Categories: Education

How to Make Model Covered Wagons

Whenever children are studying the westward migration of pioneers you may want to know how to make model covered wagons. By making a craft of these wagons, your children will have a great, hand-on educational experience. There are numerous ways in which you can do this though. All of these ways should be fun nonetheless.

Making A Simple Covered Wagon

In order to make a really easy covered wagon you will need to have an old shoebox or Kleenex box, some construction paper, glue, a tin can and a marker. Trace around the tin can 4 times, then cut the circles out to form 4 wagon wheels. Now cover your box in brown construction paper and glue on the wagon’s wheels. You can then glue a piece of white paper, in the shape of an arch, over the top of your box. Use your markers to make the final decorative touches (i.e. wagon wheel spokes, details for the wagon cover, wooden panels on the wagon itself).

Making A Large Box Covered Wagon

This wooden wagon is just as much fun to play with as it is to make. You will need a refrigerator box with the top panel cut off (make sure to leave a small strip in the back so that the box doesn’t lose its shape). Tape a tall stick (i.e. a broom handle) into each of the box’s 4 corners so that you can drape a white sheet over the top. Before you do this though, you can let your children paint the sides. Wheels can then be made out of cardboard and glued on or you can choose to pain them on whenever you are painting the rest of your wagon. Once your wagon is ready you can put a bench inside of it and let the kids have fun playing with it.

Making A Craft Stick Wagon

If you are working with older children, you may want to make a more challenging wooden wagon. This can be made out of craft sticks (a.k.a. skill sticks) and glue, as well as cardboard and a brown paper bag. First you will want to create the wagon bed in the shape of a rectangle out of the craft sticks, which should be 3 or 4 sticks high. Next, you can make the bottom of the wagon by lining up 11 regular craft sticks flat on a table, horizontally. You will want to add 2 more sticks on top of either side vertically and then glue all of the craft sticks together. On the corners of the wagon bed you will want to put another craft stick to support the wagon’s cover. Now you will need to wait for the glue to dry before creating the wagon’s cover out of the paper bag. While you are waiting, you should trace the shape of the 4 wheels onto a piece of cardboard and cut them out. Put a craft stick in the middle of each wheel and glue it there, this will act as the axle. If you choose to, you can also pain the wagon to make it look more realistic.

In Conclusion

Now that you know how to make model covered wagons you can have fun doing this project with your child. You may be surprised to see just how much your child will learn from it. Of course, both of you will be sure to have a lot of fun along the way.