Social studies concepts are very abstract and sometimes challenging for young children to understand. This article presents ways for the preschool teacher to use artifacts as an opportunity to teach social studies to demystify what may otherwise be abstract. It uses diverse types of artifacts that can be introduced to children as well as those already present in the preschool classroom. The article explores how the use of artifacts aligns with the development of young children and supplies examples for teaching social studies concepts. (author abstract)