Summary of Colonial Kids: An Activity Guide to Life in the New World, by Laurie Carlson

Step into the shoes of colonial kids! Discover activities, stories, and the challenges they faced in the New World with Laurie Carlson's fun guide.

Welcome, history buffs and adventurous spirits, to the wild and wonderful world of Colonial Kids: An Activity Guide to Life in the New World! If you've ever wondered what it was like to walk barefoot through the muck of a 17th-century settlement or try to explain what a quill pen is to a modern-day child who thinks "ink" is just a fancy word for "printer juice," this book is your ticket to a time machine-or at least a slightly messy afternoon.

Laurie Carlson takes us on a whirlwind tour, highlighting what young colonists (that's right, kids your age, but way less screen time) faced when they settled in the Americas. Imagine daily life devoid of TikTok, Wi-Fi, and delivery pizza! Instead, it involves chores, chores, and more chores. Get ready to dive into activities that make you channel your inner settler. It's like a how-to manual for living in a time before smartphones-gasp!

From crafting an engaging survival kit (which, spoiler alert, includes a good deal more than just snacks and a water bottle) to cooking up some grub that doesn't involve a microwave, Carlson has your colonial experience covered. You will learn how to make your own butter, which probably involves a considerable amount of elbow grease and a few choice words when it doesn't come out perfectly.

Each section of this guide transports you into the shoes-or lack of shoes-of a colonial kid. Ever tried your hand at traditional games? Think of it as "tag," but with fewer rules and more mud. The book also encourages you to practice some old-fashioned chores like tending to crops. This is pretty much like saying, "Go play in the dirt, but be serious about it!"

And there's more! Have you ever thought about how to build a fort (that isn't made out of old couch cushions)? Carlson provides blueprints for constructing your very own settlement. Not only can you reenact the great struggles of the colonists, but you can also avoid the very real struggles of actually living in a colony, with all those pesky bugs and the absence of ice cream trucks.

But wait, there's a twist! Amidst the historical facts and activities, you'll also discover stories of real colonial kids, their triumphs, and their "why did I think this was a good idea?" moments. With humor sprinkled throughout, the reading experience feels less like a history lesson and more like a chat with a friend who has an endless supply of tales from the past-and maybe a few too many puns about the hardships of farming.

So, what have we learned here? If you're a kid (or just a kid at heart) looking for a gasp-worthy experience in history, or if you ever wanted to (safely) try out life without modern conveniences, dive headfirst into Colonial Kids. Just don't forget to wash your hands after all that butter-making-and avoid discussing how you would survive without a cell phone. Your 21st-century friends may not understand!

Maddie Page

Classics, bestsellers, and guilty pleasures-none are safe from my sarcastic recaps. I turn heavy reads into lighthearted summaries you can actually enjoy. Warning: may cause random outbursts of laughter while pretending to study literature.