Riding on the Mayflower

Well, we packed up our belongings making some hard decisions of what to keep and what to leave.  We asked four questions before putting anything in our trunk.  Can you eat it?  Will it keep you warm? Can you build with it?  Will it make you healthy if you're sick?  The kids then explained to their peers why they picked the items they did to put in their trunk.  Then we said a pretend goodbye to all our friends and family and boarded the very small Mayflower.

We simulated what life on the Mayflower was like based on a book we read and research about the Pilgrims trip.  We thought about how stinky the boat was, and heard the mean names the sailors called the Pilgrims as they got seasick (if your child calls you a "glib glabbety puke stocking" you'll know where it came from).  Then we turned the lights off as the Pilgrims couldn't have a fire for light or cooking during a long storm that damaged the boat. We ate hardtack, just like the Pilgrims, which was as hard as the name implies.  We finally made it to shore and the kids cried out, "Land Ho!" Tomorrow we will create our own version of a Mayflower Compact to decide how everyone should treat each other in this new land.