Little House on the Prairie Lifestyle

Laura Ingalls Wilder’s stories are particularly resonant today with their themes of enjoying simple, home-made pleasures, respecting the natural world, and cultivating community bonds. This Lifestyle section brings you recipes, DIYs, crafts, and more inspired by Little House on the Prairie. Browse the articles below or click here for a complete index.

Simple Molasses Cookie Recipe

Ma was busy all day long, cooking good things for Christmas. One morning she boiled molasses and sugar together until they made a thick syrup, and Pa brought in two pans of clean, white snow from outdoors. Laura and Mary each had a pan, and Pa and Ma showed them how to pour the dark…

Sweet Potato and Root Vegetable Bake

Mr. Edwards was taking sweet potatoes out of his pockets. He said they had helped to balance the package on his head when he swam across the creek. He thought Pa and Ma might like them, with the Christmas turkey. There were nine sweet potatoes. Mr. Edwards had brought them all the way from town,…

Create Your Own Little House in the Big Woods Diorama

Create your own Little House in the Big Woods scene with these beautiful downloadable dioramas by artist Renée Graef. Download the Pepin, Wisconsin diorama here and the Big Woods log cabin here. Once you’re ready to get started assembling, follow along with these diorama instructions: Step One: You will need scissors and tape handy. You…

Keeping Backyard Chickens for Fresh Eggs

“Caroline, just one more thing. Just remember, the eggs are for selling, not for throwing.” Charles Ingalls, Season 1, Episode 9 – School Mom Who could forget how often Ma was able to add a bit of extra spending money by selling eggs from her chickens to the general store? The truth is, keeping backyard…

DIY Little House on the Prairie-Themed Summer Camp

It’s been a difficult year, and more families are choosing to spend “summer vacation” at home. With no set schedule, it’s easy to fall into a rut that involves a LOT of screen time. To introduce a fun new routine, help your family plan your own Little House on the Prairie pioneer-themed summer camp! We’ve…

Heart-Shaped Cakes Inspired by Little House on the Prairie

Those stockings weren’t empty yet. Mary and Laura pulled out two small packages. They unwrapped them, and each found a little heart-shaped cake. Over their delicate brown tops was sprinkled white sugar. The sparkling grains lay like tiny drifts of snow. The cakes were too pretty to eat. Mary and Laura just looked at them….