Medieval Castle Project for Kids

In the Middle Ages, many people lived inside castles like this one. You can study pictures of different kinds of medieval castles, and the excellent book on castles by David Macaulay (called Castle), and then try designing and building your own model castle (as a group). Two of the most famous medieval castles are the Tower of London and the Chateau de Vincennes.

First you’ll have to decide on a site, then draw out the plan, taking into account the need for water inside the walls, and all the different things that made the castles safer to live in, in case they were attacked by enemies. Be sure to define the scale of your plan.

Once you have a plan, you can begin building your castle. You might use wooden blocks, or Legos, or sand if you are at the beach, or cardboard. How can you match the measurements on the plan to the measurements of your model?