The Middle Ages is one of the historical eras that soon begins to be studied in schools, so it is common that young children belonging to the first levels of primary school or even infantile have already heard about it.
That is why in this article we want to propose a few ideas to be able to work on the Middle Ages in the classroom in an original and fun way or, simply, to enjoy with the family or at any party with children of this mysterious and unique time.
Ideas for projects or activities about the Middle Ages
- Hats
If what you want is a princess hat, cut a large circle of paper, find its center point and roll it into a cone shape; Once you have it, staple or glue the open area so that it does not open and make sure it has the circumference of the size of the child’s head. Use strips of crepe paper, long pieces of colored ribbon, or tulle to decorate the hat on the outside. Children can also collaborate by adding the color they like best with tempera or paints and markers. Other details, such as some old jewelery or a few touches of glitter, can give the final touch to the whole. You can also add an elastic band to better hold the hat to the head and prevent it from falling off.
If, on the contrary, what we want is a prince’s hat, we can look for an old newspaper, fold it in a similar way to the one we use in origami to make a simple paper boat, paint the color we want, for example blue, and add a touch extra decorative like a badge or some feather.
- Slogans for settings or cards
If you need cards to make invitations to an event with a theme of the Middle Ages or you are simply looking for a motto to decorate your classroom or school around this time in history , a good idea may be to capture the following phrase or something similar : “Ladies and gentlemen of this kingdom: a medieval festival is approaching and it will be a pleasure for you as guests. Cross the great drawbridge… the Middle Ages await you ”.
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- Medieval posters and banners
If what you are looking for are posters for settings or banners, take note of these proposals:
- Draw and cut out cardboard shields.
- Have the children write their name at the top.
- Under the name children can draw stars, stripes, suns, animals, etc. in order to personalize your own banner. Brainstorming items that you think are from the Middle Ages can be a good idea for groups.
- Gather and place all the finished banners on a large cork or on the walls of the school.
- Talk to children about how royalty, for example, had their own banners to announce who they were to others, as well as to symbolize belonging to particular families and groups. You can compare this idea with what the flags of different countries represent today.
- Swords from another world
And if there are characteristic objects that represent the Middle Ages, in addition to shields, they are swords, which can also be easily made by hand.
For each sword you will need black electrical tape, silver duct tape, and two wrapping paper or tubes (one larger than the other). You will want to slide the smaller gift wrap tube into the larger tube and make the end of the smaller one stick out about 4 to 6 inches. Cut the bottom of the tube into a v shape to simulate the point of the sword. All the piece that simulates the blade will be wrapped in adhesive tape or silver paper. To make the handle stronger and more realistic, you can wrap it with dark colored electrical tape.
You can also make the matching sword and shield just with the help of cardboard and a little white ribbon, since the natural tone of the cardboard makes the weapons look old and carved only in wood.
Games and activities to recreate the Middle Ages
- Bowling castle
Cut and discard the top sections of 6 milk cartons. Cover the cardboard with glue and decorative paper. With scissors, cut a kind of towers along the top to make it look like a castle. Add stone and door designs with a marker. These cards will be the pins. To be able to play, once all the cards are finished, find a light ball so that the castles can be knocked down . The operation will be that of a traditional bowling game but with an air of another era.
- The silver treasure
Make silver pieces out of cardboard circles covered with aluminum foil. Tell the children that a dragon broke into your castle and stole the silver treasure. Hide the silver pieces in some area of the class or the playground and have the children look for it. Another idea for coins can be to reuse stoppers or lids from mason jars .
- Capture the dragon
Select various types of cardboard boxes to make a dragon shape with the help of a drawing or template. Decorate with pieces of cut paper and add a glue of colored paper or other elements that you want. If you’re designing flat, make sure it has a small back piece so it can stand upright. Then the children will have to try to score a series of gymnastic rings on the dragon’s head , the one with the most rings able to place will have caught the dragon.
- Cardboard castle
Have the children build a castle from large cardboard boxes and add their own decorative touch. It can also be decorated with graffiti or with the signature of each one, which can be inspired by the Middle Ages with the help of classic fonts or using false names that simulate medieval characters , for example, Caballero García, Daniel Trueno, Carla Corazón de León … etc.
- Festival or final dance
Using the hats and all the elements that have been manufactured during the week or the period that has been decided in the school, a final dance can be organized to dismiss the project of the Middle Ages . In it, each child will dance with their elements, which can be knights’ hats, flower crowns… accompanying the dance with medieval or baroque music will give an ideal touch and allow the little ones to become even more familiar with the period.
A poetry recital with princes, princesses, and minstrels can also be a great idea to end an extraordinary project. Write down all these ideas for the festival !:
- Here is the prince with his feathered cap (the rest of the boys and girls take off their caps and bow).
- Here are his boots that do tap, tap (the rest of the children march around).
- Here is the princess with her incredible crown (the rest of the children touch the crowns with both hands as a sign of respect).
- Here is the tall and wide castle! (They raise all the arms making the signal of height and width).
- Here all his vassals live and play! (The children all join in a circle and simulate a big hug).
