Tape off an area of the floor for students to sit in while you read them a story about the Mayflower. Make the area big enough for the students to fit into comfortable, but without much wiggle room. This will give them an idea of what it was like to be on the Mayflower. After you’ve finished reading the story, simulate a meal on the Mayflower by giving the students a snack of crackers.
Explain to the children who the pilgrims were and what the Mayflower was, and then give them a picture of the pilgrims on the boat to color. They will learn to identify a pilgrim and the Mayflower ship through this activity.
Help your students to understand the Mayflower journey in a fun way, by making their own replicas of the ship. You’ll want to make this craft basic, so it is fun and not stressful for preschool-aged children. For detailed directions of a Mayflower ship craft appropriate for you preschool class, go to thecraftyclassroom.com, and click on “Craft America Mayflower.”
Make a large map charting the Mayflower’s route to America. Have the children sit on the floor, around the map. Read them a story about the ship’s journey and move a plastic boat along the map as you read. Start the ship off in Holland, where the Mayflower set sail from, and slowly move it along the map until it reaches Plymouth, Massachusetts. This will give them a visual image to put with the story that you read them.