Pioneer Crafts for Children

Pioneer life comes to life for children through literature and hands-on activities. The Laura Ingalls Wilder book series provides a firsthand account of life in the pioneer days. Pioneer-themed crafts supplement the information in the books. Encourage your kids to expand upon the pioneer crafts and create their own activities based on their knowledge of the topic.

Log Cabins

Milk cartons serve as the structure for log cabin replicas. Use small milk cartons or cut off a large milk carton to about 5 inches tall, leaving the top peak intact. Cut off the top ridge of the milk carton that holds the top peak together. Use tape to hold it together once the ridge is removed.

A few options exist for creating the logs. Glue straws on the carton and paint them brown to create a log appearance. Pretzel sticks held on with frosting offer an edible version. Rolls of paper are another option. Cut strips of newspaper, brown construction paper or brown craft paper the same width as the carton and about 10 to 12 inches long. Wrap each strip around a pencil, using a piece of tape or a line of glue to hold it in the log shape. Glue the paper logs onto the milk carton. If you use newspaper, add brown paint to create the log look. Cut rectangles of construction paper to create the roof for the cabin. Glue the paper to the carton's peak.

Covered Wagon

Use a shoe box as the base for a covered wagon. Paint the box brown to resemble the wooden wagons the pioneers used. Create the wagon cover with a piece of white construction paper. Tape one edge of the construction paper on the inside of one of the long edges of the box. Tape the opposite side of the construction paper to the other side of the box. The paper will naturally form an arch. Use milk carton lids or construction paper circles to create wheels.

For older children, craft sticks allow for a more realistic covered wagon structure. Cut a rectangle of cardboard as the base for the wagon. Use craft sticks to build the sides of the wagon. Craft sticks placed vertically create a brace for the horizontal sticks that make the side. Glue the sticks together and attach them to the cardboard base. Finish the wagon as instructed above.

Paper Quilt

A paper quilt is a good group project. Cut out squares from cardstock or other sturdy paper or craft foam. Each child can decorate her own square using markers, paint or construction paper. Punch three holes along each side of the quilt squares. Cut small lengths of yarn, tying the squares together through the punched holes.

References

• DLTK: Pioneer Crafts