Ancient Egypt History for Kids - Daily Life in Ancient Egypt Illustration

Daily Life in Ancient Egypt for Kids

Everyone had a job in ancient Egypt. Most ancient Egyptians worked very hard, but they left time each day for play and to spend time with their families.

Kids: Since everyone had a job in ancient Egypt, until about age 5 a child's job was to learn how to talk and walk and play. Both boys and girls were encouraged to play games that developed strength and agility. Girls also had dolls to help them learn how to take care of children and their future home. Some dolls were very lifelike with extra sets of clothing.

Did kids go to school? After age 5, their job was to learn. Children of the very rich were taught math, science, reading, and writing by tutors or slaves. Most kids were taught at home by their parents how to be good farmers, craftsmen, or homemakers.. People who could afford it sent their boys to be educated at the temple school called the House of Life. Girls, although they were equal under the law, did not go to school, even if their parents could afford it. They were taught at home by their mother or by a slave. Very few girls knew how to read or write. But they did learn how to manage a home and children. Most boys did not go to school either. School was not free. You had to be rich or be one of Pharaoh's kids to attend a formal classroom with a teacher. 

Games and Toys:  Play was an important part of their daily lives. Kids played with marbles, balls, spinning tops, and always games of strength and agility to keep the children as fit as possible. Work and play were combined, so that work was something enjoyed by the children. Play was also important for adults. Each part of every day was spent doing something fun, be it a dip in the Nile, a game of marbles, or attendance at a festival.

Festivals: Besides funerals, daily rites, and other religious activities, priests were responsible for local festivals. The many festivals were held joyously. They were filled with high-spirited attendance. There were people selling food and souvenirs. There were banners and gaiety and music and laughter. The center of the celebration was the statue of the god, carried by the priests, in parade style, up and down the streets of the town or city, sometimes moving the statue from one temple to another, and retracing their route with a new statue of a different god. The priests wore bird and animal masks. Around them, female musicians would shake rattles. Along festival routes, other priests could be found at the bark shrines, the small shrines set up to honor specific gods. These priests were available as oracles to interpret dreams of individuals for a small fee, while waiting for the parade to pass, again and again.

Family life was important. Children were the heart of the family. If a couple could not have a child, they adopted a child. Children were taught to be kind and honest, to respect their parents, to help with the family business, and to care for the elder members of their family.

Every day: Everyone ate well in ancient Egypt. Everyone bathed daily; the rich bathed in soaking tubs with scented soap and the poor bathed in the Nile. All Egyptians were very clean. Ancient Egyptians had their own homes. They had comfortable furniture.

Religion played an enormous role in their daily lives. The ancient Egyptians believed in over 2,000 gods. They believed in magic and in spells. They believed they received messages from the gods in their dreams and consulted with dream interpreters to discover what their dream meant. Today, you might check your horoscope, your future, online or in a newspaper. In ancient times, people consulted the Calendar of Lucky and Unlucky Days. If they saw their future had an unlucky day, they headed to the marketplace to buy a spell to change their fate. They believed they had to do many good deeds in their life to assure themselves a place in the netherland, their afterlife. An activity enjoyed by the whole family, including the kids, was making grave goods. It was all part of their religion.

In the movies, you often see the ancient Egyptian civilization presented as a dark and spooky place. The people seem to be in love with death. But the ancient Egyptians were not like that at all. They loved color. They loved life. They enjoyed poetry and art and music. They held parties. They loved making grave goods to place in their family tomb. They wore colorful jewelry and flowery perfume.

Learn more about ancient Egyptian daily life by clicking on the links below.

Our Site: 

Links to other quality sites for kids:

All Rights Reserved
Written by Lin Donn
Have a great year.