Join us as we sail into a fun history lesson about the vikings for kids. This explorers for kids is the start of our hands-on history for kids Unit. In this all about explorers we pretended to be early explorers with engaging viking activities, made a HUGE DIY Viking boat, created some viking crafts for kids, fun-to-read viking books for kids, and more! Plus, don’t miss the free viking printables. Simply print pdf file with viking lapbook and viking worksheets and you are ready to play and learn!
Vikings for Kids
Kids are naturally curiuos about famous people in history, especially those with iconic things like viking hats and viking ships! We began our explorers for kids lesson by learning about the notorious sailors from Scandanavia with vikings for kids. In this 5 week lesson all about explorers we make a HUGE DIY viking ship, viking activities, lots of viking books, and comlete our viking lapbook with the free printables below.
Explorers for Kids
THis is the first week of our hands-on homeschool history unity on early explorers for kids you will learn about the Vikings, Christopher Columbus, Magellan, and more. It also includes free printable labook with timeline and famous explorers to help elementary kids retain the information they’ve learned.
Start by scrolling to 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 template.
Viking Activities
We made a sword from cardboard & foil We were going to make a Viking hat, but realized we had one in our dress up clothes instead. This is the durable Viking helmet we own. We made our round shield from a (pizza) box & foil
DIY Viking Boat
We used our box to create, as close as we could, a kid-size replica of a Viking ship. It was fun to make over Christmas break when Daddy was around to help us too!
- our ship is brown as the ships were made of wood (We left out the animal fat to make the space between the wood water resistant =-)
- ship shape allowed the Vikings to have the fastest ships of their time.
- retractable oars – just like the Vikings for when the weather was bad.
- shields – we lined the sides with shields like Vikings did for additional protection and storage for their fitting shields.
- intimidating dragon on the front of our ship to scare away the towns we went to pillage – Vikings usually had dragons or snakes.
- personal belongings – kids sat on a trunk that held their belongings for the journey (change of clothes, food, and bucket to hold drinking water or bail out water from the ship.
- ruder at the back for the helmsman to steer the ship away from rocks or icebergs. Pretty cool, huh?
Vikings History Comes Alive
We did a history activity, we rowed from Greenland to America just like Leif Erikson, ate grapes & called it Vineland (although the Vikings really found blueberries, but they thought they were grapes), and then eager to take home wood & grapes we rowed back to Greenland.
Vikings Coloring Sheet
We colored in the Viking pictures from the Exploration of North American Coloring Book. This wonderful coloring book is only $3.95 and includes coloring pages & information for 39 North American explorers – great for younger children to learn alongside elementary age homeschoolers.
Watched Vikings Veggies Tales
We wateched Veggie Tales: Lyle the Kindly Viking. This is a great gentle introduction to the historic Vikings for younger learners (ages 2-6). Then we practiced pillaging other lands like the Viking Pirates did. We would arrive at dawn, yell as we got off our boat, take supplies, burn the buildings (no we didn’t really do that part), and got back in our boat and sailed for home.
Did you know they were so feared the King of France gave the Vikings Normandy so they wouldn’t pillage any of the rest of France?
Viking Map Activity
For our viking mapping activity we found key countries on a map: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Greenland (Erik the Red) , North America (Leif Eriksson), and Normandy France. This printable is in my lapbook pack you can print above.
Vikings books for Kids
We did this unit when my kiddo was in first grade so we used a simple reader. But this unit is adapatable to all kids in elementary school. Pick the book(s) that fit your child’s reading level best.
After reading about Leif Erickson, we wrote down key points in the story. Then Goofy ordered them – 1st, 2nd, Next, Then, Finally.
Viking Activities for Kids
The kids loved this cute Viking Maze
Viking Arts and Crafts
Made Viking Mask (click to go to template we used)
Other fun resources include:
- Makee Viking Recipes (I always enjoy cooking food from other countries!)
- Viking Information for kids online
- Videos about Vikings (boats, cities, and more)
Vikings Lapbook
The free early explorers labpbook and timeline contains key points about the different explorers on cards as well as free early explorer worksheets for kids.
Note: I will be making this free printable, along with some fun worksheets, for each of the explorers we study. I am making the lapbook into a timeline – here is our lapbook with our first Explorer.
Viking Worksheets
And if you have little ones make sure you check out my Early Explorers Worksheets so your little one can join in on the fun too!
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)
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
Viking Printables
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You make learning fun. I’m really impressed with the ship! Thank you for all your posts. You really are a blessing!