In conjunction with a spicy, jazzy jambalaya, Travis and I did a social studies lesson today on Mardi Gras, care of Raddish Kids.

To get in the mood, fire up some Mardi Gras tunes online. As the band began to play, I read Travis some talking points about the festival. We checked out where Louisiana and New Orleans were on his U.S. map, and then discussed the party atmosphere of floats and parades. He thought it sounded neat, especially the masks!

Using the traditional colors of gold, green, and purple, we “celebrated” in 3 ways. First, he drew a picture of a Carnival king; note the big purple mask.

Then we made costumes! Travis helped craft a felt mask and an “armband”. The latter was a paper cup with the top cut off, which we surrounded in purple, yellow, and green masking tape.

We added items from the dress-up bin, including a purple cape, a boa for sparkle, and of course a king’s crown. He’s ready to parade!

Finally, I gave him a mini piano lesson of When The Saints Go Marching In, thanks to an online tutorial.

Finish up with a story about Mardi Gras. We enjoyed the silly Dinosaur Mardi Gras, by Dianne De las Casas, but you can find more serious titles at a book store or library, too.