Bugle & Nuts

Uncle George play the bugle in the Army. We talked about how the bugle would tell all of the soldiers to go forward to attack or to retreat (since they didn't have cell phones back then).

Supplies: Paper towel roll, Markers, Scissors, tape.
Print out corresponding sheets from:
http://www.lapbooklessons.com/LittleHouseintheBigWoodsLapbook.html

Our bugles.
Color the bugle page.
Cut it out and tape it on a paper towel tube.
Then we colored the Nuts page.
We talked about the different types of nuts that Mary & Laura would have found in the big woods.
We tasted many types of nuts: Walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, cashews, almonds, peanuts, and hazelnuts. Then we also tried pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. The girls wrote down their favorite one (which was unanimously cashews!)
We also tried taking off the nut shells using the Nutcracker. (you can see it is hard work...imagine how much work it was to eat basic food back then.)
We can use our bugles to make announcements around our house (to tell the family when dinner is ready or when it is time to brush teeth).


I had to add on this little embellishment to the bugles. The next day, I had some extra Styrofoam cups and plates out from a picnic. Guess what this girl creates! She cut out the bottom of the cup and tapes that on to the paper towel roll.
Then she cut a hole in the middle of the plate and tapes that on to the cup. She told me that, "This looks more like a bugle!" And I had to agree! I love how it flares out. She loves using it to talk or sing into around the house. So from the mind of a 5 year old...use this creative idea to embellish the basic bugle.

Making and Eating Fires

Mary and Laura often helped their Mother cook the meals and back then everything was cooked over a fire so we talked about how to properly build one safely. And then we also painted one to put in our lapbooks.

Supplies Needed to make an edible fire!
Napkin (Safety Circle)
Small Cup with water (Water Bucket)
Graham Cracker (the dirt to build it on)
Raisins (Fire Ring)
Shredded Coconut (Tinder)
Pretzel Sticks (Kindling)
Pretzel Logs (Fuel Logs)
Gum Drops (Fire)

Here is one of the girls finished fires. I think they turned out great!

Here they are putting the ring of rocks around the fire pit to keep the fire contained and adding the kindling to get it started.

Trying to build a teepee with small sticks so the fire has air and wont go out.

Make sure you always have a water bucket close by in case of an emergency!

Almost done just needs some big logs to keep it burning.

They had a lot of fun building them but even more fun eating them when they were finished.

Next we marble painted some flames on our logs to put in our lapbooks.

Supplies needed:

Red and Yellow paint to make orange flames

A pie tin

And some marbles

Put your paper down first drizzle in your paint and then drop the marbles in.

And roll it around

and around,

and around until it looks like this. Then take it out and let it dry and your done.

Another fun day with four cute girls.

Tambourine & Square Dance

Ma & Pa were invited to a Square Dance at Grandpa's house. We decided we would make a tambourine for the occasion.
Supplies needed:
- Paper Plate (We used dessert size plate)
- Hole Punch
- Pipe Cleaner & Wire Cutter (or needle & thread)
- Jingle Bells (4 or 5 per plate)

1. Punch 5 holes around the plate.
2. Adult use wire cutters to cut pipe cleaners into 2 inch sections.
3. Put pipe cleaner through the bell.
4. Twist pipe cleaner to the plate.

It is ready to shake and to make music!
We did a partner square dance to "Turkey in the Straw."