If you’re following this series and simplifying your home, you must not forget the kids! Pioneer children had very little: a few clothes and maybe a handful of toys. Pioneer children were kept busy with chores and schoolwork, and played outside a lot. They also were taught crafts, and they spent time making things with their hands and being creative. Some of the crafts they learned were whittling, quilting and other needlework, candy-making, baking & cooking, making dolls from corn husks or sewing simple dolls, beading necklaces from buttons or beads, soap-carving, wood crafts, etc. Notice that the materials for all of these crafts were to be found in a typical pioneer home; the parents didn’t have to go out and buy special supplies for the kids to do them.

   If a pioneer child was lucky, she might also have a musical instrument.

   Some pastimes pioneer families enjoyed together were: memorizing and reciting poetry or scripture; story-telling; singing and playing music; spelling bees; putting on a play or show together; candy-making, reading.

   Oftentimes the family would gather together in the evenings. The mother (and maybe the daughters) would mend or do other needlework, and the rest of the family would listen to someone reading aloud. Sometimes the kids would do their homework quietly and Papa would read the paper to himself. It’s neat how many things you can do without a TV, computer or a billion toys.