Medieval Times

For Goofy’s birthday this year we took him to Medieval Times. It’s not cheap, so we waited until we thought he was old enough to remember and appreciate it. There are 9 locations to pick from.It was a really cool thing to do once, but I wouldn’t feel the need to rush here all the time.

HINT: This would be a great fieldtrip after a middle ages for kids unit!

First of all there are lots of ticket options. We did the Celebration Package as it was his birthday. If you sign-up online you get in free for your birthday. You can also look for deals online, local newspaper, and other coupon books. Our Celebration Package included:

• Picture for everyone in your party (although you have to pay extra to dress-up $3/person) The picture itself was nice & a great souvenir
• Souvenir Cup – plastic cup with image/ the kids like it although it will warp even in the top rack of the dishwasher after several washes
• Cheering flag (the kids though these were fun)
• Commemorative program – this was a nice souvenir as it had really good pictures of the knights and some of the events.
• VIP seating (if you have this there is no need to get there more than 30-45 minutes early)
• Behind the scenes video (still haven’t watched it)
• Slice of birthday cake (they did put a candle in it, but it was not very good and not really a big deal – wouldn’t need that part again)
• Announcement during the show (there were so many announcements it kind of got lost & was hard to understand them)
• Crown – everyone gets this!

They tell you to arrive like an 1 1/2 hour early. I don’t recommend it! If you have VIP seating I’d say 30-45 minutes, enough time to take your picture and use the bathroom. There is a dungeon ($3/person) that is a racket with like 12 itty bitty exhibits of torture! There is no dungeon if your kiddo was hoping for one like mine was. You can take a look at the horses for free, but that won’t take you long. Other than that there is lots of stuff you can buy…..and you wait. I think if you opt to not do the Celebration Package having the knighting ceremony would be really special.  You can pay to have the king make you a knight and it might be more fun for the kids than the announcement or cake. There is a little procession, you wear a cape and the king uses his sword and knights you. You also get a certificate/picture.

When it is time to enter you will enter by color (they decide for you) of knight you are cheering for. At your spot will be your package freebies. You sit in theater type chairs with a counter in front of each row. The server will bring 2 rounds of soda (there are 4 choices: coke, diet coke, sprite, or water), tomato soup (from thermos), focaccia (very good), chicken, rib, potato wedge, and pastry for desserts (ours was an amazing apple pastry!). The food, other than the focaccia and pastry was fine, but nothing exciting. They will call your soup dragon breath and chicken baby dragon, etc. It is also worth noting that you are in medieval time so you will not get any silverware to eat with. You will get sturdy pewter plates. There are plenty of napkins – it all adds to the experience.

While you eat the knights will perform different events – jousting type tournament events. You cheer for your colored knight. At the end of each round the princess will throw the knight a flower that he will then throw to someone in his cheering section (so cheer loudly!) At the end of the tournament each knight will get a sash that says “Queen of the Tournament” that they will give to someone – Minnie got it & was SO EXCITED!!
Then it moves on to the story part (which was honestly hard to understand with the sound system). The netting will go down as they “fight” and if you have a little boy he will be amazed at the fighting scenes. The show lasts about 1 1/2 hours. By the end you will have your picture and be set to go so they can get the next group in. The server will let you know his gratuity isn’t included.
By the way it is REALLY hard to get pictures with all the special effect smoke & lighting. So get the free picture, snap a picture of your family & your night & then put your camera away & enjoy the show!
Overall it was a really neat experience! LOTS of fun & very memorable!! Our kiddos still talk about it and look forward to going back!! (In case you were wondering, Tinker Bell stayed home with Grandma & Grandma. We thought that although she would like it, she would be wiggly and harder to entertain – taking away from the attention we could give the birthday boy) This is definitely worth doing once (with a coupon). Although I wouldn’t feel the need to rush out & do it again later this year….. maybe in a couple years.

 

Journey back to the time of castles and knights with this fun middle ages for kids hands-on history lesson for kids!

• Lesson 1 – Castles for Kids
• Lesson 2 – Medieval knights for kids
• Lesson 3 – Church Medieval history for kids
• Lesson 4 – Famous medieval artists
• Free Simple Knight Coloring Pages
• Visit Medieval Times
• The Door in the Wall Study Guide and Lapbook for the Middle Ages
• Cardboard Sandcastle Castle Engineering with Paper Towel Rolls
• 4 and 20 blackbirds baked in a pie Activity for toddlers and preschoolers
• EPIC Marshmallow Shooters activity – they go 30 feet!
• Deliciously easy Making Butter Science Experiment
• Knights Quest – a free Division Games

 

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!

 

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:

• Free Printable Maps including world map, continents, and country maps with and without labeling
• 16 Countries for Kids Printables
• Learn about the countries for kids with these free resources
• Help kids understand where do I live with this clever printable activity
• Super cute, Free printable India for Kids Book to color, read, and learn!
• China for Kids Printable Book helps kids learn about this large, populous country famous for the great wall of china, Terra Cotta Warriors, and the Forbidden city
• Join us for a fiesta as we learn about Mexico for Kids including delicious food, Mayan temples and more!
• Explore Venezuela for Kids with the beautiful Angel Falls and delicious Arepas in this printable mini book
• Learn about the fascinating country of South Africa for kids and its fascinating wildlife.
• You can find all our country coloring pages coloring pages or jump right to Spain Coloring Pages,  China Coloring Pages,  Italy Coloring Pages, Chile Coloring Pages, and Costa Rica Coloring Pages
• Children around the World Worksheets
• Country Coloring Book – explore 36 countries with country coloring pages