This week we jumped into our France crafts and activities for kids!
My boys have been so excited for us to continue our “travels” after completing our Philippines unit. They loved creating their own 3D jeepneys, making a Philippine Christmas parol, playing Filipino games, and making some delicious treats.
And now we’re off to France in our home tour of the world!
These activities are perfect for preschool and elementary school children.
Introduction to France
France Activities Bundle
To start off, you can introduce your child to France with our France Activities Bundle, available in our Etsy shop! (Or you can scroll down further for more free France activities.)
In this bundle you’ll find lots of fun activities to help your child learn more about the country of France.
The activities in the bundle include:
France Overview and Review Worksheets
A great introduction to learning about France is our France At a Glance worksheet, which provides an overview of some of the important features of France as well as where it is located on the map.
And once you’ve finished your France crafts and activities, your child can fill out the France review sheet to see how much they’ve learned!
France matching game
Next you can learn more about some of the national and cultural symbols of France with this France matching game. This is a great way to provide an overview of some of the unique characteristics of the country.
Right now we’re offering the France matching game as a freebie, so be sure to grab your copy!
French flag craft
One of our favorite activities in this bundle is the France flag craft. These little flags turn out so cute and kids love waving around their finished flags!
Just download our France flag printable, have your child color the flag, and glue it around a popsicle stick or bamboo skewer (pointy part removed).
And you’re left with a cute two-sided French flag!
The French flag, also known as the Tricolour, consists of three vertical stripes of equal width in blue, white and red.
France I Spy Game and Word Search
In our France Activities bundle, you’ll also find a France-themed word search and an I Spy game.
With these games, children can learn about some symbols of France while they play a fun game!
The I Spy printable comes in two different versions, an easier one (with numbers 1-5) and a harder one (numbers 6-10).
France Crafts
3D Eiffel Tower
Of course, you have to include activities involving the Eiffel Tower if you’re studying France! And this 3D craft is super fun and easy to make.
Print out the template and decorate it, and then cut and glue it together! You child will love seeing their own standing version of this famous French landmark.
You can download the free printable here.
Tape painting the Eiffel Tower
This tape painting craft is another fun option if you want to make a 2D Eiffel Tower. We were inspired by this post from Too Many Crafts, Too Little Time.
Materials:
- Tape
- Cardstock paper
- Paints
- Paintbrush
The night before doing our craft, I made a rough tape outline of the Eiffel Tower on a piece of cardstock.
When it was time to do the craft, I set my three-year-old free with paints.
Once the paint dried, I carefully pulled the tape off. I thought that the final product looked pretty great!
Paris City Skyline Watercolor
In order to introduce some of the landmarks of Paris and spark their creativity, you can do some watercolor painting on the Paris city skyline.
Download the free printable here and then let your child have creative license to make the sky of their choice.
My boys had so much fun making their watercolor craft and wanted to share about their fun project with everyone they talked to!
Iris Flower Craft
Up next is a cute and easy craft making paper irises, the national flower of France.
In France, the iris holds cultural and historical significance as it is a symbol associated with the French monarchy. The fleur-de-lis, a stylized iris flower, has been an emblem of French royalty for centuries, representing elegance, regality, and the divine right of kings.
And this iris craft turns out so cute! Kids will love making their own bouquet of these beautiful flowers.
Water lily craft
We also did this super cute and easy water lily craft, which I saw on this post by What Can We Do With Paper and Glue. We discussed how Monet was a famous painter who often painted water lilies. I also pulled up a few of his paintings for us to look at before we started on our craft.
Then we made our own water lilies! I cut a sliver out of a paper plate and my son painted it green.
When it was dry, we added some tissue (he wanted a white flower) and taped it to the bottom for the lily. Simple and cute!
Kids Books About France
The Amazing Adventures of Aya & Pete in Paris– This is an enchanting children’s book that takes young readers on a delightful journey through the iconic landmarks of Paris with the lovable characters Aya and Pete. Through vibrant illustrations and engaging storytelling, the book introduces children to the magic of the City of Lights, making it a whimsical and educational adventure.
A Walk in Paris– A Walk in Paris is a charming children’s book that invites young readers to explore the enchanting streets of Paris alongside a curious girl named Anouk. Through delightful illustrations and captivating storytelling, the book captures the magic of the city, introducing kids to its iconic landmarks, culture, and the joy of discovery.
Madeline– Set in Paris, this classic picture book has a sweet story and is a great introduction to some of the landmarks of Paris. My son immediately recognized the Eiffel Tower from our craft earlier.
Song
We are a big fan of Raffi in our house and he has some great songs in French, so we spend some time listening to French Raffi songs!
When we listened to Frère Jacques we acted the song out. The boys would pretend to be sleeping for the first part and then I would shake maracas (morning bells) and they would wake up! They wanted to do that over and over.
We also watched this cute video about a little snail (petit escargot). My boys loved the song and we were all singing it the rest of the day.
Food
Crepes
For breakfast, we just had to have crepes! Although we do have crepes semi-frequently, it was fun for my boys to realize that they actually come from France. This is my go-to recipe. Our favorite fillings are strawberries and nutella. Yum!
Mille-feuille
We also made mille-feuille, a type of French pastry. I did it the easy way and used store-bought puff pastry, following this recipe for the custard. The custard didn’t turn out quite as thick as I would have liked it, which made it quite messy to eat. But my son enjoyed helping me put them together and they were delicious! I think it would also be really good with fresh whipped cream instead of custard.
Wrap up
Last of all, we finished off our France preschool theme by putting a stamp in our passport using our flag stickers!
We all enjoyed focusing on France this week. Next we’re off to India!
Be sure to check out our other cultural preschool units:
England Crafts and Activities for Kids
Philippines Kids Activities
India Preschool Unit- Fun Crafts, Activities, and More!
Japan Crafts and Activities for Kids
Uganda Cultural Activities for Young Kids- Crafts, Games, and More!
Mexico Crafts and Activities for Kids
Ireland Crafts and Activities for Kids (Awesome St. Patrick’s Day Activities!)
What a wonderful collection of ideas! Thank you so much! Merci beaucoup!
Thank you Andrea, so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂