Summer Programs

Summer Enrichment Programs      

Flying the Flag
Why do people fly flags in their yards or on their houses or on their cars?  Why is a flag a symbol of our state?  What goes onto a flag in order to make it a symbol?  Learn about flags and how they have changed throughout history.  Visit the galleries of the museum to find artifacts that could become symbols on flags. Children will make their own flag to take home.                  

History Mystery
Children become archeologists as they sift through a reproduction of a squirrel’s nest found in an old house. What does the nest tell them about life in the past? Using items from magazines and catalogues, the children will create their own nests to show what might be collected from a house today. Pre-school version available.  

Hoops and Hopscotch
What did children from the 1800s do for fun? What toys did they play with, and what kinds of games did they play? Children will play games from long ago, visit the Wickham House (1812), handle reproduction toys and make a spinning top. Pre-school version available.

Party in the House
Did children from the 1800s ever go to parties, play games or get dressed up?  What kinds of parties did they have? The children will visit the Wickham House (1812) to learn about how the children lived and to talk about adult parties in the house.  They will play some old-fashioned games and create a party mask of their own. Pre-school version available.

Recycled Sculpture
Children will visit the sculpture studio of Edward V. Valentine and learn how he created sculpture.  They will view images of public art and sculptures and will make their own 3-dimensional sculptures using clean trash.          

The Shape of Our House
Look carefully at our  Wickham House (1812). What shapes do you see?  What colors were used to decorate this house? What architectural elements can you find? By comparing the house to their own house, the children will begin to have an understanding of the basic elements that all buildings must have. They also will  learn about the differences that exist between an old building and a more modern one. Pre-school version available.  

Three Sisters
Who were the “Three Sisters” that grew in the gardens of the Eastern Woodlands Indians of Virginia?  The children will take part in a hands-on exploration of the agriculture practices of those Indians. Through discussion of reproduction artifacts, photographs and drawings, participants will learn about the Powhatan’s reliance on natural and human resources. They also will  start their own small crop in a growing pouch to take home. Pre-school version available.

Whatchamacallits & Thingamajigs
What might this have been used for? Who would have used it? How would they have used it? What do we have today that is similar?  These are just some of the questions that the children will attempt to answer when they work with the reproduction artifacts in this hands-on program. Pre-school version available.

Whose Hat is That?
Hats tell us a lot about the people who wore them. They might tell us when they lived or where they lived or what they did for a living. They also might  tell us where the person was going when they wore the hat. The children will have an opportunity to wear some of the hats from our collection and to discuss what they think the hat tells us. They will create a hat to take with them and perhaps begin their own collection. Pre-school version available.

Ask about availability of other programs.    

Fees                

• $5 per child       
• Ask about  a multi-program discount.            
• Fee assistance available on a case-by-case basis.