One of the challenges of teaching American history for kids is making the past come to life. However, lots of different activities can engage and excite kids when teaching them about history. Here are some fun and exciting places to start!
Bringing History to Life Through Books
For example, books that teach world or American history for kids are a great way to bring the past into the modern era. Educational books for children don’t have to be dull or boring! Books like the Tuttle Twins series turn the past into a modern adventure any kid can relate to.
The Tuttle Twins history books are among the top children’s book series for families because they don’t just tell about history. They breathe new life into stories from the past, making them exciting and engaging as kids embark on a fun adventure in every title. This is just one of the many reasons why Tuttle Twins books are good for homeschoolers.
Interactive Storytelling
Starting with titles like the Tuttle Twins history books feeds naturally into interactive storytelling. Bring history to your kids by sharing stories from the past, either from your own family’s history or from fictional stories you make up as you go along.
While telling the stories, you can make them interactive by asking questions like, “What do you think happened next?” or letting your kids make choices about the decisions the characters will make — within historical context, of course.
Make Learning Hands-On
Role playing is also an excellent way to teach world or American history for kids. Kids love getting into character and hamming it up for their friends or family members! Simulations are also a fun way to spice up history lessons by engaging kids in court trials, debates from the past, or any other events you might be teaching about.
You can also help them build models or create timelines to help form pictures of what happened in their minds. While getting creative, don’t forget to teach related topics like why things might have happened the way they did. Share the mindsets that were common at the time and explain what historical figures might have been thinking when they made certain world-altering decisions.
Show and Tell with Trips to Historical Places
Kids will love getting out of the house and going to visit important places where history happened or is memorialized. Monuments and museums can offer interesting and exciting ways to show your kids what happened instead of just telling them about it.
For example, a trip to the Smithsonian can spark numerous conversations about a broad range of topics. Some other ideas for fun historical trips include:
- The Lincoln memorial in Washington, D.C.
- Lincoln’s Boyhood Home in Indiana
- Chicago’s Field Museum
- Fort Sumter National Monument in Charleson, South Carolina
- The American Museum of Natural History in New York City
- The Freedom Trail in Boston
- Ellis Island in New York
- Historic towns or heritage villages in your area or state
- Living history museums
- Carter House Plantation in Tennessee
- The Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.
Make History Relative
A key challenge with teaching history to kids is making it relative to their daily lives in the modern era. After all, many kids want to know why it’s important to learn about history and how it relates to their lives.
It’s actually easy to make history relative and fun by connecting it to something in today’s world. Teach your kids how they use certain inventions today. Lead your kids on a journey through your family’s history via historical documents if you have any. For example, you could share the story of how your family immigrated to the United States in generations past.
Reinforce Lessons with Continued Reading
Finally, you’ll want to use books like the Tuttle Twins series to continue reinforcing what your kids are learning through interactive fun. It’s easy to see why the Tuttle Twins history books are among the top children’s book series for families. Watch history come alive in fun and exciting ways that will have your kids asking you to read them history books over and over!