We’re learning how to make a coat of arms activity and I have some free printables at the end of the post. Also, look at my 4 Week Free Middle Ages Unit Study & Best Hands-on Ideas for more activities.
I’m extremely fascinated by the Middle Ages. I know that the reality of that time was far less romantic than novels and films make it seem, but the castles and the jousting tournaments and the costumes are just wonderful to think of.
In those years (and in the years since), royal and noble families have had a coat of arms to show what they’ve accomplished in their history.
And, while the coat of arms is often associated with Medieval Europe, it’s actually been used all over the world – from China to Senegal.
To learn more about how these designs were used and passed down through families, we decided to make our own coat of arms! See how you can do the same for a hands-on history lesson!
BOOKS FOR KIDS ABOUT THE MEDIEVAL AGES
Next, add some living books to this hands-on history craft.
9 Medieval History Books & Resources For Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To
Add a few of these books to your Middle Ages or Medieval unit study.
King Arthur is one of the greatest legends of all time. From the magical moment when Arthur releases the sword in the stone to the quest for the Holy Grail and the final tragedy of the Last Battle, Roger Lancelyn Green brings the enchanting world of King Arthur stunningly to life. One of the greatest legends of all time, with an inspiring introduction by David Almond, award-winning author of Clay, Skellig, Kit's Wilderness and The Fire-Eaters.
This covers people and events and covers a larger period of time.
Kids can re-create a long-ago world of kings, castles, jousts, jesters, damsels, magic fairies, and Robin Hood—all they need are their imaginations, materials they can find at home, and the activities in this book. Dressing up in a coat of armor made from plastic milk jugs, whipping up a batch of curds and whey, writing secret messages in invisible ink, and telling time with a sand glass made from soda bottles are just some of the fun projects. Every activity is illustrated, and sidebars highlight colorful facts about life hundreds of years ago.
This newly updated book will introduce you to world history, from prehistoric times to the start of the 21st century. Find out about dinosaurs, the first humans, Ancient Egypt, the Aztec Empire, Medieval Europe, the First World War and many more fascinating subjects.
Set in the fourteenth century, the classic story of one boy's personal heroism when he loses the use of his legs.
The Knights of the Round Table were in their glory. When an unknown stranger visits the castle and asks Kin Arthur's favor, he is allowed to serve in the kitchen for his meat and bread. Little does anyone suspect that he is of noble blood and will soon be knighted by the famous Sir Lancelot. Lush illustrations bring the reader into the book, as Sir Gareth meets adventures and battles to free a princess from the fearsome Red Knight of the Plain.
In this 1978 Caldecott Honor Book, award-winning author and illustrator David Macaulay explores the history and construction of castles in a richly illustrated resource for curious young readers. The word itself conjures up mystery, romance, intrigue, and grandeur. What could be more perfect for an author/illustrator who has continually stripped away the mystique of architectural structures that have long fascinated modern man? With typical zest and wry sense of humor punctuating his drawings, David Macaulay traces the step-by-step planning and construction of both castle and town.
I like to incorporate a wonderful and informational book to support our topic while making it fun and engaging. The Middle Ages, choose your own adventure style book is fantastic for middle elementary.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood was written and illustrated by Howard Pyle and published in 1883. It is the best known version of the story of Robin Hood which had been popular throughout the previous century. Pyle popularized Robin Hood, his adventures, and his band of merry men in a way that influenced most later depictions in writing, drawing, and film. The book consists of a series of episodes pitting the outlaw Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck and the rest of his band against corrupt authorities epitomized by the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.
Hands-On History: Make a Coat of Arms
A coat of arms is a special design made for a distinguished person or family. The design varies, depending on the family’s (or person’s) accomplishments, titles, and positions.
Each part of the coat of arms actually has a name.
The top third is called the “field” and the bottom two-thirds is called the “escutcheon”, which is actually a small shield within the larger shield.
Everything on a coat of arms is significant and meaningful. The colors, symbols, choice of animals, patterns, and designs can all denote something different.
The design of a coat of arms can vary greatly, according to family or country. For example, this is the coat of arms of the country of Botswana.
Now compare that one to this one that belongs to the Duke of Westminster.
There’s a lot going on there, right?
For our coat of arms, we went with a much, much simpler design, but it incorporates some of the significant colors, symbols, and patterns we read about.
To do the activity yourself, you’ll need the following:
- Printer paper
- Cardstock
- Scissors
- Glue
- Blank coat of arms printable (add your email at the bottom and get the freebies instantly)
- Coat of arms animal symbols printable
- Mirror facing coat of arms animal symbols printable
Start by printing out the coat of arms and the animal symbols.
I didn’t have white cardstock, so I printed ours on a white piece of printer paper and then glued it on the grey cardstock we had. Then we cut it out.
If you have white cardstock, you can skip that step and just print the coat of arms directly on that.
Now, it’s time to choose your animal symbols! I only included four in this printable, but there are truly scores of different animals that have been used on coats of arms through the years. And they all have a different meaning.
The animals in the printable mean the following:
- Griffin – means valor & bravery
- Pegasus – means poetic genius (as an English major, I had to include that one)
- Horse – means ready for battle
- Bird – means peace & affection
Then it was time to choose our coat of arms colors! As we learned, blue means truth & loyalty, so we colored the “field” blue.
Then we added our animals.
And we surrounded them with orange, which means “worthy ambition & work”. Also because it looked cool.
Finally, we learned that furs denoted nobility, so you could add a fur-like pattern to your coat of arms to show that you were of the upper class of society.
One of those fur patterns was white with black spots – like a Dalmatian. We went with that.
As I kept looking at it, though, it just didn’t look right. Then it hit me! The animals are supposed to be facing each other!
Ahhhh….that’s better!
Be sure to print both pages of the animal symbols so that you can choose two animals that will face one another on the coat of arms.
This was so neat to do! We didn’t know that the coat of arms was so full of meaning, so this was a great hands-on lesson to learn about that.
The printables are subscriber freebies.
HOW TO GET THE FREE BLANK COAT OF ARMS, ANIMAL SYMBOLS & MIRROR FACING ANIMAL SYMBOLS PRINTABLES
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Check out these other hands-on history projects kids can do!
Written by Selena at Look! We’re Learning!
