The Middle Ages

HANDS-ON PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES

	Laurie Carlson’s Days of Knights and Damsels (Chicago Review Press, 1998) is a collection of creative medieval-style activities, recipes, and games. Kids can make a princess hat, a cloak, a crown, and a knight’s helmet; whip up a batch of porridge, make a blackbird pie, or eat lunch out of a trencher; try their hands at draughts and 9 Men’s Morris; and make a set of medieval character finger puppets. And more. For ages 5-8.
	Medieval LEGO by Grayson Beights (No Starch Press, 2015) is a short history of the Middle Ages from William the Conqueror to the Battle of Bosworth Field, entirely illustrated with LEGO scenes and characters. For ages 7 and up. For LEGO lovers, there are many medieval- and castle-themed LEGO brick building sets.
	Kris Bordessa’s Great Medieval Projects You Can Build Yourself (Nomad Press, 2008) is divided into 12 informative chapters with maps, drawings, “Words to Know” lists, and accompanying hands-on projects. For example, kids make butter and pretzels, chain mail, a helmet, a set of juggling sticks, and a model trebuchet. For ages 9-12.
	Rob Ives’s Castle Attack: Make Your Own Medieval Battlefield (Hungry Tomato, 2016) has instructions for making your own medieval battlefield, using such simple materials as cardboard, aluminum foil, and plastic Easter eggs. Clear instructions, but younger kids will need adult help. Other books in Ives’s Tabletop Wars series include Break the Siege: Make Your Own Catapults and Surprise the Enemy: Make Your Own Traps and Triggers.
	William Gurstelle’s Defending Your Castle (Chicago Review Press, 2014) is a gem for young medieval engineers. Includes historical background information and instructions for building everything from catapults and crossbows to a Mongol Smoke Monster. Adult supervision a good idea.
	From Bellerophon Books, A Coloring Book of the Middle Ages (1985) has images from the unicorn tapestry and from medieval manuscripts, along with black-line pictures of such medieval greats as King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, Charlemagne, and William the Conqueror.
	John Green’s Life in a Medieval Castle and Village Coloring Book (Dover Publications, 1990) includes a brief informational text and 42 ready-to-color black-line drawings of scenes from daily life in castle, village, monastery, and farm.
	Similarly themed coloring books from Dover include A.G. Smith’s Knights and Armor Coloring Book (1985) and Castles of the World Coloring Book (1986), and Tom Tierney’s Medieval Fashions Coloring Book (1998).
	From A Book in Time, Medieval Crafts has instructions for making a medieval border, a triptych, a cereal-box castle with paper soldiers, a stained glass window (using melted crayons), a coat-of-arms shield, a crown, and a jester’s hat.
	From Built by Kids, How to Build a Cardboard Castle has instructions for a terrific kid-sized castle. Materials include big cardboard boxes, colored tape, and markers.
	Rosemary Chorzempa’s Design Your Own Coat of Arms (Dover Publications, 1987) is a workbook-style introduction to heraldry for ages 9-12.
	Inexpensive DIY white cardboard shields (ready for decorating) are available from the Oriental Trading Company.
	Make a duct tape sword and shield.
	From NOVA, Secrets of the Medieval Siege has an illustrated description of a medieval arms race, a slide show of NOVA’s successful attempt to build and fire a giant trebuchet, and an account of life in a medieval castle. Also at the site, Destroy the Castle is an interactive online science project in which players design a trebuchet capable of crushing a castle wall.

THE MIDDLE AGES AT THE MOVIES

	The Princess Bride (1987) – based on the wonderful novel by William Goldman (featured on many recommended high-school reading lists) – is a classic and clever medieval-style fairy tale, complete with a pirate, a wicked prince, a beautiful princess, a giant, a swordsman, and a swamp full of RUSs – that is, Rodents of Unusual Size. In the frame story, a grandfather (Peter Falk) is reading the story as a bedside tale to his little grandson. One of our all-time favorites. Rated PG.
	The Secret of Kells (2009) is an animated film set in the Middle Ages in which young Brendan sets out on a dangerous quest after a master illuminator brings him an ancient book, filled with secrets. Not rated.
	Directed by Ron Howard, Willow (1988) is the magical medieval story of an unlikely hero – the dwarf Willow Ufgood – who must save the baby girl destined to bring about the downfall of the evil sorceress Queen Bavmorda. Rated PG.
	Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), now a cult classic, is a hilarious take on the Arthurian legend, featuring the Trojan Rabbit, the cowardly Sir Robin, a famously insulting French soldier, and the Black Beast of Arrrggggh. A completely different view of the knights of the Round Table. Rated PG.
	Ladyhawke (1985) is a lovely medieval fantasy in which a young thief aids two lovers, Captain Navarre and Lady Isabeau, who have been placed under a curse by an evil Bishop. Navarre is a wolf by night; Isabeau, a hawk by day – and they can only glimpse each other briefly at sunrise. Rated PG-13.
	El Cid (1961) is the tale of the legendary Castilian nobleman Rodrigo Diaz, known as El Cid, who defends Christian Spain against the invading Moors. Charlton Heston plays El Cid.  Unrated. Over three hours long.
	The Seventh Seal (1957), written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, is set in Sweden at the time of the Black Death. The main character, played by Max von Sydow, is a knight, newly returned from the Crusades, who ends up playing chess with Death himself. A classic of world cinema. Not rated, but definitely for teenagers and adults.
	The Name of the Rose (1986), set in the 14th century and based on Umberto Eco’s novel, is the story of an intellectually ahead-of-his-time monk, William of Baskerville (Sean Connery), and his novice assistant (Christian Slater) attempting to solve the mystery of mysterious deaths at a Benedictine Abbey and save a young woman from being burned as a witch by the Inquisition. Beautifully done. Rated R.
	Braveheart (1975) pops up on almost all lists of best medieval-themed movies, though it’s not for the weak of stomach or faint of heart. Mel Gibson plays William Wallace, the hero who led the Scots against the English under King Edward I, also known as Longshanks. Lots of slaughter. Rated R.