In this Post: The golden age of the 50’s, the 60’s and being hippies, and a Hawaiian party. Several crafts and fun ideas.
Hello friends! I hope you are well :). Last week we did our third quarter study of the twentieth century. We set the time machine for 1950 thru 1975. I was very excited about this era because it has some of my favorite music.
It just so happens that segregation ended and the civil rights movement occurred during this time. Also, we were able to study this during Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. So they went hand in hand. Michael watched “Perfect Harmony”, a sweet family movie about civil rights. This week Michael read a “Star Trek” book since it came out in the 60’s.
One of my Mom’s favorite cartoon/claymation characters became popular in this era, Gumby.
We bought a Gumby model and Michael made his own Gumby with play dough. He also watched the cartoon.
This is Gumby on the Moon. He was given to Mom (Nana).
I made a timeline of Disney movies. Michael stacked the movies in the order they came out from the 50’s.
Chris used the globe to talk to Michael about the Korean war.
We ate at a diner and then Michael and I put together this classic fast food sign. We used tissue paper for the lettuce and rice for the sesame seeds.
I may frame this. I love it!
We watched videos of Elvis and listened to 50’s music all day. We talked about the history of Rock n’ Roll and the pros and the cons. Michael drew this guitar with my instructions.
Michael listened to this video of my grandmother (Dad’s mom…my Mema). She talks about when her Dad came home from the war and also when she met Elvis after winning a dance contest. Remember Email subscribers, please come to my blog to see the links 🙂
Video of Mema and her life in the 40’s and 50’s
So “The Cat in the Hat” came out in 1957, the year my Mom was born. Pardon my scary morning face. I just had to read the book in my hat.
So then came the 60’s! Michael watched clips from the movie “Hairspray” (newest one) because it showed how people marched for civil rights.
video- “Welcome to the 60’s” from Hairspray
Chris and Michael put together this model car.
I stayed up late the night before Tye-dying Michael’s shirt. He made our beads that morning. I think we looked far out :).
To show Michael hippies, I let him watch “The Wonder Years” season 2 episode 14 “Bright Wing”. It’s about Kevin’s sister who is a flower child. Michael and I discussed what the hippies stood for (some good and some bad). We also learned that hippies were called Flower children because they sometimes would hand out flowers for peace.
Speaking of flowers….we listened to and discussed the song “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” It shows the cycle of war. We talked about Vietnam and why people protested it. We listened to another protest song “Hey stop, what’s that sound?” We watched The Wonder Years season 2 episode 10 “Walk Out” about students protesting Vietnam.
Wednesday we talked about the founding of N.A.S.A. and the first man on the moon. So we did this trick I’ve seen on Pinterest. It wasn’t as glorious as we thought it’d be. Michael colored a paper into a rainbow. I painted it with black paint and then when it dried Michael scraped a picture into it.
It’s a rocket ship on the moon.
The Big Mac came out in 1968 so we split one. I think it was Michael’s first one. He said it was awesome lol! In 1969 we got the first man on the moon. We took a trip to the Space and Science Center. It just so happens that Sesame Street also came out in 1969. We had planned on watching it and by providence the Space Center was playing a Sesame Street movie in the Omnisphere theater. Big Bird and Elmo taught us about the Moon and Stars! 🙂
Pics from the Space Center
Our “groovy” Scooby Doo tattoos…
Hawaii became a state in 1959. So for our party we used a Hawaiian and Rock n’ Roll theme. Michael made a Hawaiian flag which was actually his idea. We found Hawaii on the map.
The decor was easy. I bought Luau & 50’s stuff from Party City. I just hung up these plastic pictures and Michael was impressed :). Mommy score!
I had no idea what to use for the party until that day. But I thought Hawaii is tropical so something fruity would be good. So I bought what we needed to each make our own banana pudding. I prefer to do the pudding this way (pudding cups, vanilla wafers,whip cream & banana slices). Then I got Hawaiian Punch and V8 Splash Smoothies Tropical Colada . We got into the 50’s & 60’s candy we got from Cracker Barrel. The boiled peanuts just looked good so I figured they’d add something salty.
Michael, Mom (Nana), and I cut out flowers for leis. Michael wore a straw hat and Mom got to wear the grass skirt. She didn’t know that when she stopped in from work that she would be drafted for a party lol.
I just found a flowery skirt to wear.
Me and Mom.
Boiled Peanuts and banana pudding with whip cream….yummm
Michael and Nana enjoying the dessert.
So we put on 50’s music. I tried Hawaiian radio first but it wasn’t fun enough. Michael is doing the “Monkey” and Mom is doing….ummm I’m not sure what it’s called….swimming? surfing?
I’m doing the “Monkey” and Michael is doing the “dive”.
Don’t you just love crazy hair moments!
Michael was SO hyped up on sugar!
Nana caught sneaking more pudding!
After dancing I pulled out a glass coke bottle. We played “Spin the Bottle” first by blowing kisses or kissing on the cheek. Then Nana changed the rules and whoever the bottle landed on had to answer a question. I threatened Michael if he ever played the real spin the bottle with a girl lol! I like Nana’s version better.
Then we got bored and tried a new bottle game…who can toss the dime in the bottle. Yeah, Michael cheated and it was hard…so we moved on.
Limbo!
Limbo!
If you want to see our time lines and craft inspirations please check out my Pinterest at this link:
Next week please come back to see our last Time Machine study 1975-2000.
God bless & remember the High King lives! ~Amber Dover
Time Machine 1925-1950:
Time Machine 1975-2000:
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