January 2014

BotM-LittleHouseOnPrairie

Little House on the Prairie

By: Laura Ingalls Wilder

Laura Ingalls and her family leave their little house in the Big Woods of Wisconsin and set out for Kansas. They travel for many days in their covered wagon until they find the best spot to build their little house on the prairie. Soon they are planting and plowing, hunting wild ducks and turkeys, and gathering grass for their cows. Sometimes pioneer life is hard, but Laura and her folks are busy and happy in their new little house.

Activities

  1. It is a New Year tradition to set positive goals for the year ahead. What are some of the goals and accomplishments made by Laura and her family in Little House on the Prairie? Discuss with your family the things you might want to achieve in 2014. Write down your goals and plan for ways to measure your progress and success.

  2. How the Ingalls traveled and their life on the prairie is very different from the way we travel and live today. As you read the book, discuss with your family the differences you notice. What was their life like on the journey west? What did the family do for entertainment? What kinds of things would you do for fun if you lived on the prairie during Laura's time?

  3. The Ingalls receive crucial help from their neighbors throughout the book. Describe an incident when a neighbor helps the family. How do the Ingalls respond and what would have happened to them if the neighbor had not come to their aid? Describe ways that you can be helpful to your friends and neighbors and what impact do you think your actions might have?

  4. Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote many other books about life the prairie, and her stories were the inspiration for the popular TV series Little House on the Prairie. If you enjoyed reading the book of the month, you can visit your local library to look for other books in the series or check out episodes of the TV show available on DVD.