Happy Columbus Day! On October 8th, we remember the explorer that accidentally discovered North America. It is a fantastic tale to teach children – full of exploration, adventure, and discovery.
This lesson plan works best for children ages 3-5, but you can make it easier for younger children too. My oldest is 5 years old, so I am creating this as something we will learn with her 3 year old brother.
Books
1) Packard Takes Flight by Susan Sachs Levine
2. Follow the Dream by Peter Sis
3. A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus by David A. Adler
Game
Play scientist and discover something new! Give your explorer a pencil, notebook, and a compass. Go out to the park or even your back yard and make discoveries. Write down in words and/or pictures what they saw. Use the compass to say where they found it – where they facing north? South? This will teach them critical thinking, map reading, problem solving, and scientific reasoning.
Song
This video is perfect for teaching the Christopher Columbus facts, like the year he sailed and the name of his three ships. It is basic and easy to learn. My daughter learns best with music, so I had to find a song that taught the facts and this is it.
Food
Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain and he was on ships, so make the food Spanish and seafood. Actually, much of Spain is near the ocean, so many authentic Spanish dishes have seafood as a main ingredient.
Here are some easy ideas:
1. Grilled shrimp with lime – easy! Just grill the shrimp and squirt lime on the shrimp! A delicious appetizer – or as they say in Spain – Tapa!
2. Salsa and chips! Again, takes no thought, but is really fun
3. Be adventurous! Buy a small variety of seafood for you and your family to try together. See what you all like and laugh about how it tastes and feels.
4. Fish and Spanish rice. This makes for a delicious lunch idea!
Those are my ideas for celebrating Columbus Day. Please share your ideas in the comments! Happy Columbus Day everyone!
