Hands on History Projects for Homeschool

History is an important topic for kids to learn and understand. Whenever we can include hands-on projects as a part of our homeschool history lessons, it helps kids develop a deeper understanding of the time period. Here are some ideas for hands on history projects that make learning about history fun.

I received compensation and access to the Home School in the Woods Printable Essential Timeline Library in exchange for my honest review, but all the opinions in this post are my own.

Why Teach History with Hands On Projects

As homeschool families, there are lots of different options out there for teaching history to our kids. So what makes hands on learning experiences important for our kids? Here are some important reasons why you should consider using hands on activities to teach historical events.

Makes History Fun

One of the biggest reasons to include hands on projects when studying history is because unique projects are a fun way to teach concepts without having to rely on textbooks, worksheets, and tests. Studies show that students who are relaxed and having fun while they learn will learn better and remember more.

Helps Kids Understand

When students study a historical time period using fun history activities, they are more likely to understand the time period at a deeper level. Projects help kids study specific concepts in depth, which will help them understand the events better.

Understands How Events are Related

When students are studying social studies and history, it is important that they understand how events in history are related. Activities can help young learners see cause and effect relationships between events in history and understand how different events impacted each other.

Engages Learners

Students with a variety of different learning styles, but especially kinesthetic learners, will benefit from learning history through fun games and activities. Activities help kids focus and engage with the topics they are studying in a way they never could by reading a dull textbook.

Creates a Love of History

When students of all ages study history through hands on projects, they will develop a love for the subject. This is especially important for high school students, because we want them to develop a desire to learn more about history even after their homeschool years are complete.

Raises Informed Citizens

One of the biggest benefits of studying history is raising future generations that understand and can learn from the events of the past. When we raise kids who love history, they will be able to apply what they have studied as they make decisions that impact current and future events.

Ideas for Making Homeschool History Fun

There are many ways to make the process of learning about history fun and interesting for kids of all ages. Using timeline figures like the Printable Essential Timeline Library from Home School in the Woods can make this fun and easy. Here are a few ideas to try in your homeschool.

Make a History Timeline

One of the best ways to help students explore the passage of time and understand how historical events are related is to make a history timeline. There are several different options you can choose for your homeschool history timeline, depending on what you want your students to learn from their timeline.

A timeline book: Timeline books are a great way to put historical events into context while creating a keepsake for your child. Consider starting a timeline book with your younger kids and continuing to add to the timeline through high school.

A wall timeline: A wall timeline is often the best way for kids to see how the events in history are related at a glance. This can be a fun project to make throughout the school year. Your timeline could focus on a specific time period, or you could include a range of subjects and time periods that you are studying throughout the year.

Learn more about teaching with timelines here.

Make a History Lapbook

Lapbooks are a great way for kids to share what they are learning throughout a unit. Lapbooks allow kids to get creative and showcase what they are learning through an art project.

Inside the lapbook, students can create fun and decorative resources that showcase the facts they are learning. Kids can create mini books and activity books within the lapbook that summarize and organize their learning in a fun and creative way.

Lapbooks are also a fun way to review what you have learned as your kids read the completed lapbooks over and over again. They are a great way for students to share what they are learning with others. They can be a good alternative to, or supplement to, oral presentations.

Check out this post that includes step by step instructions for how to make a lapbook!

Are you wondering: why teach with lapbooks? Check out this post!

Study Important Historical Figures

Another way to make history come alive for your kids is to study important people in history. Choose historical figures during the time period that you are studying to read biographies about together. Or, do a unit study about the person’s life.

A study about Early American History could include a unit study about George Washington, for example. Or, a study of Medieval times could include reading some biographies about Charlemagne.

Learn About the Time Period with a Unit Study

A unit study allows kids to go beyond the lesson plans and textbooks and explore a time period in greater depth. Students can use supplemental books to research the time period and then explore the time period further with hands on activities. Novels and living books can also help students understand what it would have been like to be living during the time period.

Students can study the music, art, and culture of a time period and then recreate a favorite artwork with their own hands. They could make and wear costumes from the time period, or cook a meal that would have been eaten by the people of the day. Acting out important events in history can also be a great way for kids to deepen their understanding and remember what they are learning.

Students may also enjoy playing a historical board game that is based on the events of the time period.

Make a Map

Another great way for homeschool students to understand the time period they are studying is by making a map or a model of the area that they are studying in history. Students can trace the routes of early explorers or plot locations of the gold rush to help them understand why people traveled in the way that they did.

Students can also make models of the events in history. A salt dough map can be helpful for understanding the elevation of the land. A diorama or model can help kids understand the battles of the Civil War, or the castles of the Middle Ages.

Use Timeline Figures for Homeschool History Projects

One of the hardest things about hands on history projects for busy homeschool families is often how much time is required to research and set up the project. That’s why I was so excited to discover the Printable Essential Timeline Library from Home School in the Woods! This beautiful resource includes 1,444 beautifully illustrated timeline figures that are organized by time period and ready to print and attach to any timeline, lapbook, map, or history project. The library includes timeline figures for events in World history, American history, and the Bible, from the ancient civilizations through the modern day.

Here are some reasons why I love using the Printable Essential Timeline Library in my homeschool.

Easy for homeschool families

As a busy homeschool mom, I love how easy it is to use the Printable Essential Timeline Library alongside our history curriculum. I love that one digital library includes figures for all of United States and World History. I never need to search the Internet to find resources for our history timelines or lapbooks! And, this is an economical option because we can purchase once and print a set for each child in our family to use.

I really appreciate the comprehensive index that is included with the Printable Essential Timeline Library. It is always easy to find the perfect timeline figures that we need to go along with the week’s history lessons at a glance.

I also love that my kids can use the timeline figures all by themselves. All they need to do is color the figures, cut them out, and glue them into their timeline books. My kids are so proud of the timelines they are creating, and they look great thanks to the timeline figures!

See pictures of the Printable Essential Timeline Library here.

Easy to customize

I also really appreciate how easy it is to customize timeline figures from Home School in the Woods to fit the hands on history projects that my kids want to try. The figures are available in two different sizes, to accommodate either a large wall sized timeline or a smaller notebook sized resource. And, each figure comes with an optional description that we can choose to print or not, depending on the project.

This curriculum is also very flexible because you can choose which figures to print and include on your timeline. I love that because we are able to choose exactly which figures to include, we have been able to adapt Home School in the Woods to fit several different history curricula. And, because figures from Bible events and church history are also included, my kids can see that the Bible in relation to the historical events they are studying.

See all the figures that are included in the Printable Essential Timeline Library here.

Beautiful

The first thing I noticed about the Printable Essential Timeline Library when we began using it was the quality of the illustrations. So many resources for younger kids include cute drawings that older students think are too young for them. This is not the case with this resource. The illustrations in the Printable Essential Timeline Library are beautiful high quality line drawings that help kids to make an heirloom-quality keepsake that they can read and enjoy for years to come.

The figures with text are especially great for this because kids can look through their timeline and read the text to review what they have learned in the future.

Learn more about the Printable Essential Timeline Library here.

Try the Printable Essential Timeline Library for Yourself

I am so glad that my family discovered the Printable Essential Timeline Library from Home School in the Woods. This is one of my favorite resources that makes our history lessons so much more interesting for my kids. I love the deep connections my son makes between events in history as he makes his timeline, and he is so proud to share his completed work.

If you are looking for an easy way to include hands on history projects in your homeschool, I would highly recommend the Printable Essential Timeline Library from Home School in the Woods. This digital resource is a great way to help your kids create a beautiful timeline or lapbook that they will treasure for years to come. The timeline figures are also a fun way to make learning history exciting and engaging for your kids.