Embalm Your Own Egyptian Mummy On-line!

Anubis leads kids through the embalming process at this unique mummification web site from the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago

What do you think of when you think of studying ancient Egypt? Pyramids, papyrus, the pharaohs, hieroglyphics, gods and goddesses… and of course, MUMMIES. Recently my kids and I were studying mummies, and I was looking for a resource that would be entertaining but educational. I wanted them to learn more about the process, and engage my 6 and 7 year olds without getting too gory for my 3 and 4 year olds. I stumbled across a site from from the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, in which Anubis (the god of embalming) leads children through the mummification process by instructing them how to prepare the body for his journey to “the afterlife.” Please preview it first to see if this is suitable for your children- I did so first and loved it, but you know your kids best! My 4 kids each got a turn to be “in charge” of the clicking while the others looked on, and enjoyed it enough to ask if they could do it again the next day. There are also images from an ancient Egyptian tomb, and an Egyptian timeline.

• There is a slightly more complicated on-line embalming experience from the BBC that requires a bit more reading, which older children may enjoy.
• One final on-line mummy resource comes from the Birmingham Museum (UK) kids pages. This is a game that requires kids to read the clues and identify different objects found in mummies’ tombs. After clicking on clues in the tomb, children will reveal who is in the mummy.

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Aliki’s “Mummies Made in Egypt”