We will then take your students on their own trip to the past in our historic house, where a host of old things waits to be discovered. There, your students will discover the decorations, crafts, stories, and traditions that made Christmas in the 1890s such a special time for the Kings and the other citizens of Berlin. In this program, students compare technologies and activities for children of the 1890s versus their own experiences. The students usually have many questions after they explore the Victorian historic house and are introduced to 19th century toys in the Visitor Centre. This program encourages students to evaluate the lifestyles of Victorian children at Christmas time and in the winter of 1890, through the eyes of a Presbyterian minister's family.
Students can then choose and make their own Victorian Christmas craft.
In the Historic House, students will discover the types of chores boys and girls were expected to do to help the family in 1890. Students can see the contrast of how strict the division of work by gender was back then, with the increased choice available to the people of today. Through participation in Victorian clothing demonstrations, students compare and contrast the clothing styles of 1890 with those of today and discover some of the important connections between clothing and lifestyle. The students will evaluate clothing as both protection from the environment and as a means of expression of personal image, and will identify these differences by gender. They will see the games children played in the 1890s and compare the workings of an old house with their own.