We studied the Phoenician traders last week in Story of the World. The Phoenicians were well known for glass blowing and purple dye (made from boiling snail shells). For our project, the kids (twins age 5.5, little brother age 3.5) made their own purple dye. Much to E's relief, no snails were harmed in the process..
I put some blueberries and raspberries in a sealed plastic bag, and the kids took turns squashing them.
After a minute in the microwave, the mixture was strained to get the juice out. It turned out to be a reddish purplish color. L had the brilliant idea that we all pinch our noses while working on the dye to pretend that it is stinky like the real purple dye made from boiled snails.
The kids dipped paper towel strips into the berry juice to dye their 'fabric'. By the end of the day, it was ready...
... to make an outfit fit for (puppy) royalty.
The leftover berry compote made a delicious snack with whipped cream.
This was a fun little history activity that all the kids enjoyed. The next day, they used a cardboard box for a boat, loaded it with all sorts of goods, and played "Phoenician Traders" all afternoon.
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love getting comments! No spam, please.