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Exploring the Middle Ages

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Knights, Castles and Swords, Oh, My!

Knights and their ladies. Castles and their lords. Sword fights, jousts and tournaments. The Middle Ages were an exciting time that provide a high-interest topic of study for kids and adults alike.

Mixing pageantry with gruesome weapons, a Medieval study appeals to both boys and girls - yes, just what homeschool moms love, a study that will get your sons excited.

Because the Middle Ages are such a high-interest time period, there are books, websites, and resources galore! You'll have to limit the possibilities or you could be studying Medieval times indefinitely. Read on as I share some of my favorite projects and resources.

Castle Diary

The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Page

Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Page (Diary Histories)

Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Page (Diary Histories)

by: Richard Platt

Amazon Price: $6.06 (as of 05/30/2012)Buy Now

I got this book thinking that we would just use it as an occasional reference book, but we all really enjoyed it. Informative and often funny, this great little book is written in an easy-to-understand way with the language of the middle ages occasionally thrown in for flavor, but not so much that it makes it hard to understand. It was a fantastic resource for giving us a glimpse of the life of a young boy in the Middle Ages.

Making Knights Swords and Shields

What You'll Need:

Making swords and shields for my knights (and brave ladies) was a fun, simple project for everyone.

* Heavy cardboard
* X-acto knife
* Ruler
* Pencil
* Packing tape
* Spray paint
* Sticker paper optional

Step 1:

Draw a basic shield shape onto one piece of heavy cardboard, using the ruler to keep the lines straight. Carefully cut out the first shape. If you have more than one shield to make, you can use the first one as a template.

Step 2:

Spray paint the shield with your desired colors. Most of the colors had meanings. We chose our colors because a) they matched the outfits that we had and b) we already had those spray paint colors in the cabinet in our garage.

Step 3:

Create an emblem for the shields.

My very artistic older daughter drew the dragon that was going to be the emblem on our shields. As I said, our colors were chosen simply because they matched those of the costumes we found. However, we found many websites helpful in determining the significance of colors and emblems on medieval knights' shields.

After the dragon emblem was complete, I copied it onto full-sheet sized sticker paper, so that we could just stick the emblems onto the shield. I then covered the stickers with packing tape to keep it firmly adhered to the shields.

Step 4:

Add a handle.

We got Dad in on this one. He cut thin strips of cardboard and, using packing tape, we affixed the cardboard strips to the back of the shield, bending them into a handle shape.

Knight's Armor

Make and learn about a knight's armor.
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Making a Castle Presentation Board

What You'll Need:

Why do your presentation on a plain old tri-fold board when you can make the board look like a castle instead?

* Tri-fold presentation board
* X-acto knife
* Straight edge
* Pencil
* Sponge
* Paint (We used tempera.)

Step 1:

Using a pencil and straight edge, mark the lines to cut out the parapet design along the top of the presentation board. Carefully cut out these sections with the X-acto knife.

Step 2:

First, draw the outline of the drawbridge and any other aspects of the castle wall that you may not want painted to resemble castle blocks.

Then, mix the paint for the castle wall in a shallow pan, and use a sponge to dab it onto the presentation board.

Allow plenty of the white board show through to give it a block wall appearance. We got the paint too thick, at first, and the left-hand side of the castle doesn't have as nice an appearance as the rest of it.

Step 3:

Add the details. Paint white outlines for the castle blocks to look like mortar. Paint the drawbridge and any additional features.

Note: These same basic instructions can be used on a large cardboard box, such as an appliance box, to create a play castle that your kids can actually climb inside. Consider getting several in order to cut doorways and interconnect them to create a large castle with different sections.

Middle Ages Fiction Resources on Amazon

Our favorite fiction books about the Middle Ages

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Magnificent Middle Age Resources on the Web

Hands-on Activities for the Middle Ages

Making an ABC Middle Ages Book
This project, easily adaptable for various ages and topics of study, was one of our favorites when we explored the Middle Ages.
Middle Ages Co-Op
If you're feeling ambitious, you've got to check out this two-part blog post with incredible pictures of a Middle Ages co-op hosted by Treasuring the Moments. Even if you can't do it all, you're sure to pick up some great ideas.
Making an Illuminated Book
Pictures and instructions for making a Middle-Ages-style illuminated book.

Giving Paper an Antique Look

What You'll Need:

When we made our castle presentation board, we wanted the pages we added to it to to have an antique look. Following is a simple way to achieve that, but it does have the potential to be dangerous. It should only be done by an adult over a sink with immediate access to running water.

* Off-white paper (We used heavy resume paper.)
* Lighter
* Access to running water

Step 1:

Print your information onto the colored paper.

Step 2:

Tear the edges to give them a "worn" look. If you scrapbook, you probably know how to do this. If not, you just want to hold the paper in two hands, keeping your fingers close to the tear line, tearing a little at a time and working down the paper in small sections.

Step 3:

**This step should be done by an adult.**

Standing over the sink, use a lighter to burn the edges of the paper. You want to do this slowly, doing very small sections at a time. Just hold the lighter to edge of the paper until the paper starts to burn and quickly blow it out. If you have trouble blowing it out, don't hesitate to toss it in the sink, run water over it to put out the fire, and start fresh with a new paper.

**Be safe!**

Project-Based Resources from Amazon

Great books with Middle Ages project ideas

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Knights and Castles for Preschoolers

Get your preschoolers involved in the Middle Ages fun with these resources designed especially for them.
Preschool Knights and Castles Unit
A Middle Ages unit study perfect for your youngest learners.
Knights Preschool Pack
Your preschoolers can practice basic skills with these adorable knight-themed pages.
Princess Preschool Pack
Is your girl tired of all the talk of knights and dragons? How about a princess pack just for her?
Princess and Frogs Game
Let your princess practice counting and number recognition with this printable game.

Books for Your Princess

Pick up some specially-selected books for your little princess.
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Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Addest Thou Thoughts Below:

  • HarmonyArtMom Oct 4, 2011 @ 12:38 pm | delete
    Wishing my boys were younger and we could do some of your project ideas. They would have loved every single one. LIked and blessed. :)
  • blanckj Aug 14, 2011 @ 5:38 pm | delete
    Very nice lens. Thanks for sharing so many good resources. Blessed!
  • moonlitta Aug 11, 2011 @ 1:51 pm | delete
    Felt like reading medieval novels again:) Angel Blessed!
  • Makita Aug 10, 2011 @ 11:02 pm | delete
    Awesome lens! Well done!
  • Blessedmombygrace Aug 10, 2011 @ 9:33 pm | delete
    So happy I found your lens. We are studying Middle Ages this year in our homeschool. I will be using these projects! Thanks!
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Kris_WUHSMom

Christian. Wife. Mom x 3. Home educator. Runner. Loser of 70+ pounds. Sweet tea addict. Classically eclectic. Slightly Charlotte Mason. Mostly sociali... more »

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