Stuck inside? No problem - we're bringing Goldie's Kids Club to you. Goldie at Home programs and activities are designed to introduce children aged 12 and under to Iowa history right from the comfort of their own homes. Not a Goldie's Kids Club member? Join today!
Goldie at Home
Free, Downloadable Activities To Do Right Now
The activities listed below can be downloaded and printed out at home for children to use immediately and independently.
- Goldie's Kids Club Activity Book: This illustrated activity book contains fun games and activities like connect-the-dots, word search, artifact mazes and more.
- Goldie's Home Scavenger Hunt: Create your own museum collection by discovering artifacts like photographs, postcards, quilts and more from home.
- Museum Exhibit Guide: Visit the State Historical Museum of Iowa from the comfort of your own home. Check out exhibits and artifacts that teach about Iowa history.
- Visual Literacy with Goldie: You can read a book, but did you know you can also read a photo? Use these instructions to search for clues and better understand a historic photo.
- Goldie's Movie Recommendations with an Iowa Connection
Weekly Goldie at Home Programs
Every Wednesday, Goldie's Kids Club will digitally roll out one of our "First Saturday" programs for children and parents to do together at home. These programs involve interactive activities that connect history with STEAM education – science, technology, engineering, art and math. The easy-to-follow instructions require few materials and can provide children with a fun, hands-on approach to Iowa history.
| Week 10: Pack Your Wagon (NEW) Download this Goldie at Home activity to explore the Conestoga wagon, one of Iowa’s earliest modes of transportation. Early Iowa settlers needed to pack everything they would need for long trips within these wagons. What would you bring on your journey to the Iowa Territory? |
| Week 9: Celebrating Ramadan To recognize the end of the holy month of Ramadan on May 23, download this activity to learn about Iowa's unique Islamic history through primary sources and create your very own Good Deed Tree. |
| Week 8: Dutch Windmills Although Iowa's famous tulip celebrations have been cancelled this year, celebrate the Dutch at home by creating your very own miniature windmill. • Download Dutch Coloring Sheets |
| Week 7: Flower Power As colorful blooms are popping up, use this activity to learn how to press and preserve flowers, which was a popular craft during the Victorian era. |
| Week 6: Animated History This week’s activity is all about the movies. You’ll get to become the animator and lay out a story about Iowa history using a storyboard. |
| Week 5: Snapshots of Montauk Download this activity to look beyond the surface of a photograph and search for clues to better understand photos from Montauk, now a state historic site. |
| Week 4: Space! The Final Frontier Turn your eyes to the sky to explore the secrets of space with Goldie! Download this activity to look at the impact exploring space can have on the human body. |
| Week 3: Neighborhood Maps Have you ever wondered what your neighborhood looked like 100 years ago? Download this activity to explore and examine the evolution of a Des Moines, Iowa, neighborhood between 1884 and 1920 using Sanborn Insurance Maps. |
| Week 2: Iowans Take Flight Prepare for takeoff as you dive into Iowa's high-flying history. Download this activity to create and decorate your own paper airplane to test and challenge your family and friends. |
| Week 1: Civil War Spies Download this activity to create your own decoder and crack secret Goldie's Kids Club codes to become a master spy - just like General Grenville Dodge of Council Bluffs, Iowa. |
Storytime
At-home storytime is an effective way to promote language and literacy skills and help encourage a lifelong love of reading and learning. Below are recommended books to help guide your child's learning to incorporate more history into your reading list.
History Mystery
Calling all history detectives! Discover unique objects from the State Historical Museum of Iowa's collection through these digital History Mystery activities. Goldie's Kids Club members will use their skills of deduction, critical thinking and visual literacy to identify the multiple artifacts (in videos and photos) and uncover their connections to Iowa history.
| Buxton: A Lost Utopia | History Mystery Instructions | Object Photos | Object Videos |
| Immigration to Iowa | History Mystery Instructions | Object Photos | Object Video |
| School Desegregation | History Mystery Instructions | Object Photos |
Think Like... Cards
History can look very different through multiple perspectives. Use the State Historical Society of Iowa's "Think Like..." cards to guide your child's process of understanding moments in history from individuals with varying interests and priorities. Each set includes five universal cards (geographer, economist, journalist, economist and political scientist) and two additional cards that highlight individuals connected to a specific topic. Each card also provides background information about a notable Iowan to provide an Iowa history connection to reference as they work on the questions.
Connect these cards to the Primary Source Sets to learn about moments in history from different perspectives.
- Think Like... An Economist
- Think Like... A Geographer
- Think Like... A Historian
- Think Like... A Journalist
- Think Like... A Political Scientist
| Card Set #1: Buxton: A Lost Utopia |
| Card Set #2: Immigration to Iowa |
| Card Set #3: School Desegregation |
