Teach Your Kids a Little Fun History about Chocolate on Columbus Day!

Written by Cilie Yack

Our Chocolate Unit isn't complete without a little fun history lesson for kids on chocolate!

The tasty wonders of the cacao (say: kah KOW) tree was discovered over 2,000 years ago. This tree grows in the tropical rainforests of the Americas. Kids that live in the Amazon rainforest will eat the raw seeds of this plant just like kids in the U.S. and U.K. eat candy. It is from those seeds that we get chocolate. The ancient Aztecs used to drink glasses of hot chocolate about 300 years before the American Revolution. It was so special to them that their great emperor named Montezuma drank 50 or more cups a day. He used to serve it to his special guests in golden goblets. They even called it nectar from the gods. So that is how chocolate got its name. So, as you can see, chocolate comes from cacao trees and it is basically harvested from the seeds that are inside the pods that fall to the ground. Chocolate is good for you because it comes from plants. It has many of the health benefits of dark colored vegetables. These benefits are from flavonoids. Flavonoids are antioxidants that protect the body from damage that leads to heart disease. Dark chocolate contains 8 times more antioxidants than strawberries. So be good boys and girls and eat your chocolate dark!

Are you wondering how this awesome ingredient made its way to Europe?

Well, the following free printable sheets will give you some hints about it. Work together to figure it out. I think you will be surprised to learn who brought chocolate to Europe!

Want a big hint? Check out the picture at the left. Who does that picture look like? Let me give you another clue about him. He was a sailor and explorer born in Genoa (which is now known as Italy).

Any ideas yet?

The following free printable sheets will give you more clues. Have fun!

For Kids ages 5-7	For Kids ages 8-11