Stagecoaches are an important part of history. These horse-drawn coaches were a primary source of public transportation for years. They also helped move people across the plains in the pioneer days. A stagecoach craft can help your children learn about these important public vehicles and also create a new toy or prop for play. Build the stagecoach out of cardboard boxes and construction paper to make it easier for youngsters to create on their own.
Things You'll Need:
- Tape Or Glue
- Scissors
- Brown Construction Paper
- Pencil
- 4-Foot Long Pieces Of 1-Inch Diameter Rope
- Tape Measure
- Stagecoach Picture
- Colored Pencils Or Markers
- Several Large Cardboard Boxes
Pick a wide cardboard box about 4 feet long that your child can fit inside. Find a second cardboard box that is about 2 feet tall and 2 feet long. Make sure the second box is as wide as the first.
Remove the top and bottom of the first cardboard box so that your youngster can get in it. Throw away the extra pieces.
Place the 2-foot by 2-foot box lengthwise on the first box. Center the second box so 1 foot of space remains at the back and front of the first box. Open the bottom of the second box but leave the top intact.
Tape the second box to the first on the inside to hide the tape. Tape it well to hold it firmly in place.
Cut out a viewing space in the front of the top box so that the kids can see out the front. Cut two holes on each side of the bottom box to represent windows. Position these evenly in the sides. They should both be about 1 foot wide and 1 foot tall with half an inch in between them.
Color the sides of the cardboard boxes to look like a real stagecoach. Include the differences in color in different sections of the coach. Consult your stagecoach picture to help you get it right.
Lay a brown sheet of construction paper down on a table. Draw four circles that are each about 1-foot wide. Create spokes for the wheels using pencils. Add color to the spokes with your markers.
Cut out the area between the spokes on your wheel. Place the wheel along the long sides of the first box so that they are spread out evenly from each other. Put two on one side and two on the other. Tape them to the side of the box.
Glue one rope to the top corner of each side of the front of your first box. Hand one rope to at least one other child although two may grab each rope. These children can pretend to be the horses pulling the stagecoach.
Resources
Writer Bio
Eric Benac began writing professionally in 2001. After working as an editor at Alpena Community College in Michigan and receiving his Associate of Journalism, he received a Bachelor of Science in English and a Master of Arts in writing from Northern Michigan University in Marquette.
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