Blast into the Past

How do you spark an interest in history in young children? My grandkids already roll their eyes when I start talking about genealogy. They do like to look at old pictures but anything else old is b-o-r-i-n-g! I can't even get them to watch old movies with me - you know those oh, so old movies from the 70's and 80's that I watched with their parents ;-)

I was looking for something close by that I could do with the kids this summer and I saw this article in Oswego County Today. There will be a children's program called "Blast into the Past" held at the Pratt House Museum. I dubbed it "History Camp" to get my grandkids interested. It is only one morning a week for three weeks and at $10 a kid very affordable.

Session one for 4-7 years will take place on Wednesday July 9, 16, and 23 and Session two on Wednesday July 30, August 6, and 13 with historical topics of Nature and History, Early Home Life, and Early Entertainment discussed during each three day session. The first session for 8-12 years will take place on Friday July 11, 18, and 25 and second session on Friday August 1, 8, and 15. This age group will learn about Early Settlement and Transportation, War and Industry, and Entertainment and Art. All sessions for 4-12 years will run from 9:30am- 12noon, with each day including a take home craft, snack, and fun learning activities.

By the time I got permission to take my granddaughters the sign up deadline had passed. I stopped by the Museum yesterday and they were able to sign up all four kids for the second session. The group of 4-7 year olds that were there had just finished snack and seemed to be having a great time.

I rarely go into the city and even though we've lived here four years now, I didn't know the Museum existed. I was very tempted to look at all the exhibits but I'll have six trips later on to check them out. It is right across from the library so now I know where that is too! (I've always gone to the one in the town where I work.) I wonder what else I've been missing?

I'm really looking forward to spending some time with the kids in pairs instead of a group and I think they are looking forward to doing something with their closest in age cousin. Not to mention lunch with Grandma afterward.