Monthly Archives: December 2023
HISTORY TIDBIT: CHRISTMAS COOKIES
Santa isn’t the only one who gets cookies at Christmas. Regular people like them too, and they’ve been around a long time. Medieval varieties didn’t look like the Christmas cookies of today, but did contain spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Dutch and German settlers brought the Christmas cookie tradition to North America, and […]
HISTORY DEBATE TOPIC: GOLLIWOGS
Know a kid who’s getting a golliwog for Christmas? Probably not. Since the late nineteen-sixties the once beloved cuddly toy has gradually been phased out, due to what many perceive as racist associations. (See article below.) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1136016/How-golliwog-went-innocent-childrens-hero-symbol-bitter-controversy.html The golliwog pictured above is one of several cuddly toys owned by my son. Yes, my mother made […]
HISTORIC 250th ANNIVERSARY: BOSTON TEA PARTY
’Twas 250 years ago that a group of American colonists held a special tea party in Boston Harbour. https://www.ducksters.com/history/boston_tea_party.php https://kidskonnect.com/history/boston-tea-party/ https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/boston-tea-party https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-many-myths-of-the-boston-tea-party-180983399/
CHRISTMAS BOOK PROMO: TIME ROSE SERIES
Christmas is coming, and what’s better in a child or teen’s stocking than a book? Or several books in a special Christmas ‘book bag’, used year after year, which is what we do. If your kids are interested in history, consider my Time Rose series. Now complete, these six books follow the adventures of two […]
CHILDHOOD NOSTALGIA: TINKERTOYS®
A hundred years ago, an Illinois stonemason got the idea for a wooden construction toy that still makes it on to some Christmas lists. After watching children building things out of sticks, pencils, and empty thread spools. Charles Pajeau made the first set of Tinkertoys® in his garage, and in company with Chicago Board of […]
HISTORY LURE: FAMOUS SHOPS
Some kids, particularly young teenage girls, would rather shop – or even just window shop – than learn about history, but might be interested in knowing what a historic pastime shopping is, and the stories behind some of the world’s most famous shops. https://www.lightspeedhq.com/blog/the-history-of-retail-a-timeline/ https://www.britannica.com/topic/department-store https://www.readersdigest.ca/travel/world/worlds-greatest-department-stores/ https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/about-us/our-history
HISTORIC 75th ANNIVERSARY: UN DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
So sad that, seventy-five years on, these rights are not being upheld in many corners of the Earth. https://www.youthforhumanrights.org/what-are-human-rights/universal-declaration-of-human-rights/articles-1-15.html https://www.un.org/en/about-us/udhr/history-of-the-declaration
Time Travelling With Kids 