Are you looking for a fun, easy, creative, slightly messy, and hands-on way to learn about maps, land forms, and geography? Salt-Dough Maps are such a fun way to add the fun wow factor to your homeschooling lessons.

What kid doesn’t enjoy learning while creating a piece of hands-on art?

Here you will find directions on how to make salt dough, make a relief map, and other fun uses for the salt dough. While there is a little bit of added prep, the rewards of your child’s hands-on learning will be worth it.

Caution: Raw flour is safe safe for consumption, make sure that all participants wash their hands after each use.

“This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.”

How to Use Salt Dough Maps to Make Learning Creative and Fun!

Sure, you can print that map off of the internet and have your kiddos fill in the cities, mountain ranges, lakes, rivers, and other important landmarks… But that may not be the most effective way for your child to truly learn. Often, taking the extra time to prep for an engaging learning opportunity will reap the reward of long term learning.

Our brains are designed to connect with the physical world through hands-on interaction.

A Creative Learner

Hands on learning is so effective because children learn by doing. Creating a map using salt dough is not only fun, but will encourage your child to truly learn and have fun at the same time.

What is a Salt Dough Map?

A salt dough map is a three-dimensional map that allows children to create mountain ranges, hills, lakes, rivers, oceans, and so on. It is more useful for a child to see that maps represent different topographical features that are not easily seen with a paper map. The main components are salt, flour and water. Salt dough is super easy to work with and is fun to play around with.

These 3D maps are super effective for younger children that are just starting to work with maps. It helps them to see and understand the different characteristics of regions on a map. But don’t necessarily leave out your older ones. They can benefit from this hands-on lesson as well.

How Do You Make a Salt Dough Map?

Salt dough maps are super simple. They require a minimal amount of prep. They can, however, be quite messy. The mess, however, is well worth it!

Prior to beginning a salt dough maps, I would suggest spending a little time researching what relief maps are. We decided to research topography maps first, using the colors that are typically used for altitude differentiation.

There are so many amazing map books that you can purchase or check out from the library. Having a couple for reference is helpful.

We were learning about the Lewis and Clark Expedition in our history studies. This was a great opportunity to incorporate geography in a way that catered to my children’s kinesthetic and artistic learning styles.

Here are simple directions to create your own salt-dough map for any geographical region. We chose to create a map of the United States of America because we were studying the landscape in which pioneers traveled west. My children were learning about the different regions that were traveled through such as Mountain ranges, plains, rivers, lakes, etc.

We copied the colors of altitude from a geology website. You can even use a geography map book to use as an example for which colors to use.

What are the Supplies and Materials Needed to Make a Salt Dough Map?

Salt

flour

water

bowl

stirring utensil

pencil

acrylic paint

paint brushes

wood panel (or you can use thick cardboard)

paper to cover surface of table

365 by Whole Foods Market, All Purpose Flour, 80 Ounce

Morton, Iodized Salt, 737 Grams(gm)

Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint Set (2-Ounce), Best Colors Count, 32 Fl Oz (Pack of 16)

9×12 Wood Canvas for Crafts, 6-Pack Framed Wooden Panel Boards for Painting Pouring Crafts

Acrylic Paint Brush Set, 6 Packs / 60 pcs Nylon Hair Brushes for All Purpose Oil Watercolor Painting Artist Professional Kits

What is the Recipe for Salt Dough?

In a bowl, mix:

2 cups all purpose flour (cheap is fine)

1 cup salt

1 cup water

1 TBSP cream of tartar (ONLY for Play dough- not necessary for the salt dough maps)

Stir with a spoon, until it is too difficult, then use your hands. The goal is to mix until it has the consistency of play dough. Sometimes you may need to add more water or more flour. Find a consistency you like.

****Remember to always wash your hands after handling raw flour!!!****

Directions for Salt dough map

• Sketch out the region on your panel of wood with a pencil
• Cover your work area with newspaper or messy tablecloth
• Make your salt dough (don’t eat it, its disgusting :-)- see recipe above.
• using small amounts, begin to add the salt dough to your wood panel
• add layers of salt dough to the regions that are mountains
• using a pencil or other tool, etch out lakes, rivers, and other low areas.
• smooth your map gently with fingertips
• once you and your children are happy with your salt dough map, allow 1-2 days for the dough to dry completely.
• paint your dry map according to a key that you create (or copy)

How Long Does it Take for a Salt Dough Map to Dry?

I live in a dry climate (southern California). We did our map during late spring, and it took 1 day to dry. It may take longer if you live in a humid climate. You know it is dry if it is all the same light color and it will feel dry as well. Make sure that there is no more moisture in the salt dough.

What Paint do You Use for Salt Dough Maps?

Acrylic paint is the best paint to use for your salt dough maps. Make sure your Salt dough map is dry prior to painting as Acrylic paint is vibrant and dries rather quickly. It is best if you use a variety of brushes for your map so that you can add in details such as rivers and lakes. When we finished our United States of America salt dough map, it was so beautiful that I started using it as a decoration.

Practical Tips Before You Get Started

If you are working with super young kiddos, give them some exploration time with the dough before you begin constructing the map. Little ones love to experiment with new things, so you will notice they will be easily distracted observing and manipulating their fresh salt-dough. Let your young kids know that have a set time to play around with the dough before the lesson begins. They will be more ready to learn once they have explored and played with the salt dough.

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

Benjamin Franklin

Now, if you are like me, stepping in to help (or take over) for your child is a real temptation. However, it is important to not take over this project for your kids. During the map creating project, try to let your child create and take ownership of this project, helping as little as possible.

What are some more uses for Salt Dough? Taking Salt Dough to the Next Level

The Uses are really endless! There are so many things you can make with salt dough! If you give salt dough as an option to your children to extend their learning they will take it. (Mine children LOVE using salt dough!)

Art

Create replica sculptures from famous artists or old artifacts that you see at the museum.

Geography

Choose any region and create a three-dimensional map. You can even add buildings, roads, parks, etc.

History

Create a bust of a famous person from history or recreate one of the seven wonders of the world.

Science

Create a habitat, mold an organ from the human body, make a model of a cell and label it.

Create Fossils and bones, and recreate an archaeology dig.

FREE CREATIVE TIME (My children’s favorite)

Math

Make manipulatives to practice addition, subtraction, and other math properties. The recipe is a good lesson in measurement.

Make some Salt Dough and simply let your children play.

You can make your own play dough. BUT, you will need to add 2 more special ingredients… Cream of Tartar and food coloring.

What is the Purpose of Cream of Tartar in Salt Dough?

The ingredient Cream of Tartar makes the dough super soft and easy to work with. If you place your dough in a zip lock bag, it will keep for quite a while. The salt is a preservative, so it could last for months.

Hands-On Learning Benefits

There are many benefits of hands-on learning! When children interact with the world they take ownership of their learning. Chances are they are having fun as well when they are learning in a hands-on way. This emotional connection to learning is another important aspect of their education.

What are some ways that you can integrate salt-dough into your child’s hands-on learning? Do you have any other ways that you can use salt-dough in homeschooling?

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Here is a fun and engaging art history lesson for kids. They will create a self-portrait that is inspired by the Pointillism artist Georges Seurat. Using dots and contrasting colors, children will paint a portrait of themselves. This is a great art activity to hang on your walls!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.

Who was Georges Seurat?

Georges Seurat was born in 1859 in the Paris, France. His family was wealthy and lived a very comfortable lifestyle. Georges Seurat was an artist early on in his life. He went to art school, but got frustrated with the strict rules that the teachers taught. He dropped out of art school and started to study art on his own. When he saw Monet’s artwork, he was amazed with his use of color, light, and line. He was highly influenced by Monet’s style.

What Art History Movement Was Georges Seurat a Part of?

The Larger movement Georges Seurat was a part of was the Post-Impressionist movement, however more specifically he was the creator of Pointillism. Georges Seurat and Paul Signac are considered the founders of the Pointillism movement.

Artists at the time of Post-Impressionism were looking for new ways to paint “impressions” of what they saw around them. While impressionists were creating art with small brush strokes, Seurat and Signac took that a step further and used dots instead. The other difference was that they did not blend colors on their palettes, rather they placed dots of specific colors next to each other on the canvas and created the illusion of blending to the viewer.

What is the Pointillism Technique?

Pointillism comes from the French word for point or dot. Pointillism is a painting technique where dots of contrasting color are arranged in a way as to appear as a blended color when admiring the work from afar. It is sort of like pixels today. You get the full effect of Pointillism by standing a distance away from the art work.

In reality, the human eye is tricked by the precision of the dots location and by their color selection. Seurat was fascinated by the science of color and he sought to create beautiful artwork based on this science.

He and other Pointillists did not mix the colors on a palette before painting, rather they placed vibrant complementary paints directly on the canvas, side-by-side. The effect was brilliant! The viewers eyes “mixed” the colors when viewing the art from far away. That is one reason why Seurat’s art pieces were so large; over six feet in most cases

Georges Seurat preferred the term “divisionism” for his newly developed style, but it didn’t stick.

Why Did Georges Seurat Use Pointillism?

Georges Seurat wanted to create something new as an artist. He felt that he was being taught art in a way that was rigid and lacked freedom. He desired to create a new style of art after he studied the impressionist painters.

He loved the science behind art and color as well, so he mixed the two. He focused on the power of line and form as well as perception. He brought his love of color theory to the front and center of his art. He spent much of his time studying the science behind it.

While the Impressionists were using complementary colors and mixing them on a palette, Georges Seurat skipped the mixing step and applied color in dots directly on the canvas. He did NOT mix the colors, but rather allowed them to “blend” when we glanced at his art from afar.

What is Color Theory?

Color theory is the study of how colors are mixed and how they are seen with the human eye.

The Scientist Michel Chevreul had devised a theory of color and Georges Seurat was fascinated by that theory. When Chevreul was studying color he saw that when two colors were placed side-by-side and viewed from far away, they appeared to be mixed. Georges Seurat studied this concept and applied it to his art. Rather than mixing colors before applying them to his canvas, Seurat placed colors side-by-side and let the viewers brain mix them for him.

For more information on color theory see Designwizard.com.

What Other Artists Use Pointillism?

Paul Signac was another famous Pointillism artist. He is credited to have created this new style of art with Seurat, however, he is less famous.

Today, many artists are influenced by Pointillism. It can be seen in digital art, embroidery, and tattoos.

See this great article by MyModernMet.com for more information on Pointillism’s influence today.

What Was Going on in History During Georges Seurat’s Life?

The Franco-prussian was was going on during his young life, so his family relocated to Fontainebleau.

Scientific discoveries and artistic innovation occurred during the 19th century. The telephone was invented in 1876, the combustion engine was invented in the 1880s, and so many more technological inventions during the industrial revolution. Artists were constantly trying new techniques as well.

How to Teach About Georges Seurat in Art History for Kids

Start with the bigger picture (no pun intended) when teaching about Georges Seurat. Seurat came into the art world eager to make a big impression and he did just that. At a time when the impressionism style was in the forefront and gaining appreciation Seurat took it a step further with his innovative ideas.

What Are Georges Seurat’s Most Famous Pointillism Art Pieces?

The most famous piece of artwork, in my opinion, is “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte”. I can still remember learning about it in high school (many years ago :-)). It is so massive, it takes up most of the wall in the museum where it is located. “The Eiffel Tower”, “The Bathers at Asnieres”, and “Le Chahut” are other famous pieces by Georges Seurat.

A Timeline Perspective of Art History

It is important to give your children perspective when it comes to art history and history in general. Never teach out of context! Timelines are a great way to show your kids the purpose of what they are learning and the context. What was happening elsewhere around the world? What was going on culturally where the artist was from. Were any wars going on? Strife? Political issues? The art of the time usually represents a much larger cultural and historical picture; make sure to include this when you are teaching.

Try making your own Timeline and adding to it as you learn about different artists. Below is a FREE for subscribers printable timeline book that you can download if you would like.

Check out this ART HISTORY Timeline. It covers every continent in the world and all of history. Bookmark it and use it as a reference when needed.

For more information on the life of Georges Seurat see this great website TheArtStory.org

Georges Seurat Art History For Kids Lesson Plan:

Note: I taught this lesson for a group of 10 mixed aged homeschoolers from pre-k through 8th grade. When doing the lesson, I catered to the higher levels because I believe young children will glean from this type of education.

Grades: Kindergarten through 8th Grade (Modify based on your own children/students)

Learning Objectives/ Big Ideas: The 19th century was a time of great innovation in the arts and the sciences. Pointillism was a part of the post-impressionist movement and was invented by Georges Seurat. Students will apply his technique and become familiar with how to create an art piece using Pointillism.

Vocabulary: art history, pointillism, primary colors, color mixing, Georges Seurat, impressionism, innovation, color theory

About Georges Seurat:

A fun way to remember this artist: “Seurat Dot” (pronounced “SIR-ROT DOT”) while I am pretty sure that this is an incorrect pronunciation- the fact that it rhymes really helps children to remember what Seurat was famous for… DOTS!

Georges Seurat was born in 1859 in Paris France. He was the youngest of 3 children and born into a wealthy home. He lived a comfortable life and was encouraged to study art. He was sent to art school where his formal study began. However, he dropped out due to the strict rules and lack of artistic freedom. Georges Seurat continued to study art on his own. When he found Claude Monet’s Impressionists works, he was in awe. Monet’s use of color and lines inspired Seurat to create his own artistic style, which became known as Pointillism.

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”

— Georges Seurat

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Materials Needed:

art work prints by Seurat (Check out this website for free public domain art work- The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Book about Seurat (Optional)

picture of your child/student (5×7 or larger)

white cardstock paper

vellum paper (for tracing)

printer

black sharpie marker

acrylic paints in bright colors (or for younger kids-tempura paints)

Q-tips (lots)

newspaper for messes

paper plates

Map

Timeline

trash can or small brown paper bags

2 pieces of rope or string: one that is 7 feet long and the other 10 feet long- these will be used to demonstrate how large Georges Seurat’s art pieces were.

Optional: magnifying glass

Optional: Hardback blank book to keep your child’s art- if you are making them an Art History Introduction book.

Optional: I like to get into character when I teach. I find that the kids really enjoy it. For Art History I wear a beret and talk in an accent.

Prior to beginning the lesson:

You will need to create outlines of your child/students. This doesn’t take long, just a couple of steps and you can make the outlines for the self-portrait. See this lesson for instructions: Andy Warhol Pop Art Instructions.

I created a self-portrait template of myself so that I could have an example to do with my students. So, you may want to take the time to create a self-portrait of yourself

IF you do not want the Self-portrait portion of the lesson, please use any other picture or this template/coloring page of “A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte”.

Another great website with lots of famous art coloring pages is Supercoloring.com.

You can also give freedom to your students to sketch out whatever they would like and then paint using the pointillism technique.

The Lesson

Hook/Interest Grabber

1. Dress up and put on your Beret! Grab that accent and introduce yourself as the Artist/Instructor get into character and have fun!
2. Display a piece of Seurat’s artwork. You can locate free art on the website Metropolitan Museum of Art and print it up. Tell your students that they are going to be inspecting some famous art pieces and you need their expert input. I like to pass around a variety of art pieces and allow the children to really inspect it, they can use magnifying glasses as well. This is a great activity to get your children interested in the lesson.
3. Spend a couple of minutes allowing the children to describe what they see. Write notes on the board or on a piece of paper. Encourage discussion about colors used, perspective, and where else you may find this type of art (think of pixels on a TV or digital art).
4. Bring out your map and your art history timeline and show student that today’s artist is from Paris, France and lived during the 19th century. His name is Georges Seurat!

Lesson:

1. If you purchased the book “Joining the Dots: The Art Of Seurat” By In-Sook Kim, then read that book and discuss who Seurat was and his style of art. Pay attention to how Seurat uses the science of color to create illusions of color mixing in his famous art works. This book does a good job of showing that.
2. Discuss who Georges Seurat was and how he developed the Pointillism method which is a part of the larger impressionist movement.

Activity:

Children will create a self-portrait using the Pointillism method:

Step 1. Line the table with a protective covering such as newspaper.

Step 2. Pass out the supplies: Paper plate with which ever paint colors you are using, Q-tips (lots), trash can nearby, self-portrait template. (see Andy Warhol lesson for directions in how to create the self-portrait template)

Step 3. Using a blank sheet of paper, first demonstrate how when complementary colors are used next to each other in dots, when you stand back, the color appears to blend a bit.

Step 4. Model how to paint your own self-portrait using Q-tips and complementary colors.

Optional Activities:

1. Create your own art piece using pointillism. Sketch the ouline on a piece of white construction paper and paint it using dots of complementary color. Try not to leave any white left on the page.
2. Use Coloring page as a base for your art. Use Q-tips and paint to add the dots of color.

Closure

Many of the children will take quite a long time to finish with their art. This is great because it really shows how long pointillism took.

Georges Seurat was only able to complete seven large paintings in his lifetime because his style, pointillism, required such an intense amount of work and time.

Students can share their artwork with the class or put their art into their own art book. See how to make books for learning here.

Applying What We Learn: Ways to extend Art History Learning

Play a game (Go Fish Impressionists is a great game *NOTE: 2 cards have nudes, I removed them)

Make your own board game or card game.

Visit a Museum (virtual or in person)

Hold an Art Exposition and invite friends after you complete your art

Make food from the time period and host a luncheon- discuss art

Recreate famous pieces of art from the time period you are studying and take pictures

Dress up in attire from the time period you are studying

Complete the worksheet about art history.

Add Artists to a History Timeline Book

End Note: This Lesson was completed in one day over about 2 hours. It is a part of a 12 week mini-course titled “Art History for Kids”. All lesson activities are placed into the child’s own Art History Introduction book. I have made all of the information pages for each of the artists. These are available for purchase as are the other lessons (coming soon).

Best Books to Teach Art History to Children

One More Art History Tip for Teachers/Parents

Sometimes art prints can be expensive… However, I have been able to find lots of old art books at yard sales, thrift stores, and library sales. I often cut out pictures for the artists that I want to teach about to my kiddos.

Because the quality of the art is amazing when it is from a book (a bit better than when I print in myself), I often display the art around my house and do Charlotte Mason style “Art Picture Studies” with them.

SO… Always be on the lookout for those 50 cent old art books that you can cut up and use for art prints!!!

Which Artist Comes Next in Art History?

Vincent Van Gogh! He was another Post-Impressionist, and quite unpopular in his time. He shows us how the use of color and brush stroke can convey emotion and feeling. Come explore this innovative artist in the next lesson where we recreate, step-by-step, Starry Night (coming soon).

Make your own Art History display board.

Prior to each class, I would arrange my art history board with various art pieces as well as the artists self-portrait. I would include art from other artists of that time period so the children could see the similarities and differences.

How Did Your Georges Seurat Inspired Self-Portrait Turn Out?

Let me know in the comments below.

Sharing is caring! Be sure to share this Pointillism lesson with others that you know

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A Creative Teaching Series

When I started teaching my kids at home, there was nothing better than watching them light up and get excited when they were learning. History was not always easy to get them excited about until I took the approach of making it come alive. One way that we did that was through dressing up for the time period or historical event we were learning about… or Costumeschooling.

Reading about history, especially through a dry textbook, is anything but engaging. “Mom, why do I have to learn about these people that lived hundreds/thousands of years ago???” is a question that sometimes is asked by children. (I know I asked that question of my teachers).

But when we make history come alive and show them the importance of understanding our past, the desire to learn increases in children. The imagination of children is amazing, so including this into history lessons by dressing up is a way to help them get excited about history.

Another way to make history come alive is through living books (you can read this article here)

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.

As homeschool parents, it is important to engage all the senses when teaching and learning. That is why I encourage costume wearing when we are learning. It creates lasting memories. And boy, is it fun!

Most kids enjoy dressing up and living in a world of make-believe, that is why integrating dress-up into homeschooling lessons is so essential and beneficial. Emotionally and physically connecting to moments in history through costumes and dress up can help children appreciate and remember those events. The best part is that it involves their imagination and intellect and you can’t go wrong there!

What is Costumeschooling?

Well, it is a word that I made up to encompass a style of homeschooling where the children dress up for whatever time period they are learning about. Kids feel like they are a part of the history they are learning about.

We even dress up in character with literature that we are reading. Think about it…What is more fun then wearing attire of Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe while we do a unit study on Anne of Green Gables??? Throw in some linament cake and raspberry cordial while you read L.M. Montgomery’s classic and you have for yourself a deep rooted memory of what you are learning. Not to mention fun family memory building time as well.

You can add to the excitement by getting other homeschoolers involved from your community. Host a dress up Civil war era party and invite others to dress up in the time period clothing. Have kids give speeches as different people in history. AND don’t forget to take lots of pictures.

Costumeschooling for History

The possibilities are endless here. You can dress up as often as you would like (or as little) based on whatever history you are learning about. You can attend museums or historical sites in costume and take lots of pictures.

Recite famous speeches in costume.

Memorizing good content has long been popular in homeschool circles. Memory work is often found during morning time (that is when my family does it). After you memorize and amazing speech such as Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” Speech,  Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”, or Elizabeth I “Tilbury Speech.” Have your child dress up in character and recite it. Invite a group of people over to witness this momentous time in history or record it on video to watch as a family. I guarantee that your child will never forget the time they gave a speech as Elizabeth I!!!

Costumeschooling for Language arts

Like I mentioned earlier, your children can dress up in character as someone from a book that you are reading. The costumes don’t have to be anything expensive. Simply google or look up on Pinterest for ideas for diy simple costumes that you are trying to create. Go to thrift stores and look for after Halloween deals on constumes.

Constumeschooling for Science

My kids dressed up as important figures in science, Marie Curie and Benjamin Franklin. Each learned important facts from their lives and then we did a short documentary style video of them being interviewed as that person. Because they were so young, it was the cutest thing ever. We laughed till our stomachs hurt as we watched them act on video and answer questions as if they were that important historical figure. Years later, we watch that video and let me tell you, they will never forget who Marie Curie or Benjamin Franklin were or what they accomplished.

Again, this is an opportunity to invite others over and allow the historical figure to present who they are to the others. You can encourage acting and getting into character if the child is comfortable. Try getting involved as a parent. Dress up as your favorite scientist and present who you are to your children

As a teacher, I often dress up as well for the co-op classes that I teach. The children love it. Add in a fun accent and make their learning come alive.

Costumeschooling in Art History

Dressing up and recreating famous art

We did this activity during a covid-19 quarantine challenge. My kids and I (and dad too) really got into this fun idea. We perused through art books and thought about the costumes and clothes that we already had and were able to recreate some pretty famous art. Now, I could have extended the learning, but my kids are young, so we really just had fun with it. In the future I plan to spend more time studying the artist before we re-create it.

Search the internet for ideas from other families.

Here are some of our recreations:

Tips for Creating an Amazing Costumeschooling Environment

Here are a few tips to add dress up to your curriculum:

List out all the major historical periods that you will be covering. If your children are older, have them work out this part with you. Talk about what was worn and start brainstorming possible costumes you can create. You can search online or go to the library for books that have LOTS of pictures.

Visit Living Museums in time period attire

Depending on where you live, there are living museums that you can attend in costume. We have a field trip planned to a colonial farm where we will make butter and do other time period activities. Since we have been learning about early American History, adding the costumeschooling component will add to the richness of this learning field trip. We will take lots of pictures and most likely turn our adventures into our own book. The book will become a fun keepsake that we will reference over and over as we enjoy it through the years.

Don’t Forget the Food!

What is better than eating time period food while dressed up in costume? This is great for both young and older children. Getting them involved in the planning and baking of the food. Allow them to be creative in the presentation of the food. I have collected inexpensive dishes along the way at yard sales and thrift stores that way I can give my children the opportunity to use them without the fear of them breaking great grandma’s wedding china…

Costumeschooling doesn’t have to be expensive

While it is fun to purchase new costumes online or go to a costume store, it isn’t necessary.

I have found some of the best costume attire at thrift stores and yard sales! It is important to have a rough sketch or list of items that you are on the lookout for. I keep a tub and a clothes rack available for all of our costumes readily available so that my children can dress up whenever they would like.

If I am looking for a particular historical era of clothing, I search for authentic pictures and then screen clip them on my phone. I reference them when I go out.

I have found that the Goodwill and Salvation Army are reasonably priced during the Halloween season, so go around that time for good deals.

Make thrift store and yard sale rounds and do some searching often. Get a babysitter or take your kiddos along for the search. Pack your cup of coffee and a snack and have fun. You can even plan a friend date and have some down time while you search for costume treasures :-). Don’t forget to be hunting for used books as well!!!

If you DO have the funding to buy or make costumes (or you want to splurge on a couple), here are my suggestions:

How Do We Store Our Costumes?

I have a smaller house, so we don’t have a ton of space to store things in the house. I keep a rolling clothes rack in the garage of all of our costumes. Some costume accessories are stored in clear plastic tubs and labeled for ease of locating.

DON’T FORGET YOUR CAMERA!!!

Take lots of pictures of your children dressing up. You will not regret it! Even taking videos of them reenacting scenes from history is a fabulous idea.

Some of my fondest memories of school (I went to public school) was when we had dress up days. I remember it like it was yesterday… We had just learned about the California Gold Rush, and my teacher planned an entire week of festivities to celebrate. We planned and organized events, food, songs, plays, and so much more. We dressed up in attire from that time period and had such a wonderful time recreating history. I think of all the reasons why I remember that week like it was yesterday. There are so many reasons but dressing up made the emotional connection for me very real and memorable.

One More Thing…

You can extend your child’s learning by creating books about the historical event or scientist that you are dressed up as. See my post about making books to extend learning.

Chat with me:

Let me know if costumeschooling is a part of your homeschooling routine? Could you add it if not?

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