When you’re reading history from a textbook it can become a snooze-fest for your kids. History doesn’t have to be dry and boring. You can make it come alive with great books and add in hands-on activities to accompany them.
Be sure to enter the giveaway below, it endsย on Thursday, June 29th 2017.
How to Bring History Alive for Kids
Create a Timeline
When you’re learning about a specific time period with different events, it can be hard to get a grasp of time. Add new people and important events to your timeline to help your child get a better sense of time to look at the overall picture.
Watch Documentaries
Whether cartoons or reenactments, my boys love documentaries particularly anything related to wars and weapons.
Add History Crafts
Get their hands dirty and have fun creating historical artifacts out of clay or play dough. Create your own Greek masks or pottery, art projects are a wonderful way to create things during various time periods.
Visit Local Historical Places
Depending on your location, you can bet there are some wonderful museums or historical sites that my be local to you. Take advantage of your location and see what kind of history you can pull of of your hometown. Take a trip? Take a look to see any attractions you may be able to visit as you travel to learn more about the history that is around you.
Read Living Books
Go beyond the textbooks and grab living books for your kids. Textbooks can be dry and boring for kids who have not yet developed a love for history. Living books show kids how people lived in a different time and helps them understand better when they can see a character living during different time periods and what problems they had to endure.
If you’re looking for living history books these picture books from Carole P. Roman, the If You Were Me and Lived In… series is a wonderful selection of history books for kids. These 5 books cover a variety of time periods but do a great job showing how life was during those time periods. My son who is more into science and only beginning to find a love for history really enjoyed these books. Theyย are full of color and engaging. The books go over the daily life of a child, where they lived, what time of home, clothes they wore, chores or work they had to do. It also paints of picture of how they child would see the world around them as they discuss the customs and different classes of people at the time.
Carole P. Roman has published over 30 children’s books and has written several series of books. On top of the If You Were Me and Lived in…. history series, there is also a country series that looks at children in other cultures. My son really liked learning about children from around the world.
Disclosure: I partnered with Carole P Roman andย I received Compensation as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
evelyn says
I would like to receive the history book about the revolutionary war period.
Nicki says
Can’t wait to check out the living history books. Interested in Ancient Greece or Colonial America.
Sally A says
I would like the American West. We just moved out west and want to learn some of the history.
Heather says
We would love to have the American West book since that is what we will be studying next
Dotty Guffey says
Elizabethan England
Frances Jornov says
I would like to receive Colonial America. We live near Williamsburg and Jamestown Virginia. Always enjoy learning more about the settling of America.
Molly says
I think my children would love the book about the Wild West.
jackie davis says
I would love to try Colonial America before I purchase the full set!
Sherri O. says
Ancient Greece
Christina says
I found history “boring” as a child, but now as an adult, I want to know it all. Is love to make history exciting and come alive for my children now!
Wendy Clark says
Colonial America
Melissa says
We would love the Ancient Greece book!
Christy J says
I’d like to read the book about Elizabethan England.
Vinessa says
American West
Michelle B says
I would love the book on Ancient Greece! I hope to take them to visit present day Greece one day too.
Alena Ray says
I would love the Ancient Greece book!
Lisa says
These look great would love to have one!
Anna says
America West!
Anita says
These look so fun!
Sheila A Stack says
ancient greece
Tabitha C says
We’d love the If You Were Me and Lived in the American West! My kiddos are obsessed with it!
Holly says
Colonial America
Agnieszka S says
Colonial America
Michelle Tustin says
Definitely the Anicent Greece. However Mayan Empire is a super close second!
Teresa says
I think that my kids would enjoy the Colonial America books!
Katie says
I would like the one on ancient greede
Alecia Blanchard says
Colonial America
Mandi Smith says
I think the colonial America book would be a great addition
Anne Perry says
I would like the Ancient Greece book!
Jennifer VanHorn says
Thank you for doing this giveaway!
Machell Duke says
I would pick Russia
Sharon says
Colonial America!!
Faye Yarbrough says
I would actually love to have any of these. Would like to try with my 13 year old autistic, 9 year old and 7 year old dyslexic. Maybe it would change their minds about reading and history. Thank you for doing this giveaway!
Krissy McLean says
We’d love the England one…or the Greece.
Lisa Joy Starr says
I would live the one about the Viking Empire.
Stephanie says
I’d love to bring history alive for my kids. These tips are great and useful. Visiting historical places and watching documentaries are just fabulous ideas to bring the history alive.
Kimberly says
books from around the world
Kathleen P. says
I would like the Viking Europe book.
Jen O says
This would be an amazing resource for our homeschool.
Lisa Joy Starr says
The Ancient Greece book would be one that we would love to read too.
Michelle H says
All of them sound great, but if I’d have to choose I’d say American West.
Sam says
Hope to check out the whole series.
Ancient Greece
L Sell says
Hi, I would like the …the Middle Ages book. That would be perfect for our curriculum next year!
Amy Winkle says
This sounds like a great series! I’d pick Viking Europe to read first.
Sara P. says
Either Colonial America or Ancient Greece
Lisa Joy Starr says
My youngest son wants to learn Italian and we have loved learning about the Renaissance period, so the book about Renaissance Italy sounds like it would be fun to read.
Elizabeth says
The Viking one or Greece would be cool.
Jewelie says
They all look great. I would try the Vikings first.
Abigail F says
Colonial America ๐
Lisa Joy Starr says
One of the first civilizations we learned about was the Mayans. It would be so neat, when my grandkids start homeschooling, to share the Mayan Empire book with them when they learn about this interesting civilization.
Lisa Joy Starr
Mandy Ferguson says
We would love a book on the ancients! We will be studying that time period next year ๐
Em says
What a great way to kick off summer – before we all get next year’s main plans started too. Thanks!
Lisa Joy Starr says
We would love to have the book about the American West to use this coming year.
Lisa Joy Starr
Lisa Joy Starr says
The Ancient China book looks like fun!!
Lisa Joy Starr
Melissa says
As a History geek, all of them sound amazing but my kids would be all about Ancient Greece followed closely by the Mayan Empire.
Melissa says
I have a very reluctant learner and I believe that this series would make it fun for both of us !
Heather says
Ancient Greece!
Carrie says
I would love to get the Mayan Empire book.
Lisa Joy Starr says
Ancient Mali Empire looks interesting.
Julie says
I’d love the American West! It would line up with what I already have planned for next year. I love the country ones too, to give some personability to geography!
Francisco Nordman says
I’d love to receive the Ancient Greek book.
Marsha T says
Elizabethan England
Lisa Joy Starr says
We will be studying Greek this coming year so the book about living in Ancient Greece would go well with our studies.
Lisa Joy Starr
Lori says
I love history MUCH MORE now that I am teaching it. Look forward to browsing your curriculum.
Charisse DeLima says
So many good books to pick from it is hard to pick. But I would have to go with the Colonial America to work with this fall.
lindsey hart says
we’d love the vikings or colonial america.
Marisa Gallardo says
I would like to receive the book about the Middle Ages.
Melissa McDorman says
These books look wonderful. Fingers crossed
Caroline says
We would love the Colonial America book.
Marcia says
Colonial American. It would be perfect for what we’ll be learning next year.
Leigh says
Colonial America
Eileen says
Would love any of them! Thanks for the giveaway!
Hailey says
Colonial America or Ancient Greece! ๐
Melissa says
I would love any of your books. My first choice would be Colonial America, the book about Italy or Poland or any of the country or history books. Too many great ones to choose from!
Monica P says
I would love to win them all because having them would enhance our homeschool!