17 November 2008

Building Log Cabins











***** Snow is going to be flying soon, so what better time to imagine Frontier living? We tried stacking some sticks to make a resemblance to log-rolling, but that sure didn't work. I think the pioneers had to have been very careful as to which logs to select. Apparently you need reasonably straight ones to make a house.

So we tried making our own home with brown paper, milk cartons and a construction-paper roof. I think that worked out a bit better, although it wouldn't hold up very well outdoors. Note the attempt at a "wood shingle" roof and the boys each wanted to colour the pioneers' garden that our book tells us had to be planted the SECOND year the settlers were there. The first year is all about selecting a homesite and getting those walls up before the cold weather traps and freezes you on the open prarie.

4 comments:

  1. I am sure your children will appreciate how difficult it must have been for the people of the frontier. I like this hands-on teaching!

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  2. There is a snack that you can make to go with this for your tea tuesday.

    Unfortunately I can't remember the name. I think Abe Lincoln's log house. You use peanut butter as the morter and pretzel sticks as the logs. I always mean to do that and we never have.

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  3. Cool. I think ditz would really like the eatable version but our pioneers never built anything so cute as a log cabin. I think our trees were way too hard on the axes.po

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Non-troll comments always welcome! :)

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