Do your kids think history is boring? Here’s how to teach your kids to love it!

For some kids, memorizing dates is hard, not to mention boring. But history is so much more than rote memorization of dates and events. Delving into the past can be fun — if you know how to do it! The Tuttle Twins history books are a great place to start.

History as a Story

The vast majority of history books on the market simply tell what happened and have kids memorize dates and events. But kids engage more with the content when it’s told in an exciting, story-like way instead of via just a boring relating of what happened. When history is told like a story, it humanizes the past, taking historical figures from the pages of a book and bringing them to life.

Teaching American history for kids is also about more than just what happened. It’s also about the why, which is exactly what the Tuttle Twins history books teach. The Tuttle Twins history books tell American history for kids in a fun, memorable way that goes beyond just what happened. Kids are more likely to remember what happened when they also understand the context around those events. Why did things happen the way they did? What about alternate solutions or actions? What would’ve been the consequences of those?

An extra benefit of the Tuttle Twins series is that it contains many books that teach critical thinking, including the America’s History books. When kids understand the context around historical events, they also learn to think critically about the past — and the present and future. Books that teach critical thinking through a history lens not only make learning about history informative but also fun!

PHOTO: Tuttle Twins

Bring History into the now

In addition to understanding the context around events, kids want history to be relatable. They want to understand how what happened in the past affects them today. Use current events as a way to bring the past into the here and now. Talk about what’s happening in the world today and relate it to something that happened in the past.

Hold discussions and ask questions to help your kids think critically about what alternate solutions or actions in the past could have resulted in better answers and outcomes for people today.

Activities to make learning about history fun

Finally, you can help your kids love learning about history through some fun activities that support the books that teach critical thinking through history. For example, kids typically love role playing. Have your child pretend to be a historical figure and then ask them about what they’re doing and what other options they might have considered before making a decision and moving forward. Ask them if they considered the consequences of their actions and their alternative solutions and then discuss what those consequences would be.

Other ways to make learning fun is through museum field trips, watching historical films, playing history-themed games, and interviewing family members about their past. Kids usually love learning about their family’s history, and you’ll often unearth some entertaining and educational stories that even you might not have heard about!

Teaching history in a way that will help kids love it requires a special touch. But when you start with the right books to help you teach American history for kids in a unique and creative way, you’ll quickly catch on to some wonderful ideas your kids will love!