Ancient Rome For Kids

Our family has only studied Ancient Rome on a first grade level thus far, but all the books we used would be useful for any child in elementary school, and even beyond.  There is quite a selection of great books on ancient civilizations for kids, but here are the ones we found most useful this year:
 


DK's Eyewitness series never disappoints us; this year we used it primarily for the pictures, but I'm sure it'll become even more valuable to us as my boys get older.  The book also comes with a CD of clip-art that you can use to make your own worksheets.


Ancient Rome! by Kaleidoscope Kids has a lot of fun facts about Ancient Rome, including a look at how many English words are derived from Latin, but we used it primarily for the simple craft projects.  We didn't actually purchase this book, we got it from our library, and that was fine for us.  Of all the books on the list, we used this one the least.


Classical Kids is a book of projects and activities for both Ancient Rome and Greece.  A lot of the projects are very simple, which was great for us but might be a little boring for older kids.  I'd recommend this book for grades 1-3, though I do think I'll use it again in fourth grade.


Life In Ancient Rome is a beautifully detailed coloring book with captions; I will definitely use this all the way through high school.  I photocopied the pages I wanted so that I'll have it to use again with my younger son, and also when we learn about Rome again in the future.  The coloring pages include Roman architecture and landmarks, such as the Colosseum, and also scenes from ancient Roman life.  A true gem, and very inexpensive.  Highly recommended for all!


Sadly out of print, The Orchard Book of Roman Myths is a good book to get from a library.  The book covers fifteen myths from Ancient Rome, including that of Romulus and Remus, as well as several about the Roman gods.  (Familiarity with the Roman deities will come in handy when you study the solar system!)  The pictures are colorful and wonderful; this book is a great introduction to Roman mythology for young children.

Things To Make and Do

For homeschoolers, or any family that enjoys doing art and craft activities at home, here are a few of our favorite books and projects from the past couple of years.  Just click on any of the photos to find out more about the product! 

Note:  I DO NOT RECOMMEND Sandy Lands Sand Art Kits.  I was so disappointed with them and really regret wasting my money.  To read my review of the Sand Art, click here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2483N7E84QTOB/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

Books:



Usborne has a really great line of these activity books.  I've included here the three that we own and use regularly, but you'll find that there are many more with different themes, such as fairy tales, monsters, animals, and individual holidays.



Science Things to Make and Do has been especially useful to us as homeschoolers; it's easy to find projects to accompany our curriculum.



A larger, more comprehensive activity book from Usborne, I'd recommend this for anyone who wants a great collection on many different topics.



 I love the idea of using hand- and footprints in craft projects!  What a great keepsake! 



Calendar Kids also features art made from hand- and footprints.



Memory Makers has not only arts and crafts, but also includes poems, writing prompts, and drawing samples organized by monthly theme.
Kits and Projects:



My kids loved the Orb Factory Sticky Mosaics.  I can't wait to get some more; there are lots of different themes, including Pirates, Unicorns and Ponies, Jungle Adventure, Enchanted Forest, and more.  For younger children, there are simpler versions called My First Sticky Mosaics, also with many themes. 


If you're feeling especially ambitious, tie-dying t-shirts is a lot of fun!  I recommend doing it outside.  Lots of adult supervision is required, but kids will love being able to wear their own art.



This Monster Lab was our first experience with Shrinky Dinks, and we had a lot of fun with it.  There are other kits along this line, such as the Fairy Garden.  However, for half the cost you can get Shrinky Dink kits that don't include the backdrops.  Choices include Mermaids, Pirates, Dinosaurs, Jewelry, and many others.