May Day Crafts, Poems and Stories for Dolls

Photo from New York Renaissance Faire at "Maypole
Meadow" by KenL.

       May Day is one of the holidays still being celebrated which was originated by European Pagans centuries ago. In fact, many Christians observed the holiday in the early 20th Century because it was not a "religious" celebration but one of several with origins in the changing of the seasons.

       It is in England that the first day of May was and still is a festival full of fun for the children as they welcome the coming of spring. (Modern version, 2022, at YouTube held on May 15th, for some reason...) A May Queen is crowned with flowers and children go to the woods to gather them and put them in specially made baskets. These they hang on a neighbor's door knob. Yet, as an old writer said "Their chiefest jewel is their May-pole." 

• Here a little girl crowned May Queen on May 12th, 2007
• A silent film of 1926 May Queen here.

       In olden times, the May-poles were painted in alternate stripes of yellow and black, but today a white pole is used. Tack the ends of various colored ribbons (they should be a yard longer than the pole), at the top of the pole and suspend a wreath of flowers. Decorate the extreme tip of the pole with gaily colored streamers or small flags. 

       An even number of persons are required for the dance; half the number takes the ribbon in the right hand and half in the left; they then face alternately right and left. When the dance commences, each dancer facing the right passes under the ribbon held by the one opposite facing the left; she then allows the next person going to the left to pass under her ribbon, and so on, tripping in and out, under and over until the ribbons are woven around the pole. Reverse the procedure to unwind the pole.

Crafts for Your Dolls To Celebrate May Day:

• The Four Flower Sister Paper Dolls: Hyacinth, Rose, Violet and Lily
• The Flower Children Pages - "The Little Cousins of This Field and Garden" by Elizabeth Gordon
• Get Ready To Learn and Teach At Flower Camp! Lessons and crafts for children and their dolls...
• Transform Your Lawn Into a Wildflower Meadow -  Your backyard can become a classroom.

Poems for The 1rst of May:

• Growing by Frances Camp Duggar
• The May-Day Piper by Anna Medary
• May Dance by Josephine Van Dolzen Pease
• Tomorrow's The First of May by Pauline More Wetzel
• A Fairy Necklace by Enid Blyton
• First O'May - lyrics adapted to sing for may "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush''
• Flower Fairies by Philip Bourke Marston
• Butterfly Airships by Alice E. Allen
• The Earth and Man
• The Rainbow Story by  E. Antionette Luques
• The Rainbow Land by Bertha Carman Herbst
• The Land of Fairy Tales 
• Rainbows by Dixie Willson
• Have You Seen Them?
• The Good Night by John Martin
• Fairies' Tea

Stories to Read On The 1rst of May:

• A-Maying by Maude Radford Warren
• The Endless Story by Friedrich Wilhelm Carove
• The Fairy Steeds by Frances G. Wickes
• The May-Day Queen by Georgene Faulkner
• Thumbelina by Hans Christian Andersen - The fairy princess born from a tulip...

Hispanic and Latino Heritage

Far left, poster celebrating Cesar Chavez. Center left, Justice Sonia Sotomayor as a
young girl. Center Right, cover from children's author, Alma Flor Ada. Far Right, award
winning actress, dancer and singer Rita Moreno.

 

       "National Hispanic Heritage Month is a period from 15 September to 15 October in the United States for recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. 
       Hispanic Heritage Month began as Hispanic Heritage Week. Hispanic Heritage Week was established by legislation sponsored by Rep. Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles and was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. In 1988, the commemorative week was expanded to a month (September 15 to October 15) by legislation sponsored by Rep. Esteban Edward Torres (D-Pico Rivera), amended by Senator Paul Simon and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the commemoration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Hispanic countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, who all declared independence in 1821. In addition, Mexico, Chile, Belize and Puerto Rico celebrate their independence days on September 16, September 18, September 21, and September 23 respectively.
       Hispanic Heritage Week was first proclaimed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968 in Presidential proclamation 3869. Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan gave annual proclamations for Hispanic Heritage Week between 1969 and 1988. National Hispanic Heritage Month was first proclaimed by President George H. W. Bush on September 14, 1989 in Presidential Proclamation 6021. Since 1989, all Presidents have given a Presidential Proclamation to mark Hispanic Heritage Month." Wikipedia

Internet Educational Resources:

• Listing from the NEA or National Education Association
• Hispanic American / Latino American History
• Overview and Ideas from Scholastic

Doll Play Artifacts:

• Learn About Early History of Colonial Latin America with Josefina Doll
• Learn About Exploring Space With Luciana Vega Doll
• BFC Club dolls: Noelle and Aliesha are twin, Latino sisters

Famous Latinitas For Girls To Read About and Study:

1. Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz - The First Great Latin American Poet at EDSitement
2. Juana Azurduy de Padilla - Fought for Bolivian independence...
3. Evelyn Miralles - Engineer from Venezuela who inspires...
4. Policarpa Salvarrieta - The Revolutionary Teen Spy from Puppet History 
5. Susana Torre - An Argentine/American Architect
6. Rosa A. Gonzales - An exemplary nurse from Puerto Rico 
7. Teresa Carreno - A pianist and opera singer
8. Hermelinda Urvina - A pilot from Ecuador
9. Antonia Navarro - A topographic engineer and teacher from El Salvador
10. Matilde Hidalgo - First girl in Ecuador to graduate from high school. She became a doctor...
11. Eva Peron - First Lady of Argentina
12. Julia Alvarez - her biography from Chicago Public Library
13. Gabriela Mistral - She won a Nobel Prize in Literature, 1945.
14. Juana de Ibarbourou - important Uruguayian Poet
15. Dr. Ellen Ocha - works for NASA, astronaut
16. Pura Belpre - an award named after the first Latina librarian who worked for the New York Public Library
17. Mercedes Sosa - famous performer, singer, musician...
18. Sandra Cisneros - story writer and author
19. Mirabal sisters - "the Butterflies" who helped topple a dictator
20. Gumercinda Paez - Elizabeth Mischke reads about this beloved teacher...
21. Isabel Allende -  Acclaimed author, visit her website here...
22. Sonia Sotomayor - Supreme Court Justice
23. Frida Kahlo - famous portrait painter 
24. Julia de Burgos - Puerto Rico poet
25. Rigoberta Menchu Tum - a hero for Native People's Rights
26. Gloria Estefan - a famous singer, here is her foundation's page: The Gloria Estefan Foundation
27. Chavela Vargas - performer, musician and singer 
28. Alicia Alonso - Cuban Prima Ballerina
29. Victoria Santa Cruz - Professor of Drama PH.D.
30. Mercedes Doretti - a Forensic Anthropologist 
31. Claribel Alegria - a poet and novelist from Central America
32. Celia Cruz - The Queen of Salsa and Good Morning America and Latin Grammy Award Winner!
33. Sonia Solange Pierre - a Human Rights Activist
34. Dolores Huerta - Political Activist, Her Foundation
35. Rita Rosita Moreno - from Puerto Rico - actress, dancer and singer
36. Veronica Michelle Bachelet - Executive Director of UN Women
37. Maria Auxiliadora da Silva - self taught, 'outsider' painter from Brazil

School Supplies for Dolls Entering 4th -7th Grade

       The following contemporary school supply or craft supply may be needed for the beginning of the new school year. Check with your doll's homeroom teacher for each assigned classroom list. 

Supply Per Student: 4th - 7th Grade Doll Classrooms

1. Lunch box and thermos may be needed if your doll brings food from home
2. Laptop (provided by school for check-out)
3. Backpack
4. Binders and Folders and Subject Dividers
5. Calendar/planner
6. highlighter markers
7. Notepads and Index cards
8. Calculator (optional)
9. Rulers, hole punch, templates, Scissors
10. Pencils, Pens, Erasers, Pencil Case, Highlighter, Pencil Sharpener
11. Crayons, Watercolor set and or Colored Pencils
12. Glue sticks, Bottle of white school glue
13. Book Covers
14. Combination Lock for a school locker
15. Bandages, small bottle of hand sanitizer 
16. Dry Erase Board and Dry Erase Markers
17. 3 boxes of facial tissues
18. 2 boxes of sanitary wipes
19. shorts, tennis shoes, socks, tees and gym bag for sports
20. personal hygiene: deodorant stick, hair brush, soap and soap box toothbrush and toothpaste
21. Student ID Card, Library Card, Lunch Card

       A School Locker may be assigned to your doll, it is a loan from the school. The locker may be decorated only with things that are easy to remove at the end of the school year. Students are held responsible for the care of school property. Food and/or waste must be removed from the locker at the end of each day in order to prevent insects and rodents from being attracted to the contents of your locker. Lockers will be inspected from time to time to insure the rules are followed. Do not use this school property to store any illegal substances.

A desk will be assigned to your doll at the beginning of the school year.

• School Desks for 18'' Dolls

The Juneteenth Index

Many people picnic on Juneteenth. Above are doll crafts you can make for a fun picnic:
melon ball salad, a lined picnic basket, hot dogs and a doll sized hammock!

       Juneteenth (Juneteenth National Independence Day and historically known as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Black Independence Day) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of African-American slaves.

• What is Juneteenth?
• Juneteenth: a Story and a Song
• History of Juneteenth
• The celebration of the first federally observed Juneteenth

       It is also often observed for celebrating African-American culture. Originating in Galveston, Texas, it has been celebrated annually on June 19th in various parts of the United States since 1865. The day was recognized as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. Juneteenth's commemoration is on the anniversary date of the June 19, 1865, announcement of General Order No. 3 by Union Army general Gordon Granger, proclaiming freedom for slaves in Texas, which was the last state of the Confederacy with institutional slavery. 

• Biden signs Juneteenth bill, creating a new federal holiday: video and bill signed
• Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution and here
• Emancipation Proclamation - issued on January 1, 1863, had officially outlawed slavery in Texas and in all of the other states of the original Confederacy. Enforcement of the Proclamation generally relied upon the advance of Union troops.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983. 
• The final release of slaves by the Indian Territories, Choctaw, in 1866 (pdf.)

Formal Recognition: Beginning with Texas by proclamation in 1938, and by legislation in 1979, 49 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have formally recognized the holiday in various ways.  

• Texas by proclamation in 1938 
• Declaration of Juneteenth Holiday Sparks Scramble in States
• Juneteenth: The story behind the 155-year-old holiday that commemorates the end of slavery

The Musical Celebrations of Juneteenth:

• "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot"  (pdf.) - by the National Registry: 2002 and listen here
• "Lift Every Voice and Sing" - Why The Black National Anthem Is Lifting Every Voice To Sing and the TEDx Talk here and A Cappella sung by students at Berklee College of Music

Doll Crafts for Celebrating Juneteenth:

1. How to Recycle a Hammock For a Doll
2. Craft an easy melon ball salad for your dolls...
3. How to Sew a Liner For A Picnic Basket
4. Doll camp food is also good for a picnic in the park!
   
5. Learn to sculpt a newspaper African folk doll...
6. Traditional Soul Food Sides for Juneteenth

African-American Writers, Dancers, Poets and Businessmen:

• Ralph Ellison at WorldCat Identities and Novel
• Maya Angelou - her legacy continues on...
• Richard Henry Boyd with founded the National Negro Doll Company
• How Misty Copeland Became a Ballerina

Foods and Festivals of African American Peoples: Some Juneteenth celebrations also include rodeos, street fairs, cookouts, family reunions, park parties, historical reenactments, and Miss Juneteenth contests.

• How to celebrate Juneteenth
• The best foods to celebrate Juneteenth with family and friends

Artifacts For Integrating History, Literature and doll play:

• See Learning About History With The Addy Walker Doll - Artifacts concerning African American history during and after The Civil War
• See Also Learning History With Melody - Artifacts concerning The Civil Rights Movement
• The Adentures of Keisha Vance - an African American doll from the Magic Attic Collections
  
• Topsy-Turvy Dolls - The toys made by former African and Islander slaves...
• Afrocentric Shindana Dolls - made in South Central Los Angeles
• A Doll From The U.S. Virgin Islands
• "Adama" a doll representing Nigeria by Avon.
• A black velvet rag doll by Norah Wellings
• Ethnic and Diverse Dolls: Mattel's Fashionista Dolls - 11 reviewed

The Indigenous Tribes Of Africa, Their Diversity and Art, Then and Now: Africa, the homeland of many former slaves. Learn about the tribes of the past and how they survive in modern Africa today.

• The People of The Veil
• The Bakongo
• The Masai
• The People of The Fog
• The Bushmen
• African Artists

Doll Hospital Links

       A doll hospital is a workshop that specializes in the restoration or repair of dolls. Doll hospitals can be found in countries around the world. One of the oldest doll hospitals was established in Lisbon, Portugal in 1830, and another in Melbourne, reputedly the first such establishment in Australia, was founded in 1888. There is a Doll Doctors Association in the United States. Henri Launay, who has been repairing dolls at his shop in northeast Paris for 43 years, says he has restored over 30,000 dolls in the course of his career. Most of the clients are not children, but adults in their 50s and 60s.Some doll brands, such as American Girl and Madame Alexander also offer doll hospital services for their own dolls.

Doll Repairs/Hospitals:

A Doll’s Dressmaker & Doll Hospital

AAA Doll Hospital

All Dolled Up, Inc 

Attic Antiquity Dolls

Audrey’s Doll Gallery

Cathie Lee Doll Hospital 

China Doll, Inc.

Deborah’s Doll Shoppe

Doctor Toni’s Doll Repair

Doll Doctors Association 

Doll Parts & Supplies 

Dolls 4U

Donna’s Children

Dr. Toni’s Doll Repair

Elaine’s Dolls & Restoration  

Linda Lee Sutton Original Dolls  

Luel Restoration Studio

Mel’s Belles

Porcelain Classics 

Secaucus Doll & Teddy Bear Hospital 

ShenValley Doll Hospital

Tender Mercies Doll & Toy Repair

The Doll Company

TLC Doll Hospital/ Shoppe

Valarie Moyer’s Dolls

Pincushion Dolls

Left, my newest pincushion. A stuffed bear who's tongue extends to reveal a tape measure.
Center, My favorite pincushion was given to me when I was very young.
A half doll attached to a 'skirt' pincushion; she still sits on my bedroom dresser.
Right, is an antique hooked pin cushion that belonged to my mother-in-law

         A pincushion is a small cushion, typically 3-5 cm across, which is used in sewing to store pins or needles with their heads protruding so as to take hold of them easily, collect them, and keep them tidy. Many of these are shaped into miniature dolls, animals or basic shapes.
       Pincushions are typically filled tightly with stuffing, so as to hold pins rigidly once placed. The stereotypical design - a tomato with a strawberry attached - seems to have been around forever but, most likely, was introduced during the Victorian Era. Typically, the tomato is filled with wool roving to prevent rust, and the strawberry is filled with an abrasive to clean the pins and keep them from snagging fabrics.

• Textile Arts: Needlecases, Needle Books and Pincusions

Native American Pincushions:

• A Mohawk Pincushion at the NMAI museum
• More native American folk art pincushions

My favorite pincushion is a half doll (above) that was given to me by my great aunt. I’ll include links of these prickly beauties below. Some of them have been dismantled. With the price of needles these days, it’s no wonder. One must, from time to time, retrieve the lost and buried just to pinch a few pennies!

• Half dolls, bathing beauties and pin cushions
• Half Dolls: A Full Time Collectable

More Pincushion Types:

• Yo Yo Pincushion
• Reclaimed Pottery Pincushions

Our Hand-Crafted Pin Cushions:

1. Craft a Walnut Pincushion 
2. The Dutch Boy Pincushion
3. Sewing a doughnut pincushion is a bit tricky...
4. A playful pincushion from Germany?
5. Craft Your Own Hat Shaped Pincushion
6. No bake, slice of cake pincushion... 
7. How I made an ice cream cone pincushion. 
8. How I made tiny pincushions for a doll's sewing room...

  Return to the Doll Guide Index Page 

Make A Scrapbook About Your Doll...

The decorated cover of my doll scrapbook. I covered the surface with
 an acrylic sealer after the adding the ribbon trims.

         "Scrapbooking is a method for preserving personal and family history in the form of a scrapbook. Typical memorabilia include photographs, printed media, and artwork. Scrapbook albums are often decorated and frequently contain extensive journaling. Scrapbooking is a hobby commonly practiced in many parts of world."

       A doll's scrapbook is certainly a novel way to promote literacy in the lives of little people. It is a book in which they may be encouraged to write, to express themselves and also to record the daily events of their very first and best friends, their dolls. So gather your child's art supplies, pull out your camera and put on your thinking cap; our journey is ready to begin.      
      Select a type of scrapbook that may be adapted to the habits of it's creator. I recommend beginning with a large binder when working with very young children for three important reasons. A binder affords the opportunity to insert and remove content as you go. There is nothing more frustrating to a child than defacing something they have a growing affection for. They make a mark and discover it to be a disaster. "Never mind", you might say and the wailing begins, "It's a mistake! I don't like it!" the child pouts. Well, all children are fearful in the beginning. So it is best to keep a journal for the final, satisfactory pages. A large three ring binder is the preferred choice of those who change their minds frequently.
       Also, if your child wishes to play with the contents of their scrapbook, they will be able to return that paper scrap eventually. I keep all kinds of printable materials in my binders. It is so much easier to take things in and out of a binder for scanning and printing extra copies when you need them.
       Protected plastic covers for your memorabilia can be easily added to scrapbook binders. Small hands may flip through their creations while eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and one must anticipate the wiping down of an occasional sticky accident!

       A scrapbook should first and foremost reflect the person and agenda of whoever keeps it. Help your young person personalize the cover of their journal with pictures and words that describe either themselves, their doll's personality, or their relationship with the doll.
       As you can see, my sample doll scrapbook is decorated with paper dolls. This is because I will be keeping many samples of paper dolls in my scrapbook. But your child may keep more personal photos of their playtime activities, or perhaps more little songs and poems that they like to sing and recite before nap time or at school. The scrapbook should inevitability reflect the personality of it's owner.

The doll scrapbook in progress. First I wrapped a large three ring binder in white butcher paper.
 Then covered it in paper doll costumes and doll. After this, I doodled a black pattern,
with a permanent ink pen on the surface of the white butcher paper.

Left, I applied a bit of hot glue ribbons and ribbon flowers to the paper doll's head. Right, I also
lined the inside of the recycled three ring binder with a black and white figured wrapping paper.

Scrapbook Page Themes: 

1. Sign a Birth Certificate For Your Baby Doll
2. Animated Baby Gifs for your Cyberspace Birth Announcements
3. Tumbles with teddy scrapbook page 
4. Bringing baby home scrapbook page
5. Eating habits scrapbook page
6. The Clothes-Pin Dollies by Camilla J. Knight 
7. Sick days scrapbook page 
8. The "Baby's Layette" scrapbook page
9. Stork "Birth Information" page for a doll scrapbook
10. Good habits scrapbook page
11. First pets scrapbook page
12. First doctor's visit scrapbook page
13. Bath time scrapbook page
14. Color "My Doll's Birth Certificate"
15. Hugs and kisses scrapbook page
16. Pink and blue birth certificates for your dolls 
17. Learning to walk scrapbook page
18. Naps scrapbook page
19. Potty training scrapbook page
20. The Little Prince Baby Clip Art Page
    

Posts about how children relate to pictures:

• How to Interest Children in Pictures
• Begin with What the Child Likes
• The Child's Pleasure is That of Recognizing Something Familiar
• Build on the Child's Curiosity
• Next We Come to Story-Pictures

More Related Content:

• Different Types of Scrapbooks 
• Craft a Fashion Scrapbook: Great idea for teens
• Faith Field Notebooks

Craft A Paper Doll Dog Show!

        Stuck inside with little to do? Children can pretend to have a dog show using the printable materials provided below. We have restored paper doll dogs and also have included articles that explain what dog show judges look for in dog breeds when awarding them at competitions.

• 24 Free clip art pages of dogs portraits for lapbooks, crafts and assignments
• The Story of The Dog... 
• Technical Terms and Topography for Dogs
  

Supplies You Will Need for A Paper Doll Dog Show:

• home printer
• scissors
• magic markers, colored pencils or crayons
• white school glue
• poster board (for mounting the paper animals)

Paper Doll Dogs Restored for Play and Descriptions of How Dog Breeds Are Judged:

1. The Scottie show dog named "Mac" - is owned by Bonnie Brae MacGregor. She says he is a good watchdog.
   
2. The Dalmatian show dog named "Spotty" - is the long time friend of Dan, a fire-fighter's son. Dan says that Spotty is a faithful watchdog.
   
3. The Standard Poodle show dog named "Muffy" - Fifi is Muffy's owner and she says that her dog has won many dog show competitions.
   
4. The Basset Hound show dog named "Dumpy" - is being brushed until his coat shines by his best friend, Billy.
   
5. The German shepherd show dog named "Ruffy" - takes some time off from his job at precinct number 7 to be with Michel his owner's young son at the dog show.
   
6. The Pekinese show dog named "Chu" - and her owner Patty love to meet new kids at the local parks. Patty also loves to show off how cute Chu looks after being groomed for the dog show.
   
7. The Dachshund show dog named "Pooky" - Trudy is Pooky's best friend. She sometimes knits sweaters for him to wear when its cold outside!
8. The Fox Terrier show dog named "Nicky" - This trained terrier grew up in the circus and knows all kinds of tricks!
9. The Boxer show dog named "Chesty" - Tom loves his dog, Chesty, so much that he built him his very own dog house.
   
10. The Chihuahuas show dog named "Paco" - a lively and playful dog that is easily trained
11. The Cocker Spaniel show dog named "Princess" - Sue says her little princess is gentle and full of lively fun!
12. The Collie show dog named "Lassie" - Lassie lives on a farm and helps her mistress with chores...
    

Now you will need to set up a display for the dog show:

• Ribbons for the award ceremony

Watch Real Dog Shows at YouTube for Kids:

• Kids Dog Show reported by Bellingham Herald
• Dog show & Kids learn about dogs

This cute paper dog and more like it can be found at Paper Magic. 
Make even more of your favorite dog breeds to exhibit 
at your own dog show competition!

Dinosaur Camp for Dolls

Phororhacos, a Patagonian Giant of the Miocene.

       The dinosaurs were a kind of great reptile that lived ages ago, before there were any men on the earth. They were of many different kinds and they varied in size from that of a house cat to that of great creatures fifteen or more feet in height and seventy-five feet in length.

       We know that these great reptiles lived on the earth because their fossil bones and skeletons are found buried in the rocks in many places. These bones are petrified or turned into stone, and have been preserved in the rock ledges through long ages. Sometimes only a few bones are found in a place, but sometimes entire skeletons are found together. From these skeletons, which have been set up in different museums, the scientists have been able to make out what kind of creatures the dinosaurs were.

       Fossil remains of dinosaurs are found not only in North America, but in South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. This shows that these great creatures lived in all parts of the world. It is not known that any ever reached Australia.

       The name dinosaur is taken from two Greek words which mean terrible lizard. They were not exactly lizards, but probably as nearly like the lizard as any other animal now living on the earth. Many of the dinosaurs lived in the water, but some of them were capable of coming out and walking about on the land. Some of them were plant-eaters and the plant-eaters grew to very great size. Some of them were flesh-eaters, and fed upon the other dinosaurs. This is known by the very sharp teeth that these flesh-eaters had and the marks that are found in many cases on the bones of the plant-eating dinosaurs. Even the broken teeth of the flesh-eaters are sometimes found buried in the earth, scattered about the skeletons of the great plant eating dinosaurs. This shows that the flesh-eaters were probably fierce animals and that they preyed upon the plant-eaters just as lions and tigers of modern times prey upon camels and elephants.

Stegosaurus skeleton.

       The dinosaurs vary greatly among themselves in their size and in the shape and the proportion of their bodies. The very oldest dinosaurs were quite small and most of them walked on four legs. Some of the later and largest of all dinosaurs also walked on four legs. These animals had small heads, very long necks, and long tails; the bodies were rather short and compact. The head was shaped very much like that of a lizard. Others of the dinosaurs walked on their hind legs with their bodies in a half upright position. Their forelegs were not so long as the hind legs, and some of them appeared to have been swimmers. Some of these swimmers had long heads with broad mouths and very small teeth and were called the duck-bill dinosaurs. Another another kind had great plates standing up in two rows and extending along the back from the neck to the tail. There were other plates which lay flat and served to protect the animal's back. 

Triceratops mounted skeleton at Los Angeles Museum
 of Natural History, Los Angeles, United States of America

       Another kind of dinosaur was truly armored. These animals were shaped like the little horned toad which now lives in the sands of desert regions, and had bony plates covering the back arranged like true armor. The flesh-eating dinosaurs were apparently the most agile and swift-footed of all the dinosaur tribe. Their heads were large in proportion to the size of the body, and armored with rows of sharp pointed teeth like those of a crocodile. They walked or ran upon their hind legs, and their forelegs were so small that they could have been of use only for the purpose of seizing and holding their prey. The largest of all these flesh-eaters now known has the very imposing name of Tyrannosaurus rex, meaning - king of the tyrant lizards.

       Fortunately, all of these creatures of the dinosaur tribe died out long before man came to live on the earth and before there were many warm-blooded animals of any kind. There were some very small mammals living at the time of the dinosaurs. Some scientists have thought that these little mammals may have eaten the eggs of the great dinosaurs and so helped in exterminating them.  Riggs.

Dinosaur Camp Crafts:

• Dinosaur "hands on" camp craft ideas from SimpleplayIdeas
• Summer Camp Programming features theme of the week - dinosaurs
• Dinosaur Camp Activities by ClubSciKidz
• Dinosaur Diorama by firstpalette

Silly Cave Dolls for Fun: People could never have survived living with dinosaurs but doll makers like to help children pretend to play and learn as though they did...

• Cave Twins by Jessie Louise Taylor
• Flintstones Family Dolls...
• The Cave Club Dolls
• Katy and K.O. wearing their leopard prints...

Dinosaur Natural History Lessons: Parents and teachers should know that the following articles were originally written for children prior to 1960s. Therefore some information about carbon dating has changed according to current scientific communities. The simple descriptions of ancient reptiles, animals and ocean creatures are generally described with articulate and entertaining language that can be appreciated by very young children. It is also possible that the naming/classification of dinosaurs has also been updated a bit. I recommend the articles be reviewed before using them in a classroom setting.

• The Adventures of A Pebble by Stromquist, 1955, 4.1 International: My Beginnings, A River Journey, My First Living Friend, Jet-Propelled Shellfish, Chicago's Coral Cities, Undersea Animal Gardens, Visitor From The Swamp Forest and Chicago's Great Ice Sheet
• Living Giants by Wood, 1943, 4.0 International: The Redwood Trees, Blue Whales, The Ostrich, The Reticulate Python, Whale Sharks, Bamboo (The Giant Grass), Giant Squids, The Komodo Lizard
• What is A Dinosaur? by Weaver, 1956, 4.0 International: Brontosaurus, Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus, Allosaurus, Turammpsaurus, Stegosaurus, Palaeoscincus, Protoceratops, Edmontosaurus, Why are there no dinosaurs today? 

Dinosaur Education & Fun Online:

• Dinosaur Education About: Fossils, Extinction, Lifespan etc...
• Dinosaurs - kid friendly films that look realistic
• Learn Dinosaur Names for Kids
• T-Rex Restaurant Disney Springs
• Dinosaur Coloring Pages
• Huge Box Dinosaur Toys!
• T-Rex Ranch - Dinosaurs For Kids (channel about T-Rex Ranch)
• Dinosaur Cannibalism by BBC Earth
• Megalodon vs Livyatan - Who Would Win?
• Marine reptiles and other animals of the time of Dinosaurs. Size comparison.
• Dinosaur Size Comparison 3D - Smallest to Biggest
• Here's How Dinosaur Figures Are Made
• The Dinosaur Farm - anything and everything having to do with dinosaurs for sale - kids and collectors welcome
• The Dino Directory at The U.K. Natural History Museum
• dinosaur-toys-collectors-guide.com

Dinosaur Field Camp Programs:

• Museum of The Rockies Field Camp
• Bighorn Basin Paleontology Expeditions

The Dinosaur Fossil Sites:

1. Seymour Island, Antartica: Read more, Exploring The History And Future of Antarctica with Dr. Paul Willis
2. Hell Creek Formation, United States: Read more, Visit Burpee Museum Of Natural Hisory Website
3. Ediacara Hills, Australia: Read more, Visit The Website
4. Joggins Fossil Cliffs, Canada: Read more, Visit The Website
5. Anacleto Formation, Argentina: Read more, Visit The Website
6. Stranska Skala, Czech Republic: Read more, Photos and detailed information
7. Red Beds, Texas and Oklahoma: Kansas Geological Survey page
8. Jurassic Coast, England: Jurassic Coast Trust
9. La Brea Tar Pits, California: Read more, Visit The Website
10. Jiufotang Formation, China: (pdf article) no internet access into China from U.S. sorry folks

Dinosaur Museum Collections:

1. Museum fur Naturkunde, Berlin: Read more, Visit The Website
2. Field Museum, Chicago: Read more, Visit The Website
3. Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Science, Brussels: Read more, Visit The Website
4. National Dinosaur Museum, Canberra, Australia: Read more, Visit The Website
5. Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology, Alberta, Canada: Read more, Visit The Website
6. Wyoming Dinosaur Center, Wyoming: Read more, Visit The Website
7. Zigong Dinosaur Museum, Zigong, China: Video at youtube, Visit The Website
8. Iziko Museum, Cape Town, South Africa: Video at youtube, Visit The Website
9. Fernbank Museum of Natural History, Atlanta: Video at youtube , Visit The Website

Designated time periods used by scientists in these articles are based upon scientific theory. Here are a few links for those of you who are curious about how we teach Genesis and science at the same time to children. Understand Hebrew translations for the concepts of time in scripture. See also Christian parents can go and read here about teaching scientific theory to young children.

Nature Studies For You and Your Doll

       The following introductory Nature Studies are listed here for young people to learn and practice along with their dolls as they play pretend school. Integrated learning materials merge together several learning processes under common themes. The following natural science themes are typical of those subjects written about in American Girl Dolls books. Doll Summer Camps hosted through Parks and Recreation/Summer Camps traditionally include similar natural science lessons and sometimes even dollplay throughout the U.S.  However, it can be difficult for them to find free reading material to integrate into these programs for young crafters to study with. The following lessons may be printed out for camp programs freely. The bulk of the articles originate from the Chicago Natural History Museum. 

• These little introductory lessons are also linked into our Summer Camps and Vacation Indexes for dolls located here.

Find More Nature History Artifacts at Thrifty Scissors: more collections coming...

• The Bird Index
• ark-o-pedia - An Animal Encyclopedia For 4th-6th Grade Readers

       These lessons have been edited and are updated by kathy grimm. The reading levels are for school children in grades 4 - 8. (These levels are estimates!)  Parents and/or educators may read them aloud for younger students if they are too difficult for them to read. 
       If your child cannot attend summer camps, or regular schools this year (due to covid 19), homeschooling parents may find these helpful materials to inspire and organize their children's learning experiences. Set up a doll camp, craft camp or doll classroom and begin integrative learning today! 

• Integrated Curriculum: Definition, Benefits & Examples
• What is Integrated Curriculum?
• PDF Integrated Learning Overview from Radnor Township School District
• Change It Up With Integrated Learning Day

Natural History Introductory Lessons: The Importance of Conservation * Flight * Hibernation is Normal To Many Animals * Hibernation * Horns and Antlers * Scientists, Bones and Tools *

Geology: Nature's Crystals * Rivers As Sculptors of The Land *

Birds: Learn About Baby Birds * The Blue Jay * The Slate-Colored Junco * A Feathered Fisherman * The Wild Turkey, A Vanishing Game Bird * Flower Loving Birds * The Red-winged Blackbird * The Eastern Robin * The English Sparrow * The Herring Gull * Birds of Borneo  * The European Cuckoo * Bustards and Vultures * The Bronze Grackle or Crow Blackbird * The Chimney Swift * The Quetzal - Sacred Bird of The Aztecs * The Eastern Nighthawk * Birds of Borneo * Some Possible Reasons for Bird Migration * Bird and Animal Partnerships * Where to Find The Birds for Beginners * Stork * Bitterns *

Mammals That Live On Land: Cottontail Rabbits * Bats, Ace Fliers * Land Otters * Beavers As Engineers  * White-tailed Fawns * Dogs * Red Fox Family * The American Porcupine * The Majestic Bengal Tiger * Su Lin: The Famous Panda Immigrant * The Man-eaters of Tsavo - Big Cats * A Gorilla Named Bushman * Tree Animals of Borneo * The Very Slow Sloths  * The Reindeer * Strange Australian Animals * Elephants of Today  * The Long Necked Giraffe * American Tapirs * The Koala, A Real Life Teddy Bear? * The Kangaroo Life In The Wild * The Strange Platypus * The Strange Looking Gnu! * Musk-Oxen Of North America * The Orangutan of Borneo - "man of the woods" * The American Elk Or Wapiti * The Anteaters  * Musquash The Muskrat * The Weasel And The Mink * The Skunk and It's Habits * Sir Stickleback, The Hedgehog * The Chimpanzee A Jungle Native * Bears * Some Ways of Self-Preservation Among Animals *

Ocean Life:Marine Mammals: Sea Sponges and Their Relatives * Sharks, Skates and Rays * Coral Gardens * Seals Love Good Company * Starfish: Native of The Sea * Why Right Whales Were Named "Right" * 12 Fascinating Creatures of The Surf * Sea Animals Minus Back Bones * The Common Octopus * Sea Horse *

Reptiles: Learn About Baby Snakes * Crocodile Hunting and Relocating by Harpoon  * The Common Snapping Turtle * The Cobra *

Amphibians: Frog Eggs and Tadpoles *

Insect Life: Insect Mimicry and Protective Coloration * Insect Guests In Our Gardens * Glimpses of Ant Life * Pollen and Nectar Carriers *

Plant Life: The Plants in A Woodland Community * Why Leaves Change Color * Gourds and Pumpkins and Their Uses * The Story of Bread * Evergreens *

Outer Space: Visitors from Outer Space * Magic Sky Lights or The Aurora Borealis * The Man In The Moon *

The Study of Aeronautics/Flight: Different Kinds of Balloons and Their Uses *

Agriculture & Mining: Exotic and Unusual Crops: Cloves * Vanilla * Story of Wheat * Rubber From America * Spices * Ginger * Allspice * The Cloth That Grows On Trees * Cinnamon * Mustard * The Story of Common Salt * Nuts * Chewing Gum *