When you think back to your days of history class, do you think dry, boring texts filled with dates? Or do you remember exciting hands on learning with a splattering of stories that brought history to life? I remember enjoying the stories in my history classes but not so much the remembering of dates and key figures.
I cannot remember history ever being hands on…science class, yes. Remember building a working “volcano” with clay, baking soda and vinegar? But history class, no!
I am happy to say that we have discovered a delightful hands on history subscription box that engages our children with all of their senses and leaves them wanting more!
*Disclosure: I received the History Unboxed The Mongols & Babylon box at no cost. I was not required to right a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own* This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure statement for more information.
What is History Unboxed
History Unboxed is a fabulous hands on history subscription service! It was created by a homeschooling mom of six children. So, she totally understands our plight as homeschoolers and the need for hands on history. Each month you get a new historical adventure delivered right to your door. Boxes are tailored to three different age groups 5-9 years, 10-15 years, and 16+ years. There is even special pricing for on orders for multiple children and co-ops!
What comes in a History box?
History Unboxed sends you all of the necessary supplies for your hands on history adventure. There’s no need to go out and purchase anything extra…except for perishable items like an apple if you wanted to mummify it…true story. Your history box will provide hands on activities to help your child understand historical events, places, people, and cultures!
Your welcome box includes…
- An interactive timeline poster
- A welcome letter and age appropriate coloring sheet/comic strip
- A time capsule kit to create your own historic memento
- A worksheet to help students understand how to read a timeline
- Additional art and organizational materials to use throughout your subscription
The Mongols Hands On History
In the Mongol box the children learned about the Mongolian empire and Genghis Khan! Our box included…
- Supplies and Shagai Bones for playing traditional Mongol games
- Supplies and Wool Roving for making felted wool balls
- Calpico a beverage based on Mongolian kumis
- Historic coloring sheet/comic strip
- Stickers for our timeline
The kids had a blast playing open toss with the Shagai bones just as Genghis Khan had as a child. Talk about a hands on history lesson! The Calpico beverage was quite tasty and it was interesting to learn why the nomadic tribes fermented their beverages. Did you know that Mongolians traditionally fermented mares milk? Cool, huh? The kids learned the importance of wool for the nomadic Mongolian tribes, and they also learned about the nomadic lifestyle that many of the Mongolian people practice to this day.
Babylon Hands on History
In the Babylon box the children learned about Babylon at the time of Hammurabi. This included Hammurabi’s code, traditional soap making and cylinder seals! Our box included…
- Supplies for making soap including juniper oil which the kids LOVED the smell of…talk about using all of your senses!
- Supplies for making our own cylinder seals
- Historic coloring sheet/comic strip
- Stickers for our timeline
The kids ADORED learning about traditional soap making with lye and the chemical reaction that’s caused when it comes into contact with fats. The soap making was fun and invoked all of their senses. They were so excited when the soap had finally hardened and they got to use it in their bath.
As the children learned a bit about the Babylons written language, they were thrilled to make cylinder seals. I love that everything we needed, except the baking sheet, was included. I hate having to run out and grab some random item for a project. Luckily, we bake so we had the baking sheet, HA!
History Unboxed is a perfect compliment to our child led homeschool. I’m happy that I can pair each months box with corresponding read alouds and history books if we want to go deeper down historic rabbit holes. We are really have a grand time with this hands on subscription box. The kids are having fun and learning all about ancient cultures, people, and places at the same time! The best part…I didn’t have to do anything but open the box.
If you’re interested in learning more about History Unboxed be sure to pop over to their website. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Oh my gosh, my kids would LOVE this!
It is seriously fun!