Daily Life
What did colonists use for light at night?
Candles or oil lamps.
What did colonial children write on before paper was common?
Hornbooks or slates.
What was a blacksmith’s job?
Making metal items like tools and horseshoes.
What were most colonial clothes made from?
Wool, linen, or cotton
What were popular colonial games?
Marbles, hoop rolling, tag, or cup-and-ball.
What kind of houses did most colonists live in?
Small wooden homes with one or two rooms.
What did children use instead of pencils?
Quills and ink.
What did a cooper make?
Barrels and buckets.
Did colonists have big stores like today?
No, they traded goods or made them at home.
Did children have store-bought toys?
No, they made their own from wood or cloth.
How did colonists keep food cold before refrigerators?
They used cellars or cool springs.
Did all children go to school in colonial times?
No, many worked on farms or learned trades.
What did most colonists do for a living?
They were farmers.
What did women do to make clothes?
Spin thread and weave fabric.
What did families do for fun together?
Sing, dance, tell stories, or play games.
What was a common chore for children?
Fetching water or helping with cooking and animals.
What subject did most colonial children learn first?
Reading (to read the Bible).
What did a printer do?
Printed newspapers and pamphlets.
How did people get new shoes?
They repaired them or went barefoot.
What fall celebration did colonists have?
A harvest feast (like Thanksgiving).
What did colonists use to cook their meals?
A fireplace or hearth.
What was a common punishment for misbehaving?
Wearing a dunce cap or sitting in the corner.
Why were apprentices important?
They learned trades from skilled workers
Why were clothes handed down in families?
Fabric was expensive and took a long time to make.
What instrument was popular in colonial music?
The fiddle.