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Showing posts with label theater. Show all posts
Showing posts with label theater. Show all posts

Medieval history lessons plans: Cardboard castle crafts, princess crafts with printables


I am a self-avowed history fanatic, particularly the medieval period. I also love things princess. And being a teacher, homeschool mom, education blogger and now Omi (gramma), I'm always looking to create hands-on lesson plans.  To that end, here's a guide to making recycled cardboard castle crafts with free printables. Use these are recycled cardboard crafts for kids in many cross-curricular lessons: preschool learning center activities, theater and dress up fun, arts and crafts, STEM and history lesson plans. These medieval crafts include a homemade cardboard castle, costumes and props. Homeschool parents, I promise ways to engage all ages, from baby to teen! 

(Materials are noted in BOLD CAPS within the how-to guide)

1) Make cardboard castle walls. Cut open two large RECYCLED CARDBOARD REFRIGERATOR BOXES along one long side. TAPE (duct tape works best as it resembles grey stone) two boxes together to make an octagon castle "keep." Measure, draw out and cut cardboard castle battlements (great STEM activities). History note: Castle walls had a series of crenellations and merlons (squared edge thingies) along the top. Tim's Printables has free printable recycled cardboard castle patterns for medieval crafts and castle design ideas. Cut cardboard castle keep windows: Draw a four-pane window and cut openings for the princess to look out of. 

2) Decorate recycled cardboard castle. Draw in bricks and family crest to make these medieval crafts for kids look really authentic! For more STEM fun, make moat and drawbridge. Cut drawbridge opening in the side of cardboard castle. Attach YARN or ROPE to both sides of to lower and raise drawbridge. Cut holes in the top to tie drawbridge closed when the royal inhabitants aren't receiving company. Place BLUE BLANKETS around the outside for the castle moat. Fill with STUFFED ANIMALS dragons, fish, alligators and other aquatic creatures. Add some PLANTS to make it more realistic and discuss wetland habitat science. Toddlers and preschoolers can take on the job of gathering and arranging flora and fauna.  

3) Make flags for cardboard castle. Aristocrats and nobles in medieval times had a coat-of-arms or family crest that symbolized their lineage. The design and display of a coat-of-arms is known as heraldry. A coat-of-arms was placed on banners flown when the family was in residence. Banners were carried on standards into battles. Have kids design their royal family crest. Here are free printable heraldry patterns and stencils for medieval crafts for kids. Make banners on  SCRAP FABRIC SQUARES CUT FROM OLD BED SHEETS OR TOWELS. Attach to YARD STICK OR HOT DOG STICK. Draw or paint family crest using MARKERS OR FABRIC PAINT. Older kids can make these as history lesson plans. 

4) Make secret entrances for your recycled cardboard castle (my grandkids favorite part!)  Line chairs up to make a crawl-through tunnel entrance into castle. Drape sheets, blankets and bed linens over tunnel. Establish cardboard castle dungeon. Make a parapet (walkway) by placing several chairs or a bench along the inside edge of the castle. Soldiers keep lookout here and send prisoners to sit under the chairs in the dungeon sit under bench. Fashion a turret. Put a collapsible net laundry hamper upside down on a chair inside the castle. Children crawl into hamper and onto chair to look out of the turret. These are perfect jobs for youngers. They will love exploring, arranging and guarding the cardboard castle as part of their dramatic play learning center activities. 

5) Outfit your royals. Haul out the DRESS UP BIN and collect OLD TOWELS, BED SHEETS AND BLANKETS. Donate JUNK JEWELRY and OLD FANCY DRESS. Make recycled cardboard crown crafts for the princess with these free printable crowns from First-Palette. Use this guide to make a suit of armor cardboard crafts for a knight. More STEM lesson plans! 

6) Equip the keep. The keep is the living area of a castle. Let kids fill their cardboard castle keep with snacks, blankets, pillows, coloring supplies, books and pets. When the novelty of guarding the castle wears off, kids can use it as a cozy play fort. Set your homemade castle up in a place where it can be left up for other rainy day fun or make it convertible to go outdoors on nice days!

Stay tuned for more medieval crafts! Picture is courtesy of Free Coat of Arms (couldn't find my last name, alas!) 

Animal costume patterns for craft projects, dress up, learning centers


Dress up is a crucial part of learning play in preschool classrooms and Montessori learning centers. If you homeschool, dress up should be part of your practical life, dramatic play and even science learning centers. The more hands-on and interactive the lesson plans, the better children learn. 

My most recent post gave ideas for a children's literature book party. One book party activity is for children to dress up as characters from books. Here are ideas to make simple, no-sew DIY animal costumes, using your recycle bin and some basic household scraps. These are perfect for preschool science learning centers, kids plays, story party activities and children's theater. Get more Montessori bang by having children create costumes themselves. Click here for free printable animal costume patterns. 

For basic animal costumes, you will need. 

* blanket sleeper (zippered pajamas with covered feet). Use an old one or pick one up second hand. Choose sleeper color based on the type of animals it will be used for:

--green: frog, dinosaur, gecko, snake, lizard, dragon, caterpillar, parrot

--yellow or tan: baby chick, tiger, leopard, lion

--red: ladybug, bird, fox

--pink: pig, shrimp, flamingo

--black, brown, white or gray: cat, dog, donkey, horse, cow, squirrel, raccoon, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, penguin, spider, groundhog, woodchuck, chipmunk

--orange, blue or purple: bird, fish, butterfly

* knit hat in matching color

* five old socks in matching colors

* recycled cardboard from cereal boxes or packaging

* glue dots or self-stick Vel-cro

* sharp scissors

* assorted fabric scraps, pom-poms, feathers, faux gems, ribbon, sequins (optional)

Now

* Draw design details with permanent marker on sleeper: lines, circles, stripes, spots wings etc.

* Use glue dots or Vel-cro to add embellishments to sleeper: sequins or faux gems are great for fish scales or birds. Glue faux feathers on for bird wings. Glue ribbon on for stripes. Pom-poms can be fish scales or hair on curly-haired puppies.

* On two socks (or old old knit gloves) draw black lines on toe ends simulate paws or claws. Draw circles on the palm to look like paw pads (socks make great improvised mittens).

* Stuff one sock with recycled rags for a tail. Sew it to the back of the sleep or hot glue it on. You can also glue a large pom pom on the back for a fuzzy tail.

* Make ears using the remaining two socks and the knit hat. Stuff the socks halfway full of scrap fabric. Cut two small holes in the hat for ears. Push open ends of socks through holes and tie knots in ends so socks won't slip through hole.

Montessori says lesson plans should allow children maximum creativity in open-ended, hands-on, interactive activities. Encourage them to make up their own designs for animal costumes. You could make these in collage or art learning centers also. Once children have made costumes they might write their own scripts for plays about their characters. They might also act out preschool children's literature selections based on animals. 

Here are free printable animal masks to complete costumes. Engage the youngest learners making masks, to keep them productively involved and make them feel part of the activity. 

Free Printable Angelina Ballerina, Ballet, Dance Coloring Pages

Angelina Ballerina is an endearing series of childrens' stories from Katharine Holabird and Helen Craig, featuring a little mouse named Angelina, who takes ballet and her friends. Here are free printable Angelina Ballerina coloring pages and crafts.
PBS Kids has a cute assortment of free printable Angelina Ballerina coloring pages featuring Angelina and her friend Alice Nimbletoes, grandma and grandpa mouse, Angelina's mother and father Maurice and Mathilda Mousling, Miss Lilly dance mistress of Camembert Dance Academy, Henry, Angelina's little cousin, Sammy Watts, Penelope and Priscilla Pinkpaws, William Longtail, Polly, Queen Sepharina and Princess Valentine.
Angelina Ballerina is the homepage for Angelina Mousling. Along with free printable coloring pages, you can find free printable Angelina Ballerina activities. Get free printable Angelina Ballerina crafts, door hangers, bookmarks, post cards and picture frames. There are also games to play, like jigsaw puzzles, tile matching games, sing along, Dance with Me, Reach for the Stars and other charming little games to play with Angelina Ballerina and friends.

Nick, Jr.free printable crafts, activities and games for Angelina Ballerina.
Coloring has assorted 
free printable ballet coloring pages and crafts featuring couples, specific dance positions and ballet steps, famous ballerinas, costumes from famous ballets and general ballet coloring pages. These coloring pages would make excellent supplemental resources for dance class and physical education.


  HSanAlim at Hubpages (click here) has 14 gorgeous free printable ballet and dance coloring pages. Each iamge is a work of art and features different dance positions, floor exercise and ballet dance steps. These images make great instructional posters or an instructional ballet activity book.


  Free Printable Coloring Pages has over forty ballet and ballerina coloring pages, about half of which are serious ballet coloring pages featuring ballet positions and dances.   Coloring-Nichole.blogspot.com has free printable coloring pages on many subjects. The images are art nouveau/ art deco and very nicely drawn.


  Coloring has 30 ballet coloring pages. Several feature animals and other forms of dance. About 20 of the 30 dance coloring pages feature famous dancers, ballet steps and positions.


  Sherri Allen: several nicely detailed images of ballerinas.


  For more free printable activities, crafts, coloring, projects and educational games, visit me at www.freeprintableactivities.blogspot.com and www.freeprintablelessonplans.blogspot.com and www.freecoloringpages4u.blogspot.com.



Free Printable 3D Model Circus Carousel, Theater



Looking for a way to spice up literature or history lessons?  Here's a complete free printable vintage cirque (circus) carousel merry-go-round and a complete regency miniature theater with characters for the play Cinderella. These are available from the Victoria and Albert Museum. 

This link will take you to the free printable French circus carousel with sweet tiny little vintage toys circus performers and horses. The miniature circus carousel has lovely French script. The instructions are in French, but you will easily see how to cut and paste and then assemble your vintage carousel.  There are four pages for the free printable circus carousel.


This link takes you to a complete free printable miniature theater set for Cinderella. You will print in black and white and then color the entire miniature theater, characters, costumes and set. This document is 22 pages long. The miniature theater includes free printable stage with supports.  There are also several pages of scenery backdrops and characters dressed in costumes they wear for each scene of the play. Label each character's name, acts and scene numbers he appears in on the back lightly with pencil. That way you know how to arrange and move characters. The play is set in Regency France; Cinderella costumes are designed and set is furnished thus. 

Free Printable American Girl History Lessons, Activities


American Girl doll characters each represent a different part of the country, time period and ethnic background. Each girl has her own series of books. American Girl has created these free printable craft activities for the BeForever historical dolls American Girl characters Addy, Caroline, Josefina, Julie, Kaya, Kit, Maryellen, Melody, Rebecca and Samantha. Each of the American Gril dolls has six corresponding books covering seasons, birthdays and holidays. They feature in historical mysteries, too. Here are free printable American Girl readers guides for parents and teachers. There was a play kit, party kit, craft activities book and recipe book for each doll, too. Here are free printable American Girl teachers guides for with craft activities and lesson plans on historical dolls. Here's a collection of all the free printable American Girl activities. Check out the super cute craft activities, games, puzzles, coloring pages and part supplies. Tip Junkie offers free printable American Girl games and free printable paper dolls and doll clothes. Some American Girl dolls are included.

The original five historical dolls from American Girl were Felicity (1774, colonial), Kirsten (1854, Minnesota territory settler), Addy (African-American, Civil War), Samantha (1904, city dweller) and Molly (1944, World War II). Of those, Felicity, Kirsten and Molly have been retired. The Pleasant Company added Josefina (1824, New Mexico), Kaya (1764 Native American Nez Perce), Julie (1970s, San Francisco), Kit (Great Depression), Rebecca (1914, Jewish), Marie-Grace and Cecilie (black and white friends in 1853 New Orleans), MaryEllen (1950s) and Melody (African American, 1964 during Civil Right era). Printables 4 Kids offers free printable craft activities that have been archived. Some are based on American Girl pets Coconut and Licorice and the AG Bitty Babies dolls. Here areAmerican Girl online games and activities. Here are printable activities from Doll Diaries. And here are lesson plans on diversity from Marie-Grace and Cecilie.