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THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
Welcome to our “Wonders of the World Week” an at home week filled with days of relaxed learning and fun activities all themed to a few of the new wonders of the world! Part history, part cultural studies, this week was definitely a thrilling, whirlwind adventure as we “traveled” to a different Wonder each day, learning a bit about the man-made construction, time period, and culture of each magnificent structure.
After our introductory day, we turned first to the Great Wall of China! We learned about where the Great Wall is, why it was constructed, how it was built, and more! Read on to check out a fun filled day of learning, reading, crafts, and activities all on this amazing monument!
A TYPICAL DAY
All kids are different and you can definitely vary your day with whatever works for you 🙂 Our relaxed & learning fun day kicks off with an introduction to the day’s theme. Then, we move onto videos and themed activities (reading, writing – or story telling – time, crafts, food crafts/snacks, and games or experiments). Feel free to pick and choose whatever works for you 🙂
INTRO
The Great Wall of China is so famous that your little ones may have already heard of it. Spanning thousands of miles, built over centuries, and standing still today, it’s no surprise it made the final list of the New Wonders of the World!
We started off by asking the little ones what they knew about the Great Wall, and what they wanted to learn. Then we revisited their list toward the end of the day to compare 🙂
If you’re looking for some more quick facts, check out these great sites:
WHAT TO WATCH
We find that mixing in a short video themed to our day is a great way to add some learning fun! We try to pick informative videos OR mix in a cartoon favorite (where they don’t even realize they’re learning). Below are some of the videos we picked from for the day:
- See China’s Iconic Great Wall From Above | National Geographic by National Geographic (2m)
- They Found Over Two Hundred Hidden Doors In The Great Wall of China by Bright Side (9m)
- How Was The Great Wall Of China Built? | Blowing-Up History: Seven Wonders by Discovery UK (10m)
FOOD CRAFTS / SNACKS
What’s more fun than taking a break and having a simple snack??? Including the snack in your theme of the day! We find that our kiddos are more than happy to eat the snacks they create especially when they can arrange them into fun shapes and scenes!
For our snack of the day, we ate some yummy noodles!
READING
It’s no secret that reading is an important part of learning, which is why we pick out a handful of books that are fun and filled with some learning tidbits. For our older ones, we have them fill out some worksheets (or let them create some of their own comics) to describe what they read and/or learned! These are a few we picked from for the day:
- Where Is the Great Wall? By Patricia Brennan Demuth. These “Where Is” Series are great small chapter books for those looking for non-fiction!
- Chinese Dragons (Choose Your Own Adventure #30) By R. A. Montgomery. While this one is fiction, it’s a Choose Your Own Adventure Book that allows kids to interact with the story!
WRITING & WRITING PROMPTS
Just like reading, writing is a great way to keep kids learning by both encouraging their creativity and thought process as well as helping them practice their motor skills and penmanship.
If you’ve got a little one, have them trace words related to the theme: HISTORY, WONDERS, GREAT WALL OF CHINA
If you’ve got older children, have them write a sentence or two up to a page or two (depending on their age). Encourage them to be creative AND give reasons for why they made certain choices. This was our writing prompt of the day (and we offered up some examples as well) but definitely pick something your kiddo might be interested in writing about!
- Imagine you had to travel the ENTIRE Great Wall of China. What would you take with you? How would you prepare for your journey?
- If you came across the Great Wall during an expedition, would you try to climb over it or walk along it until you found an opening? Why?
As an alternative, we also found a free printable from Education.com on the Great Wall of China with some nice activities!
CREATE & CRAFT
If you’ve got a crafty little one, a simple craft is a great way to keep them interested in the topic. While their creative juices are flowing, you can also chat about what they’ve learned so far or ask them what else they’re excited about learning!
For our crafts of the day, we gave them a few options that would help them enhance their pretend play or add in some of what they learned.
- Great Wall of China Craft by 10 Minutes of Quality Time
- Dioramas with the miniature Great Wall from the World Landmarks Toob
STEM & STEAM ACTIVITIES
While crafting and writing get their creativity and imagination flowing, we also like to add in an activity that gets them thinking along the lines of science, technology, engineering, or math! These engaging activities or experiments are a great way to keep them learning!
- Creative 3D Puzzle Paper Model Great Wall
- Wall Building with Blocks – using any legos, blocks, or even upcycled boxes, create a wall as high and long as you can!
THANK YOU
Thank you for checking out our at home learning fun article! If you enjoyed this post, please let us know what you think in the comments below and/or follow us on Pinterest
Also, if you haven’t already, check out some of our other History Weeks as well as our DIY At Home Camps!
Happy Learning!
