Does your child hate history and think that its study is a waste of time? Most young children cannot understand the reasoning behind studying something that occurred many years ago.
All children seem to love a particular movie or game that has a historical significance, such as The Lord of the Rings, Excalibur, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, or whatever holds your child’s attention. My first venture into attempting to teach my child the value of history was the story of King Arthur and his great sword, Excalibur.
Although this is an allegory and a legend that owes its birth to a poet who wrote the story for Eleanor of Aquitaine, an early Queen of England, it certainly has relevance in this day and time. The magic of an ordinary young boy, Arthur, possessing the power to pull a beautiful jeweled sword from a stone, and in doing so, becoming the King of his country will hold a young child’s attention.
To make the story more entertaining, I bought a replica Excalibur sword. It was made of a material that was safe for a child. The name of the maker of this sword type of sword is Denix. Now latex swords, shields and even helmets are available for purchase.
There are many lessons that a child can take from the story of Camelot. However, there are some lessons that are too mature for a youngster. I read to my son selected stories from Sir Thomas Malory’s edition of Le Morte D’Arthur. There are now many volumes that are directed toward a child.