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This vase depicts ancient Greek warriors Ajax and Achilles playing a game of checkersKids have always played games, whether they're growing up in 21st Century America or First Century Greece. Something parents can do is learn games that children have been playing for thousands of years, such as:
Boys and girls in ancient Greece would juggle, play dice and marbles and even compete in checkers.
In ancient Rome, much priority was put on physical competition. From birth, kids would train by running races and sprints against their peers.
By playing games with your kids from thousands of years ago, you're not only having fun, but you're teaching them about ancient culture in a way that is easy for them to understand. -
Hannibal crossing the Alps on his elephant could be a fun way to teach about Carthage and ancient Rome.Sometimes, the best way to teach a child about history is to tell a story and act it out. Storytelling is the way history was handed down for thousands of years, so it has definitely stood the test of time. It also doesn't hurt that it's very fun. Try telling and acting out these stories from history with your family:
The Egyptians building the pyramids in ancient Egypt. Make up hieroglyphics for what you and your child's names could be in ancient Egyptian.
The Israelites making their way through the desert on their way out of Egypt. Pretend a sandbox, or a nearby baseball field, is the desert.
Hannibal crossing the Alps with elephants. Pretend what it might have been like to ride on an elephant through a mountain. -
Crafting a story unique to your child will make it fun for them as well as something they can easily grasp and learnGoing on a make-believe quest outside is probably the most effective, the most healthy (and the most fun) way of learning about ancient history. Make your way through a nearby forest and pretend you're an ancient Roman general conquering far off lands. Explain how the Roman Empire was the most far-reaching empire of the old world. Walk on the ocean, battle waves and pretend you're the Saxons invading and conquering Britain in 1066. Whatever you do, as long as you're spending quality time with your children, it will be fun for you and educational for them.
