We’ve recently had the opportunity to review two very different Á La Carte products from Home School in the Woods. The War to End All Wars is a two-player, lapbook game about World War I. The second product is the ancient art of paper rolling known as quilling. The Art of Quilling teaches the student how to turn small strips of paper into beautiful works of art.
The War to End All Wars Lapbook Game
One of our favorite time periods to learn about has been the World War I era. We are relatively close the National World War I Museum, which is located in Kansas City. We’ve been to the museum twice so far which has helped us experience a hands-on look at many relics from the WWI time period.
So when given the opportunity to review a game that would help the kids understand even more of the dynamics of WWI; of course, I wanted to be able to review it! The first task was to download and print the game board and playing pieces. There are two options for the game board and playing pieces; you can print it in black and white or in color. I chose to print it off in color. I printed all the game components on card stock to make them more durable.
The most time consuming part, was cutting out the individual pieces. I took advantage of “watching” TV one evening to cut out all the pieces. Ok, so I wasn’t really watching all that much, more listening but you get the idea. There are several “tent marker” pieces which need to be folded and glued. I used a small dot of hot glue on each of these pieces to hold them together and hopefully, make them durable enough for my kids to play with many, many times.
Their learning began right from the start! When setting up the game the wondered why Germany didn’t have tanks while France did. Eli and Brock have really had fun playing! They really like all the strategy that goes into the game. It’s action packed, fun learning.
The game isn’t based just on one battle between the French and Germans. Instead, each time you play the you decide how to configure your troops, artillery etc. The game is designed to show how the new tactics and deadly weapons shaped the war. Initially, the idea was to amass their infantry and try to bombard the other side. This was a costly tactic though with the new availability of machine guns, tanks, gas attacks. This meant that getting caught in “No Man’s Land” was deadly.
The kids have really enjoyed playing The War to End All Wars Lapbook Game! I love that they are learning while having so much fun! The War to End All Wars game is recommended for grades 3-12.
The Art of Quilling
We have some friends who have been quilling as part of their Arts & Crafts projects for 4-H. So when I asked the kids if anyone would be interested in learning to quill, Rebekah said she’d like to learn.
Quilling was popular during the Renaissance period when nuns, monks, and the leisure class would roll small strips of paper to make delicate artwork.
- Quilling-pg 1 printed off from The Art of Quilling
- Quilling-pg 2 printed off from The Art of Quilling
- one sheet of white card stock
- clear drying liquid glue
- scissors
- colored paper strips 3/16″ or 1/4″ wide (various lengths)
- slotted quilling tool
The hardest part to find was the quilling tool, but it still wasn’t too hard. Sometimes I wish that we lived closer to craft stores. We found a quilling pen for under $10 at the craft store. You can also order them online very reasonably.
The Art of Quilling describes how to make the different types of coils necessary for for leaves, flowers and other shapes. The process is easy to master. The Art of Quilling is recommended for grades 3-8 but I would say those 8 to adult would enjoy quilling.
Quilling is a fun hobby that doesn’t involve a lot of costly tools.
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Jennifer
