I used the list of Pioneer childrens' chores. I
collected objects that represented the chores.
For example:
- cow puppet - milking a cow
- bottled water - fetching water from a stream
- doll - caring for younger siblings
- rock - clearing brush and rocks from the wagons
path
- toy sheep - herding other animals brought along
for food such as sheep and goats
- stick - gathering buffalo chips and sticks for
fire
- pillow - help unpack bedding and clothes
- towel - help wash laundry
- squirrel puppet - help hunt and fish for food
I first showed the children a small replica of a covered
wagon.
I explained how hard it was to ride in one...how it jiggled and jostled the
children as they rode. Many chose to walk and walk and walk.
I then asked them if they thought that was all the pioneer children had to
do was walk and walk and walk?
I then called on different children to come up and pull
something out of my bag. We then discussed the chore. We sang a song that
was attached to each object. The children loved this. I didn't worry about
making the songs match the objects - that took too much time. We had a ball
with this activity. It was a ton of fun. Thanks for the fantastic ideas.