Here are some fun “extras’ that go along with Cycle 2. Games and puzzles are an easy way to incorporate learning into your day. They can reinforce memory work effortlessly. My kids love to play them in the afternoons when we are done with school or sometimes we just play them for school. Here are the ones I am using for cycle 2 this year with my 5th grader, 3nd grader, and 1st grader. Hopefully this list will bless you too.
- Famous Figures of the Middle Ages and Renaissance Paper Dolls. History Weeks 1-7. Make articulated paper dolls of famous people including Charlemagne, William the Conqueror, Richard the Lionheart, Joan of Arc, Marco Polo, Johannes Gutenberg and more. Each figure has 2 dolls: one already colored and one to color yourself. Also contains a brief history about each person. I like to let me kids make them as we come across them in the history sentences. All my kids ages 2-10 love these (even my boy)!
- Kingdomino. History Weeks 1-7. Strategy board game set in a Medieval Times. Based on the game of dominos with twist; the players build their kingdoms. Add up the “crowns” you earned at the end to see who wins.
- Medieval History Go Fish Game. History Weeks 1-7. Learn facts about Medieval History by playing Go Fish (and other other suggested games). Cards have a theme: warriors, warfare, people, technology, painting, architecture etc. and you match them together. Each theme has 4 different cards with different objects to learn about. Includes a mini book with more information about each card.
- History Dates Memory Cube. History Weeks 6-24. This is great for helping kids get those history dates down. I developed this for Classical Conversations Cycle 2. Each cube has 6 weeks of history dates (or other prompt if the date is not available eg. WWII Leaders). I usually pull the first cube out towards the end of week 6. A child rolls the cube and then recites the history sentence associated with the date that is displayed. As we go farther along in the school year, I keep adding more cubes. It really helps to cement those history dates with the history sentences.
- Knights & Castles: Sticker Activity Book by National Geographic Kids. History Weeks 1-7. Learn about Medieval Castles and Knights as you place over 1,000 stickers and do activities (coloring, mazes) on this 40 page book. Contains facts about castles, everyday life, kings and queens, knights etc. Better for younger elementary.
- Build A Knight’s Castle. History Weeks 1-7. Pop-out and build this paper castle. Also contains 45 pages of castle life, parts of castle, archaeology and how we know what was in a castle (caution: first 2 pages list millions of years). Great for 2nd grade and up.
- GeoPuzzle Europe. Geography Weeks 2-7, 13-18. Great puzzle to reinforce our geography time at CC. Each piece is shaped like a country or group of countries. Could also use GeoPuzzle Asia for this cycle too, weeks 10-11, 19-23.
- My First Book of Knots by Berndt Sundsten and Jan Jager. History Week 8, European Explorers. The Explorers sailed the sea and had to know how to tie knots. Let your child learn how to tie various knots: Square, half hitch, bowline, anchor bend and more.
- Playful Planets Game. Science Weeks 9-13. Fun game to learn about the planets, sun, moon, and astronauts. Each thing has 4 cards with facts and pictures about each planet, sun, moon etc (no evolution or millions of years). There are 10 different games to play from “Go Fly To the Sky” to “Slap Jupiter” to Dump Your Stardust.” Even my 6 year old was telling me about Saturn after this game.
