2nd Grade History & Social Studies — Pilgrims and Patriots — America's Early Days
Students will learn about daily life in colonial America and how families worked hard and relied on God.
After Plymouth, more and more people came from England to America. They built 13 colonies along the east coast. Colonial children lived very differently from children today!
Colonial children had many chores. Boys helped their fathers farm, chop wood, and care for animals. Girls helped their mothers cook, sew, spin yarn, and make candles. Everyone worked together as a family.
Many colonial families read the Bible together every day. Children learned to read using the Bible and a book called the New England Primer, which taught letters with Bible verses. Education was very important to colonial families because they wanted children to read God's Word.
Colonial children also had fun! They played with dolls made of cornhusks, rolled hoops, and played games like tag and marbles. But they knew that hard work was important and pleasing to God.
Try making a simple cornhusk doll or draw a picture of a colonial family doing their daily chores. Compare what colonial children did to what you do each day.