Colonial Days: Discover the Past with Fun Projects, Games, Activities, and Recipes
Grade 3-5AEveryday life in Colonial America is presented through text, games, activities, and recipes. The introduction sets the historical stage and introduces the fictional Mayhews: mother, father, and four children, who live on a farm in the Northeast in 1732. As the seasons change, readers see them at work, at play, and at school. The Native American point of view is covered briefly by way of visits between the Mayhews and a family in a nearby Indian village. A sidebar at the beginning of each chapter lists the projects for that season. They include making a sundial, growing an indoor herb garden, dipping candles, and weaving a pot holder. There are directions for games such as quoits, jackstraws, and Iroquois snow snakes. Recipes are included for such delights as maple cream, blueberry slump, jack wax, and berry syllabub. Some of the activities are simple enough for kids to do on their own; others require adult assistance. Explanatory text alternates with instructions and other sidebars that provide brief history lessons. The materials needed are readily accessible in grocery, hobby, or craft stores. The line drawings are clear and helpful. Howard Bovet and Marlene Smith-Baranzini's The Book of the American Colonies (Little, Brown, 1996) examines groups of people living during this period, such as different tribes of Native Americans, Quakers, Puritans, etc. Colonial Days is more specific in its setting and places more emphasis on activities than on history.ALucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VACopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.