November 12, 2022

Marco Polo for Kids Lesson Plan (w/ Henry the Navigator)

Have fun learning about early explorers such Marco Polo for kids and Prince Henry the Navigator for kids with these clever hands on history activities and free explorer printables! These Marco Polo activities are fun for elementary age kids from kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade students.

Early Explorers for Kids

Next up in our hands-on history unit we are learning about famous early explorers Marco Polo for Kids and Henry the Navigator for kids. This is part of our engaging, fun early explorers for kids unit. These Marco Polo activities are sure to captivate your children’s attention and help them to remember the material. These explorer activities for kids are ideal for preschoolers, kindergarteners, grade1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, and grade 6 students.

Marco Polo Activities

Marco Polo was an Italian merchant and explorer who was born in Venice in 1254. At 17 years of age, he traveled with his father and uncle on the Silk Road to China where he met the great ruler Kublai Khan. Marco traveled much of China and the east, and his stories were written into a popular book The Travels of Marco Polo.

Walk the Silk Route

We walked the silk route (like Marco Polo did). Basically I made a large maze (see image above) and I put different items along our route to ‘discover’. Items we discovered along the way were things that were new to the Europeans during this period of history. They were impressed with Marco Polo’s discoveries of the umbrella, coal, paper money, postal system, kite, hot water from tap, and good roads.

We learned about camels (we were going to make a sock puppet camel, but we ran out of time and had recently made snowman out of socks)
Math in Early Explorers – It took 4 years for Marco Polo to get to China to meet Kublai Khan – how many days/month/years is that?
Discovering Silk – Explore silk by going to a fabric store. I let the kids explore with their hands. They felt the difference in materials: silk was a favorite =-)
Tasting Chinese Food – Chinese is one of our favorite kinds of food so I whipped up some Kung Pao for dinner. You could also easily get some take out and eat out of the fun take out containers!
Watch National Geographic: Marco Polo’s Travels
Marco Polo Books for Kids – Favorite books to teach about Marco Polo in order of preference: #1 – Marco Polo by Demi (our cover looks different; it has beautiful illustrations that are gold & look like they are from the old Orient, tells the story in good depth for K-4th), #2 – written like a comic so great for a kid who is reading; summarized story but covers the highlights, #3 – you are the servant traveling with Marco Polo; good reality check with illustrations & information; written for 1st-6th grade

Marco Polo for Kids- hands on homeschool history

Spice Painting for Kids homeschool history

Spice Painting of Kublai Khan’s Palace

We explored spices from the East: cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, pepper, saffron, and poppy. After smelling & feeling the differences in texture – we made a painting with the spices of Kublai Khanh’s palace. He LOVED this sensory activity! I love when history comes alive to young learners.

Marco Polo Lesson Plan

Completed Marco Polo section of lapbook along with 2 review worksheets. To get this Marco Polo printable simply scroll the the bottom of the post, under the terms of use, and click on the text link that says >> _____ <<. The pdf file will open in a new window for you to save the freebie and print the sheets. Click on picture to grab. (Note: Viking & Marco Polo elements are in same file)

Prince Henry the Navigator for Kids

Wondering about who Henry the Navigator for Kids was? Prince Henry the Navigator was a prince from Portugal, the third son of King John I of Portugal. Born in 1394, he was never a navigator himself, but Henry sponsored a great deal of exploration along the west coast of Africa. The Portuguese Prince is regarded as an originator of the Age of Discovery and the Atlantic slave trade. He also discovered the first shipping routes directly from Europe to Asia for the Portuguese monarchy.

DIY Compass for Kids

We made a compass – Find a plastic lid (think the size of a mayonnaise jar) and fill it with water. Slice a carrot, zucchini, etc. Strike a needle with a magnet 40 times and insert in veggie. Put veggie in the lid with water & watch it work! Goofy that it was pretty cool!! (need a step-by-step instructions, see homemade compass)

Compass Scavenger Hunt

We had a Compass Scavenger Hunt (I would give you a printable, but this was personal to our house so it wouldn’t do you much good.) The children went certain number of paces N or S, turned East, etc. He thought it was so much fun he asked to do it again!

Henry the Navigator Books

I did not find any good book to read on Prince Henry…. so we read the information about him I found online and located Portugal & Africa on a map. (Because of this there is not a lapbook on him, but we did pencil him in to our lapbook timeline.)

Facts about explorers

You may also enjoy these other great activities:

Leif Erikson for Kids Reader to Read, Color, and Learn
Viking Activities for Kids – build a viking ship, read about famous vikings, find Vinland, and more!
Learn about European Explorers for kids such as Amerigo Vespucci, Vasco de Gama, and Columbus with this hands-on history lesson
James Cook Study
Explore with Henry the Navigator and Marco Polo activities in this fun history lesson
Work on math and litearcy skills with these free printable explorer worksheets
Join Drake, Cartier, and Henry Hudson for kids as they explore the new world in this fun history lesson
Learn about Magellan, the Aztec, and the Spanish Conquistadors for Kids
Don’t miss all our resources for learning about early explorers for kids
Learn about 13 Famous Explorers for Kids Printable Reader to read, color, and learn
Famous European Early Explorers Printable Notebook Pages
Early Explorers for Kids Pennant Posters
FREE Printable Famous Early Explorers Coloring Pages

History Lessons for Kids

Check out one of or MANY engaging, Free history lessons for kids

Explore American History for kids including lots of fun, hands on activities and free printables
Dive into Mesopotamia History to learn about Gilgamesh
4 week lesson about Early Explorers for Kids
Learn about castles, knights, and more in this exciting Middle Ages for Kids
Make a teepee, dig for arrowheads, color our printable books and more in this Native Americans for Kids lessons
The Colonial America for Kids lesson takes kids on a journey back to the first permanent settlement in America – Jamestown. Students will learn about colonial life with lots of hands on projects like eating Gruel, making a Wattle & Daub house, and creating a tin lantern will make the settlement come alive.
We will make westward expansion for kids come alive for kids as they learn facts about the time period from about 1783-1898. In addition to learning about the Oregon trail, pony express, gold rush, transcontinental railroad, students will also learn to match animal trails, map the united states, and learn about North American animals too.
Civil War for Kids – students will learn about slavery, famous Americans from the Civil War, famous battles, and how our nation stayed together. Lesson includes printable worksheets, mapping activities, printable civil war board game and more!
Learn about US States for Kids – state coloring pages, president coloring pages, state report forms, states and capital printables, and so much more!
Pennant History Posters to see US History At-a-Glance
Learn about the Roaring 1920s for Kids – Printable Book to Read, Color, and Learn
Rosa Parks for Kids Printable Reader to Color and Learn
Martin Luther King Jr for Kids Printable Reader to Color and Learn
Titanic for Kids Reader to Color and Learn
Learn about the Roaring 1920s for Kids – Printable Book to Read, Color, and Learn
1930s for Kids – Printable Book about the Golden age of Hollywood, Great Depression for Kids and more to read, color, and learn
Life in the 1940s America for Kids Reader
Learn about the trading of goods that began in 1941 with this Columbian Exchange for Kids printable reader.
Anne Frank for Kids Printable Reader to read, color, and learn about this Jewish girl who lived behind the wall in Holland during World War 2
1950s for Kids Reader to Color, Learn and read about what life was like in America in 1950
Life in the 1960s for Kids Printable book to read, color and learn about life in the 1960s
Learn about platform shoes, disco, the beginning of Star Wars and more with this 1970s for kids Reader
1980s for kids Reader to read, color, and learn!
1990s for Kids Printable Reader filled with information about fashion, technology, Presidents, and more!
Learn about life for early 2000s Kids with these american history printables to read, color, and learn!
Review what you’ve leanred with these American History Worksheets (Notebooking)

16 Printable Country Studies for Kids - children will have fun learning about countries around the world with this fun resource perfect for pre k, kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, and grade 6 including Kenya, Japan, Russia, Sweden, Netherlands, Mexico, China, Philippines, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Chile, Colombia, Australia, and Costa Rica.

FREE Printable Maps for kids -blank maps of the world, africa, asia, australia, south america, north america, united states, antarctica, Europe and more. Include blank maps and labeled maps. Use them with any social studies / geography program with kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, and 7th grade students to visualize the world at a glance or dive deep into finding countries, continents, rivers / mountains, oceans, etc. Includes both blank printable maps and labeled as well. tralia, united states, europe and more both blank and labeled for kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, elementary, middle school, and high school #printablemaps #geography #homeschooling

Make geography come alive by using these free printable passport for kids. Childrne can pretend like they are traveling all around the world as they study and learn about other countries while keeping a record of where they've been. This free printable passport activity is fun for toddler, preschool, pre-k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, and 4th grade students. Inside their passport for kids they can put their picture, personal information, signarure, and informatin about the countries they travel to. Simply print pdf the free printable passport for kids file and you are ready to go around the world!

FREE Lego Challenge Cards - free printable STEAM education uses lego or duplo bricks to help students learn about famous buildings and landmarks from around the world. This fun learning activity is great for parents, teachers, school at home and homeschoolers from preschool, pre k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, 5th grade, 6th grade, 7th grade, and 8th grade students.

Geography for Kids

Looking for more resources and free worksheets to teach students about geography for kids? You will love these coloring sheets, printable maps, books, activities and games:

Grab this realistic looking Free Printable Passport for Kids
Free Printable Maps including world map, continents, and country maps with and without labeling
Ready to dive more in depth? Check out Country Study for Kids – look at 16 countries around the world up close
Kids can research to learn about other countries with these country worksheets.
Around the World I Spy Worksheets – learn about 36 countries
Use Lego to explore famous landmarks in countries for kids
Research and learn with these free Children around the World Worksheets
Roll into Geography – Printable Geography Games
Geography Treasure Hunt Activity
Landforms Worksheets pdf free
Snap Geography Games for Kids
Read, Color and Learn about other countries with FREE country studies including: Vietnam For Kids and Greece for Kids and Peru for Kids and Kenya for Kids and Israel for Kids, plus many more!
You can find all our FREE printable country coloring pages covering over 36 different nations – or jump right to Spain Coloring Pages, China Coloring Pages, Italy Coloring Pages, Chile Coloring Pages, Germany Coloring Pages, and Costa Rica Coloring Pages

United States Lesson for Kids

Help children learn about the great country of the United States with these free printables and resources:

Free Presidents of the United States for Kids
Cute, Free Printable State Coloring Pages
Printable USA Presidents Coloring Pages
Voting for Kids – How Americans elect a new president
Free Presidents Worksheets – Learn about all the American presidents
US States I Spy Worksheets
Help kids understand where do I live with this clever printable activity
Learn about American symbols with these Patriotic American Symbols for Kids
United States I Spy Worksheets
How much do you know about USA for Kids? Color the flag, look at a map, discover famous landmarks like the statue of liberty,and more!
American Symbols Worksheets
Fireworks Patriotic Craft
50 States Worksheets
State Animals USA Printables Scavenger Hunt
United States Scavenger Hunt of State Birds
FREE USA State Flowers Scavenger Hunt Printables for Kids

FREE Marco Polo Lapbook and Worksheets for Homeschoolers

By using materials from my site you agree to the following:

This is for personal use only (teachers please see my TPT store)
This may NOT be sold, hosted, reproduced, or stored on any other site (including blog, Facebook, Dropbox, etc.)
All materials provided are copyright protected. Please see Terms of Use.
I offer free printables to bless my readers AND to provide for my family. Your frequent visits to my blog & support purchasing through affiliates links and ads keep the lights on so to speak. Thanks you!

>> Marco Polo Lapbook <<

Beth Gorden

Beth Gorden is the creative multi-tasking creator of 123 Homeschool 4 Me. As a busy homeschooling mother of six, she strives to create hands-on learning activities and worksheets that kids will love to make learning FUN! With over 20 years educating children, she has created over 1 million pages of printables to help teach kids alphabet, math, science, English grammar, history, and so much more! Beth is also the creator of 2 additional sites with even more educational activities and FREE printables – www.kindergartenworksheetsandgames.com and www.preschoolplayandlearn.com. Beth studied at the University of Northwestern where she got a double major to make her effective at teaching children while making education FUN!