History Games for Kids

To me there is no greater gift you can give to a child teach them a love for history. History can offer insight, inspiration, and important lessons that all still pertinent to today’s world. The majority of people cringe at the idea of history. They often recite memories of long drawn out classes in school, full of tedious facts. Yet, history doesn’t have to be painful or boring.

One of the best ways to get children to enjoy history is through the world of myth. Mythology is full of adventure, mystery and amazing feats of courage, but there is more to it than just pretense. Mythology has the ability to give unique insight into different cultures around the world. This is a lesson that will help your child understand that its okay to be different, and an import step toward tolerance of others. With a little effort you can help your child realize that history can be exciting and fun. Presented properly there are no greater adventures than those of Hercules or Jason and the Argonauts. And what child doesn’t love to hear about the great pyramids or mummies of Egypt? By starting with myth and other fun historical subjects, children won’t start out with the preconceived idea that history is ‘booorrring’.

As a life long student of history I want to share with you some of the great children sites on the internet that are geared toward having fun and learning.

CREATE A CARTOUCHE
This site allows children to see their name written as a hieroglyphic Cartouche. Kids love seeing their name written in ancient Egyptian. Be sure to explain that in ancient Egypt only a Pharaoh (or royalty) had their names placed in a Cartouche. For more fun you can go to the Online Hieroglyphics Translator and type in phrases like ‘Pharaoh child’s name ‘ or ‘The Kingdom of. child’s name’ There is also a Chinese name translator that includes links to other sites which can translate their name into Japanese, Mongolian, Cherokee, Indian or Mayan.

GO ON A QUEST
Go on a quest of ancient Egypt. The Ancient Egypt WebQuest gives children the option of six different missions to take and learn about the history of Egypt in the process.

CONSTRUCT A PAPER PYRAMID
This page allows you to print out a paper pyramid that is easy to construct. While you are there be sure to check out their pyramid pages.

EGYPTIAN LINKS
Ancient Egyptian Project Pages offers you a list of links to various sites related to ancient Egypt.

MUMMY MAKER
The Mummy Maker is an interactive game that makes you an assistant in the preparation of a mummy. The game requires Flash plugin and is probably more appropriate for older children. I strongly recommend that you play the game first and decide if it is right for your child.

EXPLORE THE PYRAMIDS
The folks at National Geographic Magazine give you the option of selecting which pyramid you want to explore. It then shows you what the inside looks like and information related to that pyramid. The site also offers other interactive features for children.

EGYPT FUN GUIDE
This is a place with a variety of games, including a mummy maze and a crossword puzzle.

TOUR ANCIENT GREECE
Here you can choose which guide will lead you on a tour of people, myths and art of Greece. Your choices of guides are a Newcomer, Student or Teacher.

THE LABORS of HERACLES
This is a fun look at the Labors of Heracles. Here a group of fifth graders present the Labors in the form of a modern newspaper. With eye-catching headlines like ‘Baby Kills Two Snakes’ it is a sure winner in my book! These kids give us a very unique and cute twist to the exploits of the heroic Heracles.

ANCIENT ARCADE
An easy interactive game that gets you to match the Greek hero/god to the symbols they are associated with them in mythology.

WINGED SANDAL
This award-winning site about Greek Mythology takes a while to load, but it is really interactive. Hermes, the messenger god, leads you through a magical place filled with awesome gods, daring heroes and fabulous monsters.

As with all internet sites, you should check them out before sitting down with your child. The internet is a wonderful tool, but should be used with caution when it comes to children. Supervised surfing is always the best policy.

After exploring the given history or myth be sure to get your child to express their interpretation of them. Don’t be surprised by how much they retained or their unique insight. Children are amazingly bright. This voyage into history will be made all the more enjoyable for your children if you join the adventure. They will then associate history with the joy of spending time with you.

To me history was always a grand adventure and this attitude can be seen reflected in my children and grand children. So remember history is only as dull or as exciting as you make it for your kids.