Bring History to Life Step into the past with living history experiences around the world. BY BARBARA RADCLIFFE ROGERS
Colonial Times: In Colonial Williamsburg, the red-coated Fifes and Drums regiment marches in the Illumination of the Taverns parade (top); and two youngsters try out the old-fashioned wooden pillories on the Village Green, once used to punish people for their misdeeds (bottom). PHOTOS: © STEVEHEAP | DREAMSTIME.COM, © LEI XU | DREAMSTIME.COM
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hurning butter, grinding corn, learning to tie sailors’ knots, hollowing out a log for a canoe — these experiences invite children into past ages, immersing them into times and cultures different from their own. The sights, sounds and activities of an earlier time bring history to life for kids in ways a classroom can never duplicate. At authentically restored villages and living history museums across America, families can step into the past and become part of another era. These are so engaging, children may not even realize they are learning about their country’s history. The world’s largest living history museum is Colonial Williamsburg, in Virginia. Stepping into the meticulously restored capital of the British Empire’s American colonies is like stepping back to the 18th century. Visiting shops and homes, children can watch the printer turn out the daily broadsheet (and maybe take home a copy) and see how shoes are made by hand, how thread is spun and how books are bound. In some, children can try their hand at early skills or help prepare
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