DLTK's Countries and Cultures Crafts for Kids
Celtic Activities for Kids
Please keep in mind this website is meant for children so I do generalize and simplify quite a bit. I realize there are people still alive that are very passionate about the Celtic culture!
About the Celts:
The Celtic culture is an "ancient" culture like the Viking, Greek or Egyptian cultures (which you are likely more familiar with). All of these ancient cultures had "myths" or stories which helped the people of the time understand the world around them.
When I think of the Celtic culture, the first thing that pops into my head is the "mythology of the British Isles" -- mainly Scotland, Ireland and Wales -- though at times the Celts lived across the mainland of Europe. While there are general themes and similarities, the culture was quite different from town to town -- almost "tribal". If you think about it, this makes sense because the ways people had to travel and communicate were limited during the time when the Celtic culture first existed.
Over time the Celtic culture was influenced by other ones. At first (from about 1500 BC to when the Romans arrived in 50 AD), it was very unique and nature based. When the Romans came, they brought their mythology (which mingled with the Celtic myths), the mythology of other cultures (like the Persians) and then eventually Christianity.
The spread of the Roman Empire caused a lot of different people's ideas to mash together like a smoothie in a blender. That sometimes makes it hard for archaeologists to pick out the original Celtic beliefs. Even grown-ups don't always know everything -- learning about an ancient culture is like trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle with half the pieces missing!
Over time, as archaeologists discovered information we formed a "modern" view of the Celtic culture and mythology. In reality, if you travelled between villages way back 3,000 years ago you'd likely notice differences in animals that were special in each village or the way folktales and myths were told.
I think most would agree that the original Celtic culture is gone forever -- much of it lost, even to archaeologists. However, there are many people today who are interested the culture and many children's stories draw elements from it.
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Information about Celtic art. |
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Ireland (Folklore) Coloring Pages |
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Grandpa Gray(Grey) Color Buddy Paper Craft Celtic religion (like many early religions) was nature based. Many trees were considered sacred. Celtic astrology is based on trees -- so instead of being libra, scorpio or virgo -- the Celts were Ash, Rowan or Oak. more Tree crafts and activities > |
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Sidhe (Fairy) Coffee Filter Craft Sidhe was the Celtic word for fairy. In Celtic lore, they lived in mounds underground -- each mound ruled by it's own King or Queen. They aren't "good" or "bad" but more a completely different race of people from humans with their own wars, bad habits and heroic moments! |
Celtic Animals: |
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The Celtic myth about Étaín features a butterfly. |
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The Celtic myth about Cat Sidhe features a black cat. Black cats are also featured in the Celtic folktale "The King of the Cats". |
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A lot of different Celtic myths feature hounds (likely inspired by Greyhounds and Irish Wolfhounds). The hounds of the Wild Hunt are likely the most famous hounds in Celtic myths. |
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These mythical creatures can be found in fairy tales and folklore all over the world, including Celtic Ireland. |
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The Celtic myth about Blodeuwedd features an owl. more Owl crafts and activities > |
Celtic Puzzles: |
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