The first kites that historians have found evidence of came from ancient China and were used for military purposes. Later, kites were used for entertainment. These kites were lighter and smaller, made from bamboo and paper or bamboo and silk. Now you can learn the history of kites and decorate and fly your own!

Ancient Phoenicia was a place where many luxury goods were made and exported—from beautiful, blown glass to papyrus paper. But perhaps the most famous product the Phoenicians produced was the rich purple dye that they made from the Murex ocean snail. Phoenicians were called the “purple people” because the dye stained the skin of the craftsmen who made it. Now you can use this kit to dye a backpack purple with a wax resistance technique.

Some of the most interesting people in Greek history were actually mathematicians! Now you can make a mobile in honor of Plato’s discoveries in geometry. In this craft you will make a hanging mobile featuring four of the Platonic solids: cube, tetrahedron, octahedron, and icosahedron.

In ancient Ghana, storytelling was an important tradition, and the griots, or storytellers, played a pivotal role in society. The art of storytelling is still practiced in modern times and one of the most enduring and loved characters to come out of ancient Ghana and into the modern era is Anansi the Spider. Perhaps the reason he has been loved and laughed over for so long is that he isn’t really a hero: he is charming, but also tricky, selfish,and lazy. He’ll scheme for a day to avoid an hour’s work, and often his deceptions backfire.  In your kit, you will find a CD of Anansi stories and a storytelling game. After you have listened to the stories, get together with your family or friends to tell your own Anansi stories and see if you can make up some new tales (or reimagine some old ones) about one of the world’s best loved antiheros.

At the time of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, countless homes were decorated with these works of art. Much of the subject matter was derived from mythology, including one house where the floor displayed the famous maze known as The Labyrinth, with the fearsome monster called The Minotaur at the center. Now you can make your own Labyrinth style mosaic!

Play was an important part of life for the people of the Indus River civilization, both for children and for adults. Archaeologists have found clay figurines of cats, dogs, monkeys, and squirrels.  Some of these toys originally had wheels and string attached so a child could drag the toy. Some of the figurines have pot bellies and holes in the base as well as holes for moveable arms. Some archaeologists think these were used as puppets. Other children played with toy boats, rattles, or bird whistles. They placed their “lovies” in terracotta beds and lovingly covered them with woven blankets. In other words, they had a lot in common with children today!

At the time of Pompeii, paper was expensive and difficult to make. Paper and parchment manufacturing involved papyrus or animal skin and was reserved for official documents and books. The Romans used writing for more everyday purposes, however, such as making lists, leaving instructions, or educating children. For these needs they used a wax tablet and stylus (a sharpened tool for scratching the wax.) It was simpler to make, and the wax could be scraped out, melted, and re-poured so that the tablet could be reused many times.

The papyrus plant grew along the Nile River in Ancient Egypt and was used to make boats, sandals, mats, baskets, medicine, and even perfume. The most famous use of papyrus, however, was the thick paper that is made from the pith of the plant. Now you can decorate your own papyrus scroll by painting one of the most famous artifacts from ancient Egypt.

In the Mauryan Empire, agarbatti (stick incense) was used as medicine, for religious ceremonies, and simply because it was pleasant to smell! There is something very pleasing and special about smelling incense that has continued to captivate people, and all of these uses have persisted to modern times.

Have you ever enjoyed fireworks? Owned a piece of gold-plated jewelry? Maybe you’ve gone geocaching with a magnetic compass or watched a hot air balloon? You probably didn’t know that you had the Ancient Chinese to thank. Beginning more than 2,500 years ago, scientists in Ancient China started making truly wonderful discoveries and inventions. They constructed crossbows, sun compasses, magnetic compasses, and even the world’s first seismograph (for detecting earthquakes.) Now you can recreate one of these fascinating inventions at home: the magnetic compass.