Going back to colonial times in America

A child growing up in colonial times had a very different life than our children today. Even gender made a difference, as boys did different things than girls—in education, chores, and even play. In colonial times, children spent part of their day with schooling and the other half with chores, as early as preschool years. The days were long, but home life was filled with love and still enough time for fun and enjoyment. Recreate colonial times with these activities.

The Pilgrims were our first colonists and we remember them this time of year with Thanksgiving and recreating how the Native Americans and Pilgrims shared a day of thanks and a wonderful meal. Provide two pictures of Thanksgiving feasts—one of today and one of the first Thanksgiving. Discuss the following with your children.

Discuss that Thanksgiving is a special time to give thanks and to be polite. Practice etiquette skills together. One child in the household has an object. Another sibling or an adult asks the first child for the object using “please” and “thank you.” The first child gives the object to the other person and says, “You’re welcome.” Take turns practicing these social graces.

Colonial children had crude games, toys, and dolls. They made toys from materials found around the house and natural materials outdoors. Dolls were made from cloth, rags, and corn husks. Animal figures were whittled from soft wood. Marbles were played in the dirt. Children played games such as tag and Blindman’s Buff and sang songs such as “London Bridge is Falling Down” and “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush.”

To play the marble game “taw”, a line, was drawn in the dirt. Players shot a marble from behind the taw line into a circle that held other marbles. The object was to knock the other marbles out of the circle.

Another marble game was to dig a number of holes into the ground; then shoot a marble into each one. Marbles are an easy find today at toy stores—why not take a shot at this traditional game?

Make a replica of a sampler using graph paper. Reproduce cross-stitch alphabet letters on graph paper. Have the children color the X’s with fine tip markers or colored pencils.

Finished samplers can be framed with colored construction paper and hung on the walls. There are many books that contain cross-stitch alphabet charts or you can find one online.

There is nothing more homey than a quilt.

Explain to children how, in the past, quilts were made from scraps and even material from old clothing. In the old days, making a quilt might have been a group activity, with friends and family. Provide fabric scraps for your children to cut. A basic quilt could be fabric squares glued onto construction paper.

Try to incorporate a pattern using colors or prints. A recycling activity at its best!

Learning to read in colonial times was to learn the alphabet. The children used a special book called a hornbook, made up of a thin piece of flat wood often with a handle fashioned at the bottom. Attached to this was a piece of paper on which the alphabet was written. The paper was covered with a thin, transparent sheet made from the horn of a bull or other animal, helping to preserve it. Thus the name, the hornbook.

Cut a hornbook shape from cardboard. Glue on a sheet of alphabet letters and numbers on the front. Cover the hornbook with clear contact paper. Use special wipe-off crayons or erasable markers to practice writing skills. Just a tissue will wipe the practicing away!

Corn was a popular grain during Colonial days. Make this fun molding dough.

You will need: 1-1/2 cups fl our, 1-1/2 cups cornmeal, 1 cup salt, 1 cup water.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Add more water (if needed) to form smooth dough. Use this to model as with any play dough. (Keeps up to six weeks in an airtight container).

Food is at the center of so many family celebrations. Save a leftover ear of corn from dinner to make this fun print. Make a paint pad by placing folded paper towels in a shallow container. Pour on some poster (tempera) paint. Let the children roll corncobs across the paint pad and then across a sheet of paper. If you have plastic corn-on-the-cob holders, they make great handles and keep little hands clean.

The colonists made butter by churning heavy cream. Invite kids to make butter the old-fashioned way! Fill baby food jars half full of heavy cream and screw the lids on tight.

Add a glass marble to help do the mixing. Instruct the children to shake the jars. Shaking at least five minutes or more, the cream will be whipped and you will begin to see lumps of yellow butter forming. Rinse off the liquid whey and add a little salt if desired. Spread the butter on crackers for a taste.

Drying apples naturally concentrates their sweetness and nutrition. These rings were a hit with colonial children. Peel, core, and slice the apples into rings about 1/8 inch thick.

MacIntosh and Golden Delicious apples work well. Mix one Tablespoon lemon juice and three Tablespoons water in a dish. To prevent apples from discoloring, dip each ring into the mixture, and then pat dry with paper towels. String the fruit through the center of each ring (use twine or dental floss) and hang them in a dry, warm place (a sunny window is ideal). The rings will take one to two weeks to dry. Dry rings will have a chewy, leathery texture. Variation—Dry the apple rings in a warm oven, 150 degrees for about four hours, maybe longer, turning once midway.