Teaching Kids History and Mythology with Crafts
Staff of the Gods With the Staff of the Gods, you can have the lightening bolt of Zeus, the horn like bi-dent of Hades or Poseidon’s classic trident all in one scepter. First, let’s learn about these gods! Zeus (Jupiter to the Romans), Hades (Pluto) and Poseidon (Neptune) are the top three male gods of the […]
Valentine’s Stationary Set The history of Valentine’s Day and St. Valentine himself can be a little murky. Some people think St. Valentine’s Day comes out of the Roman festival of Lupercalia, which took place on February 15th and was related to fertility. Of course, when the Romans turned Catholic, the pope and the church did […]
You’ve Skewered My Heart Arrows To learn all about the history of Cupid, check out our page on Cupid’s Arrows and fill your quiver with more tasty treats. Supplies: Lots of Valentine’s Day Gummy Candy! Have fun with lots of different shapes and colors. Wooden Skewers Sticky Felt Hearts Red Tissue or Construction Paper Tape […]
Cupid’s Arrow Crafts for Kids “Eros@Piccadilly” by StudioEddies is licensed under CC BY 2.0 When it comes to St. Valentine’s there are more myths, legends and traditions than mystery flavors in a box of chocolates. One in particular that began with the ancient Greeks and Romans and survives even today is the idea of being […]
Cupid’s Yummy Gummy Arrows St. Valentine’s Day was first declared as a religious holiday by the pope in the late 400’s. In the middle ages in France and England it became associated with the idea of courtly love and the lords and ladies might exchange notes or poems. In the 17th century, the British common […]
Cupid’s Krispies “The Reunion of Cupid and Psyche LACMA M.2000.179.30” by Fæ is marked with CC PDM 1.0 Cupid (known to the Greeks as Eros) was the Roman god of love. He was the son of Venus (Aphrodite to the Greeks), the Roman Goddess of Love. Cupid appears in one myth where he falls in […]
Satunalia Cookies Saturnalia was a celebration of the god Saturn and the harvest. Saturn was the God of time and the crops, not unlike Kronos, the Greek Titan. In fact, we get the name Saturday from “Saturn’s day”. And, ruins of the Temple of Saturn can still be seen in the Roman Forum today! Romans […]
Crossbow Candy Canes The crossbow, although often thought of as used by the people of middle ages and crusades, was actually created by the Chinese and used by the Greeks in the 4th century BCE. The Greek name for the crossbow was the gastraphetes, or “Belly Bow”. This is because warriors held the end then […]
The Laurel Wreath The laurel wreath is an ancient symbol of victory and achievement. It was first awarded to the winners of the ancient Greek Olympic Games. The Romans later adopted the laurel as a symbol of military victory and presented it to successful generals. These generals would wear the wreath during their triumph as […]
The ancient Greeks were famous for a certain type of soldier who was armed with a spear, breastplate, shield and special helmet. This soldier was known as the hoplite. Hoplites were the most elite of all Greek soldiers and were respected by the rest of society. The plumes found on hoplite helmets were used for […]