For kids ages 8-10, these Summershops sessions offer a playful approach to learning about early American family life. Children learn about popular 19th-century herbs, make some simple home remedies, and bake caraway cakes at a fireplace, along with decorating such early American toys as shadow puppets and flying hoops to take home. Picnics, games, and a school lesson round out the adventure. Each child spends at least one hour working with costumed staff in an exhibit. Group activities include picnics, games, and a school lesson.
Participants make a framed reverse-glass painting to take home.
Activities in this four-day program include woodworking, tinsmithing, farm work, and printing. Sessions fill quickly. Advance registration and payment are required. Events include Punch and Judy puppet shows, toy hot-air balloon flights, and demonstrations of early New England crafts in the historic Village. Admission fee includes all activities and an Old Sturbridge Village patch.