Kid’s Animated History with Pipo: Supplemental History for Homeschool Families

Looking for an easy history for homeschool resource? Pair Kid’s Animated History with Pipo with our country unit studies for some fun, bite-sized lessons on ancient civilizations and world cultures.

If you’d like a simple way to weave some history into your geography and culture studies, I’ve matched Kid’s Animated History with Pipo episodes with the countries featured in our Global Explorers program.

These short videos offer a brief introduction to ancient civilizations and world cultures for kids. They’re a great supplemental history activity for family lessons, especially if you have a budding history buff or are simply trying to make sense of how geography, culture, and history all fit together.

Each episode is just the right length to spark a bit of curiosity without being overwhelming. Simply add them to your country task lists, watch as a family, and use them as a springboard for discussion, journaling, or mapwork.

North America Unit Studies

• Mexico: The Aztec Empire, Parts 1 & 2
• Guatemala: The Maya, Parts 1 & 2

South America Unit Studies

• Peru: The Inca Empire, Parts 1 & 2

Africa Unit Studies

• Mali: Islam, Parts 1 & 2 (Mansa Musa)
• Egypt: Ancient Egypt, Parts 1 & 2

Note: I’ve paired the Islam episodes with Mali, since students will learn about Mansa Musa and his famous pilgrimage to Mecca.

Asia Unit Studies

• Türkiye: The Byzantine Empire, Parts 1 & 2
• Israel & Palestine: Ancient Israelites, Parts 1 & 2
• Iraq: Mesopotamia, Parts 1 & 2
• India: India, Parts 1 & 2
• Japan: Japan, Parts 1 & 2
• China: Ancient China, Parts 1 & 2

Europe Unit Studies

• Greece: Classical Greece, Parts 1 & 2 (Unit Study Coming Soon)
• Italy: Imperial Rome, Parts 1 & 2 (Unit Study Coming Soon)
• Germany & France: Carolingian Empire, Parts 1 & 2 (Unit Study Coming Soon)
• France: The Celts (Unit Study Coming Soon)
• Norway:The Vikings (Unit Study Coming Soon)

Note: I anchored the Celts to France, since this episode focuses on the Gauls. I placed the Vikings with Norway, though the episode also mentions Erik the Red’s journeys to Iceland and Greenland. You’re welcome to connect it to any of the other Scandinavian countries as well.

How to Use These Videos

These episodes can be added directly to your country task lists as supplemental history activities. They’re a great way to:

• Give children a visual overview of ancient civilizations.
• Enrich geography and culture studies with historical context.
• Pique curiosity and encourage self-directed learning with short, educational videos.

Note: Currently, episodes of Kid’s Animated History with Pipo are available to watch for free on Tubi.

Suggested Book Pairings

If your family prefers learning through books, here are two of our favorite history books that work well alongside these videos and our Global Explorers unit studies:

• Absolutely Everything! A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots, and Other Things Too Numerous to Mention by Christopher Lloyd: This is my go-to big-picture look at history from the dawn of time to the present. Full of facts, engaging stories, and interesting graphics and visuals, this book makes an excellent family read-aloud or independent browsing resource for older elementary students. It’s also available as an audiobook if you’d like to listen together during car rides, quiet time, or while working on hands-on projects.
• A Child Through Time: The Book of Children’s History by DK: This is a beautifully illustrated journey through history told from the perspective of children’s daily lives. Each page brings a different era to life with fascinating details about what it was like to grow up in ancient civilizations. It’s an excellent choice for younger learners and works well as a morning basket resource to peruse together.

Join the Global Explorers Club

With the Global Explorers Club, you’ll be able to explore the world through literature, geography, history, science, and cultural activities with our hands-on country unit studies that your whole family can enjoy together.