What was it like for children coming to live in Highlandlake and Mead? How did they come here, what were their homes like, and what kind of chores did they do? Did they have time for play? Did they go to school? If they did, how did it compare to schools today? How do you think that their lives changed once they left the "settled east" and came west? Let's take a peak back into the early days of Highlandlake and Mead and see if we can answer some of these questions. Coming Soon.
Watch this 3 minute video about a day in the life of a Pioneer girl. Click Here
Click here to learn some fun games that kids used to play.
How to Make Butter
Check with a grown-up before you begin!
This method is so easy, even preschoolers can do it. All you need is a carton of heavy whipping cream and a glass jar. Oh, yes, a little elbow grease is also needed, but then, that’s the fun part. You are going to shake, shake, shake your way to your batch of tasty homemade butter. Go here for the written directions. For a cute video showing all the steps, Click here.
Corn Husk Dolls
Learn how to make these dolls, just as pioneer children did! Click here for the instructions!
If you prefer to watch a video, here are a couple good ones.
High Flying Kites
Kites can be quite pricey if you buy them from a store, so why not make your own? This link will take you to a website where you can learn how to make a traditional Diamond Kite, Delta Kite, Bumble Bee Paper Kite (Schaefer), or an Eddy Kite. Click here
Jacob's Ladder Toy
The Jacob's Ladder toy dates back to Pilgrim time in America. This mountain toy was names after the biblical Jacob's Ladder described in the book of Genesis (28:12). Because of the Biblical reference, Puritan children were allowed to use Jacob's Ladder as a Sunday toy. To make one and amaze your friends, click here!
Soap Carving
Please ask you parents to help you with this before you start!
Pioneer Button Spinner
Generations of kids have been playing with homemade button spinners since the invention of the button. So the concept is nothing new. However, why stick with just a button, why not use an old CD or cut a large circle out of the side of a milk carton? The possibilities are endless. Go here for our easy peasy instructions.
Recycle an old Watch
Go to any flea market or thrift store and you will find old watches that no longer work. Check out these ideas! You are limited only by your imagination. Coming Soon.
Make a Pretty Paper Bonnet
Decorate your own bonnet with markers in this Beautiful Bonnet Dress Up Craft. Make your unique bonnet with card stock, a ruler, scissors, ribbon, and markers. Decorate it to match any outfit or theme. The directions to make this are on the "All Kids Network" website.
Paper Dolls
“After the day’s work was done, Ma sometimes cut paper dolls for them. She cut the dolls out of stiff white paper, and drew the faces with a pencil. Then from bits of colored paper she cut dresses and hats, ribbons and laces, so that Laura and Mary could dress their dolls beautifully." Laura Ingles Wilder, "Little House in the Big Woods."
Pioneer Life Word Search
Download and print off this fun puzzle from the Museums of Burlington. You can find more fun things on their website. Click here to download the puzzle. This is a PDF file.
Beeswax Candles
Make your own beeswax candles. This is an easy project, that does not require melting the wax, but we suggest that younger kids should be supervised by an adult since in this video, an x-acto knife is used. For a beginner's Video go here. For a more advanced video showing how to make fancier candles you can go here.
How To Make A Folding Dolls’ House
Make this fun little folding dollhouse. This link will take you to a tutorial, templates, and easy directions here.Copyrighted 2015, Historic Highlandlake Inc. All rights reserved. Photos may be used for personal research only and may not be reproduced for profit, commercial or otherwise, without written permission. Most photos are available for purchase. Contact us here.