WILLIAMSBURG, Va., April 28, 2011 – Registration begins May 2 for children’s summer history camps at Jamestown Settlement and the Yorktown Victory Center, living-history museums that tell the story of America’s beginnings.
Whether it’s picking up a few words of the Powhatan Indian language or learning about military life during the American Revolution, the camps offer children summer fun with an educational twist on colonial American history through hands-on activities, games, stories and take-home crafts. Camps range from two to three days and are available for children age 4 through fifth grade.
The following camps are available:
AGES 4-6
Jamestown Adventure Camp – Day 1: Making Tracks – Children will learn about identifying woodland animal footprints during a visit to the re-created Powhatan Indian village and make their own animal track. Day 2: Ship Shape – Children will explore re-created 1607 ships and learn about a sailor’s work before making and decorating a ship of their very own to sail home. Program Dates/Cost: June 21-22, July 7-8, July 18-19, July 28-29, 9:30-11:30 a.m. or 1-3 p.m. $25.00 per child.
Yorktown Adventure Camp – Day 1: Don’t Let it Bug You! – Children will lend a hand caring for the crops at the re-created 1780s farm and decorate a bug box and a fuzzy critter to take home. Day 2: Yankee Doodle Dandies – Children will learn about a Continental Army soldier’s life in the re-created encampment and make a hobbyhorse to take home. Program Dates/Cost: June 23-24, July 5-6, July 21-22, July 26-27, 9:30-11:30 a.m. or 1-3 p.m. $25.00 per child.
COMPLETED GRADES 1-2
Jamestown Discovery Camp – Day 1: Forging Ahead – Children will explore the art of blacksmithing at the forge in the re-created colonial fort and make a tin-punch craft. Day 2: Sticks and Stones – Youngsters will learn how Powhatan Indians used natural materials to make tools, visit the re-created Powhatan village and make a turkey-feather fan and ornamentation. Program Dates/Cost: June 21-22, July 18-19, July 28-29, 9:30-11:30 a.m. or 1-3 p.m. $25.00 per child.
Yorktown Discovery Camp – Day 1: Papermaker – Children will discover the sources of paper and make handmade paper of their very own. Day 2: Wicks and Wax – Children will learn how to make 18th-century-style candles on the 1780s farm and dip their own candle and decorate a holder with a special crest to take home. Program Dates/Cost: June 23-24, July 21-22, July 26-27, 9:30-11:30 a.m. or 1-3 p.m. $25.00 per child.
COMPLETED GRADES 3-5
Jamestown Colonial Capers – Day 1: Good Latitude – Students will learn about 17th-century navigation and mapmaking skills while they discover how John Smith’s exploration of the Chesapeake Bay provided essential information for the Jamestown colony. Students will make their own ship’s log to take home. Day 2: Under Foot – Archaeology is the focus of the day’s activities as students participate in a mock dig to uncover evidence of Powhatan Indian culture and then visit re-creations of a Powhatan Indian village and colonial fort. Students make a special glass-tile mosaic to take home. Day 3: Connecting Cultures – Students will explore the riverfront discovery area to learn similarities of the Powhatan Indian, English and African cultures, then make their own African mask and “perform” a traditional west African folktale. Program Dates/Cost: June 27-29, July 20-22, August 1-3, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $42.00 per child.
Yorktown Colonial Capers – Day 1: Witnesses – Learn about the Revolutionary War witnesses, the journals they left behind and discover the paper fibers used to produce them on the 1780s farm. Students will turn rope into a special macramé project and create an American flag. Day 2: Finding Betsy – Discover the secrets of the Betsy, a British ship intentionally sunk in the York River during the Siege of Yorktown, while learning about underwater archaeology. Students will learn about cannons and gunpowder in the Continental Army encampment and then design and carve their own powder horn to take home. Program Dates/Cost: June 30-July 1, July 18-19, August 4-5, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $28.00 per child.
In each camp program, children will be provided a light snack, have the opportunity to make a project to take home, and visit the outdoor living-history areas at each museum. Space is limited, and advance registration is required. Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc., Annual Fund donors at the Rochambeau Club level and above receive a 10% discount on these programs.
For more information about Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center children’s summer history camps or to request registration materials, contact the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation On-Site Education Office, P.O. Box 1607, Williamsburg, VA 23187, or call (757) 253-4731. Information about children’s summer history camps is available at local public libraries and in each museum lobby. Registration forms are available here.
