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About the Charles M. Schulz Museum

Kids of all ages (yes, even kids at heart) love the classic shenanigans of the Peanuts gang. Your middle-grade students might even consider themselves experts on all the characters. However, there’s always more to learn. With these free printable museum facts, students get a peek behind-the-scenes at the mind who created Peanuts. (You might even get a field trip out of it!) Charles M. Schulz, the mind behind Peanuts, has a whole museum dedicated to him and his iconic creation. Museums are a fun and interactive way to learn, and the history of Schulz will interest people from all walks of life.

Just in case students can’t make it to the museum themselves, we have the perfect material to educate them about it regardless. Written in short, easily-comprehensible language, even the most reluctant readers will be interested in this information. You can even pair these free printable museum facts with any of the books in the AMP Peanuts series to add an additional layer of context and enjoyment to the reading experience. Whether your classroom is full of Lucy fans, Snoopy die-hards, or Charlie enthusiasts, the history of Charles M. Schulz will unite them all.

Fun Facts About Charles M. Schulz and Peanuts

Contextualize any of the AMP Kids Peanuts books with these free printable fun facts about the artist behind it all! This is a great opportunity for you to introduce middle-grade readers to other elements of literature. By giving them a glimpse into the creator’s life, you can increase their appreciation of the creation. You can easily incorporate these short biographical tidbits into your students’ reading routine. Doing so will help middle-graders learn more about an iconic piece of the American cartoon canon. Not only that, but learning about Schulz’s background will illustrate how childhood dreams can become realities.

After enjoying one of the many delightful books in the Peanuts collection, encourage your students to explore the story on a deeper level. You have the chance to introduce them to important elements of critical reading by sharing the context of the author with them. Teaching them about Charles Schulz will add even more enjoyment to reading about Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang’s antics. These facts, while super fun, will also answer Peanuts fans’ most pressing questions. Do you know how many comic strips Charles Schulz drew in his lifetime? Or the inspiration behind Snoopy? Get these answers and more by downloading these free printable fun facts!

Learn How Comics Can Reflect Life

Take the heartwarming messages of the Peanuts treasury and easily implement them into a classroom discussion about emotional intelligence. With this free printable social-emotional learning activity, students will have the chance to express themselves artistically and emotionally, all while learning how to craft a good story. First, encourage students to think deeply about impactful events in their lives and how they reacted to them. Happy or sad, big or small, make your classroom a safe space to think and talk about how to handle the tricky emotions that can accompany these kinds of events. Once they have an event in mind, they can follow the short, easy-to-follow instructions on this printable sheet to recreate the moment in comic form.

Complete with a helpful example straight from the hand of legendary Charles Schulz, middle-grade fans of the AMP Kids Peanuts series will love the opportunity to try their hand at the same craft. Charlie Brown and his friends are always there for one another, setting a great example for readers of all ages. Lucy may tease Charlie, Linus may never return Sally’s romantic affection, and not all of Snoopy’s crazy schemes will work. At the end of the day, though, it doesn’t matter! These friends will help each other through it. Be sure to revisit this idea as your students work on illustrating life’s big moments. It can be challenging to teach emotional maturity to younger readers, but this social-emotional learning activity makes it easy.

Learn All the Baseball Positions

Don’t know your right from your left fielder? No worries! The Peanuts gang is here to explain with this fun free printable baseball visual. Middle-grade students can read an AMP Kids Peanuts book of their choice, then they can take to the field with the help of this handy guide. Each beloved character stands in position on the diamond, so your readers can easily see and understand the layout. Not to mention the handy labeling this visual comes with! Learning a new sport has never been easier––trust us.

Although Charlie Brown might not be the most talented athlete, his devoted fans could be. First, though, they have to know all the rules. Even if your middle-grader isn’t fond of playing sports, they’ll still enjoy learning the ins and outs of the game. After all, you never know when you’ll need to know a third baseman’s responsibilities! Helpfully, anyone will be able see themselves represented on this field. It doesn’t hurt that the illustrations are in that classic and immediately-recognizable Peanuts style, too. Perfect for avid baseball fans and novice athletes alike, this free printable baseball visual will be a grand slam in your classroom!

Make a Charlie Brown Mask

Do you want a fun craft for your students with minimal mess and materials needed? Then you’ve come to the right place! This make your own mask craft, inspired by legendary “Round-Headed Kid” Charlie Brown, is the perfect choice for your classroom. Requiring only 5 easy-to-find materials, you can break this craft out again and again. First your students can get familiar with the lovable Peanuts gang by reading any of the books in the celebrated AMP Kids Peanuts series of classic comics. After they’ve identified their favorite characters and stories, let them engage with what they just read by helping them create easy paper plate masks. Your classroom will be filled with Charlie Brown lookalikes in no time at all.

Interactive art has never been easier with this make-your-own-mask craft. Middle-grade students will love the whimsical and relatable goings-on of the Peanuts world. In fact, it will be easy for them to identify characters and plots that resonate with them. They might think lovingly of their own childhood security blankets when Linus turns up. Maybe they’ll giggle in sheepish recognition at Lucy’s hopeless crush. They’ll definitely recognize the practice of tuning adults out! After bringing Charlie Brown’s visage to life, encourage middle-graders to make masks representing all the characters they’ve come to know and love. Quick, easy, and accessible, this make-your-own-mask craft is a no-brainer!

Go Fly a Kite that You Made Yourself

Take the fun of reading to the skies with the help of this printable DIY kite for students. Inspired by Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts cast, middle-grade students have the chance to make their very own kites to fly. This free activity is the perfect way to stretch both your creative and physical muscles (have you ever tried to control a kite on a super windy day?!). First, middle-graders will decorate kites to match their personalities, then they can toss them into the wind. Although Charlie Brown isn’t the best at flying his kite, your students will have a blast getting to know him and his friends before heading outside to try it themselves.

To know the Peanuts gang is to love them. The classic friends have been warming hearts and tickling funny bones for over fifty years, and the AMP Kids Peanuts series lovingly carries on that tradition. Middle grade students may be new to these stories, but they’ll be lifelong fans in no time. With a multitude of books focused on different characters, every reader is guaranteed to find something they enjoy. Take that enjoyment to the next level by allowing them to pursue kite-flying like Charlie Brown. (Hopefully their attempts are more successful!) Using this printable DIY kite for students, you can pair any Peanuts book with a fun afternoon in the clouds.

Make a Recycled Bird Feeder for Woodstock and His Friends

Reduce, reuse, recycle! This recycled craft for students, inspired by Woodstock and his famous Peanuts pals, shows you how to turn everyday materials into a fun bird feeder. After they’ve read the Peanuts book of their choice, introduce students to the crucial concept of recycling. Show them that environmental friendliness can be a fun part of everyday life. First, have students bring plastic water bottles from home. Then provide them with markers, glue, paint, glitter, and whatever other materials you can get your hands on. Encourage them to put their own artistic flair into each bird feeder, and watch the reusable magic unfold.

Making this recycled craft for students goes great with the comics collections in the beloved Peanuts series. Middle-grade readers will love any and all of them, so you can’t go wrong in your classroom selection. Each installment puts the spotlight on a different character, so young fans can find the perfect story for their unique interests. Whether they relate to Linus’s smarts, Lucy’s authority, or Snoopy’s wild schemes, there’s something for everyone in the delightful world of the Peanuts gang. Better yet, they can revisit their favorites time and time again––recycling in reading form!

Make a Snoopy Finger Puppet

Everyone knows Snoopy is Charlie Brown’s best pal. Now, using this free finger puppet craft, middle-grade students can make their own beagle best friend to take home! Readers will be drawn in by the classic appeal of the Peanuts gang, and completing this easy-to-follow project will cement their love of the timeless characters. Lucy may be bossy, Pig Pen might be smelly, and Charlie may be terrible at football, but readers will enjoy them and their hilarious antics nonetheless, particularly Snoopy’s. Luckily, you can pair this craft with any of the books in the AMP Kids Peanuts series. Therefore, middle-grade students can choose the story that appeals to them most, and still have tons of fun with this free project.

With minimal mess and maximum fun, you and your students can bring the joy of Peanuts out of the newspaper and into the real world. Although this finger puppet DIY project is specifically designed for Snoopy, encourage students to branch out creatively after they’re done. Maybe they have a different favorite character that they want to take home. They could even recreate the whole Peanuts cast! With so many lovable and silly friends to choose from, who could blame them? To finish up a fun afternoon immersed in the Peanuts world, look no further than this free finger puppet craft. After all, finger puppet dogs are a kid’s best friend!

Make an Animated Flip Book

Reading about Charlie Brown and his friends is one thing. Learning how to bring them to life is quite another. Luckily, this free printable drawing guide combines the joy of both. Provide middle-grade students with any of the books in the AMP Kids Peanuts series for inspiration. As they get familiar with Woodstock, Snoopy, Lucy, and the whole gang, encourage them to visualize and sketch their own characters. While the book’s characters are excellent subjects, middle-graders will have even more fun thinking of unique stories and personalities. After finishing the Peanuts book of their choice, introduce them to this exciting and achievable artistic activity.

Students will learn firsthand how animation takes still panels and turns them into in-motion cartoons. All the while, they’ll be laughing along with the hilarious and classic misadventures Peanuts is known (and loved) for. Charlie still can’t seem to kick that football, Linus and his blanket are sure to be philosophizing, and Snoopy is cooking up his next grand scheme. Middle-graders can stretch their artistic muscles and grow in their love of reading at the same time. By utilizing this free printable drawing guide in your classroom, you can satisfy minds that are hungry for both education and entertainment.

Make Snoopy’s Dog House with Origami

Everyone knows the iconic red doghouse that lovable pup, Snoopy, made famous. With this free printable paper craft, middle-grade students have the chance to make one of their very own––with origami! Written in easy-to-follow language and broken down into small and helpful steps, this DIY project pairs perfectly with any of the books in the AMP Kids Peanuts series. Completing this project can help encourage a love of reading and an appreciation of different cultures in one fell swoop. (All while enjoying the classic misadventures of Snoopy and his friends, of course!)

No matter who you are, there’s a story or a character in the Peanuts gallery for you. Some readers will relate to opinionated Lucy, others will feel kinship with tomboyish Peppermint Patty, and everyone can see themselves reflected in the kind-hearted Charlie Brown. Talk with your students about the different characteristics of each character to introduce them to concepts of literary analysis. After reading any of the delightful stories in the series, break out the paper and get crafty! First, use this free printable paper craft to guide construction of Snoopy’s doghouse. Then, have your students proudly display their creations around the classroom. While you’re at it, provide some background on the art of of origami to inspire cultural appreciation in middle-graders.