• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Little Den

Learn. Travel. Explore.

  • Home
  • About
  • Travel
    • France
    • Spain
    • Scotland
    • Switzerland
    • England
  • Learn
  • Create
  • Inspire
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright
    • Affiliate Disclosure
You are here: Home / Travel / The French Revolution for Kids and Visiting Versailles

The French Revolution for Kids and Visiting Versailles

by The Little Den 2 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet

French Revolution for Children - learning resources

We recently visited the Palace of Versailles and what a memorable visit it was. Read here for some of our top tips . Mr 10 describes the Palace as the Chateau where the last King of France lived before he got his head chopped off. Ah well, I’m glad he registered the important facts – some head chopping and a lot of goriness, fantastic!

Are you studying the French Revolution? Or are you planning a visit to Versailles with your family? Check out these ideas and resources below for getting your kids interested in their visit and throw in a bit of French history at the same time. It really helps to provide them with some context before their visit.

Fun Facts about the French Revolution

Have a few fun facts under your belt to spark your children’s interest and to get them involved in their forthcoming visit.

  • There were some 700 rooms at Versailles!
  • Marie-Antoinette’s hairdresser used to powder her hair with flour
  • Some rich people actually bathed in crushed strawberries
  • Peasants resorted to eating grass as the price of wheat was so high they couldn’t afford bread
  • Louis XVI would purposely trip up his servants ‘for a laugh’ and would drop his trousers as entertainment

*fun facts taken from the horrible histories clips

WATCH – Films & Clips about the French Revolution

Horrible Histories & the French Revolution

If you haven’t watched these before, I can’t recommend them highly enough. They’re hilarious, informative, educational and very, very funny! You can buy or borrow the books  [UK readers – click here] or watch the TV series on Amazon Prime [UK readers – click here]. YouTube is your friend – here are some of our favourite clips:

“Historical Wife Swap”: Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

French Revolution TV report

‘You’ve been Artois’d‘ – a clip about French nobleman during the time of Louis XVI

Mr Peabody & Sherman – The French Revolution

You’ll definitely want to watch Mr. Peabody & Sherman [US readers] [UK readers – click here]! Or just check out these two youtube links:

The ‘Let them eat cake‘ clip (although Marie-Antoinette never actually said this!)

The French revolution scene

John Green’s ‘The French Revolution: Crash Course World History’

Check out this fast-talking American who’ll give you a 10 minute crash course on the French Revolution.

Les Miserables

Watch Les Miserables [UK readers – click here] which is set against the backdrop of revolutionary France.

Rick Steves in Versailles

This clip about Versailles by Rick Steves will transport you back in time.

Books about the French Revolution

Who Was Marie Antoinette

I absolutely love the ‘Who Was? [UK readers – click here]’ book series and this one is no exception: it summarises perfectly the life of the last Queen of France. It might not suitable if you have very little ones as it provides two pages worth of detail regarding her death and specifically, how she died.

You Wouldn’t Want to be an Aristocrat in the French Revolution!

You Wouldn’t Want to Be an Aristocrat in the French Revolution! A Horrible Time in Paris You’d Rather Avoid. We weren’t able to get ahold of this book and I think it must of out print given the crazy prices quoted on Amazon. We absolutely love the ‘You wouldn’t want to be’ book series. It gets great reviews so go check if your library has it. It’s a great way to get children interested in history. We have 10 from the collection and Miss 7 loves them.

The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette

I’ve just started reading The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette [UK readers – click here] by Carolly Erickson and am thoroughly enjoying it. This fictional diary is set when Marie-Antoinette was twelve years of age, right until her death. It’s a very easy and enjoyable read.

Podcasts about the French Revolution

You HAVE to listen to this podcast if you want to learn about Marie-Antoinette. The History Chicks will teach you everything you ever need to know about Marie-Antoinette. Check out their podcast here – I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Websites & Blogs about the French Revolution

Check out good old Wikipedia for some background on Marie-Antoinette and the French Revolution.

If your children are older (ages 10+), watch/study the series on the French Revolution on the Khan Academy website. It’s such an amazing resource and it’s free.

Learn 10 things you didn’t know about Marie-Antoinette.

This homeschooler provides a list of books on the French Revolution and gives an idea of age appropriateness.

Dig Deeper into the French Revolution

For teenagers (or yourself), dig even deeper and check out these online courses:

  • Coursera – French Revolution
  • Futurelearn – Wordsworth, the French Revolution and War with France

Are there any other resources you would recommend? Let us know in the comments!

MORE FROM MY SITE

  • Marie-Antoinette's Hamlet - thatched cottagesUnexpected Versailles Highlights for Kids (and Adults)
  • Beaches of the Costa BravaDiscover our Favourite Costa Brava Beaches
  • Salvador Dalí in the Costa Brava – 3 Must-Visit SitesSalvador Dalí in the Costa Brava – 3 Must-Visit Sites
  • Discover Perpignan and Collioure – 48 hours in the MedDiscover Perpignan and Collioure – 48 hours in the Med
  • Chateau of Castelnaud - Insider's GuideVisiting the Chateau de Castelnaud? Read our Insider’s Guide
  • Autumn Playdough
  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: France, Travel Tagged With: french revolution, learning resources, versailles

Previous Post: « Visiting the Chateau de Castelnaud? Read our Insider’s Guide
Next Post: Unexpected Versailles Highlights for Kids (and Adults) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jessica | Magnets from Everywhere says

    at

    I loved Versailles when I was there 9 years ago and I love that you are making sure you and the kids really understand the historical context. I can’t wait to take the kids and I’ll definitely be referencing this when we go.

    We have a trip to Hawaii coming up next month and it’s the first trip we’re preparing the kids for by doing some research and books and movies. I’m so excited to see how it impacts the trip!

    Reply
    • The Little Den says

      at

      Thank you so much for commenting Jessica. I think it really enhances a visit if you are able to provide some context. Look forward to hearing how your prep for your trip to Hawai impacts your trip!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hit Search:

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Popular Posts

Visit Versailles with Kids - Our Top Tips for Keeping Your Sanity

Visit Versailles with Kids: How to Preserve Your Sanity

Posted on
01
Edinburgh

Third Culture Kid – Home is Where?

Posted on
02
Tower of London - The White Tower

The Tower of London for Kids – Our 13 Top Tips!

Posted on
03

Footer

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy: This blog does not share personal information with third parties nor do we store any information about your visit to this blog other than to analyze and optimize your content and reading experience through the use of cookies. You can turn off the use of cookies at anytime by changing your specific browser settings. We are not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without our permission. This privacy policy is subject to change without notice and was last updated on 01/03/2020. If you have any questions feel free to contact me directly here: hello at thelittleden dot com.

This site contains various affiliate links, which means that I may get a commission if you decide to purchase anything from suggested companies. They cost you nothing and help to keep The Little Den running. Thank you

© The Little Den, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to The Little Den with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Handcrafted with © 2020 - The Little Den

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT