DAY 5: MINI-MUMMY

It's our final day in Ancient Egypt and we can't finish out the week without dedicating a day to mummies, especially since most of the supplies needed for this activity are probably already in your house. We're making little mummies, and as an extra bonus: a mummy sarcophagus!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

MINI-MUMMY

• Toilet paper roll
• 1 sheet of white paper towel
• Glue
• Black marker or a pair of googly eyes
• Scissors

MINI-MUMMY SARCOPHAGUS

• Empty children's shoe box
• 1 sq. ft. of scrap fabric (or napkin)
• Paint (finger paint or brush)
• Optional: glitter, rhinestones, puff paint

1. Cut your paper towel in 1/2 inch strips.

2. Begin to wrap your strips of paper towel around the tp roll, gluing as you go. Make sure you leave a little opening at the top of your roll. 

3. When you have wrapped your mummy enough, glue on some google eyes (or draw them on with a black marker). Your mummy is done!

4. Now on the mummy's sarcophagus! Let your little one paint the shoebox any way they want.  Encourage them to draw scenes of what they think the mummy would like to do. Maybe go to a party?  Or have a picnic?  After all, the mummy hasn't gotten out in a while.  

5. Let the finished box dry, they lay the fabric inside,  creating a little nest for the mini-mummy.

6. Lay the mini-mummy inside and you're all done!  For an added bonus, they can put things inside for the mummy to play with or use while they're in there, just like they did back in Ancient Egypt. 

DAY 4: FIG TREATS

After spending a little (i.e. a lot) of time this week looking into some of the incredible foods that were on the menu in Egypt B.C., I've been spending most of my time hungry. From lamb to duck to melon to dates, their diet was rich and eclectic.   They were also big fans of figs, which are the perfect food to introduce to your little one. History for Kids has this great, easy recipe for fig balls that is not only kid-friendly but also happens to be delicious.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 1 cup of dried figs
• four full sheets of graham crackers
• 1 cup of shredded coconut

1. Chop a cup of dried figs into little pieces and soak them in water for a few hours. 

2. Grind up half a cup of graham crackers into crumbs. You can put them in a plastic bag and have your toddler help crush them up. 

3. Add 1/4 cup shredded coconut and mix until it forms a sticky ball (if it's too sticky, add more graham cracker or coconut; if it's too dry, add more figs). 

4. Make one inch diameter balls and roll them in more shredded coconut. Refrigerate until firm.

DAY 3: EGYPTIAN HEADBAND

One thing I learned while doing my research (and by research I mean watching Elizabeth Taylor's Cleopatra), is that the Ancient Egyptians definitely had style.  I mean, come on, they were rocking heavy eyeliner and stacked bracelets before it was cool. Today we impart some of that inborn sense of style to your little one; courtesy of fantastic craft form First Palette, they're making their own Egyptian headband. 

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• A4 or Letter size printable cardstock
• Printer
• Crayons or any water-based paint
• Scissors
• Glue
• Paint brush
• Rhinestones, sequins, glitter (optional)

1. Choose one these black and white Egyptian headband templates.  They also have them in color, but those aren't nearly as much fun to color in.

2. Let your little one go wild coloring it in with whatever colors they like!  

3. Once they're finished, cut out the three headband template pieces.

4. If you've opted to add a bit of sparkle, use the glitter and rhinestones now to really make it shine.

5. Let it dry completely, then glue it together so your little one can try it on!

DAY 2: THE GREAT PYRAMIDS

There are dozens of royal pyramids in Egypt, with more being discovered every year.  And while they don't hold the incredible treasures they used to, they are still iconic and offer a great opportunity to teach your child shapes.  Here's a great project to make some great pyramids for your household!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• Printer
• Card Stock
• Scissors
• Glue
• Thin cardboard
• Sand (Optional)

1. Print out this template on card stock then cut out and fold along the dotted lines.

2.  Glue tab of one triangle to the tab-free side of the next triangle. Repeat until all triangles are attached.

3. Cover entire pyramid with a coat of glue, then sprinkle sand over top to finish it off!

For added fun, help your little one place the pyramids in their sandbox or - in the case of those of us who don't have one - in a mini-sandbox to create a scene straight out of Ancient Egypt!

And if you don't happen to have the materials for this project, not to worry!  You and your toddler can use Legos or even sugar cubes to make your own pyramids.  

DAY 1: KIDDIE CARTOUCHE

In Egyptian hieroglyphs, a cartouche is an oval with a horizontal line at one end, indicating that the text enclosed - which is stacked vertically - is a royal name; sort of like an ancient name tag. It's only fitting that your toddler has one as they start this week! Here's how you help your him learn one of the earliest form of written language and also create their very own cartouche.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• Printer 
• White paper
• Yellow construction paper
• Markers or crayons
• Glue stick
• Tape

1. First up, translate their name. KidZone offers a fantastic hieroglyphic breakdown by letter; find the symbols that make up your child's name, then print out the black & white versions. 

2. Give your child markers or crayons to color in their hieroglyphics.  Explain what the animals and symbols are and how they come together to spell their name.

2. Tape together two or three pieces of yellow construction paper.  Hang it vertically on their door so it makes a tall column; this will by your child's cartouche!

3. Tape the hieroglyphics up on their construction paper cartouche - top to bottom - so their name appears just as it would in Ancient Egypt!  

Voila! Their cartouche can stay up all week so you can continue pointing out the different symbols so they can learn them. 

WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN

Get ready, this week you and your little one are heading to Ancient Egypt! Hope this helps explain the sand request...

I've always been just a tad bit obsessed with Egypt, so it was fun to create this plan with facts and activities that my daughter would love. Throw in the fact that I somehow managed to convince myself that watching Liz Taylor's Cleopatra was important research, and you can imagine how much fun this week has been.

Did somebody say 'fabulous'?

So you know the drill: every morning this week I'll post a fun activity for you to do that day with your little one. Check in at breakfast and see what you'll be up too!

In addition, here are some more thoughts of things you can do throughout the week:

WATCH
Prince of Egypt: If you’re looking for a movie night this week, rent this Disney animated film which tells the story of Moses’ life from being a prince of Egypt to his ultimate destiny to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt.

READ
The Well of Truth: This is a folktale from Egypt that not only teaches a lesson about telling the truth, but will help your little one identify the animals that star in the tale: a donkey, a rooster, and a goat.

LISTEN
Walk like an Egyptian - Bangles: It's dance party time! Put on this 80's classic to jam out to, maybe even teach your child how to "walk like an Egyptian."

EXTRAS
Coloring Pages: If you have some time to fill between activities, here are some great coloring pages you can print out. Just add Crayola.

Enjoy!

SOLUTION TO MY DILEMMA

I have an amazing toddler. She's bright and funny and has more energy than I know what to do with - a fact that becomes much more apparent in the winter when we were stuck inside all day. And let's be honest, there are only so many finger-paints and crayons in the world. It didn't take long for me to realize that for her well-being and my own sanity, I needed to organize her time better. Plan fun activities from which she'll still learn and that I'll actually enjoy as well.

Thus, the Little Brainery was born.

Each week I post a fun themed lesson plan that you can implement at home with your toddler, including crafts, recipes, book and movie recommendations, and play-date ideas. I also include some more mommy-appropriate recommendations so that you can enjoy the week's theme as much as your little one.

Each lesson plan will fall into one of three categories: Science, History, and the Arts. Now, we're not talking quantum mechanics or theories on post-modernity here. These are just unifying themes that tie together some fun projects and make it easier for both you and your toddler to get more out of your time together while also learning some key concepts that are age appropriate - shapes, colors, animals, etc. The categories will alternate each week, so theoretically we'll hit every category every four weeks.

That's it! Feel free to share and spread the word! These lesson plans work even better if you do them with friends or your playgroup. And don't worry about following them exactly; make them your own! And first and foremost, have an awesome time.