulled molasses candy. The book also includes excerpts from the Little House books, fascinating and thoroughly researched historical context, and details about the cooking methods that pioneers like Ma Ingalls used, as well as illustrations by beloved artist Garth Williams.

Who Was Laura Ingalls Wilder?

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, based on her own childhood and later life, are still beloved classics almost a century after she began writing them. Now young readers will see just how similar Laura's true-life story was to her books. Born in 1867 in the "Big Woods" in Wisconsin, Laura experienced both the hardship and the adventure of living on the frontier. Her life and times are captured in engaging text and 80 black-and-white illustrations.

Laura Ingalls Dress Up

  • Three Piece Set: Kid girls colonial dress, attached apron and bonnet.

Little House Coloring Book: Coloring Book for Adults and Kids

A beautifully designed coloring book featuring classic artwork by Garth Williams and quotes from all nine original Little House books. Perfect for at-home creative time—return to the world of Little House with your kids...or enjoy on your own!

Join Laura Ingalls, her Ma and Pa, and her sisters, Mary, Carrie, and Grace, on their travels across the frontier as you color in your favorite pioneer characters and scenes and revisit this beloved series.

This 96-page coloring book offers hours of relaxing, stress-reducing pleasure.

Also, it’s fun learning about Laura’s life through the pages of her books, but here are some facts too.

About Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder (February 7, 1867 – February 10, 1957) was an American writer, mostly known for the Little House on the Prairie series of children’s books, published between 1932 and 1943, which were based on her childhood in a settler and pioneer family.

Moreover, she was born in Pepin, Wisconsin in the “little house in the big woods” in 1867.

She lived through huge changes in America. Her family moved several times traveling by covered wagon.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Little House books

The eight original Little House books are:

  1. Little House in the Big Woods (1932)
  2. Farmer Boy (1933) – about Almanzo Wilder growing up in New York
  3. Little House on the Prairie (1935)
  4. On the Banks of Plum Creek (1937)
  5. By the Shores of Silver Lake (1939)
  6. The Long Winter (1940)
  7. Little Town on the Prairie (1941)
  8. These Happy Golden Years (1943)

Moreover, there are many topics and words for your child to learn about pioneer life in America.

I’ve listed some below.

Vocabulary Words

Although it’s important to understand the words used, I wanted my kids to love learning about the expansion in American history; And to see history unfold through the eyes of a child.

However, I’ve listed some below to add another language arts element.

  • wandered
  • massacre
  • scorched
  • huddled
  • brindle
  • papoose
  • trotted
  • beholden
  • staggering
  • rummaged
  • yonder
  • molasses

Next, look at these hands on fun ideas.

15 Little House on the Prairie Unit Study Hands-on Ideas

Play the Oregon Trail Online Game to give your child an idea of the route and the hardships those moving westward faced.

Make a Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll just like little girls like Laura played with during those times.

It makes a lovely handicraft activity as well as a sweet keepsake of your study.

Create Fun Pioneer Peg Dolls to represent each of the characters in the book.

Try your hand at Pioneer Living and Cloth Dyeing using the same things that the pioneers would have to color fabric.

Make Maple Snow Candy and enjoy a taste of those days.

In addition, history overlaps quite a bit and though the original is tied to Daniel Boone you can recreate this Edible Log Cabin as an art project and a yummy snack.

Learn how to make soap.

Create a Native American cradleboard or papoose.

And make buttermilk biscuits.

If you really want to get a taste of pioneer history, Make Butter and Hardtack to sample.

Do a Hands-on Fun Shrunken Head Apple Craft.

Grab these fun 10 Westward Expansion History Fun Coloring Pages

  • 0. Westward Expansion History Fun 10 Coloring Pages

    0. Westward Expansion History Fun 10 Coloring Pages

    $1.75
    Add to cart

Enjoy a picnic outdoors with a lunch pail- wrap sandwiches and other items in waxed or brown paper, tie it up with a string, and carry it out in a tin bucket. Spread out a colorful piece of fabric or a quilt to enjoy your supper.

Learn the information on the Free Westward Ho History Cards

Do your lessons on small personal blackboards just like the girls did at home or in their little one-room schoolhouse.

Look at pictures of a pioneer house then and compare them to how we live today.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

In addition, look at some more unit studies and topics which go along with this theme.

More American History Unit Studies

Next, these unit study ideas either happened at the same time Laura lived or before her birth so your child understands this period in American history.

  • BEST Westward Ho Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Lewis and Clark Fun Homeschool Unit Study and Lapbook
  • Native Americans The Plains Indians Unit Study & Lapbook
  • The Trail of Tears 1820 – 1845 Unit Study & Lapbook
  • Daniel Boone – North American Explorer

Too, not only does Laura describe terrifying events about wolves, but there would have been plenty of wildlife to learn about.

More Best Homeschool Unit Studies

  • Volcano Unit Study and Fun Apple Volcano
  • Solar System Unit Study and Hands-on Planets Activity
  • Charlotte’s Web Homeschool Unit Study and Fun Hands-on Ideas
  • Homeschool Unit Study Ideas | Lewis and Clark Exploration Lapbook
  • Mushroom Unit Study and Kids Learning Activities
  • Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Wildlife on the Prairie

Look at this list of wildlife to learn about.

  • Coyotes
  • Bison
  • Wolves
  • White tail Deer and grab my Deer Unit Study Ideas.
  • Black Bear and grab my ideas here Black Bear Unit Study and Fun Edible Bear Poop.
  • Beavers and grab my ideas here Build a Fun Beaver Dam.

Moreover, look at my Lewis and Clark Unit Study which has more information about the flora and fauna along the route.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Finally, look at this next hands-on idea to add your fun Little House on the Prairie Unit Study.

How to Make a Punched Tin Lantern

Supplies needed:

  • A clean empty vegetable can
  • Hammer
  • Nails of a few different sizes
  • Small hand towel
  • Dry erase marker
  • Wire
  • Needle nose pliers
  • Battery-operated candle or small glass votive
Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Directions:

First, check to be sure that there are no sharp spots on the lantern where the top was removed.

Trim them off by going over the edges with a can opener again or with a metal file.

Also, if there is any remaining adhesive, you can remove it by running a hot blow dryer over the spot and pulling it off while it is still warm.

Fill the tin can with water and freeze until completely solid.

Draw out your design on one side with a fine-tipped marker like a sharpie.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Carefully tape a nail through the lines of your design with the hammer and continue all over the design placing holes around ¼” or less apart.

You can also use a Phillips head screwdriver or an awl if you have one for something with a handle.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Flip and repeat your designs on the other sides the same way wherever you would like it.

Punch a hole through on either side near the top for the handle.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Take a strand of jewelry wire and double it for added thickness.

Run it through one hole and twist the ends around the wire with needle nose pliers tucking in the sharp ends.

Next, run the wire as high as you would like the handle to be upwards and then down to the other side. Push it through and twist the wires again to close.

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

Allow the ice to melt but you can speed this process up by running hot water in and over the lantern or placing it outside in the sun.

Dry the lantern and add a candle to the inside. What do you think, ready to start your own unit study?

Little House on The Prairie Unit Study and Fun Punched Tin Lantern

3 CommentsFiled Under: My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas} Tagged With: american history, crafts, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history resources, homeschoolhistory, pioneer, pioneer crafts, unit studies, unit study, westward expansion, westwardho

Rocky Mountains Oregon Trail Fun Large Diorama Craft for Kids

January 26, 2023 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Trekking through the Rocky Mountains Oregon Trail was an arduous journey. Too, I have more ideas and activities on my Westward Ho Unit Study and Lapbook.

The Rocky Mountain National Park was established in Colorado on January 26th, 1915.

In honor of this amazing National Park, I thought we would take a virtual trip by creating a miniature section of the Rocky Mountains with a diorama.

Rocky Mountains Oregon Trail Fun Large Diorama Craft for Kids

And to be more specific, we’re creating it as it might have looked along the Rocky Mountains Oregon Trail section.

How exciting and scary a time it must have been.

The Rocky Mountains are distinctive and easily identifiable just by their silhouette but are unique depending on where you are along the western mountain chain.

We were inspired by this amazing drawing of the Cherokee Pass through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. It is by Daniel Jenks from 1859.

And we created this fun and large diorama with just a few different simple items.

But first look at these facts about the Rocky Mountains.

Rocky Mountain Facts

  • The Rocky Mountains stretch through more than 3000 miles and over 6 states which are New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.
  • Rocky Mountain is one of the nation’s highest national parks.
  • There are many indigenous people living in the Rocky Mountains like Bannock, Sioux, Blackfoot, Cow People, Apache, Kutenai, and more.
  • There is a super volcano in the Rocky Mountains called Yellowstone Caldera. It’s located in the Yellowstone National Park in the United States.
  • The Rocky Mountain National Park is open all year.
  • In 1806, the Lewis and Clark Expedition became the first scientific reconnaissance of the Rocky Mountains; they gathered a lot of important information as well as specimens.
  • There are over 250 different bird species which live in the Rocky Mountain National Park.
  • The Rocky Mountains are rich with natural resources like gold, silver, copper, tungsten, zinc, molybdenum, and lead.
  • The Rockies have over 100 separate ranges.
  • Bighorn sheep are the symbol of Rocky Mountain National Park and there are over 400 residing in the park.

Westward Expansion Resources

Also, add some of these fun books.

10 Westward Expansion Resources

Add in a few books and resources to bring the study of the Oregon Trail to life during the United States expansion of the west.

Your Life as a Pioneer on the Oregon Trail (The Way It Was)

Your Life as a Pioneer on The Oregon Trail, has some funny illustrations and great information for this unit study.

Little House on the Prairie Series 7 Books Collection

Of course ALL the Little House Books are some of the best about pioneer life.

The Ingalls are the most famous pioneers and westward moving families.

Westward Expansion (A True Book: Westward Expansion)

A True Book: Westward Expansion takes readers on an amazing journey to a fascinating time in U.S. history when the country was experiencing dynamic change and expanding westward.

The Oregon Trail 4-Book Paperback Box Set Plus Poster Map

In this boxed set, choose your own trail and complete the journey to Oregon City with all four paperbacks in this exciting series! It's 1850 and your first goal is to get your family, covered wagon full of supplies, and oxen to Chimney Rock on time. 

The Oregon Trail: Journey to Willamette Valley Boardgame

  • It's a race to Willamette Valley as you join the wagon train and seek your fortune in the West!

Apples to Oregon:

Apples, ho! When Papa decides to pull up roots and move from Iowa to Oregon, he can’t bear to leave his precious apple trees behind. Or his peaches, plums, grapes, cherries, and pears. Oh, and he takes his family along too.

Locomotive

It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America’s brand-new transcontinental railroad. These pages come alive with the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to
ocean

The California Gold Rush and the '49ers

Try your luck, and search for your fortune in California! Follow the joy and heartbreak of the '49ers during the California Gold Rush.

Daily Life in a Covered Wagon

In 1853, the Larkin family loaded up their wagons and headed west in search of a new life. But how did they do it? What did they eat? How did they survive sickness, and attacks from cattle thieves? Drawing on diaries and letters, and illustrated with photographs of actual object from the past, Daily Life in a Covered Wagon explored what life was really like on the wagon trail.

Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails

Illustrations and simple rhyming text follow Mother, Father, and Baby John as they make the difficult journey by wagon to a new home across the Rocky Mountains in the fertile Sacramento Valley of California. By the creators of Gold Fever.

Additionally, learn about some of the animals which lives in the Rocky Mountains.

Rocky Mountain Animals and Birds

If you were a pioneer heading west through the Rocky Mountain Oregon Trail, what type of wildlife would you see?

This is the perfect next step to create a mini study from this project.

Let your child choose one of the animals that are common to the Rocky Mountains and create a report, write a story, paint a picture, or create a presentation on their chosen animal. 

  • Brown Bears
  • Coyote
  • BigHorn Sheep
  • Black Bear
  • Mule Deer
  • Mountain Lion
  • Gray Wolf
  • Elk

Also, look at some of the birds.

  • Yellowthroat
  • Red Crossbill
  • Nuthatch
  • Dipper
  • Meadowlark
  • Towhee
  • Song Sparrow
Rocky Mountains Oregon Trail Fun Large Diorama Craft for Kids

Additionally, here are more hands-on Westward Expansion Activities.

Hands-on Westward Expansion Activities

  • Pioneer Living and Cloth Dyeing (Hands-on History)
  • Hands-on History: Make Maple Snow Candy – Pioneer Activity
  • 10 Westward Expansion History Fun Coloring Pages
  • Hands-on Fun Shrunken Head Apple
  • Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity
  • Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities
  • 7 Educational Movies for Kids About Westward Expansion
  • Free Westward Ho History Cards
  • National Bison Day: Make Fun Oregon Trail Bison Jerky With Kids

Finally, look at how to make this Rocky Mountains Oregon Trail diorama.

Besides the little Safari Ltd. Toob animals you can get everything used in this diorama from Dollar Tree with plenty of supplies left over for future projects.

How to Make a Rocky Mountain Oregon Trail Diorama

You will need:

  • A foam board
  • Paper bags
  • Newspaper
  • Aluminum foil
  • Craft paint
  • Paintbrushes
  • Blue and green cardstock
  • Hot glue gun/sticks
Rocky Mountains Oregon Trail Fun Large Diorama Craft for Kids

Put puddles of brown, gray, and green paints on a paper plate.

Rocky Mountains Oregon Trail Fun Large Diorama Craft for Kids

Wad up a small piece of newspaper up and dip it in your paints.

Rocky Mountains Oregon Trail Fun Large Diorama Craft for Kids

Press the newspaper around the foam board as if you were sponge painting.

Cover the foam board with a light coat of the mixed colors to represent the rocks, grass, and earth.

Rocky Mountains Oregon Trail Fun Large Diorama Craft for Kids

Use a beige paint to create a trail going through the mountains. Set aside to dry while you begin working on the mountains.

Open 3-4 paper bags.

Slip them over your hand/arm one at a time and take the same paints and newspaper and cover all sides and the top of the bag.

Rocky Mountain Oregon Trail Diorama

You can leave some spots bare as the brown from the bag will blend in as earth.

Slip over a jar or something and allow it to dry completely.

Rocky Mountains Oregon Trail Fun Large Diorama Craft for Kids

Stuff the bags loosely with newspaper and foil as you like but not so full that you can’t “mold” it.

You just want them to give your bag some structure.

Twist and mold the bags to create the sharper angles and peaks of the Rocky Mountains silhouette.

Hot glue the base of the mountain along the back of your base board to secure into place.

Rocky Mountains Oregon Trail Fun Large Diorama Craft for Kids

Pinch and shape the mountains as needed to fix them up.

To create a water feature at the base of the mountain, tear up some blue paper in whatever shape you like and glue down.

Cut a bunch of green triangles of different sizes then make little cuts on each side to make pine trees.

Rocky Mountains Oregon Trail Fun Large Diorama Craft for Kids

Fold ⅛” piece of the bottom over and then glue them onto the board with the largest in front and the smallest closest to the mountains.

This creates some perspective.

Create the snow peaked caps by drizzling paint on the top and brush lightly just a little down the sides.

Rocky Mountains Oregon Trail Fun Large Diorama Craft for Kids

Finally, add some of the wildlife you would see traveling through the Rocky Mountains.

This North American Wildlife Safari Toob provided the bulk of the animals used here.

Rocky Mountains Oregon Trail Fun Large Diorama Craft for Kids

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities Tagged With: diorama, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handsonhomeschooling, mountains, Oregon Trail, westward expansion, westwardho

Fun No Sew Pioneer Rag Doll For Kids Westward Expansion Activity

July 10, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

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.

  • Pioneer Living and Cloth Dyeing (Hands-on History)
  • Hands-on History: Make Maple Snow Candy – Pioneer Activity
  • 10 Westward Expansion History Fun Coloring Pages
  • Make Pioneer Bread
  • Free Pioneer Printables

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities, History Based, History Resources, My Unit Studies {Free Printables & Hands-on Ideas} Tagged With: american history, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history resources, homeschoolhistory, westward expansion, westwardho

Fun Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities

July 7, 2022 | Leave a Comment
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see my full disclosure policy.

Making these pioneer peg dolls for kids westward expansion hands on activities for your BEST Westward Ho Unit Study and Lapbook are just too fun.

What better way to learn about pioneers and heading west.

Create an entire family or many families to travel on your wagon train.

They are a great size to go with popsicle stick wagons.

And log cabins make a great edition to a pioneer themed diorama.

Fun Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities

Too, preschoolers to highschoolers can create their own versions at whatever level they are at; and have fun doing it.

In addition, this project is a great hands-on activity to do while reading aloud or watching a movie.

If you have a documentary on the subject this project will keep hands busy while they take in and process all the information.

First, learn about the history of peg dolls and learn why they are called peg dolls.

At the Wales Museum of History, it says “The tradition of making peg dolls out of wooden clothes pegs comes from a time when people had little money to spend on toys.”

Westward Expansion for Kids

This makes for great conversation discussing how kids made their own toys from what they had.

Your kids will love making their own from what they have. Use my idea here or let them create their own peg dolls.

Next learn about the Oregon Trail. The Oregon trail was the path of a great migration of people from the east to the west.

The pioneers were a hearty bunch who traveled across the country to find more freedoms, land, opportunity, better hunting, and adventure!

Would you enjoy setting off on this challenging adventure with your family?

When families packed up to head west, they had to pack carefully.

But remember they couldn’t really just walk down the street to a store to get what they needed once on the trail.

So, they needed to take all their supplies with them like food, tools, seeds, for planting, clothing, and animals.

 Do you think you could pack enough to survive off of it for months and still fit your family into your car today?

Another awesome point is that this craft is inexpensive to make.

For example, if you have paint and fabric scraps on hand you can get a bag of 8 unfinished peg dolls at hobby lobby for less than $3.

It makes this a very affordable project for even big families.

Best Books About Westward Expansion

10 Westward Expansion Resources

Add in a few books and resources to bring the study of the Oregon Trail to life during the United States expansion of the west.

Your Life as a Pioneer on the Oregon Trail (The Way It Was)

Your Life as a Pioneer on The Oregon Trail, has some funny illustrations and great information for this unit study.

Little House on the Prairie Series 7 Books Collection

Of course ALL the Little House Books are some of the best about pioneer life.

The Ingalls are the most famous pioneers and westward moving families.

Westward Expansion (A True Book: Westward Expansion)

A True Book: Westward Expansion takes readers on an amazing journey to a fascinating time in U.S. history when the country was experiencing dynamic change and expanding westward.

The Oregon Trail 4-Book Paperback Box Set Plus Poster Map

In this boxed set, choose your own trail and complete the journey to Oregon City with all four paperbacks in this exciting series! It's 1850 and your first goal is to get your family, covered wagon full of supplies, and oxen to Chimney Rock on time. 

The Oregon Trail: Journey to Willamette Valley Boardgame

  • It's a race to Willamette Valley as you join the wagon train and seek your fortune in the West!

Apples to Oregon:

Apples, ho! When Papa decides to pull up roots and move from Iowa to Oregon, he can’t bear to leave his precious apple trees behind. Or his peaches, plums, grapes, cherries, and pears. Oh, and he takes his family along too.

Locomotive

It is the summer of 1869, and trains, crews, and family are traveling together, riding America’s brand-new transcontinental railroad. These pages come alive with the details of the trip and the sounds, speed, and strength of the mighty locomotives; the work that keeps them moving; and the thrill of travel from plains to mountain to
ocean

The California Gold Rush and the '49ers

Try your luck, and search for your fortune in California! Follow the joy and heartbreak of the '49ers during the California Gold Rush.

Daily Life in a Covered Wagon

In 1853, the Larkin family loaded up their wagons and headed west in search of a new life. But how did they do it? What did they eat? How did they survive sickness, and attacks from cattle thieves? Drawing on diaries and letters, and illustrated with photographs of actual object from the past, Daily Life in a Covered Wagon explored what life was really like on the wagon trail.

Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails

Illustrations and simple rhyming text follow Mother, Father, and Baby John as they make the difficult journey by wagon to a new home across the Rocky Mountains in the fertile Sacramento Valley of California. By the creators of Gold Fever.

Western Expansion Project Ideas

I order online too when I need to, and it still costs less. Look at the easy list below:

Fun Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities
  • Unfinished Wood Peg Dolls
  • Craft Paint/ Paint Pen
  • Small Paint Brushes
  • Fabric Scraps
  • Craft Glue

Next, dive into making these fun pioneer dolls:

Begin by painting the head of your peg doll any skin shade you choose.

We usually just leave ours unfinished wood color so we can get on to the next step in painting.

Start by painting the largest part of the clothing.

Fun Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities

You can paint the entire body a solid color for the dresses or half and half to create the boys tops and pants. 

Allow paint to dry to the touch. Then move on to the next section.

We like to do the hair next.

You can paint the hair on smooth and leave it as is. Or make a layer of thick blobs of paint to create a texture and dimension.

Fun Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities

While the hair is drying, take your tiniest brush and add some details to the face. Add eyes and a mouth.

To the clothes, add a pretty gingham or calico pattern, some suspenders, buttons, and whatever else you like.

Then, let the paint dry completely.

We find that paint pens are also good for adding details and can give you a bit more control over your design.

Fun Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities

Finally, to add a little more fun and make them look like true pioneers use some scrap fabric to create a sun bonnet and a “straw hat”.

You can do this for all your dolls or mix it up.

Fun Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities

For a bonnet you want to trace a circle on your fabric using something like the bottom of a small paint bottle 1 ½” to 2” in diameter then cut the circle in half.

Try it on your doll’s head and trim it down as needed to make it a good fit.  

Fun Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities

Once you are happy with the size “paint” your fabric with craft glue and press into place on the head.

Doing this not only adheres it to the doll but also makes it stiffer and a little more durable which is especially helpful if your child will actually be playing with their dolls.

To create the straw hat, you will follow the same step of tracing a small circle onto scrap fabric and “painting” the fabric with glue.

Westward Ho Activities

Press the fabric all around the head to create the crown of the hat, smoothing it as much as you can.

Fun Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities

To make the brim just keep shaping it into place so that it stays up, the glue gives it some body so you are able to mold it as you work with it.

When you are happy with the shape let it dry and trim off the excess brim with scissors.

Your pioneer family is finally ready to set off on their adventure together, who knows what they will find as they explore the west!

Fun Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities

Finally, here are a few more ideas to make your unit study come alive!

  • Make a diorama together to show a still life section of the trail.
  • Create a wagon from popsicle sticks and fabric.
  • Play classic Oregon Trail on the computer.
  • Add Little House on The Prairie Art Lessons
  • Make an edible Louisiana Purchase Map , yum!
  • Sew your own Prairie Bonnet

You’ll love these other westward expansion hands on activities for your study:

  • 10 Westward Expansion Hands-on History Activities
Fun Pioneer Peg Dolls For Kids Westward Expansion Hands On Activities

Leave a CommentFiled Under: Hands-On Activities, History Based, History Resources Tagged With: american history, hands on history, hands-on, hands-on activities, handson, handsonhomeschooling, history, history resources, homeschoolhistory, middleschool, westward expansion, westwardho

  • « Go to Previous Page
  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Privacy Policy | About Me | Reviews | Contact | Advertise

Categories

Archives

Tina Robertson is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 · 5 TNT LLC · Log in · Privacy Policy