Our Board of Ages (Timeline AD1 - 2100)

I've written about our Prehistory Timeline. And I made an Ancient History timeline recently using a set from Beautiful Feet (pictured on the right). This year, since we have a larger family room space (and a fireplace we don't use), I decided to give myself a project. I wanted to create a highly visual timeline that would literally stare us in the face when we were reading aloud or when the kiddo read some sort of history-themed literature.

Two years ago, I purchased all of Beautiful Feet's timeline packets. But never got around to doing anything with them except for the Ancient History timeline, which I completed around May of this year. Then in June, I brought the rest of the packets out and have been gradually coloring them in. The kiddo is very excited about this...the fact that I am doing it and not requiring him to LOL. But hey, a start is a start right?

Here are pictures, posted with the intention to inspire anyone like me who has timeline figures saved on their hard drives/ drawers/ shelves but no motivation to do anything with them.

First, identify a good place to secure your timeline. You will probably need to improvise these materials according to the space you have. Also, decide if you want your timeline to include the BC as well as AD years. Since I already have separate Prehistory and BC timelines, I decided to make this one an AD timeline, i.e. from years AD1-2100.

Materials:

1. Any medium-sized packing box...I used U-Haul's since we have those saved from our move last summer
2. 12" x 12" scrapbook or card stock sheets...I used solid color cardstock like this one, three each of six different colors, so 18 sheets in all
3. Light colored construction paper to mark out every 25 years (rows)...I used the long, cream-colored sheets that come with every Beautiful Feet timeline packet
4. One full roll of masking tape or a container of school glue (I think masking tape will offer more reliable, less messy adherence). Having more tape than less is useful in case you make mistakes!
5. Craft knife
6. Removable Scotch Tape (optional) to secure sheets on box before taping them permanently
7. A 12" ruler
8. String or twine to mark every 100 years (columns).
9. Timeline figures and paper to label the years.
10. Color pencils to color your timeline figures
11. Rubber cement or some other suitable acid-free glue to attach timeline figures

Steps (click on photos to zoom):

Split open box. Tape flaps so that they don't separate from body of box. Then, layer board with card stock. Use removable tape to secure before you tape it down with masking tape.

You'll need 21 columns for every 100 years from AD1 to 2100. So measure the width of your box and cut sufficient twine/ string for each column. I measured about 3" for AD1- 1899 but made columns for AD1900 and AD2000 wider. You can secure the twine using short strips of masking tape. You may then cover up these taped-up bits with the horizontal sheets that make up every 25 years. Note that in the photo, I've already labeled the years.

Here's the completed Board of Ages. Not a very nifty name, I know, but I couldn't think of anything else! For the record, it took me about 3 hours to do this (with a few breaks between).

It sits in front of our unused fireplace, right next to where we do read alouds.

If you don't fancy Beautiful Feet's timeline sets or figures, you may also find links to timeline figures at Paula's Archives or by googling them. If you plan to create one of these too, good luck!