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Printable Activities:
All free. All the time. The way education should be.
Based on the Pagan Kids board book for toddlers, the activity sheets below help children learn about the deities in the sky, their role and their history. These educational activities help enforce lessons of Norse theology and the solar cycle in a fun and approachable way so everyone in your family can enjoy the story past its pages.
Click on the picture to download your free PDF file to print.
Inspired by the Pagan Kids toddler book, the Who Is That in the Sky? Word Search has the names of lesser-known Norse deities who travel through the skies to bring darkness and light.
In the Edda poem called Voluspa, we learn how the universe was created, how the cosmos work, and the history of gods, giants and dwarves.
In regards to sky gods, we learn:
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Dellingr is a beautiful god who rides a horse with a glowing mane. Together they bring dawn to night skies
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Dagr is a god whose appearance is bright and fiar. His horse's name is Skinfaxi. Together they draw the light of day over Midgard
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Sól the sun personified. She is a very attractive, shining and bright goddess. She pulls the sun on her chariot.
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Nótt is the goddess of the night who is described as dark and swarthy (dark and black in colour). Her horse's name is Hrímfaxi. Together they bring the darkness to the skies.
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Máni is the god who pulls the moon across the sky. He is Sol's brother. They fly around the world opposite each other so that we can tell time on a 24 hours rotation.
How many of their names can you find in the word search?
The best way to approach this printable is to read your children (or have them read) Who Is That in the Sky? by Jennifer Hartman.
Once you have read the simple 12-page book, exercise their memory to see how much they learned about the Norse gods!
The last question is a bonus! It required young researchers to find and read the medieval story of 'Skáldskaparmál' (Old Norse for 'The language of Poetry'). It is the second part of The Prose Edda.
The 'Skáldskaparmál leads its readers through one of Thor's missions and how he created a star in the heavens (sky). You would never guess what it is made of!
Make sure you fund 'Who Is That in the Sky?' on July 9, 2021, so no one misses the opportunity to get this board book!
There are different times of the day that make up the Solar Cycle. It is also called the 'Day and Night Cycle.' The different phases of the cycle are:
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Sunrise/Dawn
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Sunset/Dusk
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Moonset/Moonrise
The Sunrise (or dawn) is the time of day when the light starts glowing in the night sky. This is the morning.
When the sun is high, the sky is bright. This is called day. Sometimes we don't see the sun because clouds cover it.
When the sun is at its highest point and starts to set, this is called the afternoon.
The Sunset (or dusk) is the time of day when the sun starts to set, and the sky begins to get dark again. This happens in the evening.
When the sky is dark, it is called night. On clear nights you can see the glow of the moon and the stars.
When the moon is at its highest point and starts to set, this is called midnight.
The Solar Cycle repeats every day forever. It is infinite!
My Sky Diary is a fun activity to help encourage children's observation, drawing and writing skills.
Challenge them by having them pick a spot where they can observe the outside, then have them draw what they see in the day and night. What is similar? What is different?
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