Childhood Bios in History

by Steve Bennett

Kids 10 and up
Required: Just your time.

Optional: Reference sources.

Ask your junior historians to fill you in on all the fun familial facts about children who grew up to be legendary historical figures. For this activity, your kids might want to research an intriguing world leader, or someone else who changed history.

Your children can find and tell facts about the person's parents, siblings, early education, childhood aspirations, and so on. Then other players can discuss how early childhood experiences might have helped shape the person's character, hopes, and aspirations -- and, ultimately, even changed history.

Alternatively, your junior historians might create bios for important figures. They can create childhood experiences to explain what the subject did as an adult. For example, perhaps young Napoleon got a bee sting on his hand, and that was why he developed the habit of putting that hand under his jacket. (He was trying to avoid another insect attack.) Or maybe his parents were so poor they couldn't afford a baby bonnet -- and the adult Napoleon vowed he'd never go bareheaded again. How do you think the child Napoleon coped with having a French accent?

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