Columbus Day celebrates major
European settlements in North America, and is also an interesting time to learn
more about the cultures that these explorers first encountered. Your child is
likely to enjoy these hands-on activitiesthat celebrate the importance of
multiple cultures.
Native
American Object Trays
Object trays featuring handmade crafts, dolls and
similar objects are a good art project for kids and also help them learn in a
more hands-on way. Labeling each item is helpful, and your child might also
want to create a written narrative about the objects they have chosen. Some
examples of objects to include miniature versions of:
Spears
Hammocks
Open
shelters used by the Arawaks
There are many historical
drawings and even photos going back to the late 1800's that show what life was
once like for these tribes. Contrasting how life was for these tribes before
European arrival adds dimension to this activity.
Continent
Boxes
Continent boxes help make learning about the world's
continents come to life. For boxes about Columbus Day, you will want to focus
on individual trays or baskets for Spain, where Columbus sailed from, to the
islands of the West Indies, where he landed. Items you might want to include:
Maps that
plot out Columbus' journey
Postcards
featuring the islands of the West Indies
High-quality
photos of museum exhibits that show replicas of the ships used
Dolls
featuring Spanish costumes of the time or dressed as Arawack Indians
One of the most exciting
things that kids enjoy about these boxes is that they are easy to add to at any
time. Kids often find that the longer they study a subject, the more they want
to know about it. These boxes provide the perfect opportunity for kids to make
the learning experience completely their own.
Singing
About Columbus
Younger kids are likely to
get a lot out of learning about Columbus in song. One of the major advantages of
teaching kids fun songs is that they will remember names and dates more easily.
Fun songs include:
Singing
"Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria" to the tune of "Three Little
Indians"
Singing
"Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue" to the tune of "The Ants
Go Marching"
Hiding
pieces from a puzzle of the North American continent and searching for the
pieces while singing "Sail, Sail, Sail Your Ship"
These musical activities will
help keep everything lively and fun for your kids.
Our Montessori Children's Center in the
Bay Area will keep learning exciting for your children. Call us today to schedule
your tour and learn about how the Montessori Method incorporates hands-on activities into the learning environment for your child.
